21 Cliché Dog Names You Should Avoid Naming Your Puppy

We get it, you liked “Twilight,” or else you aren’t creative enough to call your dog anything other than “beautiful.” Either way, please just stop. Bella has been the most popular female dog name for years.

Bailey is the number one name for male dogs and the number nine name for females. Don’t act so surprised when you call your regular groomer to make an appointment for your dog and they ask for your name because they don’t know which Bailey you’re talking about.

Is your dog a drag queen in SoHo or a showgirl at the Copacabana? No? Then let’s stop using Lola as a dog’s name, please. Thanks.

Max has been one of the most popular male dog names for many years. What do you say we retire it and try something else?

Unless you let your five-year-old name your puppy, Princess is thoroughly unoriginal. Let’s leave the princesses to Disney.

Sure, it sounds like a powerful name, but it loses its specialness when it’s the fifth most popular male dog name. It’s time for a new masculine dog name.

Sure, your precious puppy is an angel when she’s sleeping in your lap at eight weeks old, but she’s less of an angel when she’s trying to rip off the groomer’s face for trimming her nails.

Again, what’s with the royalty names? If you’re going for a royal name, why not make him a King instead of a Duke?

Whether you have a chocolate brown dog named Cocoa or a white dog going by Coco as short for Coconut, you can be more creative than that.

Bear is commonly given to giant breed fluffy dogs, like Newfoundlands, or tiny toy dogs that look like teddy bears, like Shih Tzus. It’s not clever either way.

I would love to know what percentage of red dogs are named Ruby. Maybe try something like Scarlet instead?

What a bland name. It’s neither a common human name nor descriptive of the dog, yet it’s the 17th-most-popular male dog name right now.

What’s the deal with flower names for dogs? Lily is overdone and should be retired.

Yes, your dog is lucky that you rescued him, but does that mean he has to be saddled with a cliché name?

What is the appeal of this name, anyway? It’s been popular far too long and should be replaced with something more original.

Harley as a girl’s name is new and unique, but as a boy dog’s name, it’s overdone and tired. Can we name our dogs after some other motor vehicle?

Another flower name, Daisy is overused. Why not Rose or Carnation?

Buddy is just not even trying. Yes, dogs are man’s best friend, but can’t you come up with something more clever than Buddy to display your love for your pup?

Riley is the most gender-neutral dog name imaginable, right up there with Bailey.

Yes, your Shih Tzu looks like a teddy bear, but you don’t have to name him after one.