The dog owners of New York City have spoken and, once again, it is their opinion that Bella and Max are best names for their beloved pets.
This is, according to The New York Post, the second year in a row that Bella (“beautiful in Italian) and Max (often, in humans, short for “Maximilian” meaning “greatest”) top the list of popular canine names.
The Post gets its data from the Health Department’s dog license records each year. New York state law requires dog owners to license their dogs, and the city requires the tags be attached to the dog’s collar.
In 2016, according to the records, there were 1,358 Bellas and 1,268 Maxes. The 868 Charlies, 872 Lolas and 867 Rockys completed the top-five-names list.
In all, there were 87,031 dogs registered in 2016.
Of course, this being New York, every borough and neighborhood has its own idea about what pup names are best.
Once again, the Health Department is there to help with a map that shows the most popular name, based on neighborhood.
In the Upper West Side, Hudson and Theodore seem to be the thing. But just across Central Park Tiny and Nellie are the “It List” monikers.
Head for Harlem and the dog owners seem to want their pets to toughen up with names like Rocky and Boomer.
What’s even more fascinating is taking a look at popular breeds of dogs, and giving them the popular name.
According to the American Kennel Club, the French bulldog, described in this article as “adorable and squishy” has been the most popular breed in the city for three years.
Labrador retrievers were the second most popular, and was particularly beloved on the Upper West Side.
So, apparently, to be trendy, the best idea would be to adopt a French bulldog and name it Max, or Bella. Unless it’s an Upper West Side pooch, in which case a Lab named Hudson would be the way to go.
Or, like a truly independent New Yorker, folks could get a mutt at the shelter, name it Fluffy (which ranked 93rd overall in the city) and live in whichever neighborhood they chose, proudly walking their pet, daily, on the sidewalks they call home.
