Top dog, cat names of 2020 include coronavirus-related monikers

ST. LOUIS (NEXSTAR/KTVI) — Thanks to the pandemic, many puppies and kittens have found new homes.

And more new owners have opted for COVID-19-related names for their furry companions, according to Trupanion, a pet insurance company.

Trupanion said since March, families have been giving pets names such as Corona, Rona, Covi and even COVID.

Pet owners have also started naming their favorite furry friends, Fauci, a new trend inspired by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert.

According to a recent study, pets helped many people cope with the mental stress of pandemic lockdowns. Cats and dogs were the most common pets, followed by small mammals and fish.

Though coronavirus-related pet names didn’t make the list of top 10 names for cats and dogs, their popularity is notable.

Here are Trupanion’s top 10 most popular names based on its database of more than 530,000 dogs and cats in 2020.