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The 20 Trending Dog Names of 2025 Are a Lagging Indicator of Hollywood

Rover's annual roundup is here, and this year's most popular new dog names pull inspiration from Wicked, KPop Demon Hunters, Gladiator, and more.

By Nina Vasquez, Living Editor

December 9, 2025 · 5 min read

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Here is the thing nobody says about trending dog names: they are not random. They are a lagging indicator of the entertainment release calendar. A name does not climb because the culture spontaneously decided it liked it. It climbs because, nine months earlier, a movie, a show, or a song dropped a character into millions of living rooms, and a chunk of the people who then adopted a puppy reached for that character’s name. Rover’s annual roundup of the fastest-rising names, drawn from its database of millions of registered dogs, is really a receipt for what the country watched and streamed this year. Read it that way and it stops being a cute list and starts being a little predictable, which is the fun part.

So instead of just running the names, we will tell you what drove each spike, and then, at the bottom, use the same logic to call a few names that should climb in 2026 before they do.

So what is the single fastest-rising dog name of the year? Elphie, up a staggering 244 percent. The reference is impossible to miss: Elphaba of Wicked, played by Cynthia Erivo, who happens to own two dogs of her own, a Maltipoo named Caleb and a Yorkipoo named Gigi. With the Wicked sequel arriving soon, expect the green-witch energy to keep climbing. Rumi runs second at a 120 percent jump, powered by this summer’s animated juggernaut KPop Demon Hunters.

On the male side, Caesar takes the top trending spot, likely buoyed by Gladiator II or, just as plausibly, by the salad’s supporting role in the viral “girl dinner” plate. Mufasa lands at number two with a 119 percent jump, whether from the recent prequel or from nostalgic ’90s kids adopting new pups. Knuckles takes sixth, and the Sonic fandom knows exactly why the echidna outranks the hedgehog.

This year’s list is packed with fun surprises. Here are the top 10 trending male and female dog names of 2025.

The male top 10

10. Coffee. Nothing kicks off the morning like a good cup, and if you have got an energetic dog, it is basically the same thing.

9. Caine. Read it two ways: homage to Sir Michael, or allegiance to the villain from The Amazing Digital Circus, the indie web series with a rabid following.

8. Tobias. An Old Testament name that doubles as an Arrested Development deep cut. Whatever is driving the surge, yelling something this dignified across a dog park never stops being funny.

7. Dougie. Apparently a certain 2010 dance anthem has re-entered circulation, and dogs are paying the price.

6. Knuckles. Of the whole Sonic roster, the echidna wins the naming race. Correctly, we would argue.

5. Gibby. An iCarly revival nobody predicted, and one we fully endorse.

4. Luther. Works whether your reference point is Idris Elba’s brooding detective or the man who nailed 95 theses to a door. Equally suited to K-9 units and theologically opinionated terriers.

3. Oswald. Triple citation: Gotham’s Penguin, a cartoon octopus, and Disney’s original lucky rabbit.

2. Mufasa. The king of Pride Rock lends his gravitas to lion-hearted dogs everywhere.

1. Caesar. Regal, distinct, and classic.

The female top 10

10. Daisy Mae. Sounds like a 1950s sweetheart; gamers will recognize Animal Crossing’s turnip merchant.

9. Shirley. More grandma-chic. The name’s meadow etymology makes it a fit for any dog happiest belly-deep in grass.

8. Hunny. Why the misspelling beats the dictionary version is anyone’s guess; the charm apparently lives in that u.

7. Rowan. Borrowed from the rowan tree and long associated with redheads, so it suits a russet coat.

6. Mable. The grandma-name revival reaches dogs. This respelling of Mabel carries the original’s meaning: “lovable.”

5. Brookie. Read it as a diminutive of Brooke, or as dessert: the half-brownie, half-cookie bake sharing the name.

4. Jelly Bean. For the compact, huggable body type, no explanation required.

3. Rumi. The purple-haired, demon-fighting, incredible-singing lead of KPop Demon Hunters.

2. Tsuki. It means “moon” in Japanese, a natural extension of the ever-popular Luna trend.

1. Elphie. Up 244 percent to claim the crown. The green witch’s grip on pet culture shows no ceiling.

The names everyone still actually uses

Trending and popular are two different lists, and it is worth keeping them straight. The fast risers above are the fads. The steady, top-of-the-chart favorites barely move year to year: Luna, Milo, Bear, Daisy, and Charlie keep showing up at the dog park more than anything else, and have for several years running. If you want a name that feels timeless and a little anonymous, you pick from that group. If you want a name nobody else at daycare answers to, you pick from the risers.

Calling 2026 before it happens

Here is the predictable part, using the release-calendar logic from the top. Three currents are converging heading into 2026, according to the trend data Rover and Chewy pull from their pet profiles, and you can already see the names lining up behind each one.

The first is food, and specifically coffee. Mocha has been climbing for a while, and Latte and Espresso are right behind it, riding the same cozy, slightly ironic energy that put Coffee on this year’s male list. The second is fantasy and gaming. Loki and Grogu never really left, and the next wave looks like Zelda and Kirby as gaming names cross fully into the mainstream. The third is the vintage-human-name revival that gave us Mable, Shirley, and Tobias this year, which shows no sign of slowing, so expect more dogs named like your great-aunt.

If you want to beat the curve, that is your shortlist. Pick a rising name now and your dog gets a few good years of being the only one. Wait until the name peaks and you are back to shouting into a sea of four other dogs who all turn around. Either way, the fads are not chaos. They are just last year’s screen time, wearing a collar.