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The Most Popular Pet Names of 2026

· Updated June 26 · PetName Editorial

If you brought home a new pet in 2026, there’s a good chance you named them Luna. For yet another year, Luna sits at the top of nearly every major pet-name ranking in America — a streak so consistent it’s now practically a law of nature.

Here’s a data-backed look at the most popular pet names of 2026, where the numbers come from, and which names are climbing fastest.

The #1 name for both dogs and cats: Luna

Across multiple independent datasets, Luna is the single most popular pet name in the U.S. in 2026. TrustedHousesitters’ analysis of 280,000 pet profiles put Luna at #1 for both dogs and cats. Chewy’s 2026 forecast — drawn from thousands of Chewy pet profiles — places Luna in the top 10 for both species, and Stacker’s 2026 roundup (synthesizing Rover and AKC data) likewise crowns Luna the year’s leader.

Rover, the pet-care marketplace, found that top names like Luna and Charlie grow by less than 5% year over year — meaning they’re not a fad, but modern classics that hold steady.

Top 10 dog names of 2026

Chewy’s 2026 analysis of its pet profiles ranked the most popular dog names as:

  1. Buddy (meaning “friend”)
  2. Bailey (“steward of a castle”)
  3. Milo
  4. Cooper (“barrel maker”)
  5. Max (“greatest”)
  6. Lucy (“born at dawn”)
  7. Charlie
  8. Daisy
  9. Bella (“beautiful”)
  10. Luna (“moon”)

TrustedHousesitters’ top-10 dog list overlaps heavily: Luna, Bella, Charlie, Daisy, Ruby, Lola, Rosie, Poppy, Molly, and Lucy. The takeaway? Short, two-syllable, human-style names dominate.

Top 10 cat names of 2026

Chewy’s 2026 top cat names:

  1. Max (“greatest”)
  2. Shadow (a nod to black cats)
  3. Loki (Norse god)
  4. Lucy
  5. Charlie
  6. Leo (“lion”)
  7. Bella
  8. Oliver (from Oliver & Company)
  9. Milo (from The Adventures of Milo and Otis)
  10. Luna

TrustedHousesitters’ global cat top-10 — Luna, Charlie, Bella, Coco, Leo, Milo, Lily, Max, Lucy, Cleo — shows how much dog and cat naming now overlap.

Fastest-rising names of 2026

The popular list barely changes, but the trending list moves fast. According to Rover’s 13th Annual Top Pet Names Report (released November 2025, covering 2025–2026 data from millions of pets across five countries):

  • Elphie (from the movie Wicked) — up 244%, the #1 trending dog name in the U.S.
  • Tater — up 92%, the #1 trending cat name in the U.S.
  • Cedar — up 96% (Canada’s top-trending dog name)
  • Marshmallow — up a staggering 941% (Canada’s top-trending cat name)
  • Augie — up 463% (UK trending dog name)

Sports stars are also inspiring names: ESPN data cited by Stacker shows Arch (Arch Manning) up 181% and Josh Allen up 181% for dogs, and 252% for cats.

What this means for naming your pet

The data tells a clear story: classic names (Luna, Bella, Max, Charlie) are safe, beloved choices — but if you want something that feels current in 2026, look to pop culture (Elphie, Loki, Grogu), food names (Tater, Mochi, Boba), and vintage revivals (Millie, Winnie, Teddy).

Want to find your own? Try our cat name generator or dog name generator, or browse names by meaning to match your pet’s personality.

Sources & further reading