Grab your binoculars and join us on an exciting safari adventure, where we’ll spot some of the most remarkable animal names for babies.
From the smallest of teeny-tiny insects to the biggest of powerful bears, you can find so much inspiration in the animal kingdom, especially when naming your own pack of cubs with unique and unusual names!
No matter your favorite species, we have herded up a whole menagerie of magnificent names meaning animal that would be fantastic for any budding zoologist out there.
Table of Contents
54 Amazing Animal Names for Girls
Use the magic of the animal kingdom to find the most unique and beautiful name for your little girl.
- Alondra – a melodic Spanish girl name meaning “lark.”
- Alouette – a French name meaning “skylark,” oozing gorgeous femininity.
- Arachne – a cool yet creepy name from Greek mythology, meaning “spider.”
- Ava – a pretty diminutive of “avis,” the Latin word for “bird,” and a gorgeous alternative to Eve or Eva.
- Bee – often used as a nickname for names beginning with “B-,” yet also a cute animal name to buzz about.
- Belinda – a luminous female name, meaning “beautiful” in Italian, or “bright snake, serpent” in Germanic.
- Birdie – a sweet pet name derived from the English word for “bird.”
- Bunny – a cute nickname and pet name, makes a cute, fluffy animal-inspired name.
- Cat – a purr-fect animal name, often heard as a nickname for longer names like Catherine or Katya.
- Ceren – a graceful Turkish name meaning “gazelle.”
- Circe – a Greek girl name from mythology, meaning “bird.”
- Darva – a pretty Slavic girl name with the sweet meaning of “honeybee.”
- Deborah – a Hebrew name meaning “bee,” with nicknames including Deb or Debbie.
- Deryn – a pretty Welsh girl name meaning “bird,” also spelled Aderyn.
- Dolphin – a rare yet fun name for a playful water baby.
- Dove – a pure and romantic bird name and an international peace symbol.
- Echidna – the small, spiny anteater-like mammal could make a pretty, feminine name.
- Eilir – a gorgeous name and symbol of change, this Welsh animal name means “butterfly.”
- Enara – a pretty Basque girl’s name, after the swallow bird.
- Fauna – the Roman goddess of nature and animals, makes a fantastic name for a little animal lover.
- Fèngyīng – pronounced “fung-yeeng,” this Chinese female name means “phoenix.”
- Filly – a young female horse, also working as a cool nickname for someone from Philadelphia.
- Flutura – we adore this “fluttery” Albanian name meaning “butterfly.”
- Gallina – a pretty Spanish name for a plucky little “hen.”
- Hotaru – a radiant Japanese girl’s name meaning “firefly.”
- Iwalani – a unique choice among names that mean animal, this Hawaiian pick means “heavenly seagull.”
- Jemima – a sugary-sweet Hebrew girl’s name meaning “dove.”
- Kimana – a Native American girl’s name for a beautiful “butterfly.”
- Kimimela – an adorable Native American girl’s name meaning “butterfly.”
- Kitty – a short form of Katherine and a sweet name for a cute cat.
- Lagle – meaning “goose,” this Estonian girl’s name sure is fun.
- Leona – meaning “lioness,” this smart Latin girl’s name is full of pride.
- Mare – a horse-inspired option, often heard as a nickname for longer names such as Meredith or Maria.
- Mariposa – feminine and delicate, this Spanish girl’s name means “butterfly.”
- Mavis – a vintage-sounding French girl’s name with the melodic meaning of “songbird.”
- Melissa – a popular girl name that’s as sweet as honey, meaning “bee” in Greek.
- Neko – the Japanese word for “cat,” makes a cute girl’s name to consider.
- Oonagh – a great Irish animal name choice, meaning “lamb.”
- Paloma – meaning “pigeon, dove,” this bird’s name from Latin is full of peace.
- Panda – a rare but cute bear-inspired name, also heard as an affectionate nickname for Pandora.
- Parvaneh – a romantic choice among animal names for babies meaning “butterfly” in Persian.
- Philippa – a British girl’s name meaning “friend of horses,” a feminine variant of Philip.
- Piper – a cute musical surname and given name meaning “pipe player” and a type of wading bird.
- Porcia – meaning “pig,” this Roman girl’s name is also commonly spelled, Portia.
- Rachel – a popular girl’s name derived from Hebrew, meaning “ewe.”
- Tabitha – a cute Aramaic name meaning “gazelle” or “gracious, beautiful.”
- Teter – a soft and delicate Armenian name meaning “butterfly.”
- Una – an elegant and modern-looking take on the Irish Oonagh, meaning “lamb.”
- Ursula – a Latin-rooted girl’s name meaning “little bear.”
- Vega – a powerful pick among animal names for girls, Vega means “swooping eagle” in Arabic.
- Yaelle – a romantic Hebrew name for girls meaning “ibex, mountain goat.”
- Yaen – with the unique meaning of “ostrich,” this rare Hebrew girl’s name is sure to stand out.
- Ylva – a great option if you love animal names of Viking origin, Ylva means “she-wolf.”
- Zipporah – meaning “bird,” this Hebrew animal name is full of flight and possibility.
62 Awesome Animal Names for Boys
These cool animal names for boys are full of roar-some adventure!
- Ant – after the animal that may be small but sure is mighty and a popular nickname for Anthony.
- Archippos – an outdated but admirable Greek boy name meaning “friend of horses.”
- Ari – a fantastic animal-inspired name, meaning “lion” in Hebrew or “eagle” in Old Norse.
- Aries – from Roman mythology, this unique name, constellation, and zodiac sign means “ram.”
- Arthur – a great medieval Celtic name meaning “bear.”
- Aslan – a Turkic name meaning “lion.”
- Atsadi – a fresh, watery name of Native American (Cherokee) origin, meaning “fish.”
- Azio – a wise choice, meaning “owl” in Italian.
- Babar – a Pashto and Persian name for boys meaning “tiger.”
- Bakr – a unique Muslim baby name meaning “young camel.”
- Bear – a fierce pick among animal-inspired names that seems cuddly on the inside.
- Billy – a common nickname for William, meaning “resolute protector;” a “billy” is also a male goat.
- Bjorn – a cool Swedish name meaning “bear.”
- Bradan – meaning “salmon,” this Irish animal name may be ancient, but it sounds surprisingly modern.
- Brock – a friendly boy name meaning “badger,” dating back to medieval England.
- Buck – a very masculine-sounding name, after the male deer.
- Colm – this strong, masculine Irish name holds the pure and delicate meaning of “dove.”
- Colt – after the name of a young male horse.
- Condor – a species of vulture and a badass-sounding given name and surname.
- Connor – a popular Irish male name meaning “lover of hounds,” great for a pup-loving baby.
- Corbin – dark and mysterious, this English surname and given name means “crow.”
- Draco – a magical yet menacing Greek name, meaning “dragon, serpent.”
- Drake – great for R&B fans, meaning “dragon,” Drake is also the name of a male duck.
- Dustu – a Cherokee name meaning “spring frog,” great for a perky baby born in the springtime.
- Ezio – a spicy and modern-looking Greek name meaning “eagle.”
- Falcon – a badass regal name after the “king of the birds.”
- Felinus – a Latin male name meaning “cat-like,” cute for a purr-fect baby.
- Fox – a name with cunning connotations, after the sly, red canine.
- Gallus – a cool Roman Latin name meaning “rooster.”
- Gosling – thanks to Ryan Gosling, the word for baby geese, makes a handsome surname and potential first name.
- Hahn – this German name meaning “rooster” would make an attractive male given name.
- Heron – a surname or possible cool first name after the elegant wading bird.
- Jistu – another Cherokee animal name after the legendary trickster “rabbit.”
- Joey – a popular nickname for Joseph and a name for a baby kangaroo.
- Jonah – a handsome biblical Hebrew name with the peaceful meaning of “dove.”
- Jonas – a variant of Jonah, also with the bird-inspired meaning of “dove.”
- Karhu – a cool, woody Finnish name meaning “bear.”
- Kit – a short, cool nickname used for various baby animals, including squirrels, raccoons, and rabbits.
- Leo – a short and popular pick from Latin, meaning “lion.”
- Leonard – a longer variation of Leo, meaning “brave lion.”
- Lonán – a sweet Gaelic boy’s name meaning “blackbird.”
- Mayur – a charming Hindi name meaning “peacock,” great for a charming little lad!
- Nanuq – a chilly choice among animal names for boys, meaning “polar bear” from Inuktitut.
- Oisín – a very popular Irish wildlife name meaning “little deer.”
- Ormr – from Old Norse, this slithery name means “snake” or “serpent.”
- Orson – a cool Latin name full of the animal spirit, with the cute meaning of “bear cub.”
- Oscar – a very popular English name, meaning “friend of deer” or “deer friend.”
- Otso – a cuddly Finnish boy’s name meaning “bear.”
- Panther – a cool and slick choice among animal-inspired names.
- Philip – a Greek-rooted name meaning “friend of horses,” perfect for animal-loving parents.
- Poe – a Norse-rooted surname meaning “peacock” could be a cool given name.
- Ronan – a handsome Gaelic male name with the sea-loving meaning of “little seal.”
- Rudolph – a German-rooted boy name meaning “famous, glorious wolf,” also associated with a festive reindeer.
- Simba – popularized by Disney’s The Lion King, this Swahili name means “lion.”
- Singh – a common Sikh surname and middle name, meaning “lion” in Sanskrit.
- Tiger – a powerful pick among animal names for boys, with fire and bite.
- Tipu – a sweet-sounding, safari-themed Indian male name meaning “tiger.”
- Todd – soft and gentle like an animal protector, this English male name means “fox.”
- Wilbur – a strong, old-fashioned English name meaning “wild boar” or “resolute” in Old German.
- Wolf – an adventurous animal name for outdoorsy lads.
- Wolfgang – an earthy, no-nonsense German name meaning “traveling wolf.”
- Ze’ev – or Zev, a hot Hebrew boy’s name meaning “wolf.”
19 Gender-Neutral Names Meaning Animal
From the feisty to the fluffy and cute, these unisex animal-inspired names are fit for everyone.
- Ariel – a strong biblical Hebrew name meaning “lion of God,” seen in popular culture.
- Chick – a chirpy pet name for your new baby chicken.
- Fiadh – a magical-sounding fairytale of a name meaning “deer” in Irish.
- Gatti – meaning “cat,” this Italian surname would make a fun given name for a curious kid.
- Griffin – a unique animal name after the mythological eagle/lion hybrid creature.
- Jay – often heard as a nickname for “J-” names and also a cute type of bird.
- Kamome – meaning “seagull” in Japanese, Kamome is unique but majestic.
- Lark – a pretty and romantic bird-inspired name for a dreamy baby.
- Lenni – a sweet and friendly Finnish name meaning “brave lion.”
- Lynx – this big cat name sounds like it’d make a stylish given name.
- Newt – this small amphibian has been used for various characters in fantasy movies and popular culture.
- Peura – great for a Christmas-born baby, this gender-neutral Finnish name means “reindeer.”
- Phoenix – a magical name after the mythical bird that rebirths from its ashes.
- Raven – dark and mysterious, we adore this ominous bird-inspired name.
- Ray – a gorgeous name for a new little sunbeam, inspired by the type of fish.
- Robin – this sweet, gender-neutral bird name makes us think of the friendly red-breasted winter bird.
- Sable – a Slavic name meaning “black” and a funny type of rodent.
- Spider – a creepy-crawly animal name for the coolest kid on the block.
- Wren – a sweet and curious name after the small songbird.
