From Luna and Bella to Charlie and Willow, some pet names are proving as popular as ever across Nelson and Tasman. Registration data reveals the favourites topping the list, alongside plenty of one-off names that stand out from the pack.
DOGS:
Luna is top dog when it comes to naming Nelson’s pooches, with 76 dogs registered under the name across the city.
Charlie (66), Poppy (65) and Ruby (58) follow, while Bella and Max share fifth place with 50 each, according to the most recent dog registration data from Nelson City Council.
Luna comes from the Latin word for moon and has its roots in Roman mythology, where it was the name given to the moon goddess.
For Stoke’s Sue Simpson, the name was an easy choice for her energetic four-year-old miniature toy poodle.
She says it was inspired not by the moon, but a character on a television show she was watching at the time.
“The name just stuck with me,” she explains.
Sue calls her a “little soccer player” as she loves pushing a football around the backyard with her nose. She’s also a big fan of the back beach where she “goes crazy”.
And while she might be little, she is certainly mighty, with Sue saying Luna is firmly in charge of the big dogs.
“She likes to rule the roost.”
It seems Sue wasn’t the only one taken with the name, as there are 75 other Lunas running around Nelson – including a five-year-old black and tan Dobermann from Tāhunanui, owned by Anita Komornyik.
Her Luna was named after the black and purple cat in Sailor Moon, a popular Japanese manga and anime series.
Anita describes her as “incredibly intelligent, a sensitive soul and very loving.”
Over in Tasman, Bella is top of the pack when it comes to the most popular dog names.
With 125 registered dogs sharing the name, Bella has come out ahead of Luna (118), Ruby (108), Tui (104) and Max (99), according to the latest Tasman District Council dog registration data.
One of those Bellas is Redwood Valley’s Bella Watson, an 18-month-old miniature schnauzer owned by Pip Watson.
Bella came from Christchurch and was named after Pip’s great-great-aunt Isabella, a First World War nurse who received awards for her service and provided what was described as early physiotherapy for soldiers.
Pip describes Bella as “cheeky, energetic, fast and a bit naughty”.
And like most pets, she also has a collection of nicknames, including ‘Bellaroony’ and ‘Hells Bells’.
She’s not the only Bella in her neighbourhood. Their neighbours also have a dog called Bella, and Pip says there are quite a few at their local vet clinic, too.
There are also plenty of dogs in Tasman with one-of-a-kind names, including Anchovy, Sharknado, Russell Sprout and Professor Snugg. There’s also a Goongle, Party Poo, Dog Roll, Stink and a Todoe Brain running around the region somewhere.
According to the council, there are currently 11,787 registered dogs in the Tasman district.
CATS:
When it comes to naming Nelson’s cats, Willow is the favourite.
Millie, Molly, Bean, Bella, Frankie, Gizmo, Jinx, Simba and Storm round out the top 10, according to the latest data from the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR).
The NZCAR is New Zealand’s largest companion animal microchip database. Managed by Companion Animals New Zealand, it helps veterinary clinics, animal shelters and other approved users reunite lost pets with their families.
There are currently 5,188 cats registered in Nelson, although the figure is based on location information entered by pet guardians.
Among them are several cats answering to Willow.
One Willow belongs to Sara Féy, who says the name was inspired by a Reneé Rapp song called Willow. Her colourings and features also reminded her family of the pussy willow plant.
Marie Hearn also has a Willow, one of five cats in her household. The street-born rescue came from Tabby’s Kitten Rescues. Marie had previously helped prepare kittens for their new homes, and Willow already had her name when she came along.
“I liked it, so kept it,” she says.
Daryl Stephens also has a black cat called Willow, although the story behind her name is a little different.
Daryl adopted her from the Renwick SPCA when she was six. When she first arrived at the shelter, she was thought to be male, and her previous owners had called her Willy.
When they discovered Willy was a girl, they decided to stick with something close to the name she already knew, settling on Willow.
Among the more unique cat names in Nelson are Cleocatra, Paddington Paws, Spleens, Tony Soprano, Optimus Prime, Murphy McMarmaduke and Fanta.
Meanwhile, Richmond cat Charlie is in good company, with the name revealed as the most popular choice for cats in Tasman.
The next most common cat names in the region are Bella, Leo, Pixie, Biscuit, Missy, Pip, Possum, Rosie and Tiger.
There are currently 5,577 cats registered in Tasman.
Richmond local Kimberley Rea is the proud owner of an 11-year-old ragdoll named Charlie.
She adopted him from a friend when he was just one year old after her friend realised she was allergic to him.
“She had originally named him Chet,” Kimberly says.
“I wanted to rename him to a name that suited him better, while keeping the ‘Ch’ sound he was familiar with. I really liked the name Charlie for him, especially when I nickname him King Charles, as he often thinks he is royalty and is in charge.
“Charlie used to be a very playful and adventurous cat, but now that he’s older, he’s turned into a bit of a grumpy man, and he is very sassy.”
Kimberley says she was surprised to discover Charlie’s name topped the Tasman list.
“I think Charlie would be disappointed to find out he’s not as unique as he thinks he is. He is still the most loved and adored cat in Tasman though.”
