Most popular pet names of 2021 revealed

(NEXSTAR) — Rover released its annual list of most popular pet names, and this year, the trends are pretty nerdy.

Rover, a company that pairs people with pet sitters and dog walkers, said it used its database of customers to assess which names are most popular. It also conducted a survey of 1,000 pet owners in the U.S. to collect even more data, the company said.

The company noted lots of trending names from streaming shows released over the past year, including Wanda (as in “WandaVision”) and Daphne from Netflix’s “Bridgerton.” The trendiest name, with a 4,000% increase in popularity this year, was Grogu, a reference to “The Mandalorian.”

Names inspired by cryptocurrency (like Doge and Bitcoin) were another trend in 2021, says Rover. Dogs named after Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are also becoming more popular.

There was also a 131% rise in pets named Siri, says Rover, though that seems like a recipe for confusion if your iPhone is always responding when you’re trying to call your dog inside.

And we’re not sure why anyone would want their pet to remind them of COVID-19, but apparently pandemic-inspired names were on the rise in 2021. Rover reports a 270% increase in pets named Fauci and 35% more pets named Covid since last year.

“Each year our annual top pet names report showcases what cultural moments made an impact and clearly, the pandemic was a big factor. From sports to the TV shows we binge-watched, our pets’ names were shaped by a truly unique year,” said Rover’s Kate Jaffe in a press release.

While all those quirky names are trending upward, they still weren’t popular enough to crack the top-10 list.

Here are the top 10 most popular female dog names nationwide, according to Rover:

The most popular names for cats are pretty similar to the popular names for dogs, with the addition of the most literal cat name ever in the No. 6 spot: Kitty.

Click here to see the most popular dog names and click here to see the most popular cat names in 26 major metro areas around the country according to Rover.