Dog Tags: Top 25 Most Popular Pup Names in Texas

Reflecting on Abilene's Dachshund Races earlier this year, I'm reminded of all the different names people give their little canines. While a lot are common, some describe the dog's fur color or its personality. I often wonder what inspires people to give their fur babies a certain name.

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At Casa Fernandez, I've been given the challenging responsibility of naming the dogs, cats, and any other animals the wife or kids bring home. My first dog was a 100-pound German Shepherd I named "Tiny". My second dog was an Irish Setter and, as a puppy, he was very inquisitive and always sniffing around; I named him "Scamper".

As I grew older and got involved with the American Kennel Club, I named my first and favorite golden retriever of all time "Jack". I learned as I worked more with dogs that they responded better to one-syllable names. Jack's AKC registered name was Jumpin Jack Flash the Seventh (that was a mouthful). When I learned about the "Top 25 Most Popular Dog Names in Texas", I quickly noticed many were one-syllable names.

The following list of dog names was compiled as a cooperative effort between Wagwalking.com, Stacker.com, and PetHelpful.com. A little advice from Rescue the Animals founder Paul Washburn: "Never name a dog with a name that sounds like a command - bad idea."

Here are the top 25 names along with the percentage of dogs in Texas with that particular name, and where that name lands on the national ranking.

#25. Oreo
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 1.68%
– National rank: #39

#24. Jack
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 1.68%
– National rank: #19

#23. Stella
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 1.68%
– National rank: #17

#22. Bentley
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 1.74%
– National rank: #26

#21. Nala
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 1.78%
– National rank: #18

#20. Chloe
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 1.78%
– National rank: #22

#19. Harley
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 1.78%
– National rank: #31

#18. Zeus
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 1.80%
– National rank: #34

#17. Molly
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.02%
– National rank: #15

#16. Sadie
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.18%
– National rank: #16

#15. Duke
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.19%
– National rank: #20

#14. Bear
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.21%
– National rank: #14

#13. Milo
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.27%
– National rank: #11

#12. Rocky
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.28%
– National rank: #13

#11. Cooper
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.31%
– National rank: #12

#10. Buddy
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.40%
– National rank: #9

#9. Bailey
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.48%
– National rank: #8

#8. Lucy
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.86%
– National rank: #5

#7. Lola
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.90%
– National rank: #10

#6. Coco
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 2.91%
– National rank: #7

#5. Daisy
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 3.13%
– National rank: #6

#4. Charlie
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 3.57%
– National rank: #4

#3. Max
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 4.60%
– National rank: #3

#2. Luna
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 4.67%
– National rank: #2

#1. Bella
– Share of Texas’s top 50 names: 6.05%
– National rank: #1