Shih-tzu at rank 1,492 with 71 records is almost certainly the purest registry artifact in this entire batch: a breed name accidentally or carelessly entered into the name field of a licensing form. The dog is almost certainly named something else entirely — or nothing, if the owner didn't feel a dog needed a formal name and simply wrote what it was.
The Breed-as-Name Artifact
This is a well-documented phenomenon in municipal pet licensing databases. An owner fills out the form, gets confused between the "breed" and "name" fields, and writes "Shih Tzu" in both — or only in the name field because the breed field wasn't prominent. The licensing database faithfully records Shih-tzu as a name. Some variation in hyphenation and spacing (Shih Tzu, Shih-Tzu, Shihtzu) produces additional separate entries across the dataset.
What the Count Actually Tells Us
Seventy-one records of dogs "named" Shih-tzu across NYC and Seattle suggests this filing error happens at a consistent low rate regardless of location or year. It's a data-quality issue rather than a naming trend. No owner has sat down and decided their dog's name is its breed.
If You Own a Shih Tzu
The Shih Tzu breed page has the actual top names for this breed — a mix of playful, regal, and soft names that reflect the breed's personality. Top picks tend toward names like Coco, Gizmo, and Lily. Browse the full pet names directory for names that work with the breed's fluffy, expressive presence.