The Most Popular Dog Name in Each State in 2025

Every state has its own identity. California has palm trees and surfing, Minnesota has accents and parkas, Maine has lobsters and Stephen King…you get it. But when it comes to naming dogs, it turns out that we’re a pretty undivided nation, after all. A U.S. News report breaks down the most popular dog names by state in 2025 — and let’s just say, some states are a little more creative than others. 

Three names are the most popular in a majority of states

If you’re curious which dog name is the most beloved (or overdone, depending on your point of view) in your state, odds are it’s one of three. Yep — three dog names are the most popular choice in more than half of the country.

Bella

If you call “Bella!” in a dog park, chances are a good number of pups will turn their heads. This year, Bella took home the crown as the most popular dog name in the majority of states — 22, to be exact.

States where Bella is the most popular dog name are: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

These might not be the most original states in the nation, but on the other hand, it’s a classic for a reason. There are plenty of Bellas to go around.

Luna

Another favorite throughout the ages, Luna actually swapped places with Bella as the most popular dog name overall this year — on a state-to-state ranking level, it’s lagging just behind number one. Luna is the most common dog name in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Washington D.C., and Wyoming.

A name that’s in Roman mythology and the Harry Potter books? Other puppy names don’t stand a chance. 

Charlie 

Three states have Charlie as their most popular pick: Arizona, Idaho, and Indiana. To those reading closely, yes, Charlie is tied with Bella for the top name in Idaho.

According to the report, Charlie is the third most popular dog name in the nation, moving up from its spot as the fifth most popular name last year.

States with unique top names

Ten states had a most popular name that was totally unique. We tip our hats to Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and Wisconsin (not that we don’t love the Bellas, Lunas, and Charlies of the world). 

Spot

In Alaska, more pups are called Spot than any other name. Spot doesn’t place in the top 100 dog names nationwide, either — props to Alaska for individuality.

Chloe

The 34th most popular name overall, Chloe is the top choice in Arkansas.

Buddy

Buddy is the most popular name in Hawaii — it also makes the top three list in four other states. The state’s second choice is even more unique, showing up in no other state’s list: Hoku, a name derived from the Hawaiian word for star.

Bear

Kentuckians love a dog named Bear.

Otter

And sticking to the other-animals-as-dog-names theme, Otter is the most popular name in Montana.

Moose

Okay, one more: There are a lot of pups named Moose in Utah.

Max

A classic name that comes in as the fourth most popular dog name in the country, Max tops the list in Nebraska.

Teddy

In South Carolina, Teddy’s the most common name for a pup.

Winter

Another name that doesn’t make the top 100, Winter is South Dakota’s pick.

Daisy

Daisy is the fifth most popular dog name in the nation and the first most popular in Wisconsin.

Honorable mentions

If you can’t find your state listed above, it’s because two names were popular but not totally unique — two different states loved them best.

Lucy

Maine and Oklahoma may not seem to have tons in common, but these states both love Lucy.

Copper 

Copper is the most popular dog name in both North Dakota and Delaware. It’s the ninth most popular name nationwide.

Some more findings

Interestingly, geography played a role in some clusters of favorite names. Connecticut and Massachusetts share both a border and their top three favorite names: Luna, Bella, and Daisy. Nearby New York and Maryland share a top three too, favoring Bella, Luna, and Milo.

Some of the top ranked names weren’t a favorite in any state. The two other names in the top ten (besides Luna, Bella, Charlie, Max, Daisy, Lucy, Cooper, and Teddy) are Coco and Milo.

While not in the top ten, food names made a big showing this year. Pepper comes in at 47, Oreo at 59, Honey at 70, Ginger at 71, Olive at 75, Cookie at 77, Mochi at 81, and Peanut at 82.

Whatever your pup’s name (and however common it may be), we know, they’re perfect. If their name is Bella, they’re the best Bella of them all — and they’re in great company. If their name is Spot, they’re perfect, too…and we wish them luck sticking out that Alaska winter.