Auckland's most common dog name revealed

Fox Mulder, Darth Vader and Snoop Dog might be found playing with Hijynx All About Dudley and Warwick Wait A Bit on any given day at one of Auckland's dog parks.

The Auckland City Council keeps records of all registered dogs' names and breeds and according to dog registrations, the most popular names are Max and Bella. Names reflecting pop culture like Fox Mulder, Darth Vader and Snoop Dog are also common.

Some owners wanting their dogs to stand out in the crowd have chosen flamboyant names like Berlios Rotunda Fancy Pup, Hijynx All About Dudley and Warwick Wait A Bit. Less imaginative dog owners have gone for a more simple approach - there are five dogs in Auckland simply named Dog, 10 called Pup or Puppy, 11 called Girl and 15 called Boy.

Dog registrations are due by July 31, and it remains to be seen what the next generation of puppies will be called.

More than 22,000 dogs call Auckland city home and almost 300 of them are called Max while 288 go by Bella. Close runners-up in the favourite name stakes are Molly, Jess, Jack, Oscar and Charlie.

- NZPA