The most popular pet names in 2020: Which cat and dog names made the top spot this year?

The most popular pet names in 2020
(Image credit: Getty Images)

What have been the most popular pet names in 2020? Many of us have adopted new four-legged friends this year since spending more time at home, and because of that, there have been lots of newly named cats and dogs.

Whether you’re looking for some inspiration to name a new pet, or you’re curious to see if your pet’s name has made the cut as one of the most popular pet names in 2020, then you’re in luck, as we’ve rounded up some of the favorites in both the UK and the US.

Some of the most popular names in 2020 have taken inspiration from classic human names, while some have been inspired by the owner’s favorite musicians or even their favorite foods!

Ginger cat on bed

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Overall for cats and dogs in the UK, the name Boris is up by 145%, according to Pets at Home. It seems that with all the Thursday COVID-19 briefings this year, BoJo has influenced some of the new additions to our families.

However, it seems that the US doesn’t have quite the same thought process when it comes to naming their pets, as there’s no popularity around the name Donald for cats or dogs. Instead, classic human names seem to top the list. For both the UK and the US, Bella and Luna were two of the most popular names for both cats and dogs! Here’s the full list of the most popular pet names in 2020 for the UK and US.

Following the rise in the name Boris, popular pet names in 2020 for cats included other classic male and female human names. Second to that came influences from some of the UK’s favorite furry TV and movie characters…

1. Boris
2. Charlie
3. Alfie
4. Poppy
5. Millie
6. Bella
7. Luna
8. Tigger
9.  Gizmo
10. Simba

It seems that pet owners in the US may have been hungry when naming their pets, as some of the most popular cat names are those of sweet treats and drinks, including Oreo, Peanut, Pumpkin, Pepper, and Mango. Second to that were common character names such as Thor, Simba, Garfield, Casper, Merlin, and Tigger. They also favored classic names such as Charlie, Oscar, Simon and Toby.

1. Simba
2. Oreo
3. Charlie
4. Simon
5. Toby
6. Rocky
7. Pumpkin
8. Ziggy
9. Cosmo
10. Tigger

Dog wearing a Christmas hat in front of a Christmas tree

(Image credit: Photo by Rhaúl V. Alva on Unsplash)

Again, it seems that with many new lockdown pups, owners have chosen lockdown-inspired names, with Boris and Zoom being among some of the most popular pet names in 2020. However, other popular names gave us food for thought, with doggos called Nugget, Waffles and even Big Mac! You can read our full list lockdown dog’s names in our article Boris, Big Mac and Zoom: Check out this list of crazy lockdown inspired dog names.

Classic male names were also some of the most popular pet names in 2020:

1. Boris
2. Teddy
3. Bella
4. Hugo
5. Charlie
6. Archie
7. Bailey
8. Alfie
9. Buddy
10. Waffles

It seems that for the US, female dog names were more popular this year, with Luna and Bella once again taking the top spots. Other favorites included Lucy, Lola, Maggie, and Stella. For boys, Max, Buddy, Tucker, and Bear hit the top favorites, with a couple of classics and a few fancy ones thrown in for good measure.

Here’s the top picks for the most popular pet names in the US this year:

1. Bella
2. Luna
3. Cooper
4. Max
5. Zeus
6. Beau
7. Stella
8. Lexi
9.  Bear
10. Buddy

Sarah Butcher

Sarah is a freelance writer and marketer, covering a variety of topics from lifestyle and fitness to sustainability and travel. When she’s not writing for PetsRadar or other websites, she can be found looking after her pet chickens or relaxing with a cuppa and a cute doggo snoozing on her lap!