International Dog Day: The most popular dog names of 2022 revealed

Dog owners take inspiration from pop culture when naming their dogs (Alvan Nee/Unsplash)
Dog owners take inspiration from pop culture when naming their dogs (Alvan Nee/Unsplash)

Welcoming a dog to your family is an incredibly exciting time – but it can also be very stressful.

From training methods, picking out a dog bed and collar, and trying to make other furry friends, there’s a lot to think about.

But one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a new dog parent is choosing their name.

On International Dog Day, new research from personalised pet product shop Yappy.com reveals the most popular dog names for 2022.

Some people are still going for classic dog names that never go out of style, such as Teddy, Charlie, Buddy and Milo, or Luna, Bella, Poppy, and Lola, all of which remain incredibly popular pooch names.

Other dog parents are looking to pop culture for inspiration, opting to honour their favourite film characters or singers by naming their dog after them.

The research reveals that Disney remains a key influence in dog names for 2022, with Woody (Toy Story), Simba (The Lion King), and Max (Goofy) all making the top 100 names for male dogs, and Belle (Beauty and The Beast), Minnie (House of Mouse), and Nala (The Lion King) all taking a spot in the top 100 names for female dogs.

Find out the most popular dog names of 2022 below and see if your dog’s name is on the list.

Top 20 male dog names of 2022

  1. Teddy

  2. Charlie

  3. Buddy

  4. Milo

  5. Alfie

  6. Cooper

  7. Max

  8. Archie

  9. Oscar

  10. Bailey

  11. Dexter

  12. Monty

  13. Murphy

  14. Winston

  15. Ollie

  16. Barney

  17. Toby

  18. Reggie

  19. Bear

  20. Bertie

Top 20 female dog names of 2022

  1. Luna

  2. Bella

  3. Poppy

  4. Lola

  5. Daisy

  6. Molly

  7. Ruby

  8. Rosie

  9. Millie

  10. Willow

  11. Penny

  12. Coco

  13. Lucy

  14. Winnie

  15. Tilly

  16. Maggie

  17. Bonnie

  18. Mabel

  19. Lily

  20. Roxy

John Smith, Founder of Yappy.com, said: “Naming your dog is very personal, after all it’s going to be something you say a lot for the next decade or so, so it’s no surprise that there are some classics featured at the top of the list.

“New names making the list tend to be based on popular culture, mostly from trending film or TV characters, but international pop sensations and even political figures are also becoming more popular each year.”

Smith added: “For 2023, we expect to see a similar trend for names, including Maverick (Top Gun), Hopper (Stranger Things), and Buzz (Disney) for males, and Liz, Moana and Daphne (Bridgerton) for females.”