What are the most popular dog names, breeds in Lexington? See the top 5

Lexington’s dog population boasts legions of Labs and herds of shepherds.

German shepherds, that is.

The most common dog breeds in Fayette County are Labrador retrievers, pitbulls and doodles, according to the almost 10,000 dog licenses filed with the Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control. That data also tracks each pet’s name. The most popular names in Lexington are Bella, Luna and Daisy.

What goes into the decision of breed and name for Lexington residents when adding a furry friend to their households? Lexington dog owners shared their dog’s origin stories.

Wellington Dog Park has become a staple for many Lexington dog owners, with visitors returning week after week for a sense of community.

A group of regulars sat around a picnic table in what has become a normal gathering for them. The group has found friendship through their park, and so have their dogs.

“We all get here at the same time every day,” said Kim Judd. “With our dogs, it’s that kind of pack mentality. One of them is having trouble with another dog; you’ll see them all run, and they definitely stand up for each other. Even sleepy Jack will come out from under the table.”

One basset hound, Charlie, has become close to a celebrity at the park, said Judd.

“He’s been a great dog, and everybody knows Charlie,” said Alan Siegel, Charlie’s owner and a member of the group. “I think he has his own fan club. People come in the gate to go, ‘Oh, hi, Charlie.’ He must be going out at night and making friends without me.”

Charlie was adopted with his name. But Buster, a chow-catahoula leopard mix also at the park, received his name due to his coat color, said his owner, Charlie Martha.

“When he was a puppy, his coat reminded me of a song ‘Pass the Courvoisier’ by the rapper Busta Rhymes, because his coat was the color of the glass,” Martha said.

While Buster’s name has a unique origin story, on average, Lexington dog owners’ choice of names for their canines is less individualistic. City data shows popular dog names closely parallel the national trends, with the top four names reported in Lexington exactly the same as the national leaders.

Top Names in Lexington:

1. Bella

2. Luna

3. Daisy

4. Lucy

5. Charlie

Top Names Nationally:

1. Luna & Max

2. Bella & Hank

3. Daisy & Teddy

4. Lucy & Cooper

5. Ruby & Gus

The most popular choice of breed strays significantly from national trends. Data collected by Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control show that while the French bulldog ranks first in the nation in popularity, in Lexington, the breed does not break the top ten.

Lexington’s Top Dog Breeds:

1. Labrador retriever

2. Pitbull

3. Doodle variety* (This cross-bred breed is not recognized by the American Kennel Club)

4. Chihuahua

5. Unknown

6. German shepherd

Top Breeds Nationally:

1. French bulldog

2. Labrador Retriever

3. Golden Retriever

4. German Shepherd

5. Dachshund

6. Poodle

On a warm afternoon, the shade at Wellington Dog Park makes it a hotspot for Lexington’s canine residents, according to park regular Andy Bathje, and his dog Bean, a husky-Lab-shepherd mix.

“This park is my favorite due to the shade and the number of dogs that are always here, but there are a lot of good dog parks in the city, and it’s been good to see it growing like that,” Bathje said.

Many at the park shared a similar love for the park and appreciation for the amount of spaces in Lexington available to dog owners. Beyond having so many dog parks available, they are well-maintained and filled with friendly people and dogs, said Jeanne Gauchat.

Her rescue dog, Nacho, was seen running around with Bean. When Gauchat adopted him from the shelter, she was told he was part chihuahua, and gave him the name Nacho. Ultimately, a DNA test proved that to be false, she said, but the name stuck and is now a funny story.

Thomas Van DeVenter found inspiration for the name of his rescue dog Griffin, named after the Welsh word for prince due to his corgi ancestry.

“He is a little prince, he’s a total ham,” Van DeVenter said. “I hit the jackpot with him. A friend of mine who volunteers at a rescue out in Paris, Kentucky, and after Griffin was dropped off, my friend saw him and called me to say, ‘That’s your dog.’”

The state pet of Kentucky is a rescue, and many of the dogs at the park had a rescue story of their own. Seen enjoying his time with his friends was Boone, a pitbull-Lab mix who was rescued by his owner, Amanda Mapes.

Boone had received his name prior to his adoption, but as the Daniel Boone National Forest has become a favorite place for his owner and him, it felt fitting, Mapes said.

“I feel like pitbulls are the most common dog you will see at the humane society, and it sucks because not enough apartments are friendly to all breeds,” Mapes said. “Boone was actually surrendered for aggressive behavior when he was only three, and he’s a sweet man; he was only a puppy.”

No two dogs at the park had the same name, breed or story, but one thing was constant for every owner was the smile on their faces as they told the story behind their dog.

“My mother picked Joy’s name, and then she wanted my dog to bring more happiness into my life,” said Daniel Ko, the owner of both Lyco and Joy.