The Top Food-Themed Cat And Dog Names Of 2022 Are Delightfully Unhinged

Rover, founder of the popular pet-sitter and dog-walker app, recently released its list of top cat and dog names of 2022—and along with pop culture references like Zoom, Bellatrix, and Bowser, it's no surprise that people love naming their newly adopted furry companions after food. These downright edible pet names range from the cutesy to hilarious, and it never ceases to amaze us what people are willing to name their companions.

Coming from someone who named their two horribly mischievous cats Scorpion and Sub-Zero (and yes, they play-fight every day), of course I find absolute joy in some of these names. Based on Rover's comparison to their popularity in 2021, here are the top trending foodie cat names of 2022:

• Roll (up 182%)
• Green Bean (up 162%)
• Casserole (up 102%)
• S'More (up 102%)
• Tamale (up 102%)
• Morel (up 82%)
• Parsley (up 72%)
• Gravy (up 51%)
• Chili (up 49%)
• Sourdough (up 49%)

I'm actually pretty surprised at "Roll" being the top one, but I've seen a fair amount of roly-poly cats in my day, so that may fit the bill with a few little ones. And while it's perfectly suited to the pandemic era, I'm surprised to see that this many people have chosen the name "Sourdough," because if you're trying to call your cat by their name, this one doesn't quite roll off the tongue as smoothly as, say, "Gravy." As for "Chili," I'm wondering if the pet owners mean the stew or the pepper. (Or maybe the mom from Bluey.)

New cat food-based names in 2022 include:

• Meaty
• Baked Beans
• Bacon Bits
• Baklava
• Clam Chowder
• Focaccia
• Frittata
• Funnel Cake
• Ham Sandwich

There are many strong contenders in this list, but my favorite name by far is "Ham Sandwich." It'd be pretty hard to yell at a cat named Ham Sandwich for chewing a hole through the bread you accidentally left out on the counter. "Clam Chowder" and "Funnel Cake" are top-tier cat names as well, earning bonus points for specificity.

I'm not a dog owner, so it's hard to say whether these names are stranger than the cat selections. I'm trying to picture myself introducing a new puppy named "Cauliflower" to a perfect stranger on the street and wondering if I'd be able to do it with a straight face. The top four foodie dog names this year with a big jump in popularity from last year are:

• Hot Pot (up 1,085%)
• Sashimi (up 785%)
• Pastrami (up 485%)
• Yerba (up 485%)

Other foods like mushrooms ("Morel" and "Chanterelle") had a pop in interest as well, along with meat ("Bologna"), cheese ("Paneer"), and Italian food ("Calzone"). Apparently there are also people out there who have named their dog "Maple Syrup," because that name jumped upward on the list as well.

The newcomers on the list of food-based dog names are pretty good too:

• Doritos
• Cheddar Cheese
• Cheeto Puff
• Gazpacho
• Stroopwafel
• Taco Bella
• Spicy Nugget
• Mcriblet
• Mcgriddle

I am particularly tickled by "Taco Bella" and "Mcriblet," but you know, I'm a fan of both Taco Bell and McRibs, so that's to be expected. The top alcohol-based dog name was, of all things, "Vodka," with "Truly," "Gin," and "Mai Tai" trailing in the list.

And on a completely unrelated but important note, COVID-19-inspired dog names are generally trending downward. That means fewer puppies out there in the world named Rona and Fauci. Thank god.