Naming Your Dog

As dogs have become increasingly loved and accepted family members, names like Fido and Rover have become less popular, in favor of human names. Max, Molly, Riley, Bailey, Maggie, Sadie, Murphy, Toby, and Zoe are some of the current most popular names for dogs, according to Go Tags.com, an online merchant that sells pet name tags.

Many purebreds have names that reflect their breed heritage. Dogs are often given names associated with the country where their breed originated... not only traditional ethnic first names, but names of towns, landmarks, common last names... even names of automobiles and popular ethnic foods.

Dogs are frequently named after actors, actresses and other celebrities. They're named after popular sports figures, presidents, and politicians - past and present.

Names are often chosen according to a dogs coat color, with names like Cinnamon, Mocha, Cappuccino and Buttercup. While Spot will always be a popular name, dogs owners have become more creative, with names like Dottie, Domino and even the name "Stripes" for their spotted dogs.

Some people choose tough sounding, macho names for their male dogs and soft, pretty names for females. Many sporting dogs have names associated with hunting - like Buckshot, Trigger, and Remington. People who think their dog is super intelligent, and sometimes those who believe their dog is a bit challenged mentally, might name the dog after a famous scholar or scientist.

Temperament, personality or size frequently tend to influence the name or nickname a dog will get. Tiny dogs have names like Pixie, Tidbit and Tinkerbell, while extra large dogs have names like Tyson and Goliath. Mischievous, hyper dogs often have names like Rascal, Torpedo and Hazard, while sweet and gentle dogs have tender names like Cuddles, Honey, and Sweetpea.

Whatever name you choose, make sure it's a name that you and everyone in your family feels comfortable with.