Australia’s most popular dog and cat names revealed

Aussies are mad for their pets. We might also be mad when it comes to naming them too.

James MacSmith

3 min read

February 18, 2023 - 4:00AM

News Corp Australia Network

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Luna is shooting for the moon when it comes to what we call our pets, topping the lists of both Australia’s most popular dog names and our most popular cat names.

But despite its popularity, Luna is something of an outlier when it comes to pets names, as the monikers we give our furry friends more and more often begin to mirror those we give to our children.

According to a study from Pet Circle, Luna was the most popular name for dogs born in 2022, followed by Charlie, Daisy, Archie and Milo.

Luna was also no. 1 for cats, followed by Loki, Coco, Milo and Bella.

Archie the Groodle with owners Ashton Goodsell and Alyssa Goodsell in Mortdale. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

With more and more Aussie pet owners pampering their pets in the same way they might treat their own children, the study found a strong correlation between Australia’s favourite dog and cat names and our favourite baby names.

60 per cent of Pet Circle’s top 20 dog and cat names feature in parenting website BabyCentre Australia’s top 100 baby boy and girls names in 2022, including 80 per cent of the top 20 dog names and 45 per cent of the top 20 cat names.

Some of the most popular choices for both fur babies and human babies were: Leo, Charlie, Archie, Max, Ollie, George, Teddy, Alfie, Luna, Ruby, Mia, Bella, Millie, Frankie, Rosie, Lola and Willow.

“With pets increasingly being seen as ‘fur children’, it should come as no surprise that the names we use for our pets, especially our dogs, are beginning to imitate some of Australia’s most loved baby names,” says Pet Circle Head Vet Dr Teagan Lever.

Our pets are a part of the family, more than ever. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Owners increasingly find inspiration in popular culture such as movies or TV shows to name their pets. The popularity of Luna may come from its romantic name, which of course means moon in Spanish, or perhaps also from Harry Potter character Luna Lovegood, who is the first Luna that comes up via a Google search.

Loki is Thor’s brother in the Marvel superhero series, while Milo has been a long-term fave via the hit 1986 film The Adventures of Milo and Otis.

Early on Archie was slated to be the name of the dog Michelle Goodsell and her children Alyssa and Ashton added to the family.

“We love names that start with A, so when we are choosing our kids names, we came across Archie and loved it so much we basically reserved it for our future dog? Mrs Goodsell said.

“8 years and two ‘A named’ kids later, Archie was realised.

Goldies are one of our most popular breeds. Picture: Katherine Halliday

Dog behaviourist Lara Shannon said owners should carefully consider what name they will give to their pet.

“Think about what you, and particular children might be calling out in public,” she said.

“Think about how many other dogs might have the same name, which can be confusing for your dog, end up with other dogs running to you or your dog running off to someone else.

“No more than two syllable names ideally, it’s always best to be clear and concise when it comes to dogs, so short and simple works best, especially when teaching them their names as a puppy or introducing a new name with a rescue dog.

“If you do want to change your rescue dog’s name, it is always best for it to sound very similar in length and intonation.”

Pet Circle’s research also revealed the most popular dog and cat breeds in Australia, which you can see below.