101 Wild Names Meaning Bear

The bear shows up in names across half the world’s languages, from Old Norse and Germanic roots to Celtic and Native American traditions. It stands for the same handful of things almost everywhere: courage, protectiveness, and a steady kind of strength. That makes a bear name a quietly bold pick for a baby.

This list gathers 101 names that mean bear or point straight to one, sorted so you can skim to what you need: 17 girl names, 70 boy names, and 14 unisex options. Each comes with its origin and the story behind it, from familiar picks like Bernard and Orson to less-worn choices carried by old kings, saints, and legends.

Scroll through, and see which one feels like it belongs to your cub.

17 Grizzly Girl Names Meaning Bear

Cuddly yet full of bite, these wild bear names for women leave a lasting impression. The 2020 Census counted 53,615 different first names used at least 100 times across the country ⁽¹⁾, a sign of just how much room there is for a distinctive pick like these.

1. Andarta: A Gaulish goddess name built from the Celtic root for bear, read as “great she-bear.”
2. Arthurine: A lesser-heard female form of Arthur, meaning “bear.”
3. Artio: A name borne by a Celtic bear goddess.
4. Bernadette: This grizzly German girl’s name means “strong as a bear.”
5. Nita: A pretty international name with various meanings, including “friendly” and “bear.”
6. Panda: This cute bear-inspired name makes a fun nickname for Pandora.
7. Sisire: A very rare African Akan name meaning “bear.”
8. Ula: A pretty 3-letter pick among names meaning “bear” for girls, serving as a variant of Ursula.
9. Ursa: Inspired by the nighttime constellations, this name stands out beautifully among girl names that mean “bear.”
10. Ursala: Another pretty girl name similar to Ursula, meaning “little bear.”
11. Ursina: A Swiss-German and Romansh form of the Latin ursa, meaning “little female bear.”
12. Urška: A Slovene form of the Latin Ursula.
13. Ursula: A classic Latin girl’s name meaning “little bear.”
14. Ursule: The traditional French form of Ursula.
15. Ursuline: A frilly form of Ursula, rare among girl names meaning “bear.”
16. Urszula: The Polish form of Ursula, meaning “little bear.”
17. Yrsa: A bold Viking pick among bear names for girls, meaning “wild she-bear.”

70 Manly Boy Names That Mean Bear

Give your little guy a cool, outdoorsy edge with these strong bear names for boys.

1. Adalbern: Meaning “noble bear,” this Germanic name fits a fierce warrior.
2. Airt: A stylish 4-letter Irish name meaning “bear” or “champion.”
3. Alfbern: This magical name combines elements meaning “elf” and “bear.”
4. Arcturus: Means “guardian of the bear,” named after a bright star in the night sky.
5. Arkos: A trendy Greek boy’s name meaning “bear.”
6. Art: An upper-class nickname used for Arthur or other names starting with Art.
7. Artair: A handsome Scottish form of Arthur, meaning “bear.”
8. Artek: A sturdy Polish boy’s name that means “bear.”
9. Arthmael: A regal Welsh name meaning “bear prince” for natural pack leaders.
10. Arthur: A classic name from Celtic mythology and legend, meaning “bear.” Arthur ranked #87 among U.S. boy names in 2025, with 3,847 newborns given the name ⁽²⁾.
11. Artturi: A Finnish form of Arthur, sounding brilliant among boy names that mean “bear.”
12. Ásbjǫrn: A heavenly pick among bear names for boys, meaning “divine bear” with Old Norse origins.
13. Avonaco: A strong Native American name meaning “lean bear.”
14. Baavgai: An unusual Mongolian vocabulary name meaning “bear.”
15. Baloo: The name of the friendly bear in The Jungle Book.
16. Barney: Means “strong as a bear,” commonly used for fictional bear characters.
17. Barrett: This hefty name fits a child with bear-like strength. Barrett ranked #171 among U.S. boy names in 2025, with 2,138 newborns given the name, per the Social Security Administration’s national baby-name data.
18. Bear: A cute celebrity baby name, making it an obvious choice for little cubs.
19. Beowulf: A fierce literary name meaning “bee-wolf,” acting as a metaphor for a bear.
20. Ber: A short Hebrew name meaning “bear.”
21. Bérard: A tough French boy’s name meaning “strong, hard bear.”
22. Berengar: Rooted in German history, this sharp name means “bear spear.”
23. Bernard: A brave and hard pick among German boy names meaning bear.
24. Bjarni: A trendy Old Norse variant of Björn, meaning “bear.”
25. Björn: This cool Swedish name directly translates to “bear.”
26. Bjørnar: Composed of elements meaning “bear” and “army,” full of tough guy spirit.
27. Bruin: A handsome Dutch name meaning “bear” and “brown.”
28. Cub: A cutesy choice for the newest baby bear in your family pack.
29. Dov: Simply means “bear” in Hebrew.
30. Enyeto: This Native American name represents a kid who walks as a bear.
31. Fozzie: Inspired by the famous hat and scarf-wearing Muppet.
32. Freddy: Meaning “peaceful ruler,” playfully connected to the animatronic bear in Five Nights at Freddy’s.
33. Gerben: This Dutch-rooted name means “spear” and “bear.”
34. Hallbjörn: An Icelandic name meaning “rock bear.”
35. Humbert: A very old name with elements meaning “bear cub” and “bright.”
36. Humphrey: Combines elements meaning “bear cub, warrior” and “peace.”
37. Jambavan: Recognized as the king of bears in ancient Hindu texts.
38. Karhu: This cool, rustic Finnish name means “bear.”
39. Kenai: A Native American name meaning “flat lands,” popularized by Disney’s Brother Bear.
40. Lars: Means “crowned with laurels,” used by the titular character in The Little Polar Bear.
41. Mahoney: This smart surname means “descendant of the bear” and works great as a given name.
42. Math: A very old Celtic name meaning “bear.”
43. Mathghamhain: Originating from the same stem, this ancient Celtic name means “bear.”
44. Mato: Means “bear” and originates from Native American Sioux culture.
45. McArthur: Means “son of the bear,” serving as a strong patronymic surname that works well as a first name.
46. Mor’du: A Gaelic bear name from Pixar’s Brave meaning “giant” or “black,” which makes a great choice for a pet dog.
47. Nanuq: This bold Inuktitut name uniquely means “polar bear.”
48. Orson: This sweet Latin name carries the lovable meaning of “bear cub.”
49. Osborne: A surname meaning “god, warrior, bear” drawn from Old Norse influences.
50. Otso: Another fun Finnish pick among boy names that mean “bear.”
51. Ozzy: Also spelled Ozzie, both act as good nicknames for the bear name Osborne.
52. Paddington: Named after the classic bear character from British children’s literature.
53. Rupert: Meaning “bright fame,” also borne by a famous British comic book bear.
54. Sooty: Inspired by the famous bear glove puppet from 1940s British television.
55. Ted: A nickname from Theodore or Edward, instantly making us think of snuggly bears.
56. Thurburn: An accessible variant of Torbjörn, meaning “thunder bear.”
57. Torben: This fierce Scandinavian name carries the awesome meaning of “thunder bear.”
58. Torbjörn: Meaning “thunder bear,” this badass name connects to the Norse god Thor.
59. Unwin: A unique Old English surname and forename meaning “bear cub” or “friend.”
60. Urs: One of the shortest male names that means “bear,” tracing back to German roots.
61. Ursel: A male form of Ursula, meaning “bear.”
62. Urso: An Italian and Portuguese name meaning “bear,” straight from the Latin ursus.
63. Uzumati: This Native American name means “grizzly bear.”
64. Vebjørn: This Norse name holds multiple meanings, including “home” and “bear.”
65. Vernados: The Greek form of Bernard, meaning “strong as a bear.”
66. Vetle: A cool Norse boy name meaning “winter traveler” and “bear cub.”
67. Woong: This strong Korean given name translates to “hero” or “bear.”
68. Yogi: Reminds us of the iconic cartoon bear or a yoga-practicing guru.
69. Yona: This strong international pick means “bear” in Native American culture.
70. Yonaguska: A historical Cherokee chief name that vividly means “drowning bear.”

14 Ursine Unisex Names That Mean Bear

These gender-neutral bear names work perfectly for any forest-dwelling kid.

1. Aata: A fun, gender-neutral Maori name meaning “bear” or “stone.”
2. Armel: Meaning “bear prince,” this saintly name has Welsh roots.
3. Artis: A Latvian short form of Arthur, tracing to the Celtic root art meaning “bear.”
4. Bernie: Short for Bernard or Bernadette, working as a gender-neutral nickname meaning “bear.”
5. Carmen: Means “song” or “charm,” worn by the main character in the popular television series The Bear.
6. García: A common Spanish surname with interpretations including “young,” “strong,” or “bear.”
7. Garsea: A unique variant of Garcia carrying the same bear-themed meaning.
8. Koda: Meaning “friend,” this cute name featured heavily in Disney’s Brother Bear.
9. Misha: A cute Russian bear name popularized by the 1980 Moscow Olympic mascot.
10. Smokey: Inspired by the U.S. Forest Service icon, this name feels cool and safety-conscious.
11. Tarlo: A sweet, unique Native American name meaning “bear cub.”
12. Teddy: A classic form of Ted, reminding us of cuddly plush bears.
13. Wendell: Meaning “traveler,” recognizing one of the iconic bears from Disney’s Country Bear Jamboree.
14. Winnie: A name meaning “fair” and “gentle,” bringing the literary Winnie the Pooh to mind.

Bear Names FAQs