You’ve already seen the most popular cat names of the year, but can you guess which names are trendiest? Fortunately, you don’t have to — we’ve got them all right here! (And in case you missed it in the past, here are our results from 2012, 2013 and 2014.)
We looked through close to half a million cat names to compare the current year’s most popular
names with the list of popular names from 10 years ago. Those that made
the biggest jump in popularity over the course of the decade (whether they broke the top 10 or not) earned a higher ranking.
Though a few of the year’s most popular names also nabbed spots on the trendy list, many of them don’t break the top 30 or 40. However, based on their rise in popularity in recent years, it’s likely you’ll see them climbing the charts in the near future.
No. 10: Stella and Winston
Kicking things off are Stella and Winston. Stella, which was the No. 65 most popular name a decade ago, is currently at No. 21. Winston, which first made the list in 2006, now ranks 21st.
No. 9: Mittens and Finn
Mittens, the No. 20 most popular female cat name today, ranked No. 64 a decade ago. Finn is now No. 45; it debuted on the most popular list in 2012.
No. 8: Charlie and Mittens
Charlie cracked the top 100 most popular female cat names back in 2012 and is now No. 43. Mittens, which you just saw as a trendy female cat name, also made the list for males. It joined the top 100 most popular names in 2011 and is currently No. 44. So although it's rising more quickly for male cats than for females, it's not quite as popular.
No. 7: Luna and Ollie
Luna, which was the 52nd most popular female cat name a decade ago, has risen in popularity every
year since and is now No. 2, after coming in fourth last
year. This is probably due to the character of Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter books and movies. Ollie, which made the list for the first time in 2012, jumped 21 spots in the last year to claim the No. 42 position.
No. 6: Olive and Zeus
Olive entered the top 100 most popular list in 2008 and is currently the No. 50 most popular female cat name. Zeus is currently the No. 39 most popular male cat name, after making the top 100 for the first time in 2009.
No. 5: Penny and Thor
Penny, the No. 24 most popular name today, ranked 78th in 2005. Its increase in popularity could be due to the successful sitcom The Big Bang Theory, which stars a character named Penny. Thor is a more recent addition, however, making the top 100 for the first time in 2011 (after the Marvel movie of the same name hit the big screen) and flying up the chart to land at its current position: No. 38.
No. 4: Willow and Jax
Willow, the 22nd most popular female cat name, was No. 77 a decade ago. Jax, which is the most trendy male dog name this year, is currently the 34th most popular male cat name, after making the list originally in 2010.
No. 3: Piper and Olaf
Piper, which didn't enter the top 100 until 2010, is now No. 34 on the most popular female cat names list, which is a huge leap from No. 68 the year before. And, for those of you who've been living under a rock for the past year, Olaf is the name of a character in the much-loved 2013 animated film Frozen, which explains why the name debuted at No. 29 this year.
No. 2: Ellie and Dexter
The No. 31 most popular female cat name this year, Ellie, has clawed its way up a whopping 68 spots over the past decade. Dexter, which ranks No. 28 for males, first made the top 100 in 2007 and has been killing it in the popularity department, thanks to the eponymous TV show, which debuted in late 2006.
No. 1: Elsa and Loki
Frozen continues to reign supreme, with Elsa sweeping in to claim the No. 5 most popular name spot, after not even appearing in the top 100 a year ago. The only female cat names that are currently more popular are Bella, Lucy, Luna and Kitty. We're curious to find out whether any of them are able to top the Snow Queen next year.
Another name coming straight from the silver screen, Loki wasn't even on the top 100 list a decade ago. It climbed from No. 25 to No. 13 in the last year, likely due to the popularity of The Avengers and Thor movies.
