The Year’s Trendiest Cat Names

Dexter, the No. 27 most popular name in 2012, didn’t break the top 100 until 2007. It was also No. 1 on the trendiest dog names list.

Penny has gained the most popularity since entering the top 100 at No. 94 in 2003, making it the No. 1 trendiest female cat name. It really jumped last year, moving from No. 48 to No. 25. Think the popular character from The Big Bang Theory has anything to do with that?

Loki, a name belonging to a character in the recent films Thor and The Avengers, came in a very close second to Dexter, rising to No. 28 in 2012 after breaking into the top 100 in 2006.

Izzy also made its way onto the top 100 list in 2006 after Grey’s Anatomy (with a character named Izzy) debuted, and it climbed to No. 39 in 2012. The character may no longer be on the show, but the name certainly stuck.

Thor, which hit No. 2 on the trendiest male dog names list, is No. 3 for cats, owing its surge in popularity to the Thor movie and the Thor character in The Avengers. It only made the top 100 list in 2011 and rose all the way to No. 36 within a year.

Stella, which was No. 82 a decade ago, is now sitting pretty as the No. 22 most popular female cat name.

Cooper, which was new to the most popular names list in 2004, is now the No. 41 most popular name.  

Luna, which has made the top 10 for two years in a row, holds the No. 5 spot on the most popular names list, likely because of the beloved character in the Harry Potter books and movies.

Zeus, the No. 43 most popular male cat name, is a bit of an anomaly. It was in the top 100 in the early 2000s, fell out of favor and then re-entered the list in 2009, gaining popularity ever since.

Willow has gone from being the No. 74 most popular female cat name in 2003 to No. 23 in 2012.

Ziggy, which was new to the top 100 list in 2005, claimed the No. 52 spot on the most popular names list in 2012.

Katniss, the name of the main character in the best-selling Hunger Games books and hit film, was new to the top 100 list in 2012, hitting the mark at an impressive No. 53. Also worthy of note: Rue, another Hunger Games name, made the top 100 for the first time at No. 98. We predict we’ll see a big rise for both names (and perhaps some other Hunger Games characters’ names) next year.

Winston marked its entrance into the top 100 in 2003 at No. 95, and in 2012, it had risen to No. 54.

Ellie also took the No. 54 spot, making the most popular female cat names list for the first time in 2005 and steadily gaining popularity ever since.

Bentley didn’t make it into the top 100 until 2010, but since then it has risen to No. 58. It’s even more popular for male dogs, with a spot in the top 10, so it’s one to watch for kitties.

Olive landed at No. 56 in 2012 after a fairly recent entrance to the top 100 back in 2008.

Jackson, a name new to the top 100 in 2005, claimed the No. 56 spot in 2012.

Fiona entered the list a year earlier, in 2004 — the same year the second Shrek movie featuring the character Princess Fiona came out. In 2012, it was the No. 59 most popular female cat name.

Sheldon, another character from The Big Bang Theory, made the top 100 for the first time in 2012, debuting in the No. 62 spot.

Charlie also broke the top 100 in 2012, landing a spot as the No. 62 most popular female cat name.