Health Department Announces 2015’s Most Popular Dog Names

Bella holds fast as top name for female dogs; Max claims the number one spot for males

New York City dog owners draw inspiration from television, books, and movies

84,054 dogs are currently licensed in New York City

May 25, 2016 – The Health Department today announced that Max and Bella were the most popular dog names in New York City in 2015. Bella has been the number #1 name for the last seven years, overtaking Max in 2008 (possibly because of the Twilight book series debut). The Health Department’s dog license records showed 1,127 Bellas and 1,073 Maxs were registered in New York City in 2015.

Most Popular Dog Names in New York City, 2015
Rank	Female	Count	Male	Count
1	Bella	1,127	Max	1,073
2	Lola	749	Rocky	754
3	Lucy	671	Charlie	715
4	Daisy	605	Buddy	625
5	Coco	571	Lucky	568
6	Princess	565	Teddy	448
7	Molly	487	Teddy	448
8	Chloe	444	Jack	397
9	Luna	411	Oliver	345
10	Sophie	369	Milo	340

New York City Dogs by Borough, 2015
Borough	Percent
Bronx	10%
Brooklyn	25%
Manhattan	35%
Queens	21%
Staten Island	9%

Fruits
Rank	Name	Count
1	Olive	145
2	Coconut	36
3	Clementine	31
4	Cherry	26
5	Apple	25
6	Mango	19
7	Huckleberry	16
8	Raisen	16
9	Lemon	9
10	Peach	9

Fruit/Vegetable/Spices/Herbs
Rank	Name	Count
1	Ginger	323
2	Pepper	222
3	Pumpkin	60
4	Basil	37
5	Sage	31
6	Bean	27
7	Chili	17
8	Potato	15
9	Taro	9
10	Carrot	6

Flowers
Rank	Name	Count
1	Daisy	605
2	Lily	357
3	Rose	36
4	Iris	14
5	Tulip	10
6	Mimosa	5
7	Primrose	4
8	Daffodil	2
9	Lilac	2
10	Orchid	2

Uniquely Popular Dog Names By Breed
Breed	Female	Male
American Pit Bull Terrier	Diamond	Blue
Beagle	Belle	Snoopy
Boxer	Stella	Tyson
Bulldog, English	Xena	Winston
Bulldog, French	Lulu	Gus
Chihuahua	Princess	Chico
Collie, Border	Izzy	Bandit
Dachshund	Tina	Frank
German Shepard	Heidi	Duke
Golden Retriever	Goldie	Buddy
Greyhound	Grace	Chewy
Jack Russell Terrier	Jackie	Jack
Labrador Retreiver	Coco	Buddy
Mixed Breed	Lila	Fred
Standard Poodle	Dolly	Charley
Pug	Winnie	Mugsy
Siberian Husky	Sky	Snow
Yorkshire Terrier	Chanel	Gucci

A map of unique dog names by neighborhood can be found here.

To see dog names by frequency of occurrence, click here.

Pet Health and Safety Tips:

• Make sure your pet is fixed: Spaying or neutering reduces the number of unwanted dogs or cats, reduces risk of cancers and helps prevent territorial aggression. Studies show unaltered animals are more likely to bite than altered ones. All cats allowed outdoors must be spayed or neutered and vaccinated against rabies.
• Keep your dog on a leash: To keep people and pets safe, especially from unfriendly dogs, all dogs must be kept on a leash when in public, except for in designated park areas.
• Pick up after your pet: According to City law, pet owners must pick up pet waste from sidewalks and other public spaces. Failure to clean up after your dog can result in a fine.
• Get your dog to the vet each year: Like you, your dog needs a regular check-up and important vaccinations to stay healthy. Visits to the vet can help you stay on top of any health issues and preventable diseases.

Benefits of Dog Licensing:

• Licensing helps reunite lost dogs with their owners via the dog eLocator system.
• With proof of current dog license and rabies vaccination, your dog can run off-leash in the NYC Parks' dog runs.
• Licensing is important to family emergency preparedness to ensure a dog and its owner are reunited in case of separation during an emergency.
• Information about licensed dogs assists in the medical follow-up of individuals potentially exposed to infected dogs, which is especially important during rabies outbreaks.
• Only licensed dogs can enter outdoor eating areas of restaurants offering “dining with dogs.”
• Only licensed dogs are part of the Department’s annual popular name announcement.

New York State law requires that all owned dogs be licensed, and Dog licenses are also available online at www.nyc.gov/doglicense.

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MEDIA CONTACT: (347) 396-4177
Christopher Miller/Julien Martinez: pressoffice@health.nyc.gov