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Dog, Cat Names Taken To The Max

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By KRISTEN LEVINE, Tribune correspondent

Published: January 26, 2008

Seriously, when was the last time you met a Rover, Fido or Mittens? Clearly, those pet names are as outdated as shoulder pads in women's dresses.

So what's hot to replace Spot?

Max has been the most popular name for both dogs and cats for five years in a row, according to a recent news release from Veterinary Pet Insurance.

The rest of the top 10? Of 450,000 insured pets, these were the most common, according to the company:

•Dogs - 2. Molly, 3. Buddy, 4. Bella, 5. Lucy, 6. Maggie, 7. Daisy, 8. Jake, 9. Bailey, 10. Rocky.

•Cats - 2. Chloe, 3. Lucy, 4. Tigger, 5. Tiger, 6. Smokey, 7. Oliver, 8. Bella, 9. Sophie, 10. Princess.

"The continuing popularity of Max is largely due to the fact that it is monosyllabic and simple for people and pets to remember, yet easy to distinguish from common commands," says Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary officer for VPI. "Plus, it's a fitting name for an active, energetic pet."

Pet names today are more likely to sound like human names. A few of the top 10 even appear on the Social Security Administration's list of most common baby names. Jacob (Jake) is the top name for boys, while Isabella (Bella) is No. 4 for girls, and Sophia ranks ninth on both the Social Security and pet lists.

There's a reasonable theory for this trend: Pets are family, now more than ever.

Consider these findings from a recent pet owner survey conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association: 93 percent of pet parents would risk their lives for their pets; 40 percent of pets sleep in owners' beds; and half of owners carry a pet photo in their wallets.

But not all pet parents run with the pack. Ask them how they chose the name, and you'll just as often hear a story.

When the Rotunda family from Parker, Colo., arrived home with their new golden-doodle puppy last winter, 3-year old Jett exclaimed, "Her name is Soupy."

"I thought he meant 'Snoopy,' but he corrected me," Jett's mom, Stephanie Rotunda, recalls. "We don't know where it came from, but it stuck."

Sometimes it's name at first sight.

Reina means princess in Spanish.

"It had to be her name," Jennifer Almodovar of Tampa recalls of naming her mixed-breed puppy. "The way she was sleeping when I first saw her - she looked like a little princess."

Regardless of your motivation, remember that you're labeling your pet for its lifetime. It's a good idea to be creative and thoughtful when choosing.

Some good books if you get stuck: "The Complete Book of Pet Names: An ASPCA Book" by George Greenfield; "The Big Book of Pet Names: More Than 10,000 Pet Names (Includes Celebrity Pet Names)" by Eugene Boone; "The Best Pet Name Book Ever" by Wayne Bryant Eldridge; and "Happy Hound: Develop a Great Relationship With Your Adopted Dog or Puppy" by Susan Daffron.

Write to pet-lifestyle expert Kristen Levine at Fetching Communications, P.O. Box 222, Tarpon Springs FL 34688; e-mail kristen@ fetchingcommunications.com; or fax to (727) 934-6451. How popular is your pet's name? Search online to see how it ranks in the

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