Gisborne’s most popular pet names: Luna overtakes Bella in top spot

Luna is the most popular pet name in Gisborne, as it is across the rest of the country, but Tofu made a surprise appearance at ninth in the region's most popular cat names.

The name Luna reigned supreme as the pet name of choice for Kiwis over the last year, including in Gisborne.

This week, the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR) released the most popular pet names from the past year.

Luna was the most popular pet name across New Zealand for the seventh year in a row, topping the list in 14 out of 16 regions.

The top three most popular names in Gisborne were Luna, Bella and Buddy.

In 2024, Bella was Gisborne’s most popular pet name, while Luna was placed third.

Luna and Bella are in first and second place respectively on the all-time top 10 pet names recorded in Gisborne by NZCAR.

Luna may have been the country’s favourite pet name for the past seven years but Bella retains the crown as the most popular name overall, with more than 14,000 animals registered, compared with 13,000 for Luna.

NZCAR houses over 1.4 million animal microchip registrations and recorded more than 110,000 new animal registrations in the past year alone.

NZCAR manager Sarah Clements said regional data revealed a “fun and creative streak” when it came to naming pets.

Some of the more “distinctive” names noted by NZCAR included Tofu in Gisborne, which was the ninth most popular name for cats over the last year in the region.

“While some names never go out of fashion, what we love seeing each year is the imagination and affection that shines through in how people name their animals,” said Clements.

“The names people choose can give us a fascinating glimpse into what’s capturing Kiwis’ hearts and minds – from pop culture trends to local icons.

“It’s also fantastic to see so many pet owners ensuring their animals’ microchips are registered on the NZCAR, helping them to be easily reunited if they’re ever separated.”

There was a noticeable rise in pets named Ozzy following the death of “Prince of Darkness” Ozzy Osborne.

The influence of stage and screen was strong with:

• Six Elphaba and four Glinda (after Wicked) 
• 77 Bluey, 40 Bingo, 104 Chilli and 118 Bandit (from Bluey) 
• 95 Maverick, 98 Goose and eight Rooster (from Top Gun) 
• 50 Thor and 273 Loki (from the Marvel universe).

The use of te reo Māori names is also on the rise, with registrations including:

• 191 Tūī 
• 34 Kiwi 
• 24 Kea 
• 13 Ruru 
• 15 Koru 
• 18 Kōwhai 
• 16 Aroha 

Top pet names Gisborne

1. Luna
2. Bella
3. Buddy
4. Max
5. Molly
6. Nala
7. Archie
8. Belle
9. Billy
10. Bonnie

Top dog names Gisborne

1. Bella
2. Buddy
3. Max
4. Molly
5. Archie
6. Belle
7. Bonnie
8. Bruno
9. King
10. Luke

Top cat names Gisborne

1. Luna
2. Coco
3. Daisy
4. Harley
5. Mischief
6. Nala
7. Alem
8. Scout
9. Tofu
10. Wednesday

Top pet names nationwide

1. Luna
2. Milo
3. Charlie
4. Daisy
5. Bella
6. Coco
7. Poppy
8. Nala
9. Willow
10. Molly