By Ravi Meah

Copyright dailystar

For any motorist worried about being judged for giving their car a nickname like Herbie the Love Bug, fear not. Nearly half of Brits have admitted to performing this habit with their vehicles, but there are heartfelt reasons behind it. Research by Aviva found that 49 per cent of drivers gave their beloved motors a pet name, with reasons for their choices ranging from habit to humour and sentimental value. The insurance company compiled a list of the top 10 most popular names, along two other tables based by gender. The most popular name chosen by all drivers was Babe, followed by Betty, Daisy, Ruby and Pearl. Babe was also the most popular name chosen by men, while Daisy topped the list of preferred nicknames for female drivers. Incidentally, Betty was among the top 20 car names in Britain in 2022 . The study also found certain names were more popular with drivers of certain ages. Younger drivers (aged 24 and under) preferred the name Pearl for their vehicles, while Daisy was most popular among drivers aged 45 and over. There were even geographical variations with drivers in Belfast more likely to call their cars Pearl, while those in Bristol called their cars Bertie and drivers in Leeds opted for the darker moniker, Ghost. Up in Edinburgh, drivers opted for Daisy. Why do drivers give their cars pet names? Aviva’s motor claims manager Martin Smith explained: “Whether it’s a funny nickname or a heartfelt tribute, naming a car can often reflect just how meaningful that vehicle is to its owner. “Not only do we spend a vast amount of time in our cars in our everyday routines, but cars are also tied to many chapters of our lives. From memorable road trips with friends to dropping the kids off at university for the first time, it’s easy to see how we can become so attached to our vehicles and the memories they carry.” Going beyond naming their cars, Brits’ love affair with their four-wheeled friends shows no signs of abating. The number of cars on roads hit a record high last year, with 36.1 million driving the length and breadth of the country, according to motoring trade body SMMT. The subject of what a car says about its driver has been a popular topic of debate for years, with car companies, magazines and even psychologists throwing up various reasons. Aviva’s study found two-fifths of adults (39 per cent) considered their car to be an extension of their personality. In addition, a poll of 2,000 British drivers by Alfa Romeo’s parent company Stellantis found that 40 per cent believed their cars were “an important extension of their personal sense of fashion and style”. Even more remarkable were the findings of a study published in the Swiss Journal of Psychology , which claimed that drivers chose cars and dogs that resembled their own faces and personalities. Stefan Stieger and Martin Voracek, the study’s authors, argued: “Not only do dogs resemble their owners, but it appears that even their cars do. “This novel effect does not depend on rater sex or age and persists after controlling for specific stereotypes (eg, sex-specific car looks or car types). Although other stereotypes may be at work, such as personality stereotypes, the present results seem to go beyond mere matching based on stereotypes.”