If you count yourself among the animal-obsessed, naming your baby something that reflects your love and appreciation for Earth's creatures is a beautiful choice. There are actually quite a few name ideas that are inspired by various animals. Some are quite obvious, while others are names you might be surprised to find have something to do with the animal world.
Nature is truly a marvelous thing, and with all the beauty there is in the world, using its fauna as baby-name inspiration should be a given. The sheer number of different animals there are in the world, means that there are lots of different names from many different languages that honor the animal kingdom. Keep scrolling to see some of our favorite animal-inspired baby names.
Bear
If bears are one of your favorite animals, it should be noted that it's not unheard of to name a little boy Bear. After all, if Alicia Silverstone can do it, so can we. It's a super-strong sounding name that immediately brings our thoughts to nature.
Leo
Leo is another straightforward animal-inspired name choice for a baby boy, though we're not opposed to using it for a girl as well. Of course, it comes from the Latin word for lion, which is just fierce.
Birdie
Birdie is just the most adorable name for a baby girl. We mostly always thought of it as a cute nickname, but a few years ago, singer and businesswoman Jessica Simpson as well as actress Busy Phillips named their kids Birdie, so now, it's total acceptable for a first name.
Bjorn
If you're looking for an animal-inspired name that's really unusual in the United States, consider Bjorn. It's a Scandinavian boy name that means "bear". So if you love bears but want a name that sounds more like a, well, name, this could be it.
Colt
Colt or Colton are great name choices for horse lovers. It's actually an English surname that refers to someone who "tended to young horses," but we think it's a handsome choice for a first name for a boy.
Deborah
Deborah is a traditional girl name for sure. We had no clue that it was associated with animals. Well… insects really. It comes from a Hebrew word that means, "bee" or "swarm of bees."
Paloma
Paloma is such a pretty name that makes us swoon pretty much every time we hear it. It comes from the Spanish language in which it means, "dove," though some translate it to "pigeon." Because of its association with doves, it's also a name thought to mean "peace."
Raven
Raven is another name associated with a bird. It was originally used as a name for boys, but these days — at least in the U.S. — it's one we typically see used for girls. Ravens are associated with such things as pride and wisdom in various cultures.
Conan
Conan might just be the perfect name for dog lovers expecting a baby boy. It comes from the Gaelic language in which it refers to a "small hound." Some also think it to mean, "wisdom, counsel, strength."
Fox
This is an obvious one, but we think it's pretty adorable. Fox is a name that can be used as a first or middle name for a boy or a girl. If the fox is your favorite animal, why not just go for it? Baby name rules are much looser these days, and this one is super cute.
Lynx
Big cat lovers might just find themselves falling for the name Lynx. It's a name that could work for a boy or girl equally as well. In mythology, lynxes are thought to be "keepers of the secrets of the forests."
Robin
Another bird name, Robin is absolutely precious. It's a more traditional name choice that can also be used for a boy or a girl. It was at one time used as a nickname for the name Robert, which means "bright fame."
Vanessa
Vanessa is such a pretty girl name that sometimes seems so ubiquitous that a lot of people might not have actually thought about what it means. In the Greek language, it means "butterfly," which definitely adds to its appeal.
Ariel
Ariel is a gorgeous name that originally comes from the Hebrew language. It sounds so light and pretty, but it actually means, "lion of God," which is totally awesome. In some cultures it's a name used for boys as well as girls.
Tabatha
Tabatha is a really pretty and not terribly common name that we love the sound of. It comes from the Aramaic language via Ecclesiastic Greek and means "gazelle." Gazelles are so elegant!
