(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK — The American Kennel Club (AKC), a not-for-profit organization that is the world’s largest registry of purebred and mixed-breed dogs, and a leading voice for canine welfare and responsible ownership, is excited to announce the most popular call names of 2025.
“Choosing a pet’s name is such a fun and important part of the process when acquiring a dog,” said AKC President and CEO, Gina M. DiNardo. “People put a great deal of effort into picking a name that perfectly fits their pet and often spend a lot of time making that decision.”
According to AKC registration statistics and AKC Canine Partners enrollments, Luna continues to hold on to the top spot for girl’s names, while Max returned to number one after being overtaken last year by Milo. This year, there was a shakeup in the top five boys’ names. Hank made an impressive jump from 35th in 2024 to second place this year, while Milo fell to 12th place. Teddy held on to 3rd place, Cooper rose one spot to 4th place, and Gus rounded out the top five at 5th place. As for girls’ names, the top four remained unchanged, with Bella, Daisy, and Lucy holding steady at 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places, respectively. New to the top five this year is Ruby, jumping from 16th in 2024 to 5th in 2025. Closing out the list is Uma for girls and Zen for boys.
The top 10 names for 2025:
| GIRL NAMES |
BOY NAMES |
| 1. Luna |
1. Max |
| 2. Bella |
2. Hank |
| 3. Daisy |
3. Teddy |
| 4. Lucy |
4. Cooper |
| 5. Ruby |
5. Gus |
| 6. Willow |
6. Bear |
| 7. Maggie |
7. Duke |
| 8. Penny |
8. Maverick |
| 9. Nova |
9. Charlie |
| 10. Sadie |
10. Finn |
About the American Kennel Club
Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 4,900 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 26,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, scent work, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests.
Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite, the AKC Museum of the Dog, and the AKC Purebred Preservation Bank. For more information, visit www.akc.org.
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