The most popular car names of 2022

Be honest – what’s the name of your car?

Many of us pride ourselves in taking good care of our vehicles and even christen them by giving them names. Now, thanks to research, we know the most popular car names of 2022. Find out if yours made the list…

Say hello to Lightning

Research commissioned by Your Red Car, the online auto marketplace powered by Santander, found that Dolly, Betty, and Beast were the top three car names this year.

Bessie, Boris, and Bertha have slipped out of the top 10 since 2021 – replaced with Kia, Peggy, and Suzie. The top 20 list also included names such as Rusty, Dave, Lightning, and Baby.

When naming cars, research found that 18% of drivers take inspiration from films, 17% from books and 16% from their favourite TV shows.

29% also take the car model into account, while 24% consider their car’s personality.

Naming a car isn’t an easy decision for some drivers either. 6% of drivers admitted they put more thought into naming a car than their children, while 8% said they had thought more about their vehicle’s name than their pet’s.

More than half of drivers who have named their vehicle also spent between a few days to several weeks nailing it down.

More than just a car

A spokesman for Your Red Car said: “We know just how important cars are to some people – from family trips to essential work journeys, they get us from A to B when we need them.

“They play such a big role in our lives, and it’s important that we trust them, so it’s no surprise that many drivers have developed such an emotional connection – and with that, comes a name.

“Just like baby names, these can change over time, and it’s interesting to see how popular culture and current events can impact this.

“For example, we couldn’t help but notice Boris dip out of the most popular names, dropping from 8th to 13th place when compared to 2021.”

Thinking of buying a new car to christen in 2023? Here’s the best time to buy.