2022 Pet Names Report Puts New Food and Drinks on the Menu

If your dog is named 'Sashimi' or your cat is named 'White Claw,' they're not alone.

Not that naming a pet isn't important, but people are more likely to take liberties when naming a cat or a dog than a baby because, unlike a child, your indoor cat is less likely to be scarred for life because you named him George R.R. Meowtin.

That's just one of the odd names that popped up on Rover.com's list of top dog and cat names for 2022. (For the record, George R.R. Meowtin wasn't popular, per se, it was only mentioned.) Compiled "based on analysis of millions of user-submitted pet names provided by pet parents" to their website, Rover.com first revealed the most popular names overall, but then also included insights into other specific categories that might be of interest to the food and beverage crowd.

The top ten male dog names were Max, Charlie, Cooper, Milo, Buddy, Rocky, Bear, Teddy, Duke, and Leo. Females were Luna, Bella, Daisy, Lucy, Lily, Zoe, Lola, Sadie, Bailey, and Stella.

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But some surprising food-related dog names took a major jump over the past year: Rover.com says Hotpot was up a staggering 1,085%, the biggest gainer in the category. Other names seeing big boosts were Sashimi (up 785%), Pastrami (up 485%), Yerba (also up 485%), and Calzone (up 435%). Additionally, Bologna, Feta, Oat, Morel, Maple Syrup, Paneer, Cauliflower, and Vodka were all up at least 85%. And in true Thanksgiving spirit, even Turkey was up 43% in the past year.

Speaking of vodka, other boozy dog names saw a jump: Truly (up 74%), Gin (up 62%), and Mai Tai (up 51%) were all up, and even the name Seltzer appeared on the list for the first time.

Other food and beverage newcomer dog names for 2022 included Doritos, Cheddar Cheese, Cheeto Puff, Gazpacho, Stroopwafel, Taco Bella, Spicy Nugget, Mcriblet, Mcgriddle, Kulshan, Miller Lite, Dutch Bro, and Dunk’N. Yes, feel free to be appalled.

"Our pets' names reveal a lot about us – including the foods we're craving right now,” Kate Jaffe, trend expert at Rover.com, told us via email. “In 2022, we saw a spike in pet names inspired by comfort foods like desserts and fast food. Some of this year's top-trending pet names may indicate a link between the comfort we get from food and the comfort we get from our beloved companions. We can all benefit from a little extra comfort sometimes, and our favorite foods pair nicely with the love of our pets."

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Moving on to cats, the overall top male names were Oliver, Milo, Leo, Charlie, Max, Loki, Simba, Jack, Ollie, and Jasper. The overall top female names were Luna, Lily, Bella, Lucy, Nala, Callie, Kitty, Cleo, Willow, and Chloe.

But things got a bit more unpredictable when looking at the top ten trending food and beverage-inspired cat names: Roll (up 182%), Green Bean (up 162%), Casserole (up 102%), S’More (up 102%), Tamale (up 102%), Morel (up 82%), Parsley (up 72%), Gravy (up 51%), Chili (up 49%), and Sourdough (up 49%) were the biggest food gainers. For drinks, Gimlet (up 162%), Chardonnay (up 82%), and Vino (up 43%) all saw major jumps, as did Tazo (up 132%), Pop (up 125%), Cappuccino (up 82%), Lipton (up 82%), Matcha (up 46%) and White Claw (32%).

Finally, brand new names include Meaty, Baked Beans, Bacon Bits, Baklava, Beer, Clam Chowder, Focaccia, Frittata, Funnel Cake, Ham Sandwich, Red Bull, and Yerba. Sure, they are weird, but they all beat George R.R. Meowtin.