City Reports Boston’s Most Popular Dog Names

The Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s Animal Care and Control Division reminds city dog owners that the annual deadline for licensing their pets is March 31. All dogs in Boston require a new license each year. 

Pumpkin reminds Boston’s dog owners that March 31 is the deadline for licensing your pet.

“Not only is licensing your pet the law, but a license is your pet’s ID and provides their fastest ticket home if they become lost,” notes Animal Care and Control Director Alexis Trzcinski. “We like to remind owners that if your dog ever gets out, the chances of being reunited are greatly increased with a license.”

In preparation for the 2022 licensing deadline, the Animal Care and Control Division analyzed licensing data from the previous year to reveal the most popular dog names of 2021.

The most popular male dog name in 2021 was Charlie with 82 registered in Boston, while Ziggy brought up the back of the pack with 27 males with that name. The top female name registered was Luna with 112 registered while 25th place went to Riley with 29 licensed. Other male names in the top ten were Teddy, Oliver, Max, Ollie, Milo, Cooper, Toby, Rocky, and Finn. The top ten female names included Bella, Lucy, Daisy, Penny, Lola, Stella, Molly, Bailey, and Rosie.

The data also provided the most popular dog breeds registered in Boston. In 2021 the top breeds included Labrador Retriever with 1,833 registered, Golden Retriever (703), Chihuahua (442), German Shepherd (422), Beagle (345), Yorkshire Terrier (329), Miniature Poodle (307), Shih Tzu (303), Australian Shepherd (278), and Pit Bull (275). Boston Terrier came in at 143 while 25th place went to Miniature Schnauzer for the males with 75 and Pomeranian for the females with 53 registered.

All dog owners need to license their dogs by Thursday, March 31, 2022. Dogs must be licensed if they are older than six months. Owners must provide a copy of their dog’s current rabies certificate. For spayed and neutered pets, owners must submit proof of spaying or neutering if they have not done so previously. 

Licensing fees are $15 for a neutered male or spayed female or $30 for an intact male or female. The dog licensing fee is waived for service animals and residents age 70 and older. Owners must also pay any outstanding Animal Care and Control fines. The fine for an unlicensed dog is $50. Please call (617) 635-5348 or email animalcontrol@boston.gov with any questions about the licensing process or to update your information in the database. 

For an in-depth guide on dog licensing, including a link to license your dog online, visit Animal Care and Control’s how-to article.

The City of Boston will also host a series of dog licensing and pet vaccine clinics from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays from March 5 to June 4 at seven BCYF community centers. For details, fees, and locations please visit boston.gov/animals, call (617) 635-1800. 

Animal Care & Control posts photos of adoptable pets on their social media accounts at instagram.com/bostonanimalcontrol, twitter.com/animalboston and facebook.com/bostonanimal.

TOP 25 FEMALE DOG NAMES OF 2021

Based on City of Boston 2021 Licensing Data

1. LUNA

2. BELLA

3. LUCY

4. DAISY

5. PENNY

6. LOLA

7. STELLA

8. MOLLY

9. BAILEY

10. ROSIE

11. MAGGIE

12. LILY

13. SADIE

14. RUBY

15. OLIVE

16. CHLOE

17. SOPHIE

18. WINNIE

19. COCO

20. WILLOW

21. PIPER

22. MILLIE

23. MAYA

24. LULU

25. RILEY

TOP 25 MALE DOG NAMES OF 2021

Based on City of Boston 2021 Licensing Data

1. CHARLIE

2. TEDDY

3. OLIVER

4. MAX

5.  OLLIE

6. MILO

7. COOPER

8. TOBY

9. ROCKY

10. FINN

11. WINSTON

12. TUCKER

13.  HENRY

14. GUS

15. BUDDY

16. LEO

17. BREA

18. LOUIE

19. JACK

20. ARCHIE

21. BENTLEY

22. BRUNO

23. DUKE

24. BAXTER

25. ZIGGY

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