When Emma Birch-Marston called her cavalier Charlie in 2016, she thought it a would be an original name for her pet. That was until she tried to set up an Instagram page for her pooch and found many other dogs named Charlie.
"I thought I had such a unique reason for calling him Charlie but there's so many Charlies," she said, adding that her aptly named Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was also named after a cat she had years ago.
The name is so favoured that it has taken out the top spot on the leaderboard for the most popular dog name in Canberra this year.
Coming in second place is the name Luna.
Top 10 dog names
- Charlie
- Luna
- Ruby
- Daisy
- Bella
- Coco
- Molly
- Archie
- Frankie
- Poppy
For seven-year-old Matilda Sauer, there was never a question of what she would name her dog.
"I really wanted a dog called Luna," she said.
Named after her favourite Harry Potter character Luna Lovegood, Matilda said the almost two-year-old border collie gives "good cuddles" but her favourite thing about her pup is that "she looks exactly like me".
Luna also took out the top spot for cat names in Canberra while Charlie was the second most popular name for felines.
Top 10 cat names
- Luna
- Charlie
- Bella
- Coco
- Loki
- Lily
- George
- Lucy
- Leo
- Max
Some Canberra pet owners got creative naming their furry friends, with Barry Ratslayer Prince of Darkness, Captain Rascal Tusktooth, Vanity Fair and Mushu the Magnificent Meowser, making up some of the less commonly named cats in the capital.
Also living in Canberra are paw-fectly named pooches Harry "Spotty" Spotter and Obi Woof Kenobi.
Matilda's impressive Women's World Cup performance seemingly inspired dozens of dog owners across the capital, with 31 pups in Canberra named Matilda this year.
The 10 most popular dog breeds
- cavoodle
- border collie
- kelpie
- labrador retriever
- dachshund
- Jack Russell terrier
- Staffordshire bull terrier
- German shepherd
- American staffordshire terrier
- golden retriever.
The 10 most popular cat breeds
- domestic short hair
- domestic medium hair
- ragdoll
- domestic long hair
- Burmese
- British short hair
- Bengal
- Russian blue
- Maine coon
- Siberian forest cat
Minister for City Services Tara Cheyne reminded residents that registration for cats and dogs was compulsory from eight weeks of age.
"Not only does this provide us with accurate information to help reunite lost pets with their owners, but it also gives us an insight into the most popular pet names and breeds," she said.
She urged residents to keep their pets comfortable this summer and avoid walking them in the middle of the day.
"To keep your pet comfortable and cool in warmer weather, ensure they have access to fresh drinking water and shade all day. You could also visit one of the dog swimming spots or fill a kids splash pool with water to help your pooch cool down," she recommended.
"If you're one of many Canberrans enjoying a well-deserved holiday away, arrange for someone to care for your pet if you are heading interstate or overseas."
