Charlie held #1 until Luna passed him in 2021. Mystical names surged while traditional human names dropped. Here's how it played out.
By Onslow's Team · August 6, 2026 · Data: City of Toronto Open Data, 2020–2026
The short version
Luna took #1 from Charlie in 2021, two years before she did the same to dogs. Leo climbed from #7 to #2. Simba jumped into the top 5 from outside the rankings.
Luna crossed Charlie in 2021 and hasn't looked back. Dashed line = name was outside the top 200 in 2020.
2020
Charlie's last year on top
Charlie held #1 with 123 cats. Luna was close behind at #2 with 122. Leo sat at #7, still climbing.
2021
Luna takes #1
Luna overtook Charlie with 150 registrations. Leo jumped to #6, beginning his steady climb toward #2.
2023
Simba enters the top 10 at #7
Simba broke into the top 10 for the first time. Luna cemented her lead with 157 cats. Ash and Salem continued their climb from outside the top 50.
2026
Luna holds #1, Oreo jumps to #8
Luna leads with 140 cats (partial year). Leo solidified #2. Oreo jumped to #8 as food-inspired and playful names gained ground.
Where each name sat in 2020, and where it sits now. Longer arrows mean bigger moves.
The names climbing fastest are mystical and character names (Salem, Ash, Casper) and pop culture picks (Simba, Oreo). The names falling are traditional human names: Emma, Monty, Buster. Toronto cats are getting more cat names.
Rank change 2020–2026, of roughly 200 cat names tracked. Source: City of Toronto Open Data.
5 of 10
top cat names also appear in the top dog names: Luna, Charlie, Max, Milo, and Coco.
↑ 124 Ash
The biggest climber in the dataset. Mystical names like Salem (+63) and Casper (+87) are also surging.
↓ 110 Monty
The biggest faller. Emma (-107), Buster (-97), and Gizmo (-100) are also dropping. Human names are out.
Luna
#1 for cats since 2021 and #1 for dogs since 2023. The most dominant pet name in Toronto, period.
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Data: City of Toronto Open Data, Licensed Dog and Cat Names. Top 200 names per year, 2020–2026.