The most popular dog and cat names in Toronto in 2020

Pet names, like everything else, go in and out of style each year. While time-honored classics like Charlie may stay in fashion, you never know when a trendy name will become obsolete.

In result of our ever-changing preferences, online pet care marketplace Rover releases an annual list of the most popular pet names broken down by region, "complied over a database of tens of thousand pets."

While 2020 was tough for most people, it was a good year for our furry friends, with skyrocketing adoption rates and pets having extra time at home with their owners.

According to Rover, the most popular female dog name Toronto in 2020 was Bella, and the top male dog name was Charlie. Meanwhile, the top-charting female cat name in Toronto in 2020 was Luna, and the top male cat name was also Charlie. 

Canada-wide, the most popular pet names were almost identical to Toronto's with one outlier — the most popular male cat name across the country in 2020 was Milo.

The hit Canadian TV show Schitt's Creek appears to have influenced pet names across the country, with many owners naming their pets after their favourite characters. The name Twyla was up 93 per cent this year for dogs, and the name David was up 20 per cent for cats, according to Rover. 

Cat owners in particular also took inspiration from Canadian celebrities when it came to naming their fur babies with names like Drake, Nelly, Shawn, and Shania.

These were the most popular pet names in Toronto in 2020:

Female dogs

1. Luna
2. Bella
3. Lola
4. Chloe
5. Coco

Male dogs

1. Charlie
2. Leo
3. Dexter
4. Felix
5. Milo

Female cats

1. Luna
2. Lily
3. Lucy
4. Cleo
5. Stella

Male cats

1. Charlie
2. Leo
3. Dexter
4. Felix
5. Milo