All our wacky pets bring a smile to folks faces—it’s one of the reasons why we run this campaign annually!—but some pet names lean extra heavy on the joy they bring to people. Here are some of our big smile favorites from over the years.
Who doesn’t love a little praise?
When a name includes a little compliment, a good feeling is built in. Take for example Captain Good Boy, a bouncy pup who is always sailing on a sea of good vibes. “When I decided to adopt a dog, I knew I would be constantly telling him what a good boy he is, so I decided to incorporate that into his name,” recalls dog mom Lilly A.
The good captain is one of 7 Nationwide-insured pets with praise built right into their names, including 5 additional dogs who include Good Boy in their name and 1 Samoyed named Good Girl (“GG”).
Wonderfully wagging
The happier a dog is, the waggier their tail becomes. It’s science! For a sci-fi twist on this fact, Anakin Tailwagger, a mixed-breed dog, combines a celebration to their gleeful pup with a nod to the Star Wars franchise. “He loves to run around the house, doing laps up and down,” dog mom Desiree C. reports. Whether he can do cool light saber tricks is to be seen.
Anakin is one of 41 Nationwide-insured pets who have some “Wags” in their name, including 36 dogs and (surprisingly) 5 cats.
Wiggle with it
Sometimes a tail wag is so powerfully playful that it causes the whole pup to wiggle all over. In a nod to that special kind of overwhelming joy, there’s Angus Von Wigglebottom, a miniature schnauzer pup with an undeniable happy dance.
“We liked Angus, but it felt incomplete,” said pet mom, Sarah J. “We wanted something that represented his personality, so we took a few days to watch him and really get to know him. That's when we discovered his adorable butt wiggle.”
However, wiggling isn’t exclusive to joyful dogs—it’s a sign of happiness for many of our exotic pets, too! We counted a total of 115 Nationwide-insured pets who feature a “Wiggle” in their name, including 91 dogs, 17 cats, 1 bearded dragon, 2 ferrets, 1 lizard, 1 parakeet, 1 rabbit and 1 guinea pig.
Purr-poseful naming
Cats can be a little more reserved in how they show off their gleefulness, but there are sure signs of a happy feline. The most obvious is purring, something many of our Wacky Pet Names parents have tapped into for wacky inspiration.
For one, there’s Sir Theodorable Purrsalot, a noble knight of a shaggy tuxedo cat. “He’s a really quirky cat, so his wacky name is quite fitting,” says cat dad, Greg. Then there’s fan favorite Steph Purrrry, who overcame long odds to become a superstar in his adopted home. Cat mom Lisa says, “When he finally started purring, he just never stopped.”
Lastly, this work of award-winning purring art: 2016 wackiest cat name Pablo Purrcasso! “When I’m teaching my students, he likes to hang out,” said cat mom and art instructor, Christina. “It’s like he’s part of the class. He’ll follow the brush strokes of the students and stare at them while they’re painting.”
We counted a total of 338 Nationwide-insured pets with “Purr” in their name, including 377 cats and one cockatiel named “Purrly” (hey, we’ll count it!).
A grin for the win
Perhaps the smiley-est name in Wacky Pet history? That’s going to Smiley Cyrus, a “wrecking ball” of a joyously wacky pet name with a big grin to boot. In total, another 32 Nationwide-insured pets include “Smile” in their name, including 30 dogs, 1 mixed shorthair cat and 1 rabbit.
Our most popular happiness-inspired names
The most popular names to showcase the smiles your pet brings:
Sunny: 1,861 – Overall, Nationwide-insured pets named “Sunny” include 1,422 dogs, 351 cats, 58 birds (1 canary, 14 cockatiels, 2 cockatoos, 21 conures, 3 lovebirds, 2 macaws, 9 parakeets and 6 parrots), 22 exotic pets (4 ferrets, 5 guinea pigs and 13 rabbits) and 8 reptiles (6 bearded dragons, 1 lizard and 1 snake).
Joy: 615 – In total, we counted hundreds of Nationwide-insured pets named “Joy,” including 505 dogs, 100 cats, 3 birds (2 cockatiels and 1 parakeet), 6 exotic pets (1 ferret, 2 guinea pigs, 1 rabbit, 1 rat and 1 sugar glider) and 1 gecko.
Happy: 459 – Nationwide-insured pets named “Happy” total 372 dogs, 75 cats, 6 birds (1 African grey, 1 chicken, 3 cockatiels, and 1 conure) and 6 exotic pets (2 ferrets and 4 rabbits).
Sunshine: 365 – In addition to “Sunny,” 241 dogs, 94 cats, 23 birds (2 Amazons, 8 cockatiels, 2 cockatoos, 9 conures, 1 parakeet and 1 parrot), 4 exotic pets (3 guinea pigs and 1 rabbit) and 3 reptiles (1 bearded dragon, 1 gecko and 1 tortoise) are named “Sunshine.”
Merry: 107 – Not just for the holidays! More than 100 Nationwide-insured pets are named “Merry,” including 44 dogs, 56 cats, 6 exotic pets (3 ferrets, 2 guinea pigs and 1 rabbit) and 1 parakeet
Chipper: 89 – In total, 80 dogs and 9 cats are named “Chipper” in the Nationwide pet insurance rolls.
Bright: 46 – We counted 34 Nationwide-insured dogs and 12 cats named “Bright.”
Jolly: 37 – “Jolly” is the name of 24 dogs, 12 cats and 1 cockatiel insured by Nationwide pet insurance.
Peace of mind that’s worth smiling about
Nationwide pet insurance is there to support you with reimbursement for eligible veterinary bills. Plus, members get 24/7 access to Nationwide VetHelpline®, a veterinary telehealth service that answers pressing questions when it matters most.
Get a quote today at petinsurance.com.
*Except where prohibited by state law. VetHelpline is not a substitute for a visit to your primary veterinarian.
