Wellington City Council’s annual end-of-year figures are usually presented with a light, festive touch. However, behind the humour and Christmas cheer sits a detailed snapshot of how people in Pōneke lived, read, named their dogs and engaged with public spaces throughout 2025.

Taken together, the data paints a familiar but revealing picture of a city that remains strongly local in its tastes, deeply attached to its libraries, and quietly proud of its history.

Charlie Still Rules Wellington’s Dog Parks

For the fifth year in a row, Charlie has retained its position as Wellington’s most popular registered dog name. In 2025 alone, 149 dogs were given the name, confirming its near-permanent status at the top of the list.

While the top spot remained unchanged, there was movement elsewhere. Teddy climbed firmly into second place, followed closely by Luna, Coco and Bella. Daisy and Frankie returned to the top 10 this year, replacing Max, Molly and Milly, who dropped out after previously featuring.

Most Popular Dog Names Registered in Wellington in 2025

• Charlie (149)
• Teddy (129)
• Luna (124)
• Coco (119)
• Bella (116)
• Poppy (113)
• Archie (96)
• Ruby (95)
• Daisy (94)
• Frankie (94)

The list reflects a city that tends to favour familiar, friendly names, particularly those that travel well across dog parks, beaches and suburban streets.

The Creativity Lies Beyond the Top 10

While the rankings show consistency, council records also highlight the creativity of Wellington dog owners. Among the names registered this year were a series that stood out for their length, humour and deliberate absurdity.

These included Peregrin Guardian of the Citadel, Pablo Escobark, Minnie Miniaturised Ballistic Missile, Judge Judy, Leroy Von Biscoff and Chilli Cheese Hotdog. Others, such as Maximus Andronicus Extinctor, Sir Beef, Vindication Cinnamon Starr, Soda Onion and Book bound, further reinforced the city’s reputation for playful eccentricity.

It is a small detail, but one that feels distinctly Wellington.

Libraries Continue to Draw Large Numbers

Despite ongoing digital shifts and cost pressures, Wellington City Libraries remained among the city’s busiest public spaces in 2025. Between January and November, the library network recorded nearly 1.8 million visits, alongside strong attendance at events and a steady flow of new members.

More than 74,000 people attended library events during the year, including adults and children, while just over 10,000 people joined the library system for the first time.

Wellington City Libraries: January–November 2025

• Total visitors: 1,785,665
• Event attendees: 74,347
• New members: 10,167

The figures suggest libraries continue to function not just as places to borrow books, but as key community spaces across the city.

What Wellington Chose to Read in 2025

Borrowing data shows Wellington readers gravitated toward a mix of crime fiction, literary novels and political memoirs. Jacinda Ardern’s A Different Kind of Power became the most reserved title of the year, attracting 793 holds, while children’s author Julia Donaldson topped overall author loans with 11,076.

Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders emerged as the most read book of 2025, with 1,017 loans.

Top 10 Adult Fiction Titles Borrowed

• We Solve Murders – Richard Osman
• Intermezzo – Sally Rooney
• Delirious – Damien Wilkins
• You Are Here – David Nicholls
• Here One Moment – Liane Moriarty
• Tell Me Everything: A Novel – Elizabeth Strout
• Long Island – Colm Tóibín
• Orbital – Samantha Harvey
• My Favourite Mistake – Marian Keyes
• The Women – Kristin Hannah

Children’s Fiction Dominated by One Author

In children’s fiction, there was little variation. Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series occupied all ten positions in the top 10, marking a complete clean sweep.

Top 10 Children’s Fiction Titles

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal
• The Getaway
• No Brainer
• Big Shot
• Hot Mess
• Double Down
• Diper Överlörde
• The Ugly Truth
• The Last Straw
• The Third Wheel

Young Adult Readers Stayed Loyal to Established Series

Young adult borrowing patterns showed a strong preference for familiar franchises. Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games titles featured heavily, alongside popular fantasy series by Sarah J Maas and crime novels by Holly Jackson.

Top 10 Young Adult Fiction Titles

• Sunrise on the Reaping – Suzanne Collins
• The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Suzanne Collins
• A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J Maas
• Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins
• A Court of Mist and Fury – Sarah J Maas
• The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
• Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins
• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson
• Good Girl, Bad Blood – Holly Jackson
• Throne of Glass – Sarah J Maas

Biographies Show a Clear Preference for Kiwi Stories

Biography borrowing continued a trend seen in previous years, with readers favouring stories rooted in New Zealand experience. Nine of the ten most borrowed biographies focused on Kiwi lives.

Top 10 Biographies Borrowed

• A Different Kind of Power – Jacinda Ardern
• No Words for This – Alison Mau
• The Life of Dai – Dai Henwood
• I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You – Miranda Hart
• The Bookseller at the End of the World – Ruth Shaw
• Unreel: A Life in Review – Diana Wichtel
• Bloody Minded – Susie Ferguson
• Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World – Ruth Shaw
• The Salt Path – Raynor Winn
• Did I Ever Tell You This? – Sam Neill

Non-Fiction Trends Reflect Practical Interests

Non-fiction borrowing pointed toward self-improvement, cooking and local knowledge, with habit-building guides sitting alongside food titles and Wellington-focused nature books.

Top 10 Non-Fiction Titles

• Atomic Habits – James Clear
• The Let Them Theory – Mel Robbins
• Tasty – Chelsea Winter
• The Last Secret Agent – Pippa Latour
• Wild Wellington Ngā Taonga Taiao – Michael Szabo
• Careless People – Sarah Wynn-Williams
• RecipeTin Eats Tonight – Nagi Maehashi
• Comfort – Yotam Ottolenghi
• A Life Less Punishing – Matt Heath
• Life Hacks from the Buddha – Tony Fernando

Preserving Wellington’s Past Through Recollect

Alongside current trends, the council continued digitising Wellington’s history through Wellington City Recollect, adding material spanning from the 1850s to the 1990s.

Highlights from this year’s additions included Wellington’s Café Culture from 1999, a photograph capturing the last book issued at the old Central Library in 1991, records of new trolley buses introduced in 1984, and a fully digitised edition of Old Wellington Hotels from 1974.

Other additions ranged from a 1965 history of the Wellington Fire Brigade and a 1950 Town Hall choir photograph, to a 1941 Ngāti Pōneke souvenir programme, a Lambton Quay postcard from the 1920s, toll road fee records from 1862, and one of the oldest surviving photographs of Te Aro from 1858.

A Familiar City, Clearly Reflected

Wellington in 2025 remains local-minded, curious and community-focused. People still use libraries in large numbers, still favour stories that reflect their own place, and still find room for humour in the smallest details, including the names they give their dogs.

Council statistics rarely feel personal. This year, they do.