Shark has released its brand-new ‘Robot Naming Survey’ revealing that more than 50 per cent of UK robot vacuum owners are giving their cleaning companions names!
The nation appears to be developing emotional connections with their robot vacuums, and in this debut survey from Shark, it’s reported that variations of “Robert” (Bob, Rob, Robbie) are reigning champions – the most popular robot vac nicknames in the UK.
Other names included “Mr Cleaner” and “Tony Shark”. Not only that, but a staggering 63 per cent of respondents said that they think robot vacuums have their own personalities, and three quarters feel sentimental towards the tech they’ve named!
Also, 83 per cent of survey respondents said giving their robot a name made it more enjoyable to use, and 77 per cent said giving a name added a sense of humour to everyday tasks.
But it’s not just robo vacs that people are giving names to; some people admitted to naming their laptop and others have even named their coffee machine.
Dr Guy Laban, a Research Associate at the Department of Computer Science & Technology of the University of Cambridge, said: “We have found that, beyond making our lives easier, robots can also enhance our moods; people feel more comforted and less lonely in the presence of social robots. It doesn’t surprise me that people are naming their robot vacuums, as this reinforces and personifies the emotional connection that forms when robots, like robot vacuums, operate in social spaces or respond to social signals.”
James Kitto, Shark’s UK and Ireland MD, added: “Our latest robots are part of our Shark PowerDetect family and they are very quickly becoming part of our consumers’ families as well. We want to help strengthen these connections and integrate further into consumers everyday lives. It will be interesting to follow along and see if Robert, Bob, Robbie remain the most popular names in 2026!”
