The orderly and responsible issuing of a greyhound name is a feature of high-quality greyhound racing administration.

In considering an application to register a greyhound, the controlling body will require the greyhound name to be assessed and allocated by the Naming Registrar. Pursuant to the National Rules, Greyhounds Australasia is the Naming Registrar. While the Naming Registrar may accept or refuse a greyhound name for registration in its absolute discretion, Greyhounds Australasia operates under a policy approved by member controlling bodies and operates in the best interest of the greyhound racing industry.

Applicants should note that the approval or allocation of a greyhound name does not amount to an endorsement or representation by Greyhounds Australasia or any controlling body that use of the name will not infringe the rights of any other person. The applicant will need to make its own inquiries to ensure that it will not be infringing any other person’s intellectual property rights.

Each application is considered on its own merits. Any previous decision of the Naming Registrar in respect of any other greyhound will have no bearing, and not serve as a binding precedent, on the decision of the Naming Registrar in considering any other application.

Without limiting its general discretion, the following guidelines are published as non-exhaustive bases on which the Naming Registrar may refuse a prospective name of a greyhound:

Depiction of the name

1. It has more than 16 characters inclusive of spaces and apostrophes.

2. It contains punctuation other than spaces or apostrophes.

3. It contains any numerals.

4. It uses apostrophes excessively.

5. It contains more than three words, whether or not represented as three separate words.

6. It commences with either the definite (i.e. “the”) or indefinite (i.e. “a” or “I”) article (e.g. “The Architect” or “A Long Summer” or “I Can Run”).

7. It uses one or more single letters anywhere in the name (e.g. “I Am Trouble” or “I E C” or “JJ”) or the use of words to reflect letters (e.g. “EYE EE CEE” or “DEE JAY”), or the use of acronyms (e.g. “NZ”). When in context, the single letters A or I may be used in the middle or end of a name. (ie “All I Ask” or “About A Girl” or “Who Am I”).

8. Names made up entirely of words that represent numbers.

9. Names prohibited by law or that require the approval of another person by law (e.g. “ANZAC”).

10. Names that do not accord with the indexation requirements of the Stud Books. This includes abbreviated words (other than commonly used contractions – e.g. “she’s”, “can’t”), words misspelt, or words rendered in a manner that is grammatically incorrect (Note: Abbreviated words will be assessed and, if acceptable recorded, as complete words. For example, “Stop “N” Think” would be assessed as “Stop And Think”; “Round em up” would be assessed as “Round them up”; “Shesa Lady” would be assessed as “She’s A Lady”.)

Similar Names

11. It has been allocated to a greyhound anywhere in Australia or New Zealand during the 15 years previous to receipt of the allocation.

12. It has previously been granted to a greyhound recorded as a sire or dam in the Greyhounds Australasia database.

13. It has previously been granted to a greyhound recorded as a group winner in the Greyhounds Australasia database.

14. It is the name of a prominent or renowned greyhound, regardless of when registered.

15. It has close similarity in the pronunciation of another registered name or name to which this policy refers (e.g. “Mr. Yew”, “Mister You”).

16. It uses a term allocated to another person as a Prefix or Suffix in accordance with the Prefix/Suffix Policy.

Unacceptable names

17. The name, in the opinion of Greyhounds Australasia:
(a) has a political or religious connotation;
(b) is too difficult to pronounce or is not discernible;
(c) is derogatory, downgrading or offensive;
(d) is obscene, vulgar, scandalous or controversial including public affair issues;
(e) has a meaning or origin that cannot be satisfactorily substantiated. These considerations apply to words written in English or any other language;
(f) contains any word or words that use, or infer, the concept of “dog” (e.g. “hound”, “poodle”, “canine”, “pup”, “puppy”, “canine”, “kay nine”) or any other breed of dog (e.g. “poodle”, “snoodle”);
(g) rhymes with, or has the pronunciation that is similar to, other names that would be unacceptable;
(h) is offensive or prejudicial to the image or interests of the greyhound racing industry;
(i) includes words not commonly recognised or understood in Australia and New Zealand;
(j) contains multiple words run together.
(k) contains slang, shortened words, nicknames or colloquial terms.

18. It indicates the opposite to the actual sex of the subject greyhound.

19. It imitates wagering or track terms (e.g. “Vacant Box”, “Late Scratching”, “Number Four”, “Red Rug”, “Blue Box”) or would otherwise cause confusion in that regard.

20. It is the name of a prominent racing event without the permission of the appropriate authority.

21. The use of a word or words to imitate a recorded sire, dam, group winner, prominent or renowned greyhound (e.g. “Our Postman Pat” or “Hooked By Scotch”).

Commercial names

22. It is a trade name (whether or not registered as a business name), a registered company or association name, or contains a trade mark (whether or not registered) in use, or reasonably likely to be known, in Australia or New Zealand or anything substantially identical with or deceptively similar to, such a trade mark.

23. It is regarded by the Naming Registrar as having the purpose, effect, or likely effect of promoting a business or the brand name of any goods or services.

24. It uses the names of, or suggestive of, wagering or broadcasting entities. Names of individuals.

25. It is the name, or pseudonym, of, or infers or is a suggestive of, a prominent person (whether living or deceased) (e.g. “Marilyn Monroe” or “Norma Jean Baker”, “Taylor Swift” or “Tail Or Swift”, “Hairy Styles” or “Harry Styles”, “Meghan Debarkle” or “Meghan Markle”). This includes using possessive determiners or pronouns added to a notable person’s name or alias, such as “My Margot Robbie”.