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cat and dog via shutterstock

Naming cats and dogs: New figures show we like giving our animals celebrity names

The research, based on 70,000 pets from clinics in Dublin, Meath and Kildare, also shows a decline for some of the more traditional monikers.

NEW RESEARCH INTO what we name our pets has brought bad news for traditionalists everywhere.

It seems the Gandalfs, the Hectors and the Bonos have taken their place alongside the Rovers and the Fidos of this world.

New research has looked at data from 70,000 pets and found a trend of people giving their animals celebrity names.

In the list of 200, many traditional names still featured – although some former stalwarts were less popular than might have previously been thought.

The names ‘Rover’ for dogs and the name ‘Whiskers’ for cats were listed between numbers 150 and 200 on the list of popular names.

Also examined in the study was the divide between the northside and southside of Dublin when it came to naming animals. North of the river the names Sam, Jack and Ben came out as most popular, while on the other side of the Liffey: Daisy, Roxy and Buddy were favoured.

Baby names 

Interestingly there was a correlation between pet names and children’s names. CSO statistics showed that in 2013: Jack, Charlie, Holly and Lucy were all popular baby names. These were all also in the top 25 when people came to selecting names for their felines and canines.

Speaking about the change in the names we give our animals, Head Vet with Just Cats Veterinary Clinic, Aoife Caulfield, said:

Pet names are becoming more humanised as cats and dogs take on a more integral role within the home and family.

“This is reflected in the increase in the pet cat population in Ireland which has doubled in the last 15 years, to over 310,000 pet cats in Ireland. Cats are becoming more popular as pets.”

The study was carried out by Just Cats Veterinary Clinic and looked at animals from clinics in Dublin, Meath and Kildare.

Read: The first sex was like square-dancing in Scotland (seriously)

Also: Record number of animals removed from Ballinasloe Horse Fair despite ‘considerable progress’

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36 Comments
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    Mute Mick
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    Aug 31st 2023, 7:04 PM

    Now all we need is the GP’s

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    Mute B1Chris
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    Aug 31st 2023, 7:01 PM

    Must be an election looming.

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    Mute Jason Memail
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    Aug 31st 2023, 7:04 PM

    @B1Chris: Damned if they do, and if they don’t

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    Mute Tom tom
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    Aug 31st 2023, 7:18 PM

    @SF Means Sh!t 4 Free: Along with a free house to go back to with free electricity and gas and a collection of money trees in the back garden. Those pesky earners over 100k can pay for it.

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    Mute Oisin CK
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    Aug 31st 2023, 8:04 PM

    @B1Chris: why? Expansion of medical cards has been an ongoing policy, personally I’d prefer to see a nominal charge than have it for free.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Aug 31st 2023, 8:33 PM

    @SF Means Sh!t 4 Free: FFG certainly are in a giving away mode as the election draws closer. The money tree FFG/ Greens stated didn’t exist suddenly appeared…The borrowing of Money that FFG / Greens stated would be imprudent suddenly went out the window…On top of the € 60 Billions still owed by the Irish people Seems FFG/ Greens are in panic mode… It was not so long ago the Blueshirt/ So called Labour tried to take back medical cards from the most vulnerable …Seem to remember it was connected to the austerity that was to repay for the gangsterism of the banks and developers facilated by FF/ Greens..Funny old world when the pox and the Plague plus the Greens now try to save themselves..Hypocrisy at it’s best
    ..

    .

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    Mute Keith Twamley
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    Aug 31st 2023, 10:36 PM

    @Jason Memail: If you move to many counties in Ireland you can’t even register for a GP, they are not taking anymore patients, so what is the point of extending the scheme until they fix the number of GP’s there are available?

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    Mute Chris Finch
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    Aug 31st 2023, 7:15 PM

    One of the greatest bluffers of all time is this guy. Woeful.

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    Mute Oisin CK
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    Aug 31st 2023, 8:05 PM

    @Chris Finch: back in the real world, he’s been one of most effective Ministers for Health in decades.

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    Mute Chris Finch
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    Aug 31st 2023, 8:13 PM

    @Oisin CK: head on in to UHL and spin that tune to those dying on trolleys and their families. No hope, no dignity. That’s the real world my friend.

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Aug 31st 2023, 10:02 PM

    @Oisin CK: Ohhh ye deluded tool. Vote the MUPPET back in again to our detriment jayus.

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    Mute Michael Power
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    Sep 1st 2023, 4:09 AM

    @Chris Finch: Regular contributor on here, “The Risen”, called Stephen Donnelly “The best TD in the Dáil”.

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    Mute Pat Redmond
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    Aug 31st 2023, 10:03 PM

    What exactly is the income limit? This is a key element missing from the article

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    Mute Michaela Coelho
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    Aug 31st 2023, 8:08 PM

    Good to know children after 8 years of age don’t get sick.

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    Mute Helen McKernan
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    Aug 31st 2023, 8:17 PM

    @Michaela Coelho: anyone can apply for the medical card or gp card. Its means tested & If youre eligble you will get it.

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    Mute Treasa Kerrigan
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    Aug 31st 2023, 7:47 PM

    It’s aged up to 69 depending on income, 70 and over already have free GP cards.

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    Mute John Merriman
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    Sep 1st 2023, 8:06 AM

    That whole scheme is a joke. My daughter has to pay a GP privately (€60) per visit,because all GP’s lists in her area are full for her 1 year old. Obviously no way of claiming these private fees back either. She can drive 60 kms to our original family GP, but who does that with a sick infant. This latest announcement is just bs from government and I wish all those newly elligible good luck finding a doctor firstly and if they do, one that actually answers the phone to give you an appointment. The system is broken badly.

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    Mute Thomas
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    Sep 1st 2023, 12:34 PM

    @John Merriman: we had the same issue with our twins,you need two refusals,you then go to the HSE,fill out a form accompanied by the refusal emails and they will assign you one,in our case we were assigned a gp practise who knocked us back in the first place,the mind boggles.

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    Mute N D K
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    Sep 1st 2023, 1:10 AM

    Vincent Browne had the measure of this Muppet

    42
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    Mute Pat Redmond
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    Aug 31st 2023, 10:13 PM

    This is a rehash of the press release with the income details missing as contained in the press release on gov.ie

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    Mute deadslys
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    Aug 31st 2023, 8:39 PM

    Just me or did anyone else just get a flashback to circa 2021 because of that thumbnail. “901 cases recorded. X in hospital, including Y in ICU”

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    Mute Valerie J Mck
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    Aug 31st 2023, 9:38 PM

    Everyone under 69??? Criteria please?

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    Mute Will Q
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    Aug 31st 2023, 11:42 PM

    Means tested..it is or it isn’t., maybe or not, could be ,but maybe not,yes but you don’t… reapply..

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    Mute Ajax Penumbra
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    Aug 31st 2023, 8:43 PM

    Nice.

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    Mute John doe
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    Sep 1st 2023, 12:12 PM

    I think all minimum wage earners should be entitled to a full medical card, the €184 threshold hasn’t been increased in 20 years, this should move inline with both the minimum wage. There are millionaires in this wonderful country of ours with full medical cards and paying exorbent private health insurance premiums, the rich get richer while the rest of us have to pay for everything and wait years for appointments/surgeries if we live long enough

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    Mute Dave Grant
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    Sep 1st 2023, 7:23 AM

    I was on the fence but now definitely voting FFG next time around.

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    Mute Lina Stein
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    Sep 1st 2023, 7:44 AM

    Pensioners?

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