Max

Max was the most popular male dog name in 2012, but not for every breed. Now I'm checking to see whether Max might have been popular in years past. My theory is that although Bella is the runaway favorite as of right now, Max might have proved more popular over time, and that, therefore, the name Max might be every bit as important as Bella.

2011: Max is the 2nd most popular name behind..you'll never guess..Bella!
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/top-dog-names-for-2011.html?page=5

Let's see about 2010..
Oh dear! Max  was at number 3, Bailey at number 2, and at number 1 (drumroll) Bella again.
http://www.dogster.com/the-scoop/top-10-dog-names-of-2010

Now I'll check 2009..
Max is at number 2, behind (you guessed it!) Bella.
If it's any consolation to Max lovers, Max was top cat name in 2009. My theory of the lasting importance of Max as a dog name is not totally trashed, however. According to Veterinary Pet Insurance, it is traditionally the most popular name for both dogs and cats.
http://www.nowpublic.com/health/top-dog-and-cat-names-2009-list-popular-and-unusual-names-2550656.html

In 2008, Max was number 1. He was either number 1 or number 2 back to at least 2003.
When I started looking earlier than that, I started having trouble getting search results for my actual question.

Oh well, I've proved my own theory (at least to my own satisfaction) Here are my conclusions:
Max is a perennially popular dog name.
Almost no one named a dog Bella until Twilight.
My prediction is that Bella's popularity will fade in a few years.
Max will stay in the top ten longer than Bella will.

I've wasted too much time on this trivial pursuit.