719-395-2737
DONATE

What Did You Name Your Dog or Cat and Why?

What Did You Name Your Dog or Cat and Why?
by
October 01, 2025
in Humane Education Column
No Comments
3356

By: Judy Lore, AVHS Volunteer columnist

According to Alexandra Horowitz, a renowned canine researcher at Barnard College and director of the Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab as well as a Senior Research Fellow and Associate Professor in English and Psychology, one should not take naming a pet lightly. There is no place for “Hey, Dog” or even less than that as just “Dog.” These denote that the pet is not special and each of our dogs or cats are very special and their name should reflect that specialness. Horowitz has authored several books and a good place to start is her now classic Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know in a recently revised and updated edition.

In her continued explanation of how to name your pet, Horowitz maintains that predestination might be a reason for you naming your dog “Rascal” as they are rather rambunctious. “Bella” is sweet, while “Zeus” is powerful. Or you can choose a name of preferably two syllables rising in pitch such as “Buddy”. Dogs react better to this than a one syllable name such as “Spot”. You can differentiate how you say Buddy, but not so much Spot. Or you could choose a playful name. “Pumpkin” is cute and better than dressing up your pet for Halloween as the Great Pumpkin. A name that suggests a snuggling-up time would be cute and draw you closer together with your pet.

Let us begin with naming cats. I’ve researched names for kittens and cats (I do not have a cat) and was amazed with how many names showed up on different sites. I had to limit and so chose just a few ones I personally liked. More advice from Horowitz: Say the name out loud and see if your cat has a reaction to any. Consider your cat’s color or patterns and size. Keep it short. Choose names that will not sound dated in a few years. Make sure everyone in the household likes the name and can pronounce it!

The top 2025 cat name is Luna, then Bella, Charlie, Leo and Oliver. Some cat names I personally like: Amigo – for a friendly kitten/cat, Xola – unique, Ink for a black cat, Juniper for an adventurous cat, Zen for the calm cat, Onyx another name for a black cat, Echo for a noisy cat, Carrot for an orange cat, Nova for an exciting cat, and Meatball for that hungry cat.

Now, to dog names. The top dog name in 2025 is Luna followed by Bella, Charlie, Daisy and Lucy. I chose some names from the hundreds I found: Chewbarka, Sir Bark-a-Lot, Einstein, Magic, Taylor, Kelse, Brat, Virginia Woof, Dolly Barkton, and Poutine. Obviously food, literature, and pop culture are at play.

An informative site for researching dog (and cat) names is rover.com. Under Dog Names you will find a “dog name generator” that takes you through many name lists to help you find the perfect name for your pet.

To answer why my two female dogs are named Sage and Willow – I just liked the way they sounded to me. I did not use a name generator. I simply wrote down what came to mind. Good luck with your search for the perfect name.

 

Share

Recommended Posts