Looking for a name for your pooch? Take some inspiration from these adorable Japanese pet monikers.

Japanese dog owners are said to be amongst the most doting in the world, spoiling their furry family members with all sorts of trinkets and special experiences, so when it comes to naming their new pets, nothing but the cutest and sweetest name will do.

Here to reveal the top 10 dog names for 2017 is Japanese Internet portal Iris Pet, who surveyed 1,539 dog owners, asking them to reveal the name of their pet pooch. It turns out there are some clear winners in the popularity stakes, so let’s kick things off by taking a look at the top 10 names for male dogs this year.

▼ The arrows in the images below indicate the rankings compared to results from 2016.

At number one for the second year running we have “Kotaro“, which is a popular male name for humans in Japan as well. The name “Taro” (which ranks in at number 8 on the list) was once used to mean “eldest son” in Japan, but over the years it has evolved to mean something more along the lines of “boy“, so that a prefix like “ko” (“small”) for Kotaro can be read as “Small Boy“. At number two there’s an equally adorable name, “Koro“, which comes from the word “Koro Koro“, an onomatopoeic expression used to describe a small, round rolling thing. Definitely a cute name for a pup!

1. Kotaro
2. Koro
3. Choco (“Chocolate”)
4  (tie). Cookie – this name is making its debut on the list for the first time this year.
4  (tie). Crea (short for “create”)
4 (tie). Leo
4 (tie). Leon
8 (tie). Taro – this name is making its debut on the list for the first time this year.
8 (tie). Maron (“Chestnut”)
10. Lucky – this name is making its debut on the list for the first time this year.

▼ Now let’s take a look at the most popular female dog names for 2017.

Flowers and sweet things seem to be the main inspiration for female dogs here, with pretty names like “Momo“, “Sakura” and “Mocha” on the list. “Choco” and “Maron” appear on both the male and female lists, suggesting they have a unisex appeal.

1. Momo (“Peach”)
2. Sakura
2 (tie). Choco
2 (tie). Hana (“Flower”)
5. Nana (“Seven”)
6 (tie). Maron
6 (tie). Mocha
8 (tie). Kurumi (“Walnut”)
8 (tie). Koko
8 (tie). Runa (“Luna”)

And when it comes to looking at the top 10 names overall, without regards to sex, the results were as follows:

1. Choco
2 (tie). Momo
2 (tie). Kotaro
4. Maron
5. Koro
6 (tie). Sakura
6 (tie). Hana
8. Mocha
9. Nana
10 (tie). Adzuki (“Red Beans”)
10 (tie). Sora (“Sky”)

We have to admit that we do have a soft spot for that final entry on the list! If we’re ever able to convince our fur-allergic colleagues in the office to let us have a pup, we know for sure its name would be Sora. Until then, we’ll have to keep dreaming of a pet in the workplace with pictures of this cat-filled Tokyo office, and if you’re more of a cat person, don’t forget to check out the top 10 cat names for 2017 too.

Source: PR Times via Otakomu
Featured image: Pakutaso