Most dogs in Indiana (and yes, the U.S.) share a name with this popular Twilight character

Dogs are the most popular pet to own in the United States, according to the American Pet Products Association. An estimated 65 million U.S. households have a dog compared to roughly 46.5 million homes with cats.

A recent study suggests that if you're a Hoosier dog owner, there's a good chance you've named your canine companion either Daisy, Max or — the top choice for pups nationwide — Bella.

According to a study, Bella is the preferred name for dogs in 37 states as well as the District of Columbia. Luna came in second overall, appearing as a favorite in eight states.

The research was collected by U.S. News & World Report, which examined a sample size of more than 800,000 canines in September and October 2023 to determine North America's most common dog names.

Among its findings, Copper is the favorite among Alaskans, a state that is home to the Copper River, but that didn't crack the top 100 dog names overall. The similar-sounding "Cooper" was No. 11 on the nationwide list and appeared among the Top 5 choices in Maine, Mississippi, Missouri and Vermont.

Names taken from Norse deities, growing more popular by the recent slate of Marvel movies, fared well too. Out of 100 dog names, Thor was No. 76 and Loki was No. 38.

Americans also preferred to give dogs more human-sounding names, according to the data, as opposed to calling them after food. Names like Sadie, Rocky, Chloe and Stella appeared more often and higher on the list than dogs called Oreo, Peanut and Cookie.

What were Hoosier's favorite dog names?

Hoosiers, according to the data, prefer to call their dogs the following:

1. Bella
2. Luna
3. Daisy
4. Roxy
5. Sasha

What are the top 10 most popular dog names in 2023?

According to the data, the top 10 most popular dog names nationwide in 2023 are as follows:

1. Bella
2. Luna
3. Max
4. Daisy
5. Charlie
6. Coco
7. Buddy
8. Lucy
9. Milo
10. Bailey

A recent report by the American Kennel Club lined up with the study's findings. The top 10 girl dog names in 2023 submitted to the American Kennel Club's purebred dog registration page were (by order of most favorite): Luna, Bella, Daisy, Maggie and Willow. The top 10 favorite boy dog names were Max, Charlie, Cooper, Teddy and Milo.

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John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.