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What are the most common horse names? That is a question that is tough to answer. The question has multiple parts, including the fact that commonality is different from popularity. We dove into what data was available to put together a list of the most common horse names. The list contains some truly classic names and the names that appear more often than any others on small farms around the United States. Here are the 30 most common horse names (plus some extras for inspiration). The results might surprise you.
Methodology
In order to compile this list, we scoured the internet for sources that track the frequency of certain horse names. We looked at a number of different lists, looking for the frequency of names. One enduring source was a list compiled by the company SmartPak. SmartPak makes a variety of different horse products and releases a list every couple of years detailing the most common names in the horse world. Their list was helpful because many of the names appeared over and over again, which pointed to their commonality.
We also used Horse Illustrated, which compiled a list of horse names based on subscribers. Subscribers were surveyed about the number of horses they had, the breed, and the name. Horse Illustrated then compiled a list of the most common names out of their subscribers, which was a handy resource to hold up alongside the SmartPak list.
Lastly, we spot checked our list against the more recent popular names lists for horses to pick out any more commonalities.
Difference Between Common and Most Popular
Common and popular are synonymous with one another, but they are not exactly the same. Common names are names that appear with the highest level of frequency across multiple years or generations of horses. Most popular names can describe monikers that are trendy at the moment but might not necessarily last for multiple years. Common names appear again and again over time. Think of common versus popular as mode versus median. Another way to look at it is while pennies are a common type of coin, they aren’t necessarily very popular.
All of that is to reiterate that this list strived to capture the most common names, which might not necessarily be the most popular names, the coolest names, or the most unique names. These names are the ones that appear in the registries the most and names that have proven to be enduring from year to year.
The 10 Most Common Horse Names
Most Common Male Horse Names
Most Common Female Horse Names
Other Great Horse Names
Names That Could Gain Popularity
Racehorses can heavily impact the popularity and, therefore, commonality of certain names in the horse world. When horses do well on the racing circuit, it can cause people to become inspired and name their horses after them. For example, American Pharaoh was an impressive modern Triple Crown winner, which likely led to some people naming their horse Pharaoh or choosing Egyptian inspired names. The run for the Triple Crown takes place every year, and every year, a slew of horses with interesting and unique names appear to provide inspiration to the horse world. Here are some names from the recent crop of Triple Crown runners that could inspire the next generation of names.
Conclusion
This list contains the 30 most common horse names according to the available data, and it also includes some other great names that are gaining in popularity. It can be hard to pinpoint the most common horse names since registered horses have to have unique names and often have naming patterns based on the horse’s lineage. That leaves unregistered horses to fill in most of the gaps, which is data that is difficult to pin down. These names help show what horse owners are currently interested in and highlight names that continue to stand the test of time. Some horse names are classic, and this list definitely includes many current classics and potential future classic names.
See Also:Â
- 250+ Bay Horse Names: Regal, Colorful & Fun Ideas
- 100+ Grey Horse Names: Ideas for Airy & Spirited Horses
Featured Image Credit: HTurner, Shutterstock
