Study reveals the top-trending pet names in Austin

(NEXSTAR) – When it comes to naming our pets, lots of Americans favor ever-popular choices such as Max, Charlie, Milo or Luna, recent studies have shown. But other, more offbeat names have been gaining steam over the last year, even if they’re not yet popular enough to dethrone the classics.

That seems especially true in Austin, according to a new study.

Rover, an online marketplace for pet owners, has released the results of its 11th annual “Most Popular Pet Names” report, detailing not only the most common pet names across the country but also the top-trending names that pet owners are increasingly embracing in the United States.

For instance, the three top-trending dog names in the United States for 2023 are “Kelce,” “Wednesday” and “Oak,” with Kelce seeing a 135% increase in popularity over the last year, and Wednesday and Oak trailing behind with popularity spikes of 92% and 90%, respectively.

For cats, the three top-trending names were “Norbert,” “Soju” and “Snoop,” with Norbert experiencing a 156% jump, Soju seeing 131% more usage, and Snoop enjoying a 117% spike in popularity. (For its nation-wide rankings, Rover only included trending names which had a minimum of 50 new entries in 2023.)

2023’s top-trending pet names in the U.S., according to Rover

While top-trending names such as “Kelce” or “Norbert” might be rising the fastest in popularity, they’re still far from the most popular pet names overall. Perhaps as expected, the top names in the U.S. have remained pretty consistent with studies conducted in recent years by both Rover and the American Kennel Club:

2023’s top pet names in the U.S. overall, according to Rover:

Depending on where you live, however, the dog- and cat-owners in your neighborhood might be yearning for different, and daresay more whimsical names for their furry friends.

In Austin, the top-trending name for dogs is actually “Martini” (+615% over 2022), while cat owners in 2023 are loving “Monkey” (+921%), according to Rover. (It’s worth noting that rover’s city-specific trending lists did not require a minimum of 50 entries per name.)

According to Rover, other increasingly popular names for pets among Austinites include: “Steve,” as in wrestler Steve Austin; “Tuco,” a name likely inspired by “Breaking Bad”; “Tito,” just like the popular Austin-based vodka brand; and “Willie,” said to be inspired by Willie Nelson.

Still, the most popular pet names in Austin — overall — are largely the same standbys favored across the rest of the country:

2023’s top pet names in Austin, according to Rover

The results of Rover’s report, released Tuesday, were compiled using data provided by “millions” of the site’s users, according to Rover. More information from the reports (for both dogs and cats), including the most popular breeds of 2023 and a pet-name “generator,” can be found at Rover.com.