Pepe ranks #431 with 286 entries, registered male. The name is a Spanish nickname for José (the Spanish form of Joseph), and it carries a warm, unfussy register that has been a steady pet-naming pick in Spanish-speaking households and Latino-American families for generations.
The Pepe Le Pew and Muppets layers
Two pop-culture anchors give Pepe additional visibility outside Spanish-speaking households. Pepe Le Pew (Looney Tunes, debuted 1945) gave the name a French-coded skunk register that is now somewhat dated. Pepe the King Prawn from Muppets Tonight (1996) provided a friendlier, more contemporary anchor. Owner age tends to predict which reference dominates.
Sound fit and breed lean
Two syllables (PEH-peh), with repeated soft P consonants that give the name a percussive, cheerful recall. The name lands disproportionately on small-to-mid breeds with bright personalities — Chihuahuas, Pugs, Min Pins, Dachshunds, and small mixed breeds. The Spanish-speaking household lean explains some of the breed pattern; many of these are popular in Latino-American family homes.
The recent meme counter-reading
Worth flagging: Pepe the Frog became a contested internet meme in the 2010s, and a small share of Americans now reach the name through that association rather than the Spanish nickname. Most pet owners are not picking the name through that door, but the cultural air around the spelling has shifted slightly. The overall pet rankings show similar Spanish nicknames holding mid-rank steady year over year.