Good bella! Bad Max!
Don’t be surprised if you hear these words at the city’s dog races – Bella and Max are the Big Apple’s most popular dog names, according to the city health department.
According to dog license data The Post received through a Freedom of Information Act request, 5,508 bellas and 4,930 maxes are registered with the city.
Steven McCasland, 35, an unemployed theater auditing coach on the Upper West Side, adopted his Max, a 10-year-old Brittany spaniel, from the city’s animal care centers a few years ago.
“He’s just the cutest, smartest and most beautiful dog. Very loyal. Goes anywhere with me. Sleeps on the bed next to me with his head on the pillow, ”he said.
Bella, a rescue dog from Brooklyn. Bella is the most common female dog name in town.JC Rice for NY Post
Manisha Shah, 40, Product Management Director at Salesforce in Clinton Hill, promotes a Bella.
The most common breed of dog in the city is the Pomeranian.Alamy Stock Photo
“Bella lost her home during the pandemic due to her family’s financial stress,” she said of the puppy, a seven-year-old mixed breed who is about to be adopted by Mr. Bones & Co., a charitable rescue service.
“My own dog passed away in December and I decided to take a ‘longtimer’ as we call it home,” she said. “She’s funny and loving and so smart. She surprises me every day how well she responded to the training and it was a pure pleasure to watch her learn and grow. “
By district, Bella and Max are the two most popular dog names in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Not so in Manhattan, where Charlie and Lucy are the two most popular dog names.
NYC’s top breed is the Pomeranian, of which there are 9,287, followed by another lap dog, the Havanese, with 8,606.
Some dog owners in the five boroughs are a little more original, baptizing their canines with unique names like:
- A-Rod, a Miniature Pinscher in Rockaway Park;
- Megabyte, a Great Dane on the Upper West Side;
- Detox, a Labrador Retriever on the Lowest East Side; and
- Crack, a pit bull in Crown Heights.
| Top breeds all over town | Top boy names | Top girl names |
| Pomerania (9,287) | Maximum (4,930) | Bella (5,508) |
| Havanese (8,606) | Charlie (4,021) | Lola (3,491) |
| Shih Tzu Cross (8,098) | Rocky (3,418) | Coca (3,697) |
| Beagle (7,822) | Buddy (2,758) | Luna (3,320) |
| Golden Retriever (7,325) | Luck (2,717) | Lucy (3,012) |