Just like with baby names, a number of dog names spike in popularity each year, as many of them are pop culture-inspired. And this year was no exception, with popular movie franchises playing a big role in the names we picked for our pooches.
According to data collected by Banfield Pet Hospital, the world's largest veterinary practice, which mined the records of more than 2.5 million of its pupper patients, the Marvel movies were super influential in 2018. Black Panther-inspired names such as Nakia, Okoye, and Shuri have quadrupled in popularity in the past year, while Avengers: Infinity War led to 66 percent more cats and 37 percent more dogs being named Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy created a 30 percent increase in dogs being named Star Lord.
This year's Solo: A Star Wars Story also saw a lot of cats be christened Han Solo, while Lando became a popular moniker for dogs and cats alike (up 15 percent from last year for canines).
It even seems as if pet owners have taken a side in the Cardi B and Nicki Minaj feud, as Banfield found there was six times more cats and three times more dogs with the name Cardi B in 2018 versus 2017.
However, the top 10 names of 2018 didn't include any of these movie or celebrity names, but instead are pretty sensible ones! Banfield's list of the top 10 most popular dog names for 2018 are as follows:
1. Charlie
2. Coco
3. Daisy
4. Bailey
5. Lola
6. Molly
7. Sadie
8. Toby
9. Sophie
10. Bear