what's in a name?

i grew up surrounded by animals. my mum used to do rescue work for a local animal charity so we were forever taking in waifs and strays. at one point we had four dogs, seven cats, a parrot, a rabbit and an aquarium full of terrapins of our own plus, at up to 6 fostered dogs or cats. among the refugees i remember most are ellie, who as the joke might have gone, had no nose, just a big red gaping hole where her nose was. she was so delighted by affection it makes me feel teary just to think of her. then there was benji who had erm, a taste dog poo, ideally his own.
anyway. one of the permanent members of the Short menagerie was Tina, an alsation cross. i loved that dog! she used to make a cock-a-doodle-do noise when i would come home. one day i came home (from overseas where i was living) and started calling Tina only to be told by an upset-looking mother that Tina had had to be put down. THREE MONTHS BEFORE! but that's a different matter. the reason i bring up Tina (RIP) is that i have noticed that loads of people have animals with human names. a friend of my sister's has a cat called Nigel, while Kirsten Dunst has a cat called Cat Stevens. i've heard of a dog called Graham and even a hamster called Peter. the queen's favourite corgi was called Susan, which, for some reason really tickles me.
so, when, i wonder, will the trend for giving pet names to children begin. after the Alfies, Ameilias, Jacks and all surely it's only a matter of time before Shebas start appearing on the registers, or Smokys, Tabbys, Rockys, and Ladys (yes, i know i've misspelt the plurals, innit).
if i had a child i would definitely call it Scooby if it was a boy and Lassie if it was a girl.