Lucky Irish Pet Names - The Trupanion Blog
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Lucky Irish Pet Names

Many North American pet owners adore Ireland and love to show their admiration through their cats and dogs. We looked into our database to find an array of Irish pet names that reflect Ireland’s symbols, cities, folklore, drink, music and of course, Saint Patrick’s Day.


Trupanion’s top 10 Irish pet names:

  1. Bailey
  2. Lucky
  3. Chance
  4. Finnegan
  5. Guinness
  6. Clover
  7. Seamus
  8. Patrick
  9. Dublin
  10. Connor

These provide just a glimpse into the vast array of pet names reflecting North America’s love of Irish culture.

Dogs and cats: Irish Culture 

In a literal fashion, several cats and dogs are named Ireland and Irish. The country, Ireland, is often referred to as the “Emerald Isle” and associated with the color green, and pet names reflect this too. Twenty dogs and cats in the database are named Emerald and five dogs are named Green.

Irish Pet Names: Cities 

Irish cities have made their way into pet names as well, including Dublin, Cashel, Cork, Bandon, and Limerick. Dublin is by far the most popular, with around 80 dogs and cats claiming it as their namesake.

The luck of the Irish 

“The luck of the Irish” is just a glimpse into the world of Irish folklore and superstition. Lucky, Chance, and Clover and Shamrock, all reflect the idea of Irish luck and have all been turned into dog and cat names. Some pet owners chose to take this concept a step further by naming their dog Blarney—after the famous lucky bluestone block at Blarney Castle. Also, pets have also been named after Irish spirits and creatures including several cats and dogs named Banshee, Leprechaun, and Sprite.

Irish spirits—of the beverage variety— are plentiful in North America, and several dogs and cats in the Trupanion database are named after Irish drinks. This long list includes 283 pets named Guinness, and a handful of pets named Jameson, Smithwicks and even “Bailey’s Irish Cream.”

Irish Pet Names: Music

Additionally, Irish music also plays a part in pet names. From instruments—including a dog named Bagpipe—to bands—including U2 and Van Morrison—pets are frequently named after Irish music influences. The band, U2, has an especially strong influence, with dozens of pets named Bono.

Popular Irish names like Seamus, Patrick, Paddy, Finnegan, and Connor also made it onto the list of common Irish pet names.

This Saint Patrick’s Day, these proud pet owners can celebrate by decorating their cat or dog’s collar with an Irish-inspired-name-ingrained, shamrock-shaped pet tag.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!


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