A new study is claiming to have identified the most popular cat name in every U.S. state and it's sure to make purr-fect reading for fans of one particular moggy moniker.
Naming your cat is an important part of pet ownership. Though our feline friends may not respond to a name in the same way as a dog, research has shown that cats do recognize their own names, even if they remain largely indifferent to their use.
A 2019 study published in Scientific Reports saw 78 cats take part in an experiment in which researchers repeatedly said four words that sounded similar to the feline's names until they became used to hearing them and stopped responding.
Then the owners of each cat said their actual name with researchers assessing whether the individual felines were able to distinguish their monikers. They found that the cats consistently had a more pronounced response to hearing their own name, with reactions ranging from meowing to moving their ears, heads, or tails.
To further test the theory, another test saw researchers enlist strangers to say their cats' names. Though the responses were not as strong, the felines tested still appeared to recognize when they were being called.
Sometimes a name can draw inspiration from a cat's life. Other times, a moniker may be chosen in tribute to someone else.
Whatever the case, on a basic level, a pet owner's choice of cat name is important, because it's one they will likely be saying around the house or from the backdoor for several years to come. Therefore it can be useful to be up to date with the trends when it comes to cat names.
Fortunately, help is at hand in the form of a new study conducted by pet-sitting platform TrustedHousesitters looking at America's most popular pet names in 2023.
Based on a comprehensive study of over 50,000 pet names registered in the TrustedHousesitters platform, they have managed to identify not only America's top cat name in 2023 but also the most popular feline moniker for each and every U.S. state.
Luna was the most popular cat name on a national level across the U.S. The five most popular boy cat names, meanwhile, were identified as Charlie, Leo, Max, Milo, and Jack. The five most popular girl cat names are Luna, Lucy, Bella, Sophie, and Stella.
A breakdown of each state's most popular cat name can be found in the graphic below:
Interestingly, roughly 13 percent of cats were found to have been named after a food or drink item. California, specifically, had the most cats named after food, with Pickles, Bean, Peanut, Taco, Sushi, and Pumpkin being popular choices in the top 100 names list. There are even multiple cats named Pop-Tart, Ramen, and Parmesan in the state.
TrustedHousesitters Head of Community Angela Laws commented: "While working with pets and pet owners across the country for over 14 years, I've always been exposed to the up-and-coming popular names. But it's been even more exciting to see what our data has to say about 2023 pet names in this study. One of the most interesting finds is how pet name trends vary not only on a state level but a city level, with trends uniquely representing the culture and famous characteristics of each city."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jack Beresford is a Newsweek Senior Internet Culture & Trends Reporter, based in London, UK. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
