Three Dunedin people registered dogs called Delta in 2016, and two decided Aurora was a good name.
Perhaps the owners were referring to the Dunedin City Council companies that received so much criticism during the year, but then with names like Banjo Jenkins and Kalu Meg Flowerbed among the 16,797 registered dogs in the city, perhaps they were just being creative.
The most popular names on the very long list released by the council are a little more conservative.
Bella was the most popular, chosen by 224 owners.
Molly came a close second at 220, followed by Max at 209.
There has been little movement recently in the naming proclivities of Dunedin dog owners.
In 2010 Max was the most popular name, chosen by 209 owners. Molly was second with 169, then Bella with 161, Jess with 160 and Jack on 150. None of that is really a surprise, as overseas websites devoted to canine nomenclature show Bella as the top female dog name and Max the most popular for males.
In Dunedin, more traditional monikers have been lost in time.
There are just four Rovers, two Lassies and one lonely Fido trotting around the city.
It is lower in the name count that the more creative and unique names can be found .There is one dog in Dunedin called Beebop.
Somewhere in the city today someone will call Revilo Yelnats in for tea.
Jack Baker Stewart Hall is possibly barking at passers-by, Scozee Cue is lying in the sun and dreaming about chasing cats, and Taboo is probably doing something prohibited.
Some people have put a lot of thought into being unique in the naming, but have come up short.
Who calls a dog Paint?
Two people do.
Someone with a literary bent and a love of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre and other offerings by three sisters from the village of Thornton in the West Riding of Yorkshire may have thought they would be the only one to call their dog Bronte. Wrong. There are two Brontes in Dunedin.
From literature to street art, two people called their dogs Banksy, and another two perhaps wanted a dog that was easy to look up, choosing Google for their name.
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I wish I could post a photo of my beautiful old boy Paint. He is 11 in March so his name will have been in the registry for quite some time now. He is a Jack Russell crossed with a Red Heeler. He is definitely unique ;-)