Here’s The Most Popular Puppy Name In MA, Nationwide

It’s officially puppy season, and if a new report is to be believed, expect to see a bunch more Lunas at dog parks in Massachusetts. Nationwide Insurance, the company best known for its Peyton Manning and Brad Paisley commercials, announced Tuesday the most popular puppy name in every state. The company used its database of more than 750,000 insured pets to identify the names.

As many as 48 percent of American households own at least one dog, according to the American Pet Products Association, though other organizations have said that number is closer to 38 percent.

If nothing else, the Nationwide report showed that those dog-owners seem to have an affinity for popular book and movie characters. Luna, the most common puppy name in 18 states, including Massachusetts, grew in popularity with the rise of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, which featured the free-spirited character, Luna Lovegood.

Luna, which is Latin for “moon,” overtook Bella as the most popular puppy name. Bella had skyrocketed in popularity after the release of the Twilight series, and is still the most popular name in 16 states.

“'Bella had been the most popular puppy name since the release of the Twilight franchise 15 years ago, but that has come to an end," Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary officer at Nationwide, said in a news release. “Our data shows that the next generation of pet owners are using different methods and references to determine a moniker for their furry family members.”

Here are the five most popular puppy names, according to Nationwide:

1. Luna
2. Bella
3. Charlie
4. Bailey
5. Cooper

Other interesting names that made the list: Ruger in Vermont, Penny in Washington, D.C. and Louie in North Dakota. The report noted that only dogs under 2 years old were eligible for the list.

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Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.