Luna, Max and...Taylor Swift? The most popular pet names in Canada might surprise you

Some of the trendiest names may surprise you.

pet names Labrador retriever dog panting and ginger cat sitting in front of dark yellow background
Rover has released its list of the trendiest pet names in Canada. (Getty)

From Barbie to Wayne Gretzky, Canadian pet owners were feeling inspired by pop culture when naming their fur babies this year.

Rover has released its 11th annual Top Pet Names report, revealing the most common and trendiest pet names in Canada.

"The names we give to our pets reflect what's happening in the world around us—from trending TV shows, important public figures and even American football players—and eleven years into the campaign, this trend is still going strong," said Kate Jaffe, trend expert at Rover, in a news release.

"A lot happened in 2023 and the names we lovingly chose for our pets reflect our most memorable moments. But timeless hockey stars and the country's national emblem, Maple, prove Canadians still tap into nostalgia when it comes to naming their best friends."

Whether you need inspiration for your future pup or cat, or you're just here for the entertainment, here are Canada's top pet names.

Most popular dog names in Canada

According to Rover, this year's top five most popular female dog names were Luna, Bella, Daisy, Molly and Lucy. The top male dog names were Charlie, Milo, Max, Cooper and Leo.

Canadians honoured their favourite game, with the name Gretzky (inspired by Wayne Gretzky) being the top trending sports-inspired name of the year, up 591 per cent.

Rover added the name Connor was up this year, "inspired by Oilers forward and top NHL scorer in 2023, Connor McDavid."

The hockey-inspired name Canucks made the list for the first time this year.

The top dog names in Canada were Luna and Charlie. Credit: Rover
The top dog names in Canada were Luna and Charlie. Credit: Rover

Celebrities and movies have always inspired dog names, and Rover says this year is no exception.

The top trending music-inspired dog names were Harry, Elvis and Willie.

"This year was all about Barbie!" Rover said, adding the name Barbie is up for dogs by 34 per cent this year.

Marvel also continues to be a popular naming trend, with this year's top list including: Viper, Thanos, Mystique, Pyro, Coulson, Groot and Fury. Previously loved names like Rocket, Loki and Peter Parker are down this year.

The name Wednesday is also trending up for dogs by 49 per cent, and Gomez is up 191 per cent — likely inspired by the release of Netflix's hit TV series "Wednesday." Rover added, "other names pulled from the series include Nevermore Academy student Enid and Wednesday's mother Morticia, which both made the list for the first time this year."

Rover also reported "Mandalorian"-inspired names are trending too, with Grogu up by 91 per cent for dogs.

Other than Hollywood, pet parents in Canada were inspired by food.

Cupcake was the trendiest dog name in Canada in 2023. Credit: Rover
Cupcake was the trendiest dog name in Canada in 2023. Credit: Rover

The top trending food-inspired name this year was Cupcake, up by 358 per cent. Other trending ones included Almond, Yuka, Banana and Toast.

In what Rover called "a Canadian classic, but a goodie," the name Maple is the fifth most popular food-inspired name this year.

Some of the company's favourites, though, included the names: Maple Syrup, Tomato, Morel, Sardine and Brussel Sprout.

Whiskey, followed by Soda, were the top two drink-inspired names in Canada.

Most popular cat names in Canada

The most popular cat names this year were Luna, Lily, Bella, Lucy and Nala for females. The top male cat names were Leo, Milo, Charlie, Oliver and Simba.

"Taylor Swift-inspired names made an appearance on this year's list following her world tour, accompanying film and budding romance with American footballer Travis Kelce," Rover said.

Swift — inspired by the iconic singer and known cat lover — made the list for the first time among cat names in Canada. The name Swifty was up 173 per cent.

Cat parents also ate up food-inspired names this year, with Burrito and Cake tied for the top trending name (up by 773 per cent).

Other names "trending up for our feline companions" included Chips, Snickers and Gin, while names Turkey and Gouda made the list for the first time.

Mandalorian-inspired names were popular with cat owners, with Ahsoka up 573 per cent and Mando up 473 per cent.

"Cat parents love Pedro Pascal!," Rover claimed, adding the name Pedro is up 23 per cent and Pascal is up "a whopping" 473 per cent.

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