released its 2025 annual list of top pet names, naming Luna the most popular female name for both dogs and cats in the report.

The company’s release also highlighted a rising pattern of pet parents choosing names tied to sports figures, a trend that intersects with high-profile events such as Josh Allen’s Dec. 7, 2025 game in Orchard Park, New York. This reflects a broader cultural shift where pet naming is influenced by pop culture, entertainment, and major events in society.

The report, compiled and issued by the pet service Rover.com, presented its ranking for 2025 alongside observations about cultural influences on naming. Rover.com surveyed 1,000 pet parents; 33% had a name in mind beforehand. Notably, 45% of pet owners choose names based on their pet’s personality or appearance, indicating that while trends play a role, individual touches also remain important to pet parents.

Rover.com’s findings put Luna at the top of both the dog and cat lists for the year. The name carries a classical reference: Luna means “moon” in Latin and refers to the Roman goddess of the moon, a detail the company flagged when discussing why certain names retain broad appeal. Furthermore, the report showcased trending names such as Elphie, inspired by the musical Wicked, along with names like Tater, illustrating how current media influences naming choices.

Sports figured prominently among the cultural sources Rover.com identified. The report notes that pet parents who follow professional athletics have been honoring athletes by bestowing their names on pets; Rover.com summarized that “many pet parents who are sports fans honor their favorite teams by naming their pet after their favorite athlete.”

As an example of the crossover between sports and pet naming, the company referenced quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and the Dec. 7, 2025 game in Orchard Park, New York as part of the broader context in which athlete-inspired names appear in the data. The connection between such events and pet naming showcases how fandoms can extend into personal domains.

Local coverage placed the report in community context, showing how events and personalities on and off the field can shape everyday choices like naming a pet. LiveNOW from FOX carried a note about the top names and the sports link, and Fox 5 New York provided additional coverage of Rover.com’s rankings.

Rover.com’s statement and the lists point to enduring preferences and periodic spikes driven by cultural moments. Luna’s double appearance atop the dog and cat lists underscores how a single name can cut across species and age groups, while the attention paid to sports-inspired names illustrates how fandoms extend into private life.

Rover.com framed the report as both a ranking of popular choices and a snapshot of naming behavior shaped by entertainment, events and personalities. The company’s observation about sports-influenced names was the clearest direct statement included in the release. Popular resources beyond Rover.com for pet names, such as the American Kennel Club and various pet insurance providers, also contribute to this trend by curating lists based on registrations and social discussions.

For readers interested in the full lists and the company’s commentary, local outlets carried summaries of the rankings and the trends Rover.com described.

Source

Original reporting: view the original article.