Pet Naming Around the World
What people call their dogs and cats says a lot about a place. Open pet-license data and surveys from three continents show where naming customs meet, and where they still diverge.
A pet's name is a small cultural fingerprint. It carries the local language, the films people watch, and the way a society thinks about animals. Thanks to open dog-license registries in cities like Zurich and New York, and to national surveys, we can compare those fingerprints instead of guessing. The picture that emerges is part global, part stubbornly local.
The United States: pets as family
American naming has been reshaped by the humanization of pets. As dogs and cats moved from the yard to the sofa, owners started giving them the same names they give children. New York City's open licensing data shows it plainly: Bella has led for years, with Max, Charlie, and Coco close behind, all names you would also find on a school register. In 2016 alone the city recorded 1,358 Bellas and 1,268 Maxes.
Switzerland and Germany: human names meet imagination
Zurich publishes the name of every registered dog as open data, and the top of the list looks familiar, with Luna, Bella, and Stella among the leaders for females. Yet Swiss and German owners also reach for playful, inventive names more readily, a pattern local coverage has noted. Germany-wide registry data tells a parallel story: Luna and Nala lead the females, while Balu, Milo, and Charly top the males, a blend of the global favorites and names rooted in the language.
Japan: color, flowers, and food
Japanese owners often name a pet for what it looks like or evokes. Surveys of popular cat names feature Momo (peach), Kuro (black), Shiro (white), Hana (flower), and Sora (sky), tying the name to a coat color, a season, or a food. The soft, repeated syllables of names like Momo and Koko fit the kawaii aesthetic of cuteness, and food names such as Mochi carry the same warmth. It is a naming culture built more on imagery than on human first names.
How shelters name their animals
Rescues face a naming problem few owners do: hundreds of animals a year, many arriving in litters. A common fix is alphabetical, where every kitten or puppy in a group shares a first letter and the shelter works through the alphabet over the year, a system close to how hurricanes are named. Others give a whole litter a theme, from Mexican food to countries to the word for hello in different languages. Beyond bookkeeping, a creative name earns clicks, and shelters know a memorable name and a good photo help an animal get adopted.
Why the same names travel
The clearest trend across every dataset is convergence at the top. Luna and Bella sit near the summit in the United States and Europe at once, carried by shared film, television, and social media. Below that top layer, local language reasserts itself, which is why Zurich's list is not New York's once you look past the first few names. If you want to see where a name you like sits, our generator flags the crowd favorites drawn from this same open data with a popularity badge.
Curious where your favorite lands? Try the Pet Name Generator, which marks popular picks from open registry data, or read our methodology for the sources behind it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are dog names so similar across countries?
A handful of names, Luna and Bella above all, now top the lists in the United States, Switzerland, and Germany alike. Film, social media, and cross-border culture spread the same favorites, so pets in New York and Zurich often share a name.
Do different countries prefer different pet names?
Yes, alongside the shared favorites. Zurich and German registries carry more local and imaginative names, while Japanese owners lean on words for color, flowers, and food. The local language still shapes what most owners reach for.
How do animal shelters name so many animals?
Many name litters in alphabetical order, giving every kitten or puppy in a group the same first letter, then cycling through the alphabet across the year. Others pick a theme, from foods to countries, which also makes adoption posts more memorable.
What does the humanization of pets mean for names?
As pets became full family members, human baby names took over. In cities like New York the top dog names, Bella, Max, and Charlie, are the same names given to children, a shift open license data makes easy to see.
Sources
- Open Data Zurich, "Hundenamen aus dem Hundebestand der Stadt Zurich" (Stadtpolizei Zurich), open registry of dog names, CC0.
- NYC Dog Licensing Dataset, NYC Department of Health, NYC Open Data. 2016 counts: Bella 1,358, Max 1,268.
- TASSO e.V. (Germany), national pet registry lists of the most common dog names.
- Japanese pet-name survey data on the most popular cat names and their meanings (2016).
- Austin Pets Alive! and reporting by TODAY on shelter litter naming by alphabet and theme.