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N EW YORK – So much for Rover and Fido.
Almost half of American pet owners gave an animal a human-like name, such as Jack or Sophie, according to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll of more than 1,000 pet owners released recently.
Some of the more unusual names: Hollywood and Chichi Mittens, both cats; Vegas the Labrador Retriever; Jibber Jack the dog; the Beagle named Talulublue, and Louis XIV, the Yorkie.
In all, 49 percent of respondents, including 51 percent of dog owners and 50 percent of cat owners, had given at least one of their pets a human-like name.
The most popular? Max got more mentions than other names in the AP Poll but not enough to give it any broad claim of popularity (less than 2 percent of all mentions). One database of pet names, maintained by Veterinary Pet Insurance, also finds that Max pops up more frequently than any other name.
There has been a move away from classic dog names such as Spot and Lassie, according to VPI spokesman Curtis Steinhoff. There were 13 Fidos in VPI’s database in 2008, placing the name at No. 2,866. Rover was No. 2,534, behind Grendel, Ginger Snap and Munchie.
Steinhoff said the trend reflects a stronger bond between people and their pets.
Pet owners who give their pets human names are more likely to see them as full members of the family, said Wayne Eldridge, veterinarian and author of "The Best Pet Name Book Ever!"
But he cautions against reading too much into pet names. Many people choose names based on the animal’s appearance, he said. One of the most unusual names in the VPI database was Snag L. Tooth for a cat with a "snaggle tooth" that protrudes.
And some people don’t know why they chose a certain name for their pet.
Jenny Phangsri, a receptionist at the Waynedale Animal Clinic on Bluffton Road in Fort Wayne, says many people choose a name "just because they like it."
She says for pets who come into the clinic, there are more human names than other names, including Sam, Max, Buddy, Lucy, Abby and Emma.
Phangsri’s dog has a human name – a Pekinese named Sophia.
"We have a lot of people names," says Ann Underwood who has worked at Pine Valley Veterinary on Coldwater Road in Fort Wayne for 20 years.
She says there are many traditional names, such as Marvin, Sam and Henry. Underwood says some people will try to spell them a little different, but it’s still the same name.
And Underwood has tried to keep her pets’ names different. She currently has a Decon, Deon, Devon and Damon, which becomes a little hard to say all at once when she’s calling them, she says.
Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control sees thousands of animals pass through its doors each year. Coming up with names for all of them can be a little difficult.
Peggy Bender, community relations and education specialist at Animal Care & Control, says the people at the agency have their own little gimmicks for finding a good name for a dog, cat, bird or even a guinea pig. She says some use baby name books. Bender prefers to use "The Pet Name Book" by Sue Browder.
"We all try to not go with the obvious," Bender says.
She says volunteers try and look at the characteristics of the animal.
"Some names seem to fit better than others," Bender says.
Another great place for pet names is books or movies, she says. Bender says after being in the business for a long time, she will write down names while watching TV sitcoms or movies. "I find myself listening for appropriate names."
One of her favorite names is from a man who named his dog Waltrip. It seems the dog was so big, Bender says, that every time he tripped over him, it felt like he was tripping over a wall.
Terri Richardson of The Journal Gazette contributed to this story.
