51,379dogs
13,525distinct names
412breeds
26neighborhoods
The registry over time
A decade of dogs
Every licensed dog, month by month. After a long slide from 2017, the registry rebounded to a record 11,200 in 2025. Licenses still spike each spring, peaking in May 2025.
Only licensed dogs are counted here; recent license coverage is roughly 1 in 6 to 1 in 8 of the estimated 120,000–150,000 dogs in San Francisco. Useful sample, not a census.
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Dogs vs. babies
SF licenses more new dogs than babies
In 2025, San Francisco issued more first-time dog licenses than birth certificates. Since many dogs go unlicensed, new dogs likely outnumber births by about 2 to 1.
Estimated unlicensed (uncounted) Licensed new dogs (counted) SF births
The names
Luna leads
San Franciscans register thousands of new dogs each year, and one name leads. Charlie led in 2017. Luna took over in 2018 and has held #1 every year since 2020.
The leaderboard
The 16 most common dog names in San Francisco, by count.
The fastest-moving names
Change per 1,000 named SF dogs, 2017 to 2025. Sparklines show the trend.
Names that come with a breed
Some names point to a breed: share of the name's dogs in its top breed, vs citywide.
And then there are these
SF's funniest names, grouped by theme. Every count is real.
Every name above belongs to a real licensed dog. The one-offs are one-offs. Sir Archibald the Noodle is one (1) dog in San Francisco.
The neighborhoods
Every neighborhood has a signature breed
The city splits by breed. Chihuahuas lead in the east and south; Labradors lead in the west and north. Signature breed shows what is unusually common in each area. For names, Luna leads nine neighborhoods, while Charlie takes the Inner Richmond, Marina, and North Beach.
The shift
The Chihuahua is losing its crown
The Chihuahua still leads, but its share is down more than a quarter since 2017. Golden Retrievers, Poodles, and French Bulldogs are climbing. The city is getting bigger and fluffier.
Purebred or mutt
Three in five are purebred
About 62% of licensed dogs have a single-breed label. The rest are mixes, with familiar designer crosses near the top.
The city's favorite crosses
Most common two-breed mixes among SF's mixed dogs.
The Marina is doodle country
Retriever × Poodle crosses (Golden- and Labradoodles) cluster in the Marina. Every neighborhood ranked by doodle density.
Share of each neighborhood's licensed dogs that are a Golden- or Labradoodle. Dashed line marks the citywide average; bars run hot above it, cool below. Neighborhoods with at least 150 licensed dogs.
The palette
A city of mostly black dogs
More than one in four licensed dogs is black. After black, white, and brown, the coat list gets specific: brindle, merle, apricot, sable, and tricolor.
Every breed has a palette
Labs run black, Goldens gold, Frenchies everything.
The dogs themselves
Past the puppy years, and almost all fixed
Few puppies make the registry. Most licensed dogs are adults, and nearly all are fixed. Here is the population at a glance, plus the city's archetype.
Current age of licensed dogs
Recent licensed dogs with age on file, projected from first reported age. Not every registered dog.
The license itself
Most buy the cheap one-year tag; one in seven unaltered.
The most typical dog in San Francisco
Common traits, plus median known age.
One in how many?
How rare is your dog?
Pick breed, coat color, and neighborhood. We'll estimate how many licensed SF dogs match.
Modeled across all 51,379 licensed dogs. Specific combinations are approximate.
By the name
Look up any name
Type a name to see how common it is and where it clusters.
Search a name to see counts, breeds, and neighborhoods.
Adoptable twins
Find an adoptable twin
The dogs in the charts have homes. These dogs need one. Enter breed and color to find SF adoptables with a similar look.
🐾 Adoptions and donations go through the shelters. We do not collect money. Listings come from seven SF shelters and rescues and link straight to each shelter's own adoption pages.
Pick a breed to see adoptable SF dogs. Newest listings first.