While 'Buddy' was top of the list for Nanaimo's most popular dog name last year, now it doesn't even break top 10 – with that crown going to 'Bella.' As of Aug. 1, Bella was the registered name of 104 dogs in the city, followed by Charlie with 98 and Luna with 95. This was a big resurgence for the name Bella, which climbed from ninth place in the last year, and Luna, which wasn't among last year's top 10. Charlie had a slight bump from third in 2024 to second this year. Maria Walker, owner of Dog N' Suds, told the News Bulletin that as dog groomers, the business see multiples of those top names a day and the list didn't come as a surprise. "They're cute. I've never met a Bella who wasn't a little sweetheart, it's just the way it is," Walker said."It's a pretty name, it means pretty – it makes sense." Personally, Walker said she is a fan of food names, like Tofu, Popcorn or Peanut, but her own chihuahua-miniature pinscher mix is named Barkley. "It just fits him because he barks all the time, so I just call him Bark." Stephanie Thorpe, Dog N' Suds manager, said she imagines Bella as a yorkie "with attitude." Charlie, she believes, has the advantage of being used regardless of gender. "I'm really surprised [there isn't] a Finn on there, because Finn, Finley, Finnegan are really popular right now." In her opinion, current popular media also has an impact. Following the release of the HBO's Game of Thrones, dog groomers worked with several dogs named Daenerys. One of her own dogs is named Morty, a reference to the namesake character on Rick and Morty. "Usually some strong HBO show will spark a name trend and the cooler they sound, the cooler the character, that's usually what influences the dog's name. I think people like to name dogs something that gives them something warm in the heart," Thorpe said. City of Nanaimo's top 10 most-popular dog names, summer 2025: 10. Piper 9: Sadie 8. Bailey 7. Rosie 6. Molly 5. Daisy 4. Lucy 3. Luna 2. Charlie 1. Bella City of Nanaimo's top 10 most-popular dog names, summer 2024: 10. Jake 9. Bella 8. Daisy 7. Lucy 6. Bear 5. Bailey 4. Molly 3. Charlie 2. Max 1. Buddy
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