A study of more than 90,000 pet names by John Lewis Pet Insurance has revealed that traditional cat names such as Tigger (down 11 places) are falling out of fashion and making way for names more commonly associated with people; Molly and Bella also appear in the top five names for both cats and dogs this year.
Poppy was the 7th most popular baby name for girls for 2013, according to ONS data. Oscar and Charlie also appear in the top 10 names for both babies and pets this year, suggesting that the trend towards people giving their pets human names is showing no signs of abating.
Keith Bibby, spokesperson for John Lewis Pet Insurance, commented: “It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between popular pet and top baby names – those such as Poppy, Molly, Alfie and Charlie could as easily be heard being called by a dog owner as they could a parent. It would appear that the days of Rover and Whiskers are now firmly behind us.”
It’s elementary: Pet owners take inspiration from cult TV shows
Cult television programmes such as Sherlock, Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad have all offered inspiration to those looking to name their cat or dog, John Lewis Pet Insurance has also revealed.
Crime drama series Sherlock has influenced some pet owners, with Sherlock, Holmes, Watson, Mycroft, Moriarty and even heart-throb actor and the show’s star Benedict (Cumberbatch) appearing on the list of pet names.
Game of Thrones characters Arya, Khaleesi, Sansa, Tyrion, Stark and Daenerys also feature, as do Skyler, Jesse, Hank, Walter and Heisenberg, all made famous in the award-winning Breaking Bad.
Pet owners also appear to be celebrity-obsessed, with well-known names from stage and screen proving to be a source of inspiration. (George) Clooney, Madonna, (Lady) Gaga, Halle Berry, Miley (Cyrus) and even this year’s Eurovision winner Conchita all feature on the list. Current affairs and politics also offer motivation, with Nelson (Mandela) and Barack Obama making an appearance.
