Baby Name Spike: People vs pet names
When Mike Myers named his son Spike recently, there were several comments on our Nameberry Facebook page along the lines of: “Did his wife have a puppy?” and “Bit doggy for me.” Not very kind, perhaps, but it does raise the subject of the blurring of the line between human and dog names, when babies are being named Buster and Buddy, and pups are commonly called Chloe and Mia.
So little Spike won’t be alone in his name zone. Other celebs have provided him with a number of comparably-named prospective (if older) playmates. There’s Michelle Hicks and Jonny Lee Miller’s Buster, Rosanne Barr’s Buck, Jamie Oliver’s Buddy Bear and Alicia Silverstone’s Bear, Justine Bateman’s Duke, Damon Dash’s Lucky, Gerard Way’s Bandit and Robert Rodriguez’s Rocket, as well as the poodle-ready Coco (Courteney Cox & David Arquette), Gigi (Cynthia Rowley), Fifi (Bob Geldof) and Zuzu (Tania Peterson).
But are these still the kinds of names that are actually given to dogs today, when pups are considered more family members than pets? The answer is a resounding no! Traditional canine monikers like Fido and Rover, Spot, and Champ have virtually disappeared, having been replaced by popular people names. In fact, looking at the most recent list of top names for dogs might make you do a doubte-take as it’s so similar to the top babies’ names lists.
Evidence: Here are some of the leading canine names, with their comparative dog and human popularity rankings (puppy numbers on the left, kids on the right)– so maybe you won’t be too surprised if a Cocker Spaniel comes running next time you call out your child’s name in the park:
Girls
Canine Human
1. Bella 48
2. Molly 87
3. Lucy 75
6. Sophie 59
7. Sadie 118
8. Chloe 9
9. Bailey 78
11. Zoe 31
18. Lily 17
21. Emma 3
28. Mia 10
30. Zoey 47
31. Madison 8
32. Stella 85
36. Samantha 15
Boys
1. Max—98
4. Jake—116
6. Charlie–244
7. Jack—-44
9. Cody—158
12. Cooper—76
13. Riley—105 (40 for girls)
19. Oliver—88
21. Oscar—-147
30. Jackson—25
35. Milo—422
38. Hunter—59
47. Romeo—358
49. Luke—41
50. Henry—67
And here, for an added bit of trivial pursuit, a comparison of some celebrities’ naming styles for their human and pet names:
Adam Sandler: Sadie, Sunny for his daughters vs. Meatball for his Bulldog
Alicia Silverstone: baby Bear Blu vs.dogs Samson, Scottie, Cale, Jeffrey, Lacey
Ashlee Simpson: Bronx vs. Blondie
Brad Garrett: Hope vs. Gus
Courteney Cox: Coco vs. Ella, Harley, Hopper
Drea De Matteo: Alabama, Waylon (called Blackjack) vs. Cyrus
Elton John: Zachary vs. Marilyn
Ethan Hawke: Maya, Levon, Clementine, Indiana vs. Nina
Geri Halliwell: Bluebell Madonna vs. Daddie
Gillian Anderson: Piper, Felix, Oscar vs. Cleo, Pasha
Gwyneth Paltrow: Apple, Moses vs. Holden
Halle Berry: Nahla vs. Bubba, Polly
Helen Hunt: MaKena’Lei vs. Johnny
Jenna Elfman: Story, Easton vs. Guinevere
Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck : Violet, Seraphina vs. Martha Stewart
Jessica Alba: Honor, Haven vs. Nancy
Kate Hudson: Ryder, Bingham vs. Clara Bo
Liv Tyler: Milo vs. Neal
Minnie Driver: Henry vs. Bubba
Nicole Richie: Harlow, Sparrow vs. Foxy Cleopatra, Honeychild
Pete Wentz: Bronx vs. Rigby, Hemingway
Reese Witherspoon: Ava, Deacon vs. Chi Chi Rodriguez, Coco Chanel, Frank Sinatra
Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick: James, Tabitha, Marion vs Sally
Tori Spelling: Liam, Stella vs. Mimi La Rue