Top Pet Names of 2012

I scoured all the baby and dog name lists and asked for
suggestions before I named Rocco Havanese.
I think the name suits him perfectly!

Is your pet's name among the most popular, or does your taste run toward the more unusual?

Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation's largest pet insurer reveals the most popular names for 2012 with "Bella" once again topping the list of most common dog and cat names. The name also made the top 10 birds and exotic pet's names list for the first time, coming in as the third most popular. VPI sorted its database of more than 485,000 insured pets to determine the most popular pet names of 2012.

Following are the top 10 most common names for dogs and cats, as well as birds and exotic pets:

Dogs	Cats	Birds and Exotics
1. Bella	1. Bella	1. Charlie
2. Bailey	2. Max	2. Buddy
3. Max	3. Chloe	3. Bella
4. Lucy	4. Oliver	4. Max
5. Molly	5. Lucy	5. Angel
6. Buddy	6. Smokey	6. Baby
7. Daisy	7. Shadow	7. Coco
8. Maggie	8. Tiger	8. Rocky
9. Charlie	9. Charlie	9. Bandit
10. Sophie	10. Tigger	10. Sunny

Pet owners continue to prefer human names for their furry friends. Each of the top five dog and cat names were also among Babycenter.com's 100 most popular baby names of 2012. Meanwhile, traditional dog names continue to trend downward. Of the nearly half a million pets insured by VPI, only 11 dogs barked to "Fido," and just 65 cats purred to "Fluffy."

What inspired you to name your pet?

Top 10 Most Unusual Dog and Cat Names of 2012

Chew Barka is called Chewy for
short and Mr. Chew Barka when
addressed formally

Are you a pet name traditionalist or a trendsetter? While "Bella" and "Max" once again topped the list of most popular pet names last year, many pet owners look for original names that express their four-legger's personality.

For the fifth year, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI) celebrates the most clever, creative and quirky names with its list of most unusual pet names. After a thorough selection process, 50 unusual dog names and 50 unusual cat names were chosen from VPI's database of more than 485,000 insured pets and narrowed down with a vote for the 10 most unusual name in each category.

The top 10 wackiest dog and cat names of 2012:

	Dogs		Cats
	1. Chew Barka		1. Pico de Gato
	2. Nigel Nosewhistle		2. Dingleberry
	3. Sir Maui Senqkey Schwykle		3. Dumpster Kitty
	4. Spark Pug		4. Schnickelfritz
	5. Agent 99		5. Koobenfarben
	6. Stinker Belle		6. Sassy Pants Huska
	7. Vienna Sausage		7. Vincent Van Furrball
	8. Furnace Hills Dante		8. Kitty Gaga
	9. Senorita Margarita		9. Beefra
	10. Trigonometry		10. Mister Bigglesworth

For the full lists of 50 unusual dog and cat names, pictures of pets that made the Top 10, and the stories behind their unusual names, visit www.wackypetnames.com. And, find your own pet's wacky name with the Wacky Name-O-Matic. Cosmo is Bodacious Von Corn Dog, very nice!

Are you a pet name traditionalist or do you lean toward the more unusual? Is there a special meaning behind your pet's name? Do you have everyday and more formal names for your pets? Tell us about it in the comments below!