Top 10 Cliché Pet Names

For many, the humble goldfish is a very first pet... And this is probably the very first name you’d think to give it! A name that combines an element of fun with an especially watery feel, Bubbles is the ‘John Smith’ of the goldfish bowl! If your fish isn’t called Bubbles, then your friend’s fish probably is! The name is so well known, even the animals that own famously five-second memories would struggle to forget it!

Sometimes pet names are as plain as the nose on your face - or at least the nose on your pet’s face! The whiskers are so predominant a feature of the cat’s physical makeup; they’re often the ‘go to’ for its given name as well! Sometimes, to spice things up a little, owners might amend the original moniker by adding a Mr. or a Mrs. to the front of it... But the general gist remains the same. Whiskers is the proverbial ‘cat’s pyjamas’ of catnames!

A clichéd pet name that really does seem to have been around forever, the name ‘Fido’ derives from the Latin word for ‘faithful’ and ‘trusty’ - probably the two most common characteristics given to any dog, ever! Its popularity might be a result of sixteenth US president Abraham Lincoln’s favorite dog being named Fido, while its reputation for loyalty was strengthened in twentieth century Italy, following a now-famous Fido’s daily vigil to travel and meet his master after work, despite his master having been dead for fourteen years! Attaboy!

So you’ve just gotten a new pet and its predominant coloring is black... In terms of naming it, our next entry hits that nail on the head! Many a superstition-laden black cat answers to Shadow, but it’s also a popular petname among other animals - from dogs to rabbits, to home-reared racoons! However, perhaps the most famous ‘Shadow’ in cinematic animal history can be found in 1993’s "Homeward Bound"... In this case a Golden Retriever, ironically kicking the cliché!

Our next clichéd name is probably so common because it isn’t gender specific... Since the early twenty-first century, Bailey has been in and around the ‘Top 10 most popular names’ lists for both male and female dogs! With a loose meaning that translates as ‘trusted guardian of others’ property’, it isn’t difficult to work out why so many dog owners love it! Particularly popular in North America, it’s probably one of the cuter clichéd namesto make today’s countdown!

One of the oddest things about our next obvious pet name is that often, its owner isn’t even spotty! Naming a Dalmatian Spot makes a lot of sense (even if it lacks a lot of originality...), but a Labrador, or a Border Collie?? George W. Bush’s English Springer Spaniel was perhaps the highest profile Spot of recent years, and she was also lacking in actual distinguishable spots... Still, as far as safe, solid pet names go, there are few that can beat it!

#4: Sam

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The research polls reveal that within recent years, pet owners have shown an increasing tendency to provide their pets with human names, with Sam proving one of the most popular. A moniker that might be granted to a male or female of almost any pet species, it’s exceptionally versatile, and so in turn, unavoidably clichéd. Famous Sams include a Royal Canadian Regiment army dog awarded for his bravery, and a thrice-crowned ‘World’s Ugliest Dog’ in the mid ‘00s!

A popular name for cats, dogs and rabbits especially, it seems as soon as any animal boasts a coat a little crazier than the average, Fluffy is the first name on its owner’s list! Unless, of course, you’re ‘pulling a Hagrid’ and naming a less cute creature Fluffy, for the sake of irony! In general though, Fluffy is as Fluffy does! It’s a name that always carries connotations of playfulness, innocence and youth, even if its wearer has aged out of kittenhood or puppydom!

A popular name throughout pet naming history, ‘Buddy’ brings to mind all of the best bits about having a pet in the first place! Companionship is the ‘word of the day’ with our runner-up, as any animal that answers to this name is surely man’s very best friend! Another example of pets procuring a human-like handle, former US President Bill Clinton had a Labrador named Buddy, and the name was shared with the sharp-shooting Disney dog outta the 1997 basketball comedy, "Air Bud". It’s a slam-dunk second place! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. - Duke - Mittens - Coco - Skippy - Buster - Sunny

With a name that, appropriately enough, means ‘the greatest’, pet names just don’t come more clichéd than Max! It’s short, it’s simple, it’s multi-gender (although more males go by Max than female...), and it can be multi-species too! A frequent table-topper throughout recent history in terms of popular pet names, and especially for dogs, Max is as conventional and as clichéd as they come! It’s not necessarily a bad thing; it’s just the way it is with the world of domesticated animals! Do you agree with our list? What pet name do you think is overused? For more cute top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.