Pet ownership comes with endless responsibilities and commitment lasting years, and the first choice often begins with a name.

Deciding on a name for your pet is crucial, as it becomes the starting point of communication. Canines who know their name will be attentive. They will learn commands and recall, helping them understand what is expected of them. This leads to better and stronger bonds between dogs and their owners.

But, with thousands of name options, where does one start? Hoping to inspire others, pet-sitting platform TrustedHousesitters released the most-popular pet names in the United States for 2025, based on 100,000 names registered to the company’s database.

The data dove into the top names for both cats and dogs, with one name securing the No. 1 spot for both: Luna.

Rounding out the five most-popular dog names among male and females are Bella, Lucy, Charlie and Daisy, which is the same order it panned out in 2024.

The name Luna ranked among other pet platforms. Spot Pet Insurance found the most-popular name for pets registered with the company was Luna with 3,449, Newsweek previously reported.

The American Kennel Club’s report for most-popular dog names in 2024 also listed Luna as the top female name. Bella, Lucy and Daisy made it in the top five female names, and Charlie was listed on the male’s list at No. 4.

Naming Advice

While the possibilities are endless when it comes to choosing a moniker for your dog, one might want to consider a few naming principles. Alexandra Horowitz, head of the Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College, Columbia University, suggested this in an article published in Psychology Today.

Perhaps you want an easy name such as “dog” or “puppy,” but, according to Horowitz, these names does not represent a strong start to the dog-human relationship. These canines are individuals, like humans, with different personalities, looks and behaviors, who deserve unique names.

Horowitz stressed the importance of picking a name that allows you to go from playful to serious by changing only the tone of your voice. Two-syllable or longer names make it easier for canines to respond, as they are more readily to come when hearing short, rising sounds in pitch.

The example she gave was the name Marmaduke. A person can use high or low and rising or falling tones. However, the name Spot is more difficult to say in more than one, distinct way.