The most popular dog names of 2019
What are the most popular dog names of 2019 for male dogs?
What are the most popular dog names of 2019 for male dogs? There was some movement this year as compared to last, and two names fell out of the Top 10 entirely in Oliver (No. 10) and Tucker (No. 9).
Unless otherwise stated, all etymology comes from the 1998 book The Very Best Baby Name Book in the Whole Wide World, by Bruce Lansky.
No. 10 – Teddy
2018 ranking: No. 15
A new name in the Top 10 this year, Teddy is short for Theodore, which is Greek in origin and means “gift of God.” Everyone immediately thinks of Theodore Roosevelt, either the historical version or Robin Williams’ character in the underrated and immensely-quotable, though sadly dogless, Night at the Museum trilogy.
No. 9 – Duke
2018 ranking: No. 7
Duke falls from No. 7 down to No. 9 this year. We instantly think of the Bush’s Beans mascot of the same name, or the Duke University Canine Cognition Center, though others may think of legendary Western actor John Wayne.
No. 8 – Bear
2018 ranking: No. 8
Some dogs do look like bears, so this makes sense, although it’s also a little boring. It could also be a reference to adventurer Bear Grylls, however, whose personality would fit most dogs.
No. 7 – Jack
2018 ranking: No. 5
Jack falls a bit this year, it’s a nickname form of John, which means “God is gracious” in Hebrew. Though it could be a reference to a pioneer of dog literature in author Jack London, it’s more likely a reference to the patriarch of the clan on the NBC drama This is Us.
No. 6 – Milo
2018 ranking: No. 11
Skyrocketing from No. 11 to No. 6, Milo is probably up this year due to actor Milo Ventimiglia starring as Jack in This is Us and as Denny Swift in The Art of Racing in the Rain.
Milo is also the name of the cat in the quirky and beloved film Milo and Otis. According to the website Baby Name Wizard, its origins and meaning are unknown, though it could come from a German word that means “calm” or “merciful.”
No. 5 – Rocky
2018 ranking: No. 6
Cracking the Top Five is Rocky, which is a solid general name, particularly if you’re a fan of boxing movies.
No. 4 – Buddy
2018 ranking: No. 4
Buddy is one of the grand classics of basic dog names, so even though it’s a little overused, it never goes out of style, either. Works particularly well for sporty Golden Retrievers.
(See our movie reviews of the Air Bud movies World Pup, Seventh-Inning Fetch, and Spikes Back, in addition to the spinoff sequels Air Buddies, The Search for Santa Paws, and Santa Paws 2.)
No. 3 – Cooper
2018 ranking: No. 3
In exactly the same place as last year, Cooper stays steady at the third-most popular of the male dog names. A cooper is someone who makes barrels, so it seems a little odd that the name is so common, given that barrels are rarely used in our society nowadays.
No. 2 – Charlie
2018 ranking: No. 2
For the third year in a row, Charlie comes as the runner-up. It’s short for Charles, which means “farmer” in German and “strong and manly” in English. These are good qualities for a dog to have, particularly if it’s part of the Working Group, though it’s a little on the plain side.
When we hear the name Charlie we think of Charlie Conway from The Mighty Ducks trilogy, Charlie Brown from Peanuts, and Charles Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie.
No. 1 – Max
2018 ranking: No. 1
For at least the fourth year in a row, Max reigns as the top choice when it comes to most popular dog names of 2019, which could either be a shortened form of the Latin Maximilian, which means “greatest” (that makes sense), or the English Maxwell, which means “great spring” (much less interesting, though also less pretentious).