Top 10 Cute Dog Name Trends for 2016

Diana Faria
by Diana Faria
Bringing home a new dog in 2016? We’ve analyzed the trends, and these are our picks for 2016 cute dog names inspired by television, movies, politics and sports.


Dog names, not unlike human names, are influenced by popular culture. When it comes to choosing a moniker for our beloved pooch, we’re able to get our creative juices flowing and go with a name that means something to us. What’s going to influence dog names in 2016? Glad you asked – here are the top 10 dog names we think are going to rank high this year.


Trump

Yup, that’s right, we’re going to bring politics into this. With the US’s presidential race of 2016 comes the possibility of people naming their beloved dog Bernie, Jeb, Hilary…and who knows, even Trump. Choose Fido’s name wisely, as you’ll be stuck with it for more than two terms.


Dany

The latest Game of Thrones teaser video for Season 6 is out there and if you haven’t seen it, you need to go watch it now. This electrifying show makes viewers sit on the edge of their seat and with this new season comes a slew of possible doggie names, including that of Daenerys Targaryen…or ‘Dany’ for short. We’re pretty sure this season also focuses on Jon Snow (is he dead or alive? No one knows!), so we’ll probably see the names ‘Snow’ being thrown around, as well as Arya, Theon, Tyrion and Sansa. (Photo credit: Phillip Lauer)


Leo

“The Nest” is a debut novel by D’Aprix Sweeney set to hit the sales floor late March of this year. This book has been described as “intoxicating” by actor Amy Poehler and has been praised by famous authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert, Matthew Thomas and Jami Attenberg. The story follows the dysfunctional Plumb family and how the fate of the shared inheritance has shaped the lives of the four adult siblings. The four siblings, Melody, Jack, Beatrice and Leo Plumb, are sure to inspire many bookworms to name their furry children after these beloved characters. (Photo credit: otsphoto/Shutterstock)


Harley Quinn

The Suicide Squad movie features all of your juicy bad guys from the Batman series including Harley Quinn, Joker, and even a few you may not have met (June Moon, Headshot, Boomerang and El Diablo). The film, coming out in August of this year, is sure to awe its viewers and will no doubt influence people to name their dogs after their favorite villains/heroes: Harley, Boom, Joker, Croc, Moon and Diablo.


Euro

The 2016 Euro Cup will be held from June 10 to July 10 in France, meaning that the flags will be flying for football fans (known as soccer to North Americans) around the world. The soccer craze sure to hit fans this summer will inspire soccer aficionados to name their dogs Rooney (for Wayne Rooney) or maybe even Ronaldo, after Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo. In any case, you can always go with the names “GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL,” or “Luis Suárez” (especially suitable if your dog bites). (Photo credit: mexitographer/Bigstock)


Dory

Finding Nemo is an animated classic that still stands up today. Thirteen years after the making of this adorable Disney movie (yep, it’s been that long), Finding Dory is set to hit the big screen in June of 2016 and if it’s anything like its predecessor, it will be sure to leave both children and adults alike in a deliriously happy state of mind. Doggy parents will name their furry children after fun characters such as the star of the movie, Dory, as well as other supporting characters such as Marlin, Nemo, Jenny, Bailey and Charlie.


Michonne

The Walking Dead’s mid-season break on Season 6 is finally over and with every passing season, viewers continue to root for their favorite character all whilst watching some pretty nail-biting episodes (I’ve gnawed off two in the first episode this month). By the time you read this, some of the characters may have died (or will die later on in the season) but for the sake of my sanity, let us move on! Doggy names that may make the top of the walking-dead-themed names include Rick, Glen, Maggie, Daryl and Michonne (or Mich for males).


Newt

While the Harry Potter series is over (or not, we never know that Madame Rowling has up her sleeves), lovers of J.K. Rowling’s writing do have something to look forward to. The movie Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, based on Rowling’s book, will be released in November of this year and is sure to have fans running to the theaters. Don’t be surprised if names such as Newt, Credence, Graves or Scamander (Scam for short) suddenly rise in popularity after this movie (part of a trilogy) is released into the wild. (Photo credit: Sergey Lavrentev/Shutterstock)


Kirk

That’s right; this one is for all those trekkies out there. Kudos to you if you already have a furry friend names after this famous 1960s television show that has evolved to bring 12 films to the big screen. The thirteenth, Star Trek Beyond (debuting in July of this year), has us on the edges of our seats, thanks to spectacular trailers. We can expect this one to be just as jam-packed with action as the rest, if not more. Names that made the top of our doggy list are Scotty, Kirk, Spock, Sulu, and Jaylah (or Jay, for males).


Piper

Season Four of Orange is the New Black will be airing June 17, bringing forth a few new faces and answers to some of last season’s cliffhangers (did Alex Vause die or did she fight off Kubra’s assassins?). With so many excellent choices for doggy names on OINB, here are just a few that we think are going to be awfully popular once the show airs: Piper, Tasha, Red (nickname for Galina Reznikov), Suzanne (or Sue for short), Day (short for the beloved Dayanara), and Sam. Our personal fave: Crazy Eyes. (Photo credit: Anneka/Shutterstock)

Diana Faria
Diana Faria

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