Best pet names

September 28, 7:35 PMPet ExaminerTeri Webster

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Don't name your dog Leprechaun 

Naming your pet should be fun and not too time-consuming.
This resource will help make it easier for you to find a great name  -- whether you have a dog, a cat, or any other pet.
Here are some tips to get you started.

What are you saying?
Consider what your pet's name communicates about her -- and you --  to the rest of the world.  "Stoner Dog" will probably not impress your boss if he comes to your home for dinner.
Also, please do not name your dog Leprechaun.
The neighbors will question your sanity if they hear you yelling over the fence, "Leprechaun, it's time to come in! Leprechaun! Where are you?"

Pet personality
A name should reflect your pet's personality. A Golden Retriever that I know is very appropriately named Rowdy.  He's a sweet-natured dog, but he plays rough, jumps all over the place, and loves to dig and shred things.
But sometimes the first name that comes to mind will not be the right one.
When my Jack Russell was nine-weeks-old, I planned to call him Cookie, because of a round tan circle near his tail.  After I had him for a couple of days, I realized it was not a good fit for his bold, adventurous personality. Not only that, this perfectly round  cookie mark began to  look more like slice of toast as he grew.
This leads to another point.  Try to envision your pet as an adult.
Someday, "Puppycakes" will be 10-years-old. 

Keep it short and sweet
Generally, one- or  two-syllable names are best for dogs. It's easier for the dog to understand, and it's easier for you to say.  Avoid names of ex's or in-laws you can't stand.  You love your pet, right? 

How to dream up a name
Use your imagination. Pet names can come from almost anywhere.  Brand names, Biblical names, candy, colors, food,  sports teams, pop stars, cars, hobbies, television shows, book characters, cities, states, foreign countries, planets and the weather, are just a few possibilities.   You can also consult human baby name directories on the Internet to get ideas.

Break every rule
Another way to come up a name is to take all of this advice and reverse it. Use Fluffy as a name for your  Pit Bull. Call your cat Spike.

Most popular names
Max is the most common name for both dogs and cats, according to  Veterinary Pet Insurance ( VPI), a medical insurance provider.
The remaining top four dog names are Molly, Buddy, Bella and Lucy.
Chloe, Lucy, Tigger and Tiger are among the most popular cat names.

Name games
Try out a name for a couple of days and see if it fits your pet's personality. You can always change it.  It's probably best to not change an adopted pet's name, if she came with one.

Here are some suggestions to consider. Additional resources are listed at the very bottom. Some of the names are gender-specific. But most of the names here can be used for any kind of pet.

Male dogs
Alpha
Axel
Barkley (woof, woof)
Cosmo
Dallas
Elvis
Friday
Iceman
Java
Kong
Lightning
Macbeth
Metro
Peanut
Sabre
Shane
Sinbad
Shrek
Radar
Vegas
Wolfgang
Yoda
Zeus
Ziggy

Female dogs
Angel
Cashmere
Chelsea
China
Diva
Kyla
Fancy
Gypsy
Iris
Jade
Lovesong
Meadow
Mocha
Paris
Peace
Pixie
Prada
Queenie
Sapphire
Stardust
Tinkerbell (Tink or Tinky for short)
Twilight
Willow
Violet
Zoe

Male cats
Alias
Barnaby
Bearbear
Carebear
Dandy Lion
Edward Scissorclaws (I've met a few of these).
Felix
Garfield
Maynard
Midnight
Napolean
Oreo
Picasso
Pickles
Puffkitty (love this one)
Q-Tip
Simba
Sleepy
Sneakers
Stormy
Tarzan
Tommy Lee
Typhoon
Travolta
X-ray

Female cats
Agnes
Amber
Bitchy (sorry, couldn't resist)
Brandi
Buttercup
Callie (as in Calico)
Catty (she's a girl, after all)
Coco
Cover Girl
Cleopatra
Day Dreamer
Feather
Lavender
Madame
Mona Lisa
Oprah
Phoebe
Purrsia
Sabrina
Sassy
Secret
Sheeba
Spice Girl
Tiny Dancer
Topaz
Velvet

Unusual names
Big Foot
Cookie
Flame
Gumball
Houdini
Illusion
Indigo
Marshmallow
Moonbeam
Neon
Ozone
Spam
Shark
Squeak
Tater Tot
Tempest
Tsunami
Turquoise
T-Rex
Woo-Hoo
Woodstock
Universe
Vapor

Tried and true
Bingo
Boomer
Fluffy
Rex
Rover
Scooter
Skippy
Sparky
Spike
Spot

Additional resources:
All pets
www.petnamesworld.com
Dogs
www.dog-names-and-more.com 
www.favorite-puppy-names.com 
www.dogname.org 
Cats
http://petrix.com/catnames/
www.greatcatnames.com
www.funcatnames.com/
Birds
http://loveofbirds.com/name.htm
Horses
www.horses-and-horse-information.com/horsenames/a.shtml
Rodents
http://www.20000-names.com/pet_names_rodent.htm
Reptiles
http://www.20000-names.com/pet_names_reptile.htm