Your Dog's Name May Be More Popular Than You Think In Illinois

The next time someone calls "Max!" at a Illinois dog park, there's a decent chance more than one tail will start wagging.

Max is the most popular dog name in Illinois, according to a U.S. News & World Report analysis of popular dog names released Tuesday. Bella and Luna rounded out the state's top three.

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Nationally, Luna was the most popular dog name, followed by Bella, Charlie, Max, Daisy, Lucy, Coco, Milo, Cooper and Teddy.

But the state-by-state rankings tell a slightly different story.

Bella was the clear state-level heavyweight, appearing in the No. 1 spot in 28 states, including ties, and showing up somewhere in the top three in 47 states. Luna, the national No. 1, led 13 states, including one tie, and appeared in the top three in 36 states.

Illinois' list closely follows the broader pattern. All three of its top three names are also the top 3 of the national list just in a different order. Nationally, the order at the top is Bella No. 1, followed by Luna and Max.

Some states were more independent. Hawaii's top dog name was Koa, Montana's was Barron, North Dakota's was Jack, and Wyoming's top three — Milo, Sassy and Latte — stood apart from most of the country.

Dog names can be oddly revealing little snapshots of the humans doing the naming. Some are classics. Some follow pop culture. Some are chosen because they sound sweet in the kitchen and still work when yelled across a back yard.

U.S. News said its analysis was based on about 80,000 dog names and state residencies from a third-party pet insurance provider. The state-by-state rankings show the top three dog names in each state.

In 56.3 million U.S. households, you'll find at least one dog, according to 2025 research by the American Veterinary Medical Association.