Jack Reacher, Jack Frost and Jack Black live in Tauranga. Winnie the Pooh and Cindy Lou are also here. But they’re not the ones you might be thinking of – they’re dogs.

Tauranga’s dog-owning community loves to choose unique monikers for its furry friends and takes inspiration from all walks of life when selecting one.

Tauranga City Council animal services team leader Brent Lincoln said the individuality in the names was always a highlight.

“Every dog has a different personality, so it’s fun to see so many of them getting personal names from their people.

“At this time of year, when people think about adding a new family member to the home, many names are being considered,” he said.

Angus McFluffy, Little Miss Scrufflebums and Sir Pippin Wigglebutt do not share their name with any of the other 15,500 known dogs in the city.

Neither do Indiana Bones, Paint or Oddball.

“In contrast, we know Charlie and Bella are always very popular here in the Bay of Plenty, but we do always wonder what characteristics our dogs with out-of-the-box names might have,” Lincoln said.

In 2024, Charlie dethroned Max as Tauranga’s most popular dog name – 190 Charlies call Tauranga home.

“Other names that are well loved and well used include Molly (148), Poppy (138), Ruby (119) and Rosie (114),” Lincoln said.

Tauranga’s love affair with labrador retrievers also continues. The breed remains the most popular, with more than 1800 registered.

“Staffordshire bull terriers, or staffies, are also well loved with nearly 900 living here. There are lots of border collies (796), shih tzus (724) and King Charles cavalier spaniels (717).

“We’re excited to see what 2025 holds for unique names and which names and breeds remain popular,” Lincoln said.

Most popular names

Most popular primary breeds