Bella, Ruby and Meg are the most popular names for dogs in the Waitaki, new data shows.
This year, more than 5000 dogs have been registered with the Waitaki District Council.
"Waitaki District Council would like to thank the owners of the 5073 dogs who were registered in the district for the 2025-26 year," a WDC spokesperson said.
"Our register of dogs allows council to put together a top 10 (and a lot, lot more) of the most popular names in the district, both for this year and the last 15 years
"It seems it’s a beautiful life, or a bella vita, for the most popular dog name in the Waitaki District for the last 15, with no change in the top three."
Bella, Ruby and Meg have held the top three positions since 2011.
Max remains the most popular male dog’s name, at No6 on the most popular name chart.
A council spokesperson pointed out while there were more girls’ names in the top 10, that was because there were a lot of bitches with the same name, whereas as there were more unique names for male dogs.
There are five registration categories for dogs: non-working dogs not neutered, neutered working dogs, selected owner dogs, farm pet dogs and working dogs.
Dogs that were under 3 months old on July 1, 2025, can be registered once they are 3 months old.
The council encourages all dog owners to comply with the Dog Control Act 1996, and the council’s Dog By Law and Control Policy, by registering their dog.
This can be done by visiting the WDC website https://www.waitaki.govt.nz/Services/Animal-Management/Dogs/Registering-... and paying by bank transfer.
Top dog names in Waitaki in 2025
- Bella
- Ruby
- Meg
- Poppy
- Tess
- Max
- Molly
- Jess
- Daisy
- Gus
