‘Max’ takes top spot in Vancouver as human names increasingly displace ‘Fido’ and ‘Rover’
Traditional pet names like Fido, Rover and Rags have fallen by the wayside. Since the turn of the century, human names like Max, Charlie, Molly, Lucy, Sam and Abby are increasingly popular, with Max being perhaps the most popular dog name anywhere. According to the Vancouver Sun’s 100,000 entry dog name database, there are 1,347 dogs named Max in and around Vancouver, putting it first overall. The name Fido was popular in the 1860s, the paper reports, when Abraham Lincoln’s yellow lab cross was photographed for a portrait, becoming the first celebrity presidential pet. Fido (meaning “faithful” in Latin) attended the president’s funeral procession. The tendency to give dogs human names, says UBC psychology professor Stan Coren, might have come from the growing number of female dog owners, and dogs’ growing companionship roles. In fact, 19th century girl names are favoured for dogs and human girls in BC: eight of the top 20 girls names, according to BC Vital Statistics, are also among the top 50 dog names. For boys, meanwhile, only two of the top 20 baby names in BC, Sam and Jack, are popular dog names, too.