Meet Louisiana’s Favorite Pet Names For 2026

(KMDL-FM) Based on data from the World Population Review, just over half of all Louisiana residents own a pet of some kind. The majority of pet owners in the state are either dog owners or cat owners or both. The World Population Review data suggests that about 38% of us own dogs, and just under 20% of us are cat people.

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The average American home has 1.7 pets. That's according to the American Pet Products Association. While I am not sure how we get ".7" pets, I do know that 100% of the pets that live in homes with people are not called by the names that were given to them.

How Do Most People Decide on the Name for Their Pet?

Think about that. You spent a lot of time thinking of a great name for your pet. You may have even discussed your ideas with friends and family. There could have even been a vote in your home as to what the new addition to the family would be called. And after all of that, you created, we've all created, a "nickname" which is what we actually call our pets.

In our house, we have a Jasper and a Rudy. Jasper is an Aussie Shepard, Rudy is a Havanese. Jasper is not called Jasper; he is called "Big". Rudy is not called Rudy. He is called "Rupus". We only use their "given names" for trips to the Vet.

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However, that leads us down another path: the folks at Chewy.com, who were acquired by PetSmart in 2017 and subsequently spun off by that pet supply retailer, have collected and cultivated the most popular pet names for 2026. And by pet names, I mean the most popular names for cats and for dogs.

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What Is the Most Popular Cat Name for 2026?

For cats, the most popular moniker for the new year was Luna. It's a name that means "moon". Perhaps we can start calling Louisiana radio host Moon Griffon "Luna"; it seems like a better fit for his personality, don't you think?

Number two on the cat list was Milo, then came Oliver, Bella, and Leo to round out the top five. The top cat names from six to ten on the Chewy.com list were Charlie, Lucy, Loki, Shadow, and Max.

What Is the Most Popular Dog Name for 2026?

Turning our attention to dog names as compiled by Chewy.com. The top dog name for 2026, stop me if you've heard this before, is Luna, just like the most popular cat name. You're going to see a lot of repeat names on the list, so brace yourself.

Coming in at number two on the most popular cat names for 2026 was Bella, then Daisy, Charlie, and Lucy, rounding out the top five. The bottom five of the top ten include Max, Cooper, Milo, Bailey, and Buddy.

Again, we only use their "real names" when we take them to the vet. I am sure you have a much more creative name for your pet than what you put on their medical forms.