Camp Bow Wow unleashes top 10 dog names for 2024

WESTMINSTER — In honor of National Puppy Day on March 23, a Westminster-based doggy day care and boarding franchise has announced its top 10 dog names for the year. Based on its database of more than 300,000 dogs it has accommodated at its facilities nationwide, Luna has finished first for the third straight year.

Rounding out the top 10, in order, are Charlie, Bella, Lucy, Cooper, Daisy, Max, Milo, Bailey and Sadie.

This year, Charlie, Lucy, Cooper and Milo each rose one spot on the list, Luna and Sadie held out at first and 10th, respectively, and Bella and Bailey fell one place each.

The top breeds with the name Luna, in order, were Labrador retriever, goldendoodle, German shepherd, Australian shepherd and Siberian husky.

Luna ruled in 27 states, mainly on the East and West coasts and in the Southwest and northern Midwest. Coming in second, Charlie ruled in Minnesota, Alabama and Tennessee. Third-place Bella led in Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

Since opening its first camp in 2000, Camp Bow Wow has had an estimated 50 million dog visits and seen firsthand the evolution of dog name trends. Erin Askeland, the company’s animal health and behavioral expert, projected that the top naming trends in 2024 will be classic dog names, nature- and pop culture-inspired names, food favorites and out-of-the-box names.

In the pop culture-inspired category, Maverick had the highest year-over-year increase, and Goose came in third, names that could be paying homage to the 2022 movie “Top Gun: Maverick.” Poppy saw the second largest year-over-year increase, likely inspired by Anna Kendrick’s character, Poppy, in the 2023 film “Trolls Band Together.” Gigi and Millie also increased year over year, possibly attributed to model Gigi Hadid and actress Millie Bobby Brown.

“Timeless names like Max, Bella and Charlie will always be in style, as they have classic canine charm, are elegant and exude strength and loyalty,” Askeland said in a Camp Bow Wow news release, “We also expect pop culture to continue to influence names this year and anticipate an influx of names like Loki, Greta, Rocket and Barbie, inspired by music, TV, movies and celebrities. Luna will continue to be a popular choice as name inspiration from the natural world continues, from planet names to ocean creatures. Additional trending names in that category include Bear and Willow.”

Food is another common motif for dog names because of its positive associations and matching hues, which inspire names such as Peanut, Olive and Biscuit. Askeland also predicted that pet parents will continue to create elaborate and unique names — often born from the many nicknames owners tend to give their pups that end up becoming official names. Some favorite out-of-the-box names Camp Bow Wow has seen with recent new boarders include “Maxilicious BerryCrunch Master Cylinder III,” “Nyx the Primordial Goddess of the Night” and “Miss California Pumpkin, AKA Callie.”

Camp Bow, with more than 200 franchise locations in 41 states and Canada, is part of Propelled Brands.

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