Top 10 Dog Names 2026 - Girl & Boy Names in the UK

If you want the short answer: Poppy is the most popular girl's dog name in the UK this year, and Milo is the most popular boy's name. Both come from Dogs Trust's National Dog Survey 2026, which drew on 180,000 respondents. The full top ten for each is below, along with some practical thinking on how to pick a name that works day to day — because a name is something you will shout across a wet field several thousand times, and some hold up better than others.

Top 10 girl dog names in the UK, 2026

According to Dogs Trust's National Dog Survey 2026:

1. Poppy — 1,868 dogs
2. Luna — 1,842 dogs
3. Bella — 1,615 dogs
4. Daisy — 1,377 dogs
5. Ruby — 1,324 dogs
6. Rosie — 1,257 dogs
7. Willow — 1,251 dogs
8. Molly — 1,241 dogs
9. Mabel — 1,160 dogs
10. Lola — 1,152 dogs

Poppy held on to the top spot, with Luna close behind. If you like the sound of any of these, be prepared to hear a few heads turn at the park.

Top 10 boy dog names in the UK, 2026

Again from Dogs Trust's National Dog Survey 2026:

1. Milo — 1,425 dogs
2. Teddy — 1,339 dogs
3. Buddy — 1,220 dogs
4. Alfie — 1,217 dogs
5. Charlie — 1,079 dogs
6. Max — 1,041 dogs
7. Bertie — 953 dogs
8. Monty — 933 dogs
9. Barney — 896 dogs
10. Bailey — 857 dogs

The headline change on the boys' side is that Milo overtook Teddy to take first place this year.

Traditional names are making a comeback

One of the more interesting findings in the same Dogs Trust survey is a return to older, more traditional names. Winnie and Mabel are both rising among newly named dogs, which mirrors what has been happening with baby names. Mabel has already made the girls' top ten. If you have been leaning towards something your great-grandmother might have answered to, you are in good company.

How to choose a name your dog will actually respond to

Popularity is one thing; usability is another. A name is a training cue as much as a label, and a few small choices make recall training noticeably easier.

Keep it to one or two syllables

Short names cut through wind, traffic and distance. Almost every name on both lists above is one or two syllables, which is not a coincidence — they are the names that stick. If you love a longer, grander name, choose it, but settle on the short version you will actually use in the park before you start training.

Favour hard consonants and a clear ending

Sounds like "b", "d", "k" and "t" have a sharper attack than soft, breathy sounds, and dogs pick them out more easily. Names ending in a vowel — Milo, Rosie, Bella — carry well because you can stretch the last sound when you are calling across a field.

Avoid names that clash with your cues

This one catches people out. "Kit" sounds a lot like "sit". "Bo" is close to "no". "Ray" and "stay" rhyme. If the name and a common cue sound alike, you are adding a small amount of confusion to every training session. Say the name and your main cues out loud, one after the other, before you commit.

Say it out loud in public first

Stand in your kitchen and call it at full volume. Then imagine calling it across a busy beach with strangers within earshot. Anything you would feel silly shouting is a name you will end up quietly abandoning within a fortnight.

Think about how it shortens

Every dog name gets shortened, softened or turned into something ridiculous eventually. Bartholomew becomes Bart, then Barty, then Bee. Work out where the name is heading and make sure you are happy to end up there.

Naming a rescue or older dog

If you have taken on an adult dog with an existing name, you can change it — dogs are not sentimental about names in the way we are. The easiest route is to pair the old name with the new one for a week or two ("Bella-Poppy, come"), rewarding every response, then drop the old name once the new one is reliably getting a head turn.

You can also choose something that rhymes with or shares the opening sound of the original, which shortens the transition. And if the dog has arrived unsettled, it is worth letting them find their feet for a few days before you start any retraining — a new home is already a lot to take in.

Teaching the name

Once you have chosen, the name needs to mean something specific: "look at me, good things follow". A simple routine:

• Start indoors with no distractions. Say the name once, in a bright tone.
• The moment your dog looks at you, mark it — a "yes" or a clicker — and reward.
• Do 10 to 15 short repetitions, then stop. Two or three of these mini-sessions a day beats one long one.
• Only when the response is instant indoors, move to the garden, then to a quiet outdoor space, then somewhere busier.
• Never use the name to tell your dog off, or to call them for something they dislike, such as nail trimming or the end of a walk. If the name only ever predicts good outcomes, the response stays fast.

If your dog stops responding to their name, it is almost always because the name has become background noise — repeated over and over with no consequence. Give it a rest for a few days, then rebuild it with rewards.

The name on the collar: what the law actually says

Once you have settled on a name, there is a practical point worth knowing, and it is not the one most people expect. Under The Control of Dogs Order 1992 (SI 1992/901), article 2, every dog on a highway or in a place of public resort must wear a collar with the owner's name and address — either inscribed on the collar itself, or on a plate or badge attached to it. This applies in England, Wales and Scotland.

Note what that means in practice. The Order refers to a collar with the details inscribed on it or on an attached plate or badge, rather than a tag specifically, and what it requires is your name and address — not the dog's name. A telephone number is not legally required. There are also exemptions, including packs of hounds, dogs working livestock or vermin, sporting dogs in use, emergency rescue dogs, service and police dogs, and dogs registered with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

Separately, dogs must be microchipped and registered on a government-approved database by eight weeks of age, and the registered contact details must be kept up to date. In England this is set out in The Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, in force from 10 June 2024, replacing the 2015 dog regulations; equivalent requirements have applied across Great Britain since 6 April 2016, with equivalent regimes in Scotland and Wales. Microchipping a puppy is the breeder's responsibility, and the new keeper updates the record on sale. Enforcement is by a 21-day compliance notice, with a fine of up to £500 on conviction if it is not met. The 2023 Regulations also brought owned cats over 20 weeks into scope in England.

The single most common failure here is not the chip itself but the database record. If you have moved house or changed your mobile number since your dog was chipped, update it today.

Settling a newly named dog in

A name sticks fastest when the dog feels secure, and that starts with somewhere of their own to sleep. At AllPetSolutions we stock dog beds in a range of sizes and styles, including memory foam, washable and soft dog beds, along with dog crates, cages and pens for dogs who prefer a den. You will also find dog leads and harnesses, dog coats and jumpers, puppy pads and toilet training supplies, and towels and drying mats for the muddy end of a walk.

Comparing with previous years

Names move around more than you would think. If you would like to see how the lists have shifted, our Top 10 Dog Names 2023 article is still up and makes for an interesting comparison.

The last word

There is no wrong answer here. Popular names are popular because they sound good and work well, and there is nothing lazy about choosing one — you will just meet a few namesakes at the park. What matters far more is that the name is short, easy to call, distinct from your training cues, and always attached to something the dog is glad to hear.