Every Dog Breed Has Its Own Favourite Names
Ask any dog owner and they will tell you the name “just suited” their dog. The data agrees: owners of different breeds pick very different names. We took New York City’s dog licences, where the breed is recorded, and compared how often each name appears for a breed with how often it appears for all dogs. A score of 10× means the name is ten times more common for that breed than for the average dog.
Fast facts
- Shiba Inu owners are 45.8 times more likely than average to call their dog Kitsune, the Japanese word for fox.
- Siberian Huskies are 25.9 times more likely to be called Balto, after the famous sled dog.
- Beagles are 12.1 times more likely to be called Bagel.
The names that set each breed apart
| Breed | Dogs counted | Most popular name | Names owners pick far more than average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shiba Inu | 3,728 | Mochi | Kuma (24.4×), Kitsune (45.8×), Hiro (28.8×), Yoshi (15×) |
| Siberian Husky | 4,426 | Luna | Balto (25.9×), Ghost (12.4×), Lobo (16.9×), Sky (7.2×) |
| Beagle | 6,774 | Bailey | Bagel (12.1×), Snoopy (5.3×), Bailey (2.7×), Buddy (2.4×) |
| Dachshund | 7,530 | Frankie | Nathan (18.9×), Frankie (4.7×), Otto (4.8×), Oscar (3×) |
| Pug | 3,090 | Rocky | Pugsley (61.4×), Puggy (69.1×), Mugsy (12×), Beans (11.7×) |
| French Bulldog | 6,354 | Luna | Stitch (9×), Hugo (6.4×), Louis (5.7×), Winston (3.1×) |
| Pit Bull | 15,675 | Bella | Diamond (5.6×), Tyson (4.7×), Blu (4.6×), Storm (4.6×) |
| German Shepherd | 7,423 | Max | Zeus (2.8×), Shadow (2.8×), Bear (2×), King (2.2×) |
| Chihuahua | 18,111 | Coco | Taco (6.2×), Chiquita (7.8×), Chico (4.5×), Tiny (4.7×) |
| Maltese | 11,272 | Bella | Snowball (10.7×), Casper (6.2×), Fluffy (5.3×), Snowy (6.9×) |
| Pomeranian | 6,879 | Coco | Foxy (14.7×), Simba (3.8×), Mochi (3.6×), Leo (2.1×) |
| Miniature Schnauzer | 3,528 | Luna | Fritz (13.4×), Otto (6.4×), Pepper (3.5×), Winston (2.4×) |
The patterns behind the names
Names from the breed’s homeland
Shiba Inu owners choose Japanese names (Kuma means bear, Yuki means snow), Chihuahua owners choose Spanish ones (Chiquita, Chico, Taco), Miniature Schnauzers get German names like Fritz and Otto, and French Bulldogs get Louis, Hugo and Napoleon.
Names from the dog’s look
White breeds are named after snow: Maltese and Bichons are far more likely to be Snowball, Snowy or Snowflake. Pomeranians, which look like small foxes, are often Foxy. Huskies get Ghost and Ice.
Names that are jokes about the breed
Dachshunds, the “sausage dogs”, are often Slinky or Frankie; Beagles become Bagel; Pugs are Pugsley and Mugsy. Owners clearly enjoy a pun.
Names that suit the breed’s image
Pit Bulls are more often King, Tyson and Diamond, and German Shepherds are more often Kaiser, Ares and Zeus: strong, powerful names for dogs with a tough reputation.
How we measured it
We used the NYC records, merged crossbreeds with their main breed (so a “Chihuahua crossbreed” counts as a Chihuahua), and ignored names given to fewer than 8 dogs of a breed or used in fewer than three zip codes, so one breeder registering a litter cannot skew the results. You can see the full lists, and generate names for each breed, on our dog names pages.
Frequently asked questions
Do dog breeds have their own names?
Yes. Shiba Inu owners are 45.8 times more likely than average to choose Kitsune, and Huskies are 25.9 times more likely to be called Balto.
How did you compare names by breed?
We compared how often each name appears for a breed with how often it appears for all NYC dogs with a recorded breed.
Sources
- NYC Dog Licensing Dataset, NYC Open Data, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
- Breed comparison by NameGeneratorHQ. 24 breeds with at least 3,000 licensed dogs.
