Spend an afternoon at any dog park and you will hear the same names called out again and again. One owner shouts for a Bella, another for a Max, and somewhere across the grass a Luna comes bounding back. Dog names, it turns out, follow fashion almost exactly the way baby names do — a name can feel fresh one year, be everywhere the next, and then quietly fade as the next trend arrives.
The latest snapshot of that fashion comes from Chewy’s 2025 report, built from the pet profiles owners create on the site. Each profile records a dog’s name, birthdate and breed, and taken together they show which names Americans actually gave their dogs this year. Chewy pet expert Ciara Lavelle walked through the numbers, and the story they tell is about much more than a list — it is about the films we watched, the food we craved, and even the stars we lost.
Here is the full Top 10, the smaller trends climbing fast behind it, and the expert advice worth hearing if you are naming a dog yourself.
1. How the Ranking Was Put Together
Chewy’s ranking is not a poll or a guess. It is drawn from the profiles of real dogs registered on the platform — their names, birthdates and breeds — and then sorted into the names that appear most often. Because the data comes from everyday owners rather than breeders or kennels, it reflects the names people actually choose for family pets. The list covers both male and female dogs in a single ranking, so the Top 10 is a genuine overall picture rather than two separate charts stitched together. The report also tracks the names rising fast just outside the Top 10 — the food names, film names and TV names that may crack the list next year.
2. The Top 10 Most Popular Dog Names
Ten names sit at the top of the 2025 ranking. Here they are, in order, with the kind of dog each one seems made for.
1. Bella
Bella takes the top spot, and it is easy to see why. Short, soft and pretty, it works for almost any dog — though it feels especially right for an elegant, graceful girl. It is a name that sounds lovely called across a park and just as lovely whispered at bedtime. It is the kind of name that fits a puppy and still fits her perfectly when she is ten years old and grey around the muzzle.
2. Luna
Luna — the moon — is the dreamer’s choice, and it suits dogs with pale coats or striking eyes. Owners who pick Luna tend to love the gentle, slightly magical feeling of the name, and it pairs beautifully with evening walks and quiet nights. It is also a wonderfully practical name: two syllables, clear vowels, and easy for a dog to pick out from background noise.
3. Daisy
Daisy is sunshine in name form: bright, cheerful and unmistakably friendly. It is a natural fit for a happy puppy who bounds into every room, and it never sounds anything less than delighted. There is something timeless about flower names for dogs, and Daisy is the friendliest of the bunch.
4. Lucy
Lucy is the classic that never dates. Warm, familiar and easy to call across a park, it suits the dog who is everyone’s friend — the one who greets strangers with a wag and treats every visitor as a long-lost companion. Short, warm and impossible to mishear, it is the sort of name that suits a dog from her first week home to her senior years.
5. Max
Max is the first male name on the list, and it earns its place with pure practicality: one syllable, strong and clear, impossible to confuse at a crowded dog park. It suits a confident dog — the kind who stands tall and knows exactly who they are. It is also one of the easiest names to train with — a single sharp syllable a dog can learn in a day.
6. Charlie
Charlie works for boys and girls alike, which is part of its charm. Friendly without trying too hard, it is the name of the dog who makes friends everywhere — at the park, at the vet, on every walk. It is a name that sounds equally at home on a tiny puppy and a great big lolloping adult.
7. Bailey
Bailey feels warm and cosy, like a favourite blanket. It suits a golden-coated dog with a gentle nature, the kind of companion who is happy to sit beside you for hours and happier still to come along on every errand. It has the soft, rolling sound of a name made for quiet evenings and long countryside walks.
8. Cooper
Cooper is the energetic one — a name for a dog who is always in motion, always ready for the next game. If your dog treats every walk like an adventure and every ball like a mission, Cooper probably fits. The name has a cheerful, slightly mischievous ring to it — exactly right for a dog who is always up to something.
9. Buddy
Buddy does exactly what it says on the tin. It is the name owners choose when the dog is not just a pet but a companion, a shadow, a best friend. Few names say so much about the relationship in a single word. It is less a name than a job description, and the dogs who wear it tend to live up to it completely.
10. Sadie
Sadie rounds out the Top 10 with sweetness to spare. Gentle and old-fashioned in the best way, it suits a calm, affectionate dog — the one who rests her head on your knee and makes a quiet house feel like a home. It is a name with old-fashioned charm, the kind that suits a dog who is as happy on a lap as she is on a walk.
3. Food-Inspired Names Are Climbing Fast
Beyond the Top 10, the fastest risers are the names you could find in a kitchen. Cheeto and Pickles each climbed about 25% in popularity since 2024, and Brisket jumped an impressive 68%. Food names are playful by nature — they say something about the owner’s sense of humour as much as the dog’s — and they are clearly having a moment. Pickles is a particularly good example of the trend: a name that is funny the first time you hear it and somehow even better the fiftieth. Expect to meet more snack-named dogs at the park next year.
4. The Wicked Effect on Dog Names
No film shaped this year’s list more than Wicked. The first part of the movie arrived in November 2024, and its two witches quickly became two of the year’s most popular dog names. Elphaba — the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Cynthia Erivo — rose 200% since last year, along with its nickname Elphie. Glinda — the Good Witch, played by Ariana Grande — climbed 175%. When a film captures the public imagination that completely, the dog park feels it too. The effect is a reminder of how quickly a film can move from the cinema into everyday life — first the posters, then the merchandise, then the dog park.
5. A Tribute to Ozzy
Some names rise for a sadder reason. After Ozzy Osbourne died earlier in 2025, dogs named Ozzy rose 15% — owners choosing the name as a small tribute to the rock legend. It is a reminder that a dog’s name is often a piece of the owner’s own story, a favourite song or artist carried into everyday life.
6. The White Lotus Effect
Television had its say as well. The latest season of The White Lotus gave the world the “Piper, no!” meme, and Piper as a pet name rose 33% since last year. Chewy is careful to note that the connection cannot be proven — but the timing is hard to ignore, and it fits a pattern: the shows we binge become the names we call. It is the same pattern the Wicked names followed: a show everyone is talking about becomes a name everyone is calling.
7. Expert Tips for Naming Your Dog
If you are naming a dog yourself, the experts’ advice starts with looking around you. Inspiration can come from almost anywhere — a coat colour, a personality quirk, a favourite film or a favourite musician. Some owners name for a look — a spot, a colour, a size — while others name for a memory, a song, or a character they have loved for years. The American Kennel Club keeps lists of ideas in every style, from unique names like Storm and Kona to trending picks like JoJo and Jax and classics like Scout and Zeke.
Then comes the practical test. You will be shouting this name across a dog park and saying it in a vet’s waiting room, so it needs to be a name you are happy to own in public — including the silly ones. Pick something respectful and not offensive, and you cannot really go wrong. The bottom line is simple: your dog will love whatever you call them, because it is how their favourite person calls them.
A name is only the beginning, of course. Once it sticks, the real work is teaching your dog to answer to it — and that is where a pocketful of treats comes in handy. Just choose them carefully: some treats that look perfectly safe are ones vets warn owners to avoid (9 Dog Treats That Seem Safe — But Vets Want You To Avoid Them). And as your dog settles in, you will start to read their moods in the little things they do (15 Random Pet Behaviors Finally Explained).
The 2025 ranking tells a familiar story: the classics at the top barely move, while pop culture decides who climbs behind them. Bella, Luna and Daisy will likely be with us for years — but next year’s list will have its own surprises, shaped by whatever we watch, eat and love in the meantime. Whatever name you choose, the best test is the simplest one: say it out loud, imagine calling it across a park, and see if it makes you smile. If it does, it is probably the right one — and once your dog is happily answering to it, you will know it by the signs (6 Signs Of A Happy Dog, According To Veterinarians). Even the quiet moments count, like the long naps after a good day (Here’s Why You Should Never Wake A Sleeping Dog).
