Most Popular Dog Names in 2022
The data used in this article is based on annual reports released since 2013, containing the top 100 most popular names per gender.
The data is based on over 1 million dogs, and ranked by the number of dogs with the same name(s), enabling us to determine the most popular dog name by gender, breed, and more.
Using such a wealth of data, we can start to see trends in popularity over time, and maybe even start to investigate why these trends happen.
If you’d like to see a more exhaustive list of dog names by gender, take a look at our article on male dog names, and girl dog names.
What impacts the popularity of a name?
Numerous things can impact the popularity of dog names. Maybe a TV series or blockbuster movie inspires dog owners to name their dog after a favorite character. Or maybe even a player from your favorite sports team drives you to name your pup.
Either way, we’re going to look over the most popular dog names overall, and highlight the most popular names per gender.
We’re also going to list the most popular short dog names, as sometimes having a name with the fewest syllables makes life so much easier when repeating commands… ?
We’ll expand upon the reasons for trends in name popularity in a series of posts at a later date, but for now, let’s read on!
What is the most popular dog name?
It’s a tough one to call a winner between Max for the boys, and Bella for the girls. This is because since the reports were first published back in 2013, and up until this day, both names have sat at the top of the rankings for their gender.
So regarding an outright winner, unfortunately, we’ll have to call this one a draw!
Top 10 shortest names for dogs
The top 10 shortest dog names found within the top 100 dogs’ names are listed below and are ranked based on the results of the top dog names by gender from 2022.
The names are first ordered by the number of letters in the name, then by the ranking position of the gender name to give us the final results.
| Position | Name | Gender | Gender Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max | Male | 1 |
| 2 | Leo | Male | 7 |
| 3 | Jax | Male | 17 |
| 4 | Mia | Female | 22 |
| 5 | Gus | Male | 24 |
| 6 | Ace | Male | 26 |
| 7 | Zoe | Female | 36 |
| 8 | Rex | Male | 47 |
| 9 | Sam | Male | 60 |
| 10 | Ava | Female | 73 |
From this table, you can see that owners of boy dogs seem to prefer shorter names. Any ideas why that might be? We’d love to hear about your thoughts in the comments!
What is the most popular female dog name?
The most popular female dog name by far is Bella. We can say this confidently, as since the records have been published, Bella has sat comfortably at the top of the table for the most popular female dog names every year since 2013.
Top 10 names for female dogs
In first place is Bella as the most popular girl dog name, followed by Lucy in second place, and to finish off the top 3 we have Lucy.
In the following table, you will find the top 10 most popular female dog names.
Top 10 shortest names for female dogs
Mia is the most popular short name for female dogs, followed by Zoe in 2nd place, and to finish off the top 3, we have Ava.
In the following table, we list the full top 10 most popular girl dog names ordered by the name length, then gender position.
What is the most popular male dog name?
The most popular male dog name is Max, as the name ranked #1 every year since 2013.
Top 10 names for male dogs
In first place is Max as the most popular boy dog name, followed by Charlie in second place, and to finish off the top 3 we have Milo.
In the following table, we list the full list of the top 10 male dog names.
Top 10 shortest names for male dogs
Max is the most popular short name for male dogs, followed by Leo in 2nd place, and to finish off the top 3, we have Jax.
In the following table, we list the full top 10 most popular boy dog names ordered by the name length, then gender position.
Final Thoughts
I always find it interesting when you can get data like this, breaking it down into smaller subsets, allowing you to start spotting trends and patterns. Patterns such as dog names related to Disney movie characters, Superhero related dog names, dog names based on major sports stars, or favorite music artists?
