Who’s the lead dog among mutt monikers in New Jersey?
In the Garden State, the state’s top dog names this year start with “Luna,” according to a report based on data from pet insurance companies and complied by U.S. News & World Report.
“Bella” and “Charlie” were second and third, according to the report, which included the top 100 pup names nationwide as well as a top three for each state. Luna was also the top name for the entire U. S., knocking Bella from the lead it held in a similar survey two years ago.
What’s in a name? A report says New Jersey pet owners like Luna, Bella and Charlie the best when it come to monikers for their mutts.
Across the U.S., Charlie clawed its way from fifth place to third. The rest of the country’s top five includes Max and Daisy.
Top dog names by state
Neighboring New York’s top three dog names are Bella, Luna and Milo, very close to New Jersey’s preferences. On the Garden State’s other border, the most popular were Bella, Luna and Lucy.
There has been a shift toward human-sounding names for pets, according to the report, which said pop culture seems to have been a major influence. Luna is a character in the “Harry Potter” series. The name also means “moon” in Spanish and Italian.
Bella, which means “pretty” in both languages, remains a favorite in many states.
Max has roots in Disney films and more recently was the name of the main character in “The Secret Life of Pets.” Daisy gruesomely gained attention as the dog whose death set off the plot in the first “John Wick,” according to the study.
Lulu (left) and Cody Myers, two golden doodles whose names are not among the most popular dog names in New Jersey, but are nonetheless, cute.
Luna, Bella and Daisy were the most common names in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Some 94 million pets live in U.S. households, and 68 million of them are dogs, according to the 2025 American Pet Products Association National Pet Owners Survey.
The most popular dog names in the U.S. for 2025
According to U.S. News, the national top 10 includes:
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New Jersey’s most popular dog names in 2025? Here’s the top three
