Paws the game: Top 10 Chicago sports team-influenced pet names

If you hear someone in Chicago shout “Rizzo,” they might be calling out for someone other than the Cubs’ star first baseman.

That’s because Chicagoans are increasingly naming their pets after their favorite Chicago sports teams and players, according to Trupanion, a medical insurance company for cats and dogs.

Using its database, Trupanion tracked the top ten sports influenced pet names in the Chicago area. Wriggly and Cubby headline the list, but the Blackhawks and Bears also received some love with names like Chelsea, a nod to the song “Chelsea Dagger” played after a Blackhawks goal and Payton, after Bears legend Walter Payton.

While the names are not necessarily the most popular pet names in Chicago, they occur more frequently in the Chicago area than anywhere else in the country.

It gives new meaning to being an underdog.

Here is the full list:

Top 10 Sports Influenced Pet Names in the Chicago Area

Wriggly

Cubby

Addison

Clark

Rizzo

Payton

Toews

Kane

Chelsea

Stanley