50 Most Popular Dog Names | Male and Female Dog Names

The name Bella has been topping the charts of dog names in the U.S. for over a decade. Short for a myriad of titles, including Annabelle, Arabella, Isabella and Mirabella, Bella found a new following after the Twilight movies debuted featuring a lead with the same name. From the Latin for beautiful, Bella evokes a feminine charm with personality, while still being short and easy to learn for a dog. It's also easy to pronounce, meaning every member of the family,  no matter how small, will have no trouble.

Bella was also the pawfect name for a spunky pup who traveled 400 miles to be reunited with her best friend in the movie A Dog's Way Home. After being rescued from an abandoned house by young Lucas, Bella was saved and given a loving home with Lucas and his mother in Denver, Colorado. After some years had passed, Lucas was still returning to the abandoned house to care for the kittens that were found with Bella, but Günter Beckenbauer, who wants to demolish the home, gets fed up with the delays Lucas causes. In retaliation, he informs animal control that Bella is a pitbull. Since this breed was banned in Denver, Officer Chuck is put on the case and warns Lucas that if he sees her loose, he will impound her.

After Bella gets out to chase a squirrel, Officer Chuck picks her up and warns Lucas that the next time will mean euthanasia. Frightened for his best canine pal, Lucas and his mother send Bella to New Mexico to live with relatives where she can remain safe. But poor Bella misses Lucas so much, she leaves to try and find her way back to him. This sends her on a grand adventure, where she befriends a cougar cub, is chased by coyotes, and even rescues a man who was buried in an avalanche. Shown kindness by many humans along the way, she finally makes it back to Denver.

It seems like Bella's journey has come to an end when she is finally reunited with Lucas and his mother at a VA hospital, but Officer Chuck makes a last stand to stop her. Luckily for this persevering pup, the hospital is considered federal property where Denver law doesn't apply. Finally safe, Bella is able to live happily in a new home with Lucas and his mother in Golden where pitbulls are allowed. Adorable Bella learns about the value of friendship while showing everyone how furbulous and loving pitbulls can be.