A Dunedin City Council spokeswoman said while Bella, Charlie, Poppy Max and Luna were the most popular choices, some names reflected the "childlike sensibilities" of their owners including Cloud Marshmallow and Bus Stop.
Others, inspired by popular culture, included Darth Maximus, Katniss Evertrouble, Captain Malcolm Reynolds and Burt Macklin.
The most popular dog breeds were terriers (3212), followed by retrievers (3176) and then collies (1925).
The rarest, with just one known individual each, were the Portuguese water dog, Portuguese podengo, Lapphund and Havanese.
Dunedin’s biggest canine companions are the St Bernard and Irish Wolfhound, while the smallest are Pomeranians and Chihuahuas.
So far this year, only about 69% of the 19,144 known dogs in the city had been registered.
Today is the last day for owners to register their pooches and avoid a late fee.
The Dog Control Act required all dogs over the age of 3 months to be registered annually, the spokeswoman said.
