How to Choose Your Pet’s Name

Adopting a pet is a big decision. It’s a life-changing moment, both for you and your pet. You have to get used to having a non-human dependent around the house, probably making a mess, and depending on the pet, you’ll be woken up in the middle of the night. For the pet you bring in, everything is new to him/her. A new house, new humans, new smells, new experiences, it can be overwhelming for them. In no time at all, you’ll fall in love and live happily ever after. But, before we get there, one of the first things you need to do is choose a name.

Like with a baby, choosing a name for your pet can be a difficult task, and unlike with humans, you can name your pet anything, yes, literally anything. So how do you choose the name? Firstly, you can start with human names that are popular for pets. But this is your opportunity to get creative and choose something unique with names such as Tinkerbell and Spike, that wouldn’t be acceptable for humans.

Getty Images / EyeEm / Nuttasirikarn Uttachak

A popular method is to think of your favorite pastimes. Foodies might choose food-related names such as Honey or Peanut and even Biscuit or Strawberry Cheesecake for an especially cutesy pet. Try to choose a name that won’t become too long-winded to say, imagine repeatedly calling ‘Sir Lemon Pie of Alaska’ every time you’re looking for your cat or dog. Something short and easy to say will work perfectly; there is a reason Peaches, Nutmeg and Pickles rank high on the list.

Another idea is to name your pet after a character from your favorite TV show or movie. It doesn’t even have to be after a pet in the show itself, but also after a human character such as Legolas from Lord of the Rings, or Neo from the Matrix. Choosing something quirky will add personality to your pet’s name and make it stand out and easier for them to respond when you call. Why not call them after something from Greek mythology for a really unique name? Just remember, you want to choose something that you won’t be embarrassed to give to the vet when you take them in for a checkup!