Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s royal baby name now popular among dogs and cats

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s son’s name Archie is now one of the most popular names for dogs and cats in Australia. SEE THE FULL LIST OF NAMES IN YOUR STATE

Exclusive: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s new baby son’s name Archie is fast becoming one of the most popular names Australian pet owners are giving their fur babies.

New data from Medibank’s Pet Insurance obtained by News Corp Australia has revealed the name has become popular among cats and dogs in Victoria, NSW and Tasmania since the royal baby was born in May.

The name is also now being registered by dog owners in Queensland and cat lovers in South Australia.

Other names in the lists like Nala appear to be inspired by The Lion King, Luna inspired by Harry Potter and Loki from the famous Marvel Universe.

Outside of the top 10 lists for each state, other royal family names showing some traction are Harry, George, Louis and Zara.

Other unique names also being registered are Sushi, Wi-Fi and Pudding.

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Baby Archie in his first photo on Instagram: Picture: @SussexRoyal

Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan with their newborn baby son. Picture: AFP

Medibank Chief Customer Officer David Koczkar told News Corp the hype surrounding the birth of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son has also seen Archie become the sixth most popular name for both cats and dogs across the country.

“Australians love their dogs and cats and we are proud to look after the health and wellbeing of our customers’ best mates,” he said.

Claire Mulcahy, from Hawthorn in Victoria, said she was “so excited” when she heard the name of the royal baby was the same as her four-year-old Beagle.

“When I found out I was walking them in early morning, I said to him ‘Oh my God Archie guess what! The royal baby has been named after you’,” she said.

“I was quite touched obviously because I love my dogs.”

Mrs Mulcahy said she does treat Archie and her other three-year-old Beagle Maisey “like royalty”.

Archie the beagle with his owner Claire Mulcahy. Picture: David Caird

“I call them ‘my darlings’, everyone knows them as ‘the darlings’,” she said.

“They get Weet-Bix for breakfast, poached chicken for dinner and Yoplait strawberry and vanilla yoghurt mixed together at 7pm when they come inside.

“They get treated to crushed up corn crackers, strawberries, apple and carrot.

“My kids grew up on Heinz and food in cans, but the dogs don’t get anything like that.”

“They also get walked for more than three hours a day. In Paris recently, I bought them the most expensive new harnesses that were about 80 euro each (A$130).”

Archie and Maisey also regularly visit patients in a local nursing home.

“They bring pleasure and love to a lot of people and that’s important,” she said.

The top dog breeds nationally are the Cavoodle, Maltese cross and Labrador, Border Collie, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Kelpie Cross, Stafrodshire Bull Terrier Cross and the French Bulldog.

The top cats include the Domestic Short Hair, Ragdoll, Domestic House cat Domestics Medium Hair, Tabby, British Short Hair, Domestic Long hair, an unknown cat breed, Ragdoll Cross and the Burmese.

TOP PET NAMES BY STATE:

NSW

DOGS: Bella, CoCo, Charlie, Archie, Ruby, Luna, Molly, Lola, Mia and Daisy.

CATS: Luna, Leo, CoCo, Nala, Max, Frankie, Mimi, Pudding, Charlie and Archie.

VICTORIA

DOGS: Charlie, Bella, Archie, Max, CoCo, Luna, Frankie, Ruby, Buddy and Daisy.

CATS: Oscar, Luna, Charlie, Kitty, Tiget, Bella, Archie, Lulu, Alfie and Loki.

QUEENSLAND

DOGS: Bella, Coco, Archie, Luna, Charlie, Bear, Max, Winston, Buddy and Ruby.

CATS: Charlie, Leo, Luna, Ruby, Frankie, Coco, Millie, Molly, Mimi and Lucy.

When Gold Coaster Kim Elder named her fluffy pup “Bear” she had no idea it would soon be one of the top dog names in the state.

His name is sixth on the list of 10 most popular names.

Ms Elder said her three-year-old Maltese cross Shih tzu, Bear, had been destined for another name, until she saw him walk.

Maltese/Shih tzu "Bear", which is in the top 10 most popular names for dogs in Queensland pictured with owner Kim Elder. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“We planned to call him Ziggy, but when we got him he was a tiny fluff ball, weighing less than 1kg, he was so small … and we put him down on the tiles and he just waddled, like a bear and that was it, he was Bear,” she said.

“We have come across a few other Bears, but often they’re bigger breeds.

“The name really suited him and it still does, he can sometimes be a big dog stuck in a little dog’s body.”

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

DOGS: Bella, Ollie, Luna, Buddy, Coco, Daisy, Ellie, Harley, Maggie and Molly.

CATS: Leo, Luna, Loki, Bella, Ruby, Alfie, Archie, Charlie and Milo.

NT

DOGS: Molly, Tully, Arya, Bear, CoCo, RockSalt, Wicket, Abby and Abigail.

CATS: Lily, Boots, Aphrodite, Arlo, Boomy, Brutus, Diya, Edward, Elodie and JAXS.

TASMANIA

DOGS: Max, Frankie, Sammy, Teddy, Ally, Archie, Bailey, Bella, Benji and Bertie.

CATS: Buddy, Snooki, Stallone, Frankie, Archie, Indi, Willow, CoCo, Ellie and Molly.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

DOGS: Charlie, Max, CoCo, Molly, Luna, Buddy, Koda, Ruby, Daisy and Lola.

CATS: Molly, Luna, Bella, Lulu, Shadow, Cleo, Loki, Charlies, Lola and Lily.

Originally published as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s royal baby name now popular among dogs and cats