Luna, Charlie, Milo: The most popular pet names in Montreal for 2022

A cat's paws are seen in an undated image from Shutterstock.

From the classics to the downright kooky, the possibilities are endless when it comes to naming your pet.

In fact, there's even a Twitter account dedicated to animals with unconventional names (highlights include Madame Freeloader, McGriddle and Krabby Patty With No Pickles).

But for Montrealers, a handful of tried-and-true pet names came out on top in 2022.

According to pet sitting and dog walking network Rover, the top Montreal dog names last year included Luna, Charlie, Bella, Milo and Coco.

The top cat names were similar, including Leo, Luna, Charlie, Milo and Bella.

Some names, while not necessarily the most common, increased in popularity over the last year.

In Montreal, the following dog names trended upward the fastest:

For feline friends, these names grew in popularity:

PUPS AND POP CULTURE

Across the country, the increased traction of certain pet names can often be linked to pop culture phenomena.

For example, season four of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things was followed by an uptick in pets named after characters in the show.

Across Canada, the name Murray shot up by 178 per cent, while Will and Eleven increased by 107 per cent. Meanwhile, the name Vecna appeared on the map for the first time in 2022.

In addition, cat names were fiercely influenced by reality series Rupaul's Drag Race, with the names Trinity (277 per cent) Jinx (267 per cent) and Bosco (177 per cent) trending up, with the names Shea, Alyssa and Kennedy making their first appearance on the list.

Other influences include the K-Pop sensation BTS (Jin at 57 per cent), Top Gun (Rooster at 182 per cent) and good old fashioned cannabis (Cheec at 177 per cent).