In celebration of St. Pawtrick’s — er, Patrick’s — Day, here are the most popular Irish dog breeds and names in the United States.
No matter what breed or mix of breeds your dog happens to be, have a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day. And let’s hope every homeless dog has the luck of the Irish and finds a forever family!
Top 5 Irish Dog Breeds
According to the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2022, these are the Irish breeds that made the list:
- Irish Setter (71 on the list)
- Irish Wolfhound (89; 85 in 2021)
- Irish Terrier (131; 124 in 2021)
- Irish Red and White Setter (168; 154 in 2021)
- Irish Water Spaniel (183; 165 in 2021)
Top 5 St. Patrick’s Day-Inspired Dog Names
Back in 2015, the pet insurance provider VPI (now Nationwide) listed the most popular Irish-inspired pet names, based on its database of more than 525,000 insured pets.
These were the top 5 names:
- Lucky
- Seamus
- Clover
- Patrick
- Shamrock
The most popular name for Irish Wolfhounds was Finnegan, VPI noted. Dublin, after the capital of Ireland, and Jameson, a famous Irish whiskey, were also popular names.
And if you want to give your new four-legged family member an Irish name, the AKC offers these suggestions, among others:
- Patrick
- Clover or Shamrock
- Madigan (Gaelic for “little dog”)
- Shandy (which is beer mixed with a soft drink, ick)
- Finn or Finnegan (Gaelic for “fair one,” aww)
Top 5 Irish Beer-Inspired Dog Names
These were the most popular beer-inspired names, according to VPI:
- Murphy
- Guinness
- Harp
- Smithwick
- O’Hara
Although it’s not on the list, I wouldn’t be surprised if Bailey, after the famous cream liqueur, is also a very popular name, sure and begorrah.
Photos: peggycadigan; frame.fusion; Kathleen Tyler Conklin; Pleple2000