Dog and Cat Names Inspired By Your Favourite TV Shows
From Eastenders to Bridgerton, we round up the best names for your pets
Whether you’re a ‘binge an entire new season in a weekend’ kind of person or the type who likes to fall back on familiar favourites, TV shows can provide comfort, entertainment, water-cooler fodder and infinitely quotable lines and memes. So when it comes to naming your new dog or cat, why not let your watch-list inspire you?
TV-inspired dog names
Soaps
Peggy
Is there anyone more iconic in the British soap landscape than Peggy Mitchell? If you have a pup who can stand up for herself, is fiercely protective of her family and the type to bark ‘Get out of my pub!’ when a stranger enters your home, then Peggy is the perfect moniker.
Dotty
Dalmations and Jack Russells alike will suit a name inspired by Walford’s resident gossip queen.
Grant
Tough, fiery and Cockney to his core, the name Grant is sure to make fellow dog walkers chuckle when you’re yelling it across the park. Adopting a pair of brothers? Grant and Phil are the obvious choice.
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opens in a new tabKen
‘Oh, like Barbie and Ken?’ people will ask you. ‘No, like Ken Barlow from Corrie,’ you’ll reply as you and your leg-humping pup head off to your fifth Hinge date of the week.
Dingle
It would come as no surprise to Emmerdale’s sprawling Dingle family to discover they have a distant canine relative. Old English Sheepdogs, Border Collies and Australian Shepherds – ideally who live on farms on the Yorkshire Dales – are the perfect candidates for the Dingle family name.
Period dramas
Diana
The People’s Princess, most women’s Roman Empire, and arguably the centre of the most interesting storylines on The Crown (and in real life), Diana is the name for a pup who exudes elegance, kindness and grace – and would slay in a revenge dress.
Benedict
Not Cumberbatch (unless you’re a big Sherlock or Dr Strange fan), but the second-eldest Bridgerton child. Charming, affectionate and artistically gifted, we can imagine the canine Benedict owning an array of flamboyant neckerchiefs.
Penelope
Ruffle some feathers in the park with a name inspired by Nicola Coughlan’s fan-favourite Penelope Featherington from Bridgerton. Red-headed Pomeranians, Shiba Inus and Poodles apply here.
Sybil
Pay homage to the first character shockingly killed off in Downton Abbey. For a touch of added aristocratic grandeur, opt for the full title of Lady Sybil and be sure to serve your dog’s dinner on silver platters.
Tommy
Got yourself a flat-cap wearing Brummy pup with a penchant for violence and gambling? Probably not, but reigniting our collective 2013 obsession with Peaky Blinders is never a bad idea. You can use the soft breathy Irish accent of Grace or a gruff Arthur Shelby holler to call this pup at the park. See also: Fin and John, if you want to complete the set.
Reality TV
Jane
If you’re still quoting the iconic Come Dine With Me comment eight years later and you think that endlessly repeating ‘What a sad little life, Jane,’ to your dog every time they sigh won’t get old – then this is the name for you.
Maura
Is it weird to name your pet after a Love Island contestant from 2019? Maybe. But if you’re a fan of the show, there’s no denying Maura is a beautiful name for your pup – as long as you can disassociate them from the whole ice lolly incident.
Diane
While we’ve already mentioned Diana, the real queen of modern times is Diane from The Traitors. An instant icon for her tenacity and fizzy rosé-induced murder, this name would suit a spunky Irish Terrier. Even better if she has a puppy called Ross.
Fred
Suave and charming, First Dates’ maître d’ Fred Sirieix is chef’s kiss (I’m a Celeb drama aside), and the name would be perfect for a pup who knows his l’escargot from his coq au vin.
Cult classics (which work well in pairs)
Patsy & Eddie
Darling, is there a more fabulous pair of names than that of Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders’ Ab Fab characters? Accessorise with designer collars, plushie Champagne toys and tons of attitude.
Ted & Dougal
Naming your dogs after Craggy Island’s resident priests is not only hilarious and an ode to one of the UK’s best-loved sitcoms, Father Ted, but they also work as very cute canine names.
Alan & Lynn
No list of classic duos would be complete without Alan Partridge and his long-suffering assistant Lynn. If your pup is always getting into ridiculous shenanigans and has an inflated sense of importance, then Alan might be the perfect name. And if they have a timid but well-meaning doggie sister who follows them everywhere they go, then you have the perfect pair of names. See also: the ridiculousness of calling them at the park.
Your recent faves
Otis
Already a popular dog’s name, take inspiration from Sex Education’s Otis Milburn if your pup loves giving unsolicited advice and has an air of social awkwardness about him.
Dexter & Emma
One Day’s Dexter and Emma are surely the most-rooted for fictional couple of 2024 so far, so if this sweet TV show was one of your favourite recent releases, there’s no cuter ode to love than naming a pair of dogs in honour of this lifelong friendship turned romance.
TV-inspired cat names
Soaps
Albert
Huge Eastenders fan? Can’t decide on the best human cat name out of Ian and Den? Opt for Albert instead to encompass all the residents of Albert Square, without needing to name your cat after unpleasant male characters.
Pat
This gender-neutral Pat Butcher-inspired name is a great choice for a feline and comes with the added benefit of suiting a black-and-white cat quite well (cue: Postman Pat theme tune).
Elsie
One of the OG Coronation Street characters, Elsie Tanner was known for being a self-proclaimed moral guardian of the neighbourhood – ideal for a feline who likes to sit on the wall outside your house and judge everyone that walks by.
Period dramas
Winston
Divisive as a prime minister, but arguably a very distinguished cat name, let The Crown’s Winston Churchill inspire you to put a top hat on your cat.
Queenie
Royalist or not, Queenie is a regal name to suit pedigree cats, or as an amusing juxtaposition for the feral and ferocious kitty you rescued from the side of the road. ‘Your Royal Highness’ works well, too – best delivered sarcastically when your cat turns their nose up at their food.
Edith
If you want to conceal the fact you plucked this name from Downton Abbey, you can always sound more cultural by implying that it’s inspired by French singer Édith Piaf: ‘Non, je ne regrette rien’ your cat will meow as they knock a glass candlestick off the table.
Polly
Matriarch of the Shelby clan, Peaky Blinders’ Polly is a feminist hero who keeps the family in check – a very relatable quality for many a strong-willed and stubborn feline.
Reality TV
Claudia
Thinking of adopting a black cat? Let Claudia Winkleman’s legendary black fringe in The Traitors (and beyond) inspire you. When your kitty bats your family portraits off the wall with her paw or starts kneading your knitted fingerless gloves, you’ll know she’s fully immersed herself in the role.
Prue
Perfect for a senior cat with a sweet tooth, it doesn’t get more British than naming your cat after Bake Off’s Prue Leith.
Francis
Whether you’re more of a Mark-Francis or a Francis Boulle fan, take your cues from Chelsea’s uppercrust for a sophisticated name befitting the most dignified of felines.
Kevin
Does your cat seem like they know you’re always going to go over budget with whatever you buy? Do they marvel at the innovative architecture of their cat bed? If so, they might do well adopting the name of Grand Designs host, Kevin McCloud.
Cult classics (which work well in pairs)
Delboy & Rodney
Calling your cats after these Only Fools and Horses characters is the height of hilarity – and somehow they just ‘fit’ as feline names? We recommend crafting them a three-wheeler van out of a cardboard box and painting ‘Trotters Independent Trading’ on the side.
Mark & Jeremy
Infinitely quotable, Peep Show never seems to get old. If you have an unlikely duo of cats who are always getting into ridiculous mayhem and seemingly hate each other on the surface but secretly can’t live without one another, then naming them after everyone’s favourite ordinary weirdos is a great choice.
Hyacinth & Daisy
A brilliant relic of the 1990s British sitcom era, Keeping Up Appearances blessed us with four perfect floral-inspired sisters’ names: Hyacinth, Daisy, Violet and Rose. Take your pick of any combination or adopt four cats and live your best life.
Your recent faves
Joe
Cat’s love to stalk prey. Joe loves to stalk people: You’s main character really does have that sinister feline vibe about him. Is it a creepy choice? Yes. But you can pass it off as relating to your Swiftie fandom (Joe Alywn).
Carmy
If Jeremy Allen White’s Calvin Klein ad still plays in your head (and on your screen) on repeat every day, then naming your cat after his The Bear character is a no-brainer. Or just opt for ‘Bear’ – both work well for culinary kitties.
Roy
The family we all love to hate: the Roys. If you spent most of the last two years watching, endlessly talking about and rewatching Succession, you’ll know that this cat-fighting family name lends itself well to felines.
Beef
Cat parents love naming their cats after food, and when one of the best shows of 2023 had the same name, it’s hard to resist pinching it for your bulky boi.
