The recent trends of dog names

When you bring your new puppy or dog home, you might not have decided on a name yet. You probably scramble to find a dog name worthy of your new pet. 30 years ago, children called their dog Spot, named for his unique spots of color. Fido was a popular dog name, a reference to fidelity. And for the roaming dog? Rover!

Well, times have changed. Today, people seek more descriptive names for man’s best friend. Names which show your dog’s character and your own relationship with nature and the rest of mankind, are now in favor. In fact, there is a field of study dedicated to names. It’s called onomastics (or choice of words, for the less articulate like me).

Onamasticians (or people who study names and words) report that there is a societal change, of heart, whereby our pets gain a new dimension in their naming. Dog names, in particular, are more aligned with humans. We now tend to associate more of the human qualities with our dogs, and naming follows suit. Not only do we treat our pets more and more like humans, we also give them human names.

Names like Alicia, Zoe or Cody, are in the groove, and from the onamastician’s (the people studying names) viewpoint, this reflects a closer tie with our canine friends. Today, approximately 70% of our dogs are named with people’s names!

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