1. Luna

Yappy.com’s data reveals that dog owners are increasingly looking to the stars and skies when naming their pup, with Luna becoming the favourite name choice for owners in 2021, overtaking the most popular dog name of 2020 - Bella.

• Yappy.com reveals over 1000 more dogs were named Luna since 2019.
• Meaning ‘Moon’ in Latin, Luna is a popular name for female dogs and in Roman mythology Luna was said to be a moon goddess.
• Instagram also reveals the popularity of this name choice with over 35k tagged posts devoted to this beautiful name.
• Luna is the 1st choice amongst Staffordshire Bull Terrier, German Shepherd and Greyhound owners, the 3rd favourite choice for Cocker Spaniel lovers, the 5th favourite amongst Springer Spaniel pawrents and the 11th most popular name choice for Border Collie lovers.
• Similar names also include Lupo or Lupa which means ‘Wolf’ in Italian. Famous owners include Prince William and Kate Middleton who own Lupo, a Black Cocker Spaniel.

2. Teddy

A firm favourite with dog owners and Love Island fans alike, the name Teddy has risen three places since 2019 and overtaken Alfie as one of the UK’s most popular dog names.

• Yappy.com reveals 936 more pooches were named Teddy in 2021 than in 2019 - a rise of over 229%
• Teddy is a nickname of Theodore which is a variant on the Greek name Theodoros meaning gift of God.
• Cute, sweet and also short for Edward, Teddy is the number one choice for Cavapoo, Cockapoo and Border Terrier owners and the second most popular name choice for Chow Chow and Welsh Terrier pawrents. Teddy is also the 3rd favourite name given to Miniature Poodles and Chihuahuas.
• Similar names to Teddy include Baloo, Yogi, Chewie and Bungle.

3. Bella

Despite dropping off 2020’s top spot to become the third most popular dog name, yappy.com’s data reveals that Bella is still the third most popular name with UK dog owners in 2021.

• Bella, which derives from the Italian word for ‘beautiful’ has remained a firm favourite amongst UK owners in the past three years thanks to its classic roots, easy pronunciation and flexibility to suit all kinds of breeds.
• Bella owners have tagged this name 26,803 times on Instagram alone.
• The 2019 film, A Dog’s Way Home, follows a dog called Bella who travels 400 miles to find her owner. Although the popularity of this name did not start here.
• Names like Bella grew in popularity following the Twilight saga films, and as people have increasingly treated their perfect pets more like humans, the names they’ve given them have also adapted.

Top Dachshund names

The top name for a Dachshund, also known as the sausage dog, is Rolo - inspired by Nestle’s famous roll-style chocolates filled with caramel, much like this breed’s distinctive colouring. The top ten names of choice for these short-legged lovelies also included Frank, Slinky, Coco, Minnie, Snoop, Digby, Peggy, Fudge and Sizzle.

Top English Bulldog names

The most popular name for an English Bulldog is Winston - inspired by Winston Churchill who became the symbol of national unity during World War II after he galvanised the British spirit. Churchill was nicknamed the ‘British Bulldog’ and his own Bulldog was called Dodo. Other names dominating this breed include Churchill, Buster, Bentley, George, Tank, Boris, Dexter and Vinnie. Winston came 44th in the overall most popular names list.

Top Border Collie names

The most popular name for a Border Collie this year is Skye, the 76th most chosen name in 2021. Single-syllable names are ideal choices for this highly intelligent breed as they’re easy for collies to memorise and respond to easily when they’re busy with their favourite instinctive pastime - herding. Other names that are ideal for Border Collies and made the top ten list include Jess, Max, Meg, Blue, Tess and Finn.