Australia’s favourite dog and cat names are revealed – and it’s good news for fans of Harry Potter

Pet adoption rates have skyrocketed during Covid-19 but the most popular names for cats and dogs remain largely the same.

Luna has topped the charts for the third year in a row as the favourite moniker for furry friends.

The name was ranked number one for cats and dogs according to Melbourne‘s Lost Dogs’ Home, while Pet Insurance Australia ranked Luna in first place for female canines and felines, and Archie as the most popular for male counterparts.

The latter based its rankings on thousands of insurance polices made on pets across Australia.

The Lost Dogs’ Home on Tuesday revealed that 2020 saw the biggest adoption numbers in five years at some shelters.

Spokeswoman Suzana Talevski said pet owners use a range of methods to come up with names for their new friends.

‘Sometimes it is a personal and emotional connection to a name. Sometimes it is a pop culture reference that plays a big influence and sometimes it is a case of our passions and hobbies,’ she said.

‘And they often tell a story about the people, places and stories that defined our year.’

Pet Insurance Australia in 2020 created a new category for popular ‘unusual’ names, which resulted in a top four featuring Nawty, Ajax, Macho and Tarbh.