List of 2026’s Most Popular and Trending Pet Names Released, and ‘Chicken Nugget’ Is Surging
Stock photo of a dog and cat.Credit: Getty
A list of trending pet names has been released with a surprising top contender
Rover shared its annual Top Pets Names report on Tuesday, Oct. 20, based on data submitted by users between August and October
This year, Chicken Nugget is the top trending cat name in the United States
A list of trending pet names has been released with a surprising top contender.
Rover shared its annual Top Pets Names report on Tuesday, Oct. 20, based on data submitted by its users between August and October of this year.
This year, Chicken Nugget is the top trending cat name in the United States. The pet-sitting platform suspects the boost was given by the viral talking chicken nugget meme, stating that the unconventional name is up 87% in popularity since the previous year. The list continues with Miracle, Badger, Sundae and Hector.
The most popular cats names include Milo for males and Luna for females.
Stock photo of an orange tabby cat.Credit: Getty
As for dogs, the top trending name is Rumi, up 71%. The name inspired by KPop Demon Hunters is followed by Lumi, Melo, Benito and Ducky.
The most popular dog names are Charlie and Luna.
Rover found that many pet owners are inspired by food, popular culture and aesthetics when deciding on a name.
“Over the past 14 years, we’ve had a front-row seat to an incredible shift in how people view their pets. Looking back across a decade and a half of data, we see pet names transforming from simple titles to vibrant time capsules of our cultural history, reflecting everything from 2010’s nostalgia to 2026’s newest obsessions. Today, naming a pet is a milestone event that reflects how completely dogs and cats have been integrated into the human family,” said Rover Pet People Panelist Nicole Ellis in a statement.
Stock photo of a cat and dog.Credit: Getty
Some of the same pet names are also big overseas.
In Canada, the most popular cat and dog names are the same as in the U.S. However, the trending names differ with Minou for cats and Ernie for dogs.
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The United Kingdom has a surprising twist with Milo and Luna as its most popular dog names as well as cat names. But again, the trending names are different. The dog name Sunnie has gone up a whopping 1287% while the cat name Dustin has gone up 981%.
In 2025, Rover reported that dog owners were inspired by Wicked while naming their pets.
Elphie, the nickname for Wicked’s Elphaba, was the top trending name for female dogs that year.
Wicked wasn’t the only film franchise to make its mark on Rover’s top trending names list.
Mufasa of The Lion King was a name that many dog owners picked for their pets.
Source: Nature
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