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HelpThe top pet names of 2024 in Portland, Oregon
I came across an article on Oregonlive last night about the top 20 pet names in Portland, Oregon for 2024.
Luna has been #1 four years.
Does this list change your mind about giving your child a name that is a favorite for pets?
Which names do you like for a person v. a pet?
In order:
Luna
Bella
Charlie
Ruby
Lucy
Rosie
Cooper
Gus
Penny
Lulu
Lola
Milo
Oliver
Max
Scout
Lily
Jasper
Coco
Rocky
Ziggy
Luna has been #1 four years.
Does this list change your mind about giving your child a name that is a favorite for pets?
Which names do you like for a person v. a pet?
In order:
Luna
Bella
Charlie
Ruby
Lucy
Rosie
Cooper
Gus
Penny
Lulu
Lola
Milo
Oliver
Max
Scout
Lily
Jasper
Coco
Rocky
Ziggy
Replies
Luna - I vastly prefer it for a human, and it doesn't really sound like an animal to me. I could see it on a cat. For some reason I've never met a dog named Luna even though it's popular and I don't think it really works as a dog name.
Bella - I know a lot of dogs named Bella. I think it's fine as a nickname for humans but as a full name, even people who don't seem interested in names at all know that this is overused on dogs.
Charlie - As a full name I'd say it sounds like an animal, but as a nickname it works fine on humans with full names like Charlotte and Charles.
Ruby - I've seen this on several animals (dogs and horses) and one human. I think it's good for both, but slightly prefer it for animals.
Lucy - Hmm, this seems fairly popular for humans. I have met... maybe only one animal called Lucy. I don't love it for either but I don't think it's "too animal" for a human.
Rosie - Works for a human or an animal. I've mostly seen it on humans and slightly prefer it for humans (with a full name Rose, Rosalie, etc.)
Cooper - Leans 'animal' to me. I've seen it on dogs, horses, and humans. I don't really like it on a human, but not because it's "too animal".
Gus - Either a grumpy old man or a grumpy old dog.
Penny - I've seen this name on a lot of animals but it doesn't sound too much like an animal to use on a human.
Lulu - Good for animals and for humans as a nickname. The first Lulu I ever met was a human.
Lola - This sounds like a dog to me, I think the song would make it annoying to have this name as a human.
Bella - I know a lot of dogs named Bella. I think it's fine as a nickname for humans but as a full name, even people who don't seem interested in names at all know that this is overused on dogs.
Charlie - As a full name I'd say it sounds like an animal, but as a nickname it works fine on humans with full names like Charlotte and Charles.
Ruby - I've seen this on several animals (dogs and horses) and one human. I think it's good for both, but slightly prefer it for animals.
Lucy - Hmm, this seems fairly popular for humans. I have met... maybe only one animal called Lucy. I don't love it for either but I don't think it's "too animal" for a human.
Rosie - Works for a human or an animal. I've mostly seen it on humans and slightly prefer it for humans (with a full name Rose, Rosalie, etc.)
Cooper - Leans 'animal' to me. I've seen it on dogs, horses, and humans. I don't really like it on a human, but not because it's "too animal".
Gus - Either a grumpy old man or a grumpy old dog.
Penny - I've seen this name on a lot of animals but it doesn't sound too much like an animal to use on a human.
Lulu - Good for animals and for humans as a nickname. The first Lulu I ever met was a human.
Lola - This sounds like a dog to me, I think the song would make it annoying to have this name as a human.
This message was edited 11/17/2024, 4:57 PM
I've known dogs named Luna, Ruby, Lola, Max, Coco and Rocky, and I am not even in Oregon.
I've known people named Charlie, Ruby, Lola, Max, Milo, Coco and Jasper.
I feel like most of the names are still good for people, but Luna, Lola, Max, Rocky and Coco are nos.
I've known people named Charlie, Ruby, Lola, Max, Milo, Coco and Jasper.
I feel like most of the names are still good for people, but Luna, Lola, Max, Rocky and Coco are nos.
This message was edited 11/16/2024, 1:29 PM
Might I ask why you disagree with Lola on a girl? It’s one of my favorites.
Luna and Bella are also trending in Israel for dogs. Mitzi is a very popular cat name in Israel because Mitzi Mitzi is an Israeli way of calling cats (due to Yiddish influence)
That's funny - I know someone in Portland who has a cat named Luna.
Most of those sound like better pet names than human names to me, and on a human they have a cutesy / childish sheen.
The ones that sound, to me, more like human names on a pet, and are therefore a bit comical on a pet, are:
Oliver, Jasper ...
and that's it, just those two lol.
ETA actually Charlie, too. I've met more human Charlies than pet Charlies.
Most of those sound like better pet names than human names to me, and on a human they have a cutesy / childish sheen.
The ones that sound, to me, more like human names on a pet, and are therefore a bit comical on a pet, are:
Oliver, Jasper ...
and that's it, just those two lol.
ETA actually Charlie, too. I've met more human Charlies than pet Charlies.
This message was edited 11/15/2024, 9:27 PM
I find Lucy, Penny, Oliver and Max very human, and I like them. I've known one Lucy dog, and three Daisy dogs - interesting that Daisy doesn't feature on this list. I also think of Bella as human, thanks to some aunts in my 19th-century family tree, but I don't like it so it doesn't matter. I also know a human Milo, although in South Africa Milo is a chocolate drink!
Currently: my sister has a dog Jasper, my parents have a dog Scout, and my aunt has a cat Coco. I used to have a pony named Rosie. I think Jasper and Rosie work fine for humans.
None of them surprise me. Popular short names like Max, Milo, Charlie, Luna, Bella are going to be common pet names - once they get that popular, I am a little put off, but it's mainly because of perceived trendiness or negative pop culture associations. Lucy and Oliver are the ones that seem most conventional to me, for humans. The ones I'd like most for kids would probably be Gus and Penny, but I'd prefer them as NNs. The ones I'd stay away from for humans, like Rocky, Scout, Lulu, Coco, I'd stay away from regardless; it's not because I associate animals.
For a pet, of these, I'd still pick Penny or Gus as my favorite. Or maybe Ziggy depending on personality.
An example of a pet name I would never use for a person simply because it's such a stereotype is Fido.
None of them surprise me. Popular short names like Max, Milo, Charlie, Luna, Bella are going to be common pet names - once they get that popular, I am a little put off, but it's mainly because of perceived trendiness or negative pop culture associations. Lucy and Oliver are the ones that seem most conventional to me, for humans. The ones I'd like most for kids would probably be Gus and Penny, but I'd prefer them as NNs. The ones I'd stay away from for humans, like Rocky, Scout, Lulu, Coco, I'd stay away from regardless; it's not because I associate animals.
For a pet, of these, I'd still pick Penny or Gus as my favorite. Or maybe Ziggy depending on personality.
An example of a pet name I would never use for a person simply because it's such a stereotype is Fido.
This message was edited 11/15/2024, 12:08 PM
Ruby's the only one I really, wholeheartedly like. But it was never a top or even next-to-top tier name for me.
The others just strike me as cutesy and pet-like. Except Oliver, just by virtue of it's being longer than the others, but I never liked it because of its slithery sound.
The others just strike me as cutesy and pet-like. Except Oliver, just by virtue of it's being longer than the others, but I never liked it because of its slithery sound.