The most popular names for dogs
Considering that surveys of 1,000 or so people are what most general election polls are based on, the idea that 2 million people have been canvassed to find out the nation's most popular dog names seems almost ludicrous. And yet, that's what rover.com claims to have done to draw up the list of the most popular dogs' names in the country.
We're thoroughly delighted to see disappearing human names — such as Gertrude, Malcolm and Clive — apparently finding new uses in the canine world. Those three are up 300%, 150% and 100% respectively, while Lassie (400%) and Spot (up 50%) are also on the rise.
It's not all good, however. In news that we find slightly depressing without really knowing why, the 'Love Island' effect is blamed for the popularity of the names Anna and Anton — up 450% and 200% respectively. Equally worrying is that the use of 'Prosecco' as a name is up 200%
None of those names crack the top 10 for either male or female names, however — here are the lists:
| Rank | Male | Female |
| 1. | Alfie | Bella |
| 2. | Max | Poppy |
| 3. | Charlie | Lola |
| 4. | Teddy | Luna |
| 5. | Buddy | Molly |
| 6. | Milo | Daisy |
| 7. | Oscar | Ruby |
| 8. | Bailey | Coco |
| 9. | Archie | Rosie |
| 10. | Barney | Millie |
You can see the entire top 100 at rover.com — a fascinating read, not least for the fact that the present author sees his own name nestling in at number 12. The Famous Five books have a lot to answer for.
The great elm tree could return to the British countryside – with some help
Once a familiar sight many a British country skyline, the mighty elm population was severely damaged by Dutch elm disease in the 1960s and 70s, which took over 20 million of its trees.
In the wake of the disease, the elm became largely forgotten, except by a group of enthusiasts intent on breeding a variety resistant to the disease. Using hundred year old specimens which mysteriously survived the epidemic, new seedlings have been bred which appear to be resistant, too.
The author of the report by the Future Trees Trust charity, Karen Russell, is hopeful of the elm's comeback. 'With the right people in the right place and the funding we can put elm back in the landscape.'
On This Day... in 1872
The Mary Celeste is discovered adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, with no crew, in almost perfect condition and with plenty of provisions — yet not a soul aboard.
Theories abound, but the mystery of what took place to prompt its abandonment 10 days beforehand has never been solved. Indeed, the very name of the ship itself (often inaccurately referred to as 'Marie Celeste') has become a byword for an unexplained mystery.
Festive drinking is on the rise, paired unfortunately with festive driving
It turns out all is not so merry and bright when it comes to drink-driving around the festive period. Drink-driving offences increased by 16% last year according to police figures, with a staggering 154 caught at the wheel over the limit every day.
Research shows that a worryingly large number of drivers (36%, to be exact) didn't understand the legal limits while even more (42%) admitted to driving while knowing they were over those limits.
While we know that it's the season of Christmas parties, the risk of injuring yourself and others when driving a heavy piece of machinery intoxicated is too great to not be a serious issue. Please do not drink and drive this Christmas.
The current drink-drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood or 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath. In Scotland, it is 50mg/100ml blood or 22mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. Know your limits and drink responsibly.
And finally...
They've got a brand new combine harvester:
The magical beauty of Britain, shown at its very best by the British Wildlife Photography Awards
Over the course of the last 10 years the British Wildlife Photography Awards have done a wonderful job of showcasing
Piglets, sunrises and sheep trying to drive tractors: A day in the life of Britain's farmers, as shared via #farm24
From the Dales to the West Country, farmers across the UK posted pictures and videos for #farm24 capturing the joys
Credit: Gary K Smith / Alamy
Alan Titchmarsh: The ultimate flower for the lazy gardener
Penstemons are easy to grow, hardy, and flower for months — even the slugs don't both them. They might just be
Alan Titchmarsh: The weeds I welcome with open arms
Our columnist Alan Titchmarsh used to spend hours ridding his garden of anything he hadn't planted himself. These days he
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If the future of Ferrari is electric vehicles, then it is our future tooIt's widely believed that Ferrari will unveil its first electric car this year. It's the signal that the internal combustion era is coming to an end.
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Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villaIgnore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
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The brilliant tractor tribute to the NHS from a group of Warwickshire farmersPeople around Britain have been paying tribute to the efforts of our NHS workers at the time of the coronavirus pandemic — but few have been as creative and clever as this one.
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London's iconic red bus at risk and 6,000 year old chewing gum gives clues into our DNA historyCuts to industry subsidies and an increase in fares has left bus use at its lowest point ever, while DNA extracted from ancient 'chewing gum' allows scientists to decipher the genetic code of a Stone Age woman.
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90-million-year-old 'swimming dinosaur' skeleton found by dogs out walking in Somerset, and the nonchalant moths who don't bother fleeing enemiesA superbly intact dinosaur skeleton — described as being 'museum quality' — has been discovered on a beach in Somerset.
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Country Life Today: How Greta Thunberg shifted the dial on climate change — and the backlash shows just how muchThis morning we ponder whether Greta Thunberg is the Joan of Arc for the environmental movement, look at a key election — one from 19 years ago — and ponder the marvel of 'dad tidying'.
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Country Life Today: Great news for those who love our great country pubs — the years of decline are overThere is a great sign of health in the pub industry, we look back at Edward VIII's abdication message and fret about Greenland's melting ice.
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Country Life Today: Spain accused of being 'a deplorable choice' for UN climate conferenceA no-holds-barred assault on the Spanish fishing industry, Banksy raising awareness of the homeless and the woes of the Christmas jumper are in today's news round-up.
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Country Life Today: 'This is perhaps the ultimate wake-up call from the uncontrolled experiment humanity is unleashing on the world’s oceans'In today's round up, we examine why oxygen loss is putting oceans at risk, discover that action to cut air pollution brings almost immediate benefits to human health and find out which bird's arrival marks the start of winter in Gloucestershire.
