Published: July 24, 2025

Reference period: 2024-01-01 – 2025-01-01


Dog population in Basel 2024

During the reference period from January 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025, 6,147 dogs were registered, with Chihuahuas, Labradors, and French Bulldogs being the most common breeds, and Luna, Nala, Rocky, and Kira as the top names. The data indicates a steady increase in dog registrations since 2008, with a significant rise around 2020–2021, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as people sought companionship during lockdowns.

During the reference period from January 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025, a total of 6,147 dogs were registered. Of these, 3,268 were female and 2,879 were male. The three most common dog breeds during this period were the Chihuahua with 340 registrations, the Labrador with 290, and the French Bulldog with 210. The top three names for dogs were Luna, with 77 instances, followed by Nala with 42, and a tie between Rocky and Kira, each with 38.

Among the newly registered dog names for the year, some stand out for their uniqueness or pop-culture references. These include Bailey James Dumbledore, likely inspired by the Harry Potter series, Bumblebee, reminiscent of the Transformers character, and Mr. Darcy, a nod to the classic literary figure from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." Other interesting names include Spark Plug and El Chapo, which add a humorous or intriguing twist to the naming conventions.

Since 2008, there has been a noticeable increase in the total number of registered dogs. In 2008, the data is not provided, but by 2019, the total number of dogs was 5,072. This number has steadily increased, reaching 5,945 in the year prior to the reference period and further climbing to 6,147 in the reference period itself. This upward trend suggests a growing interest in dog ownership over the years. A particularly notable increase in dog registrations occurred around 2020–2021, which may be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, many people sought companionship during lockdowns, potentially leading to the surge in dog ownership.


Top 10 Most Popular Dog Names in 2024
name number
Luna 77.0
Nala 42.0
Kira 38.0
Rocky 38.0
Mia 31.0
Bella 31.0
Milo 27.0
Lucy 27.0
Leo 26.0
Lucky 26.0

Annual Number of Dogs in Basel by Sex
Data source: Hundenamen im Kanton Basel-Stadt seit 2008

🤖 This text was generated with the assistance of AI. All quantitative statements are derived directly from the dataset listed under “Data Source.