Christmas-themed Pet Names? You Must Be Crackers!

Petplan reveals the top pet names for Christmas loving Brits Move over Tabby, take a hike Rover, there’s a new pet name favourite in town and she goes by the name of Holly. Petplan, the UK’s largest pet insurer reveals Holly as the top Christmas name for dogs, cats and rabbits across the UK. Using research from its huge customer database, Petplan discovered that Brits have gone Christmas crazy when it comes to naming their pets, with 32,000 pets from across the UK living with crimbo themed names all year round. The top 10 Christmas pet names are: 1. Holly (14,424 pets) 2. Angel (3,789 pets) 3. Star (2,380 pets) 4. Snowy (2,194 pets) 5. Brandy (2,093 pets) 6. Grace (1,582 pets) 7. Twinkle (1,108 pets) 8. Cracker (585 pets) 9. Ivy (563 pets) 10. Pudding (554 pets) Alongside these festive favourites, Santa’s reindeer; Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph all appear on the list with nearly 500 Brits naming their four legged friend after a festive reindeer. Surprisingly, Rudolph doesn’t lead from the front, with only 44 pets named after the red nosed reindeer, while 123 pets were found to be named Comet. It might not be to everyone’s taste, but 154 pet owners called their pet Sprout, clearly fans of the Christmas vegetable. And of course, Father Christmas isn’t forgotten amongst pet owners with nearly 100 Brits being heard in parks in the heat of summer, calling for ‘Santa’. As Christmas continues to become more and more commercial, there are at least some pet owners who haven’t forgotten the true meaning of the festive celebration. Mary and Joseph are firm favourites amongst pet owners, while Petplan can also reveal that there are 16 pets going by the name of Jesus (in the form of 11 cats and 5 dogs). Plus, names popularised from the world of entertainment are also included on the list. Santa’s Little Helper from the Simpsons television programme and Elf from the film of the same name are also amongst the top names. Isabella von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing at Petplan comments: “The volume of Christmas themed pet names on our books took us by surprise - after all a pet is for life, not just for Christmas. We know from the £27million we paid out in claims last December & January that our pets are at risk throughout the Christmas period so it’s vital all pet owners keep an eye on their fluffy friends amidst the excitement and festivities this year.”

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