Posted on 12/18/2013 2:25:25 PM PST by Slings and Arrows
We recently released our list of the year's most popular puppy names, but, of course, we identify as neither dog nor cat people (seriously, do not ask us to choose sides!), so we now present to you the most popular kitten names of 2013.
Just like in 2011 and 2012, we examined Vetstreet's database of 425,000 names of kittens born this year to find the monikers that appeared most often. Many of the trends of the last couple of years are holding true, but watch out: There are a number of names moving up and down the list this year, including a new No. 1 name for male kittens!
Check out vetstreet.com’s infographic below or go to this link and click on the image to view a larger version.
For the seventh year in a row, Bella is sitting pretty at No. 1. But we have a new No. 2: Lucy, which has been in and out of that spot, holding it for six out of the last 11 years.
Kitty, which was No. 1 from 2000 to 2006, fell a spot to No. 3, and Chloe also dropped a place, going from No. 4 to No. 5.
Luna, which nabbed No. 4 this year, has risen in popularity every single year over the past decade, and Molly entered the top 10 with feeling, jumping from No. 11 last year to No. 6 in 2013. Also joining this elite list for the first time is Nala, taking No. 9 after landing at No. 13 last year. Daisy rounds out the list, while Callie and Lilly fell out of the top 10 altogether.
After a five-year stint at No. 1, Max dropped to No. 2 and handed over the reins (which we imagine to be covered in feather and ribbons, given the fact that we're talking about kittens) to first-time winner Oliver.
Tiger found a place at No. 3 for the second year in a row, but this name has true staying power: It was No. 1 from 2001 to 2007 and has been in the top three every year for more than 15 years.
Despite the excitement of a new No. 1 name, there weren't many other changes from last year's top 10 list. No new names were introduced, and other than the aforementioned names, only Charlie and Leo moved up one spot, while Simba and Jack fell a place.
Luna is definitely one to watch, considering its steady upward movement and the fact that, a decade ago, it wasn't even in the top 50. Mittens is also on the move. Although it didn't make the top 10, it leaped from No. 28 to No. 18 in just a year. And, with an even bigger step toward the top of the list, Pepper went from No. 42 to No. 21, so it looks like we could be seeing a little shaking up in the top 10 and top 20 lists in the coming years!
Cat people and dog people may disagree about, well, nearly everything, but they share some interesting common ground when it comes to names. We noticed quite a few similarities, particularly among the females. For one thing, Bella was the top female name for both puppies and kittens, and Max was a top performer on both lists as well, ranking No. 2 on the kitten list and No. 1 for puppies.
Other names both top 10 lists shared were Lucy, Chloe, Molly and Sophie for females and Charlie and Jack for males.
Some names almost made the top 10 for kittens and puppies but just missed the mark. Luna was No. 4 for female kittens and, at No. 13, was barely out of the top 10 for puppies. Lily was another close call, at No. 7 for kittens and No. 16 for puppies. Lola and Zoey were No. 7 and No. 9 on the popular female puppy names list but came in at No. 16 and No. 19 when it came to kittens.
Milo, the No. 6 name for male kittens, came in at No. 15 for puppies. Popular puppy names Buddy (No. 2) and Toby (No. 10) were nearly in the top 10 for this list, landing at No. 14 and No. 11 for kittens.
Of course, there were a number of names that made the top 10 of one list but didn't reach the top 15, top 20 or even top 50 of the other: Unsurprisingly, Kitty, which was in the top 10 for both male and female kittens, didn't make the top 50 puppy names list at all. Tiger, Simba and Smokey were other top 10 kitten names that didn't find a spot on the puppy names list, while Duke and Bentley, top 10 puppy names, were unaccounted for in kitten names.
Nala, which came in at No. 9 for kittens, was the No. 26 puppy name. Maggie ranked No. 10 for puppies but, for kittens, didn't show up until No. 37. Oliver and Leo, No. 1. and No. 8 on the male kitten names list, were No. 23 and No. 30 for puppies. Rocky, Cooper and Bear (Nos. 4, 5 and 7 for puppies) were No. 26, No. 47 and No. 33 on our list of kitten names.
Some of the trends we've noted, like using traditional human and classic pet names, appear to remain true heading into 2014. We can't wait to see whether new trends and popular pet names emerge in the next few years!
“Northern Light’s Patent Pending.”
She’s a special, blue-blooded dog.
I had a black girl kitty for a few months that I named Jimi. To be fair, I hadn’t checked to see what sex she was before I named her.
And the lady we gave her to up and renamed her Licorice...
I probably would have kept Jimi if there hadn’t been a torbie in the litter. I’ve always liked black cats.
One of my wife’s friends has a long-haired tortoiseshell (female, of course) named Smudge.
I had a black male cat named Blackie for a while. He was a cool cat.
I could tell.
“old girlfriend of mine named her cat, a male, “Zappa”... cool name, that...”
Fitting, since Frank was a bit of a cat lover himself.
My wife and I give unofficial names to the neighborhood ferals. We had a couple black cats who would pass through our yard. The bigger of the two my wife named Pantera; I wanted to call him Lucifer but wifey wouldn’t hear of it.
I named the smaller one Rusty; his fur took on a brownish tinge when the sun hit him just right.
Rusty has gone on to the big cat colony in the sky (I found him dead in our front yard about a year and a half ago) and we haven’t seen Pantera in several months.
Sadly, none of my cat’s names made this list, not (the late) Mr. Gotti, Pigling Bland, Brick Top, nor Stegosaurus (new kitten). I am shocked, I tell you.
LOL...
My tortie and white Maine Coon is Bijou, and my little tortie and white rescue DSH is Kefira (Hebrew for “little lioness”, a reference to her mouse-killer abilities).
We have a Rocky (his name fits him, he weighed in at over 23 pounds in his hey-day and packs a mean wallop). My daughter’s cats are Jynx and a sweet new kitten named Noelle (Christmas present).
Held in fond memory are Shadow, Echo, Gypsy & Quincy.
Both of our Coonishes are tabbies. Norman’s a brown tabby and Olivia is a black one. Maine Coons are some of the best cats going.
Cute Viking kittie. Eric?
My catman is Andy, or And for short. If he had a brother, I’d name him Or.
Only one of the names listed for all of ours male, or female, and that’s Callie.
Then there’s not on the list Petey, Boo, Niver, Binky, Piffy, Buddy, Rabb, Tiggy, Boots, Cooter, and Scooter. Outdoor wild kittens, and their mother Mitzi (Mom), Bitzy (Sister), and ItzHe (Brother). We’re trying to catch the outdoor clan to get ‘em fixed.
Yes, killing things, and he does it without tentacles.
They’re all “Angel” to me...I believe they are gifts from God watching over us....every single kitteh.
I will name my next Siamese cat Mai-Hem...
Aw, God bless you for being so good to him. Cats really are wonderful, interesting animals once you get to know them.
Nyarlathotep approves.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.