Coming up with a name for your fur baby is an important task. You don’t want it to be too plain, but you don’t want it to be too weird, either.
Here’s some inspiration if you’re currently stuck.
The top-trending pet names in Canada for 2026 have been revealed by Rover, the pet-sitting platform, and it turns out Canadians are taking cues from their favourite athletes, musicians, movie characters, and even the foods they crave.
For the past decade, Rover has ranked the most popular pet names in Canada. Now, the company is also digging into the trends behind what Canadians are naming their four-legged friends.
According to Rover, nearly half of this year’s top-trending dog names were inspired by sports.
Ernie takes the top spot as Canada’s trendiest dog name, inspired by the wholesome and uber-popular Toronto Blue Jays player Ernie Clement.
Other sports-inspired names making the top 10 include Kane, after Vancouver Canucks left winger Evander Kane, and Lacey, after Canadian soccer player Lacey Kindel.
Rover says it’s also seeing an uptick in dogs named Kelce, Buchanan, and Ronaldo, after popular international athletes.
Food is another source of inspiration for pet parents. Surprisingly, Peach, inspired by the fruit, and Guinness, after the popular Irish stout, were among the dog names trending this year.
But the biggest food-related name for dogs was Croissant, which surged 374 per cent year-over-year. For cats, it’s Ramen, which saw an even bigger jump of 624 per cent.
Athletes are left on the sidelines when it comes to the 10 trending cat names in Canada, with Minou, Ozzy, and Sadie rounding out the top three trendiest names this year.
A couple of food-inspired names made the cut for cats, too: Miso and Pickles.
It seems more cat owners are embracing old-school names for their feline friends — the kind of names you might associate with a grandparent (and as someone with a cat named Bruce, I’m totally on board with this idea).
According to Rover, Mildred was the fastest-rising name in this category, up 324 per cent year-over-year. Ruth followed at 290 per cent, while Herbert climbed 224 per cent. Waldo and Doris rounded out the top five.
Musicians are also having a moment in the world of pet names.
For dogs, more Canadians are opting for Shania, a nod to our homegrown country music legend. Rap fans are also getting in on the trend, with Drake, Tupac, and Kendrick among the names getting popular.
Cat owners, meanwhile, seem particularly fond of R&B star Usher, with the name rising 224 per cent. Sabrina, Presley, Snoop, and Celine rounded out the top five trending musician-inspired cat names.
So, if you’ve got a new pet at home and are stuck on what to name them, you really can’t go wrong with any of these options. The world probably has enough Fluffys and Spikes. But a few more Fetas and Springers? We love that.
You can check out the full pet names report on Rover’s website.
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