Are Dogs the New Kids?

January 17, 2008

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) Hear the words "Good girl, Molly!" or "Jake, don't eat that!" and without visual context, it's difficult to say for certain whether you've stumbled onto a children's playground or into the local dog park. Read the whole story on http://dogtime.com/top-ten-dog-names-2007.html

As VPI's list of 2007's top ten dog names confirms, we're christening our dogs with names fit for human identification--and cementing the notion that more than ever, Americans consider pets part of the family.

What's more, the trend has been gaining momentum. Max and Molly have been topping (or nearly topping) the list for the last four years, while Sam, Sasha, and Zoe float in and out of the top ten.

"It's no coincidence that as we spend more on our nation's pet, the dog names we're choosing are also more precious." said Clare Ellis, Editor of DogTime.com. "We lavish our dogs with gifts, clothing, and bakery items rivaling any you may find from a Paris café."

The move away from Spot, Sparky, and Rover toward Chloe, Lucy, and Max suggests, in essence, that we now perceive our pets in much the same way we do our own children.

According to Ellis, there is even some overlap between the year's most popular baby names and the most common dog names. While Jack is the only one that appears unaltered (excuse the pun) on both dog and children's name lists, variations on the same name pop up frequently. Bella is the number one name for female dogs, and Isabella ranks second among girls' names for children. In the number one slot for girl names for children, it's Sophia, and Sophie appears at number six for female dogs. Finally, Jacob--number three on the boys list--shows up as Jake on the dog list at number five.

Top Ten dog male names

1. Max
2. Buddy
3. Rocky
4. Bailey
5. Jake
6. Charlie
7. Jack
8. Toby
9. Cody
10. Buster

Top Ten dog female names

1. Bella
2. Molly
3. Lucy
4. Maggie
5. Daisy
6. Sophie
7. Sadie
8. Chloe
9. Bailey
10. Lola

Read the whole story on http://dogtime.com/top-ten-dog-names-2007.html
Please attribute this story to DogTime.com.

About DogTime: DogTime Media, the largest network focused exclusively on pets, reaches over 10 million pet enthusiasts through 50 plus pet sites and includes DogTime.com, the premier destination for dog people. DogTimeMedia and DogTime are based in San Francisco, CA.

Contact:

Clare Ellis
clare@dogtime.com

Trevor Wright
trevor@dogtime.com