How original is your dog’s name?

Most Popular Dog Names in 2008

Reproduced from a Times Columnist:

He’s man’s best friend, but you can call him Buddy.
According to data supplied by three Lower Mainland cities, that’s the most popular name for a dog around these parts. The municipalities of Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey provided The Province with lists of registered dog names so we could get a handle on the most popular handles. We found there were 7,611 different names for dogs in the three cities, and while monikers like Buddy, Maggie and Max were predictably popular, we also learned that Lower Mainlanders can get creative when it comes to their canines. The names ranged from the athletic — Kesler, Nazzy and Louie Luongo — to the aristocratic: Imagine sitting around a poker table with Lady Simone d’Alberni, Sir Stanley Ivory Dakota, Prince Abeser Prasad and Yogo Vom Eichbaum. In these coffee-loving West Coast communities, there are 62 Mochas but only six Lattes, 25 Scooters but only six Vespas. Oreos outnumber Cookies 59-57. There are three Jedis, six Solos and three Chewbaccas — not to mention an Obe Kenobi, Jar Jar Binks and even a Boba Fett. There’s a Sgt. Pepper, a Penny Lane, a Ruby Tuesday and a Lady Jane. We also found Rambo, Fonzie, James Bond and Indiana Jones. There are two Batmans but only one Bruce Wayne. Clearly, one is a copycat … er, dog. Historical figures are well-represented (Cleopatra, Socrates, Napoleon, George Washington), and so is food: Pizza, Pot Roast, Waffles, Yogurt, Wasabi, Vanilla Pudding and Chewy Potatoes, to name a few delicious-sounding dogs. When all the names were laid bare, we found 132 Bears. We also found Honey Bear, Fozzie Bear, Ted E Bear, Polar Bear, Betsy Bear, Taffy Bear, Panda Bear, Pookie Bear, Zoe Bear, B J Bear, Sadie Bear, Joe Joe Bear, Rupert Bear, Lady Bear, Koko Bear, Baby Bear, Buddy Bear, Blackie Bear, and, of course, Bear Bear. There are others, but we can’t bear to go on. We’ve compiled all the names in an online database, which you can search by name to find out how many dogs have the same name, and how high that name ranks in popularity out of the 7,611 we gathered. So if you’re the owner of the lone Yankee and you want to know how many Dodgers he’s up against, now’s the time to find out:

http://www.theprovince.com/dognames/index.html