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Choosing your pet's name

In a recent online poll conducted by PSI, pet owners were asked, "How did you choose your pets' names?" The majority of pet owners gave their furry friends a "human name" or one that described its personality.

Read on for more information on pet monikers.

  • 47.1 percent of pet owners chose names like Molly, Sam, Annie or Max.
  • 32.8 percent of pet owners gave their pets names that described its actions or personality, such as Twister, Sweetie and Trouble.
  • 23 percent of pet owners gave their pets names that resembled their physical appearance, such as Brownie, Snowball, and Spot.
  • 18.5 percent named their pets after a famous person, such as Cher or Sylvester. 


Pointers in choosing a pet name:

  • Consider names that the pet can easily recognize.
  • Animals respond better to one or two syllable names.
  • Consider names that are easy to call out - Don't go for a tongue twister!
  • A pet's behavior is a great source of inspiration for names. Study your pet's behavior for ideas.
  • Avoid names that sound like standard instructions, such as Spirit (Sit), Kay (Stay) Fletcher (Fetch), etc. It can be difficult for dogs to tell the difference between similar sounding words.
  • Consider names that will suit your pet through its entire life. For example, "Kitten" may not be appropriate for your cat when she matures.
  • Get a book of "Baby Names" and check out their meanings. You may find one that suits your new pet perfectly - like "Clyde," which means "heard from a distance" or "Rhett," which translates to "enthusiastic."

Comments

Rayla

November 6, 2023  |  5:k PM
i have a dog her name is mia it means "mine" in spanish

anne simon

August 28, 2021  |  6:k AM
Cats should not be given names with C, K F or S sounds in them, because for cats, they are like hissing and spitting -- angry sounds. Maybe strong rrrr sounds, like Roger, are not so great for dogs either.

Dog Walking Wilmington De

March 3, 2020  |  1:k PM
These are excellent ideas! I remember when we first thought of a name for our Penny... We called her "puppy" for a good two weeks. Then we were between Bailey & Penny, and we went with Penny.

Brooks Pet Sitters

January 16, 2018  |  2:k PM
Loving these tips, we always name our pets by their personality. We have a cat who we called Ollie until we found out he was a she so we changed it to Holly.

Chuyita

October 9, 2017  |  7:k PM
Please help me find my dog

Lisa Drake

September 6, 2016  |  11:k PM
I love this section. As a K-9 trainer of 25+ yrs, your advice is spot on. I tell people that all the time. The other thing I tell them is remember if your dog gets out and you have to walk the neighborhood calling thier name do you want to be yelling "here poopy or tinkles"