Naming anything can be hard. Children, WiFi networks, a town, pets. It’s difficult because we associate names with particular meanings, whether we intend to or not. Often we’re inspired by nostalgia. After all, how often are kids named after a grandparent or distant relative? Just as often, we’re inspired by what thrills us in life. And in Denver, Colorado, that means cannabis. Yes, pet owners in Denver naming their dogs after marijuana is a thing.
According to the leading dog experts at Rover.com, “marijuana-themed monikers” for dogs are up 41 percent. Cannabis-themed names for those dogs include “Mary Jane” and “Doobie.” Which just has us imagining some high-minded dog owner yelling in a high-pitched tone, “Come here, little Doobie. Time for dinner!”
Rover, which labels itself “the world’s largest network of pet sitters and dog walkers, and a leading dog name expert,” pulled from its database of more than 1 million dog names to consider which were most popular in the nation.
“In the process, we uncover the big cultural moments that are inspiring us,” authors of the study wrote.
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For those curious, Max and Bella are the most popular male and female dog names, respectively. According to the report, 94 percent of dog owners consider their pet to be part of the family. This is why 36 percent of dogs have “decidedly human” names.
Others, however, find more influence from pop culture as 16 percent of all dog names derive from some pop culture reference. The biggest influence at the moment? Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, as names based on the movie rose 97 percent. None more so than Drax, which rose in dog name popularity by 186 percent.
