Nation's Largest Pet Insurer Reveals Top Pet Names of 2012

BREA, Calif., Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Twilight" movie franchise may have concluded last year, but the popularity of the name "Bella" is showing no signs of slowing down among pet owners as the moniker once again topped the list of most common dog and cat names in 2012. The name also made the top 10 birds and exotic pet's names list for the first time, coming in as the third most popular. Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, sorted its database of more than 485,000 insured pets to determine the most popular pet names of 2012. Following are the top 10 most common names for dogs and cats, as well as birds and exotic pets:

Pet owners continue to prefer human names for their furry friends. Each of the top five dog and cat names were also among Babycenter.com's 100 most popular baby names of 2012. Meanwhile, traditional dog names continue to trend downward. Of the nearly half a million pets insured by VPI, only 11 dogs barked to "Fido," and just 65 cats purred to "Fluffy."

"The popularity of people names doubling as pet names is a testament to the bigger trend of pet owners viewing their pets as members of the family," said Curtis Steinhoff, director of Corporate Communications at VPI. "It's now just as common for a pet to be named 'Oliver' or 'Chloe' as it is for a child."

For the third straight year, "Charlie" topped the list of bird and exotic pet names. VPI is the only pet insurance company that offers an avian and exotic plan, offering coverage to feathered friends, lizards, gerbils, rabbits and other companion animals. Although the top 10 canine and feline monikers went virtually unchanged in 2012, in addition to "Bella," "Rocky" and "Bandit" cracked the birds and exotics top 10 list for the first time.

Although "Bella" and "Max" continued their reign as the as most popular pet names for the fourth consecutive year, thousands of other pets are donning monikers of a less conventional form, such as "Chew Barka" and "Pico de Gato." To view some of the more creative monikers selected for VPI's Top 10 Most Unusual Pet Names of 2012, visit www.wackypetnames.com. 

About Veterinary Pet Insurance

With more than 485,000 pets insured nationwide, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co./DVM Insurance Agency (VPI) is a member of the Nationwide Insurance family of companies and is the oldest and largest pet health insurance company in the United States. Since 1982, VPI has helped provide pet owners with peace of mind and is committed to being the trusted choice of America's pet lovers.

VPI Pet Insurance plans cover dogs, cats, birds and exotic pets for multiple medical problems and conditions relating to accidents, illnesses and injuries. CareGuard^® coverage for routine care is available for an additional premium. Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Additionally, one in three Fortune 500 companies offers VPI Pet Insurance as an employee benefit.  Policies are offered and administered by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company in California and DVM Insurance Agency in all other states. Underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company (CA), Brea, CA, an A.M. Best A rated company (2012); National Casualty Company (all other states), Madison, WI, an A.M. Best A+ rated company (2012). Pet owners can find VPI Pet Insurance on Facebook or follow @VPI on Twitter. For more information about VPI Pet Insurance, call 800-USA-PETS (800-872-7387) or visit petinsurance.com.

SOURCE Veterinary Pet Insurance