Ozzy, Elvis,
Busted or Posh - would you name your pet dog after a
celebrity or famous person? Well the majority of us
would, according to a recent survey of 1,000 Brits,
commissioned in the lead up to the Pro Plan Pup of the
Year Final (6th January) - the most prestigious puppy
competition in the UK and a precursor to Crufts.
And it seems the more retro the name the better! As
we teeter on the brink of 2005, it appears we would
rather be back in 1985, with 43% of all respondents
saying that they would name their pet pooch after
Sylvester Stallone's character in the 80's hit Rocky or
otherwise Rambo. Interestingly, the majority of
respondents who said this were aged between 16 and 24
years. 29% of 25 to 34 year olds said that they would
name their dog after Black Sabbath's lead singer and
reality TV show star, Ozzy Osbourne and 23% of 45 to 65
year olds opted for Elvis - however this age group was
also keen on naming their dogs Rocky or Rambo too (21%)!
When given the choice between naming their dog after
a current or past celebrity, Brits seem to plump for
celebrities or famous people of the past - just 9% of
all people surveyed said they would name their pet after
Victoria Beckham, aka "Posh" and just 4% said
Busted - this figure was surprising low amongst 16 to 25
year olds.
Claire Parry-Baggott from Pro Plan says, "We were
really surprised by these results, as we thought big
celebrities like Busted and Britney would be popular
name choices, particularly amongst younger people."
The survey also revealed how dogs' names have changed
over the decades. Fifty years ago dogs had traditional
names such as George, Thomas and Arthur. Thirty years
ago the most popular names for dogs included Jasper,
Brandy, Rex and Molly. Today, with the influence of
popular culture, the most popular names include Snoop
(after the rapper Snoop Doggy Dog), Harley, Diesel,
Tyson and Jake.
Claire continues, "On the 6 January we're holding
the Final of Pro Plan Pup of the Year, which will see 31
dogs (selected from 10,000) competing for this year's
title. At this competition you see some very close
personal relationships between owner and pooch, and some
owners do name their dog after a celebrity or famous
character. For example one of the dogs to qualify this
year is called Nemo, after the character in the Disney
classic, "Finding Nemo". So look out for the
winner of Pro Plan Pup of the Year - it will be
interesting to see what the dog's name is!"
