These are the top dog names for 2022

Humorous names chosen by dog-owners include Albus Dumbledog and Brad Pett

An annual study of the most popular dog names around the globe has been released.

The name Mike came top of the UK’s trending names for pet pooches, with Preston and Smokey coming in second and third place respectively.

In fourth and fifth place were the names Mabli and Katy, while Portia, Tsuki, Bree, Betsi and Ferris made up the remainder of the top ten.

A majority of respondents (46 per cent) opted for a “human” name for their furry friend, with the name Gary trending upwards by a massive 531 per cent, despite it falling out of favour amongst actual humans.

Over a third of respondents opted for a more humorous or fun name, with some of the best names submitted this year including Albus Dumbledog, Brad Pett and Baron Von Tail Wagger.

And almost one fifth (18 per cent) admitted to considering changing their dog’s name, with eight per cent regretting their decision. Maybe this is because 13 per cent let their children choose their pet’s name.

The report by Rover - an online marketplace for pet care - used data from millions of user-submitted pet names and found that popular names reflect contemporary themes from the world of sport, pop culture, royalty and even politics.

The success of England’s women’s football team at the Euro 2022 championship meant that (Fran) Kirby and Beth (Mead) topped the list of trending names from the team, both trending upwards by 306 per cent and 81 per cent respectively, while Rachel, Alessia and Lioness were all added to this year’s ranks.

Queenie (231 per cent increase) and Lizzie (72 per cent increase) remained popular, but King Charles was found to have dropped in popularity, falling by 156 per cent compared with 2021.

Adem Fehmi, Rover’s canine behaviourist, comments: “We like to think of dogs as core members of our families and our best friends, so like naming humans, it’s no surprise that it’s a difficult task, and one we want to get just right.

“As dogs have become more central to our lives in recent years, it's easy to see why a few human names have been favoured over others by pet parents for their pups. It's also great to see some more quirkier names making the cut this year!

“The 10th anniversary of the Rover Pet Name Report goes to show the extent to which people rely on trends and cultural moments to name their dog, however it’s up to the dog to live up to the name!”

According to the UK’s leading vet charity PDSA, 52 per cent of UK adults own a pet.

Dogs are the most popular pet for Brits, with 27 per cent of UK adults being owners of a pet pooch, while 24 per cent of the UK adult population have a cat.