Annual list of top 10 most popular pet names

Most people like to think of their pets as members of the family, and they demonstrate it by giving them human names. Pet owners don't usually get too creative, according to new research released today by Veterinary Pet Insurance .

After conducting a thorough review of its policyholder records, VPI, the country's oldest and largest health insurance plan for pets, found that the most common pet name is Max. It ranks number one for male dogs, cats and birds.

"Unlike human children's names, which can become popular choices based on famous actors or athletes at the time, pet names appear to be fairly consistent," explains Dr. Aine McCarthy, director of Veterinary Services at VPI. "Of course, having a common name doesn't keep your pets from being very special to us."

Following are the top 10 pet names of 2003, based on VPI's 360,000 policyholders:

Max
Bailey
Buddy
Molly
Maggie
Jake
Lucy
Daisy
Rocky
Sadie

Other common names among VPI client's pets are Buddy, which appears in the top 10 list for male dogs, cats, birds and reptiles, and Lucy, which is the most popular female exotic (rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.) name and appears in the top 10 list of female dogs, cats, birds and reptiles. For more information, see pet training aids.

About The Author:

Rick Towers is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-pets.com. Pamper your pet and get up to date information on pet health, food, accessories, behavior, gifts and toys.