Luna has been the national winner for the past seven years in a row.
Clements said she was not sure why Luna had been so popular over the years.
“It’s probably, you know, something that is pretty kid-friendly and the kids probably really like it,” she said.
For the Manawatū-Whanganui region, the list differs slightly and is broken down between cats and dogs.
The top overall pet names for both species out of 3710 pets registered in the Manawatū-Whanganui region are: 1. Luna; 2. Nala; 3. Bella; 4. Coco; 5. Buddy; 6. Leo; 7. Milo; 8. Poppy; 9. Rosie; 10. Willow.
The top dog names are: 1. Bella; 2. Buddy; 3. Poppy; 4. Daisy; 5. Molly; 6. Blue; 7. Coco; 8. Lucy; 9. Luna; 10. Nala.
While the top cat names are: 1. Luna; 2. Leo; 3. Nala; 4. Willow; 5. Jasper; 6. Coco; 7. Milo; 8. Shadow; 9. Ash; 10. Rosie.
Several pop-culture trends were observed across New Zealand’s pet names, from music stars like Ozzy after the late Ozzy Osborne, to cult movie and TV references, including character names from Wicked, Top Gun, Bluey and the Marvel Universe.
Kiwis did not forget their roots either when it came to pet names recorded this year.
Nationally, NZCAR recorded numerous te reo Māori pet names, including 191 pets named Tui, 34 named Kiwi, 24 named Kea, 13 named Ruru, 15 named Koru, 18 named Kōwhai and 16 named Aroha.
For notable unique names, NZCAR highlighted these names along with their regions: Batman [Southland & Marlborough], Tiny Tiger [Otago], Cheeto [West Coast], Possum [Marlborough], Tofu [Gisborne], Moose [Otago & Marlborough], and Oreo [Northland].
The top 10 overall pet names in New Zealand for 2025 were: 1. Luna; 2. Milo; 3. Charlie; 4. Daisy; 5. Bella; 6. Coco; 7. Poppy; 8. Nala; 9. Willow; 10. Molly.
Beyond the fun of comparing pet names, Clements said it was important for Kiwis to microchip their pets. She said NZCAR was the “lost and found” of pets in New Zealand.
In the event of an animal running away or becoming lost, NZCAR’s database is able to help relocate the pets and reunite them with their family. They track not only cats and dogs, but all pet animals, including horses, rabbits and other species.
“If you want your pet to be returned to you if it were to go missing, we definitely recommend microchipping and registration,” Clements said.
She said summer was the time when NZCAR saw an increase in lost-animal queries.
More information on how to get your pet registered, or to see the top pet names for all the regions in New Zealand is available on the Companion Animals New Zealand website.
