Max, Kitty at the top of the heap for popular North Texas pet names

What’s in a name?

Everything to Texans, when they are naming their furry friends.

That’s why some local dogs and cats are named for superheroes, mythological characters, favorite foods or even for something in their home state.

“It’s neat to see how people name their dogs after things that are important to them, like Texas, sports stars, even politicians,” said Jason Smith, a local lawyer and a dog lover who helped start the first dog park, Fort Woof, in Fort Worth. “People name their pets after things that are close to their hearts.”

A Star-Telegram analysis of more than 20,000 pets registered in 2014 in Fort Worth and Arlington shows that North Texans tip their hats to their state, politics, favorite artists — even their favorite days of the week — when naming family pets.

But the most popular pet names are traditional: Max, Bella and Buddy for dogs; Kitty, Tiger and Cat for cats.

Nationwide in 2014, Bella, Bailey and Max were the top dog names; Bella, Max and Chloe were the top cat names, according to a Nationwide Pet Insurance survey.

“The most prominent pet name trend is the use of people names doubling as pet monikers, which is testament to the growing belief that pets are members of the family,” said Ryan Whittington, a public relations specialist with Nationwide Pet Insurance. “However, it is common for pet lovers to name their new pets after things that represent their lifestyles such as places, sports or hobbies.”

Local pet names run the gamut, including Einstein, Gizmo, Hope, Hugo, King Tut, Killer Pizza, Knick Knack, Koko, Kritter, Louis Vuitton, Pes and, Sassy.

One person named their domestic short-haired cat Roadkill. Five people named their dogs ISIS. And some chose names such as Selena, Romeo, Juliet, Stinky Winky, Elvis, Powerball and Lotto.

Texas-themed names are popular as well, including Tex, Dallas, Baylor and Nolan Ryan.

As for the most popular types of animals locally, Chihuahuas, Pit Bull Terriers, Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds are among the most popular dogs in Tarrant County’s two biggest cities.

Domestic short-haired cats are the most popular felines here.

Three other animals — a trio of pot belly pigs — were also registered in Fort Worth in 2014. Their names: Annabelle, Pinkerton and Frankie, the analysis shows.

Max attack

Whether in Fort Worth or Arlington, Max, Bella and Buddy were among the top dog names, the analysis shows.

Bella, at least, is easy to explain, as it’s the name of the female lead in the Twilight movies and novels and has been a top name for dogs — and cats — in recent years.

“The names that people choose for their pets can say a lot about what they care about, how creative they are, their sense of humor and what they want to be associated with,” said Zenzi M. Griffin, a psychology professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

“Choosing a name for a pet has a lot of characteristics in common with choosing a name for a child.”

Brad Thompson has an 8-year-old dog named Max and realizes how popular the name is every time he goes to the dog park.

“You go to the dog park and when all the dogs start getting crazy, we [owners] run toward them and there’s about seven of us calling out for Max,” said Thompson, 46, of Fort Worth. “I know people who have named their kids Max. I feel so sorry for them.

“Sometimes it seems every single dog out there is named Max.”

Thompson said his children helped name the dog, a chow mix, when he was a puppy and they were picking him out at the pound.

At the time, Max was about 3 months old and he had a big puppy belly.

“The kids wanted to call him Maximum Belly,” Thompson said with a chuckle. “We shortened it to Max. But it still turns into all kinds of funny names — Maximum Trouble, Maximum Cuteness.

“Now we just call him Max.”

A little Grace

The most popular cats locally were domestic short-hairs, followed by domestic medium-hair and domestic long-hair.

Top cat names in Fort Worth and Arlington included the ever-popular Kitty, Tiger and Bella. But Cat, Lucy, Smokey and Missy were other top local monikers.

Gracie, the 10th-most-popular feline name in Fort Worth in 2014, perfectly fits the gray Nebelung cat Carla Walker of Arlington rescued about three years ago.

Walker was driving to lunch one day when she saw a tiny gray wisp of fur along the roadway. She turned around to check out what she saw and found a kitten, just weeks old.

“I picked him up, put him in my car and he started doing flips in my lap,” Walker said. “He was so happy I picked him up.

“I ended up keeping him,” she said. “He’s just so sweet.”

His coloring led Walker to name the kitten Grayson.

But the unique cat, who loves waffles, has survived eye surgery and has even learned how to growl, is also called Gray and Grace and even Gracie.

“It’s a nickname but it ended up sticking,” Walker said. “He’s so sweet. He’s kind of a diva so Gracie fits him really well.”

Registering animals

In Texas, dogs, cats and ferrets (and potbellied pigs in Fort Worth, at least) need to be licensed.

To get a license, pet owners pay a small fee and prove that the animal is up to date on rabies vaccinations. License tags should be displayed on the pet’s collar or harness.

Pets must be vaccinated against rabies by the time they are 4 months old and get a booster vaccination when they turn 1 year old. After that, they must be vaccinated at least once every three years, according to Fort Worth’s Animal Care and Control.

In 2014 in Fort Worth, 10,820 pets were registered: 1,378 cats, 9,439 dogs and three potbellied pigs. And 9,181 Arlington pets were registered: 1,366 cats and 7,815 dogs, records show.

License fees pay for services at local animal shelters; licenses make sure animals and owners are quickly reunited if lost animals are found.

“FENCE them, LEASH them, LICENSE & VACCINATE them,” reads a public education campaign in Fort Worth. “IT’S THE LAW.”

Texas ties

A number of local pet owners paid homage to the Lone Star State when registering their furry friends in 2014.

Names include Dallas, Tex, Austin, Texas, Pudge (likely referring to former Texas Rangers catcher Pudge Rodriguez), Austin, Houston, Dallas Cowboy and Romo (likely referring to Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo).

Others include Texie, Nolan, Nolan Ryan, Texan, Walker Texas Ranger, Texas Chili Pepper, Baylor and Baylor Bear.

These names clearly show “state or regional pride in many cases,” UT’s Griffin said.

But pet owners named their pets after a variety of other people and things as well.

Food inspired a number of names — Taco, Taco Bueno, Bacon, Biscuit, Peanut Butter, Cheese, Cheeto, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Crackers, Cupcake, Ice Cream and Jalapeño.

So did vehicles: Harley, Diesel, Chevy, Hot Rod and Porsche.

Superheroes, mythological and TV characters inspired more pet names such as Batman, Robin, Thor, Zeus, Scooby Doo, Boss Hog and Tarzan.

And politics was clearly on the minds of some.

One person in Arlington named their cocker spaniel “Dubya,” a frequent nickname for former President George W. Bush. Another person named their boxer “Romney,” after former Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.

And another named a Yorkshire terrier Speaker of the House.

“Naming a pet after a politician could,” Griffin said, “either be due to really liking or really hating the politician.”

This story was originally published January 2, 2016 at 7:16 PM with the headline "Max, Kitty at the top of the heap for popular North Texas pet names."