Names That Mean Deer

  1. Roscoe
    • Origin:

      English, Norse
    • Meaning:

      "deer forest"
    • Description:

      Fairly popular a hundred years ago but out of the US charts since 1978, the quirky yet edgy Roscoe feels very much in step with the trending o-ending boy names popular now, such as Milo, Hugo, and Otto. A Top 1000 choice in the UK (albeit near the latter end), it could make a cool alternative to Ross, Russell, Robert, and Ronan.
  2. Darby
    • Origin:

      Irish, English, Norse
    • Meaning:

      "free from envy; from the deer estate"
    • Description:

      Once a common boy name in Ireland, the dynamic Darby now has a definite unisex feel. A bit like a mash up between Darcy and Ruby, it appeared in the US Top 1000 in the 90s, peaking in 1995 when it reached #499. It's likely this sudden interest in Darby was owing to the 90s book and film, The Pelican Brief, starring Julia Roberts as a law student called Darby.
  3. Oisin
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little deer"
    • Description:

      Oisin is one of the most popular Irish baby names in its native land, though largely unknown in the US. The original Oisin was the mythological son of Finn McCool and Sadb, the goddess who was changed into a deer. A legendary war hero and poet, Oisin had a name that is also reminiscent in sound of the ocean. Pronounced correctly, this name has an attractive sheen.
  4. Davina
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "little deer"
    • Description:

      A Scottish favorite that could make it here thanks to its similarity to the word divine. It's the most popular of several feminizations of David used in Scotland, including Davida, Davinia and Davidina, which have less of a chance in the U.S. It reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time in two decades in 2016.
  5. Issi
    • Origin:

      Choctaw, Native American, English
    • Meaning:

      "deer; pledged to God"
    • Description:

      As a Choctaw name, Issi is an animal inspired choice, in which the double S is pronounced with a pause between like in "dress suit."
  6. Fawn
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Meaning:

      "a young deer"
    • Description:

      The doe-eyed Fawn is as gentle and soft as the baby deer it represents. And much like that baby deer, it carries with it the potential of new life. Fawn was featured at the bottom of the Top 1000 throughout the '60s and '70s — around the same time that Bambi came into play. But unlike Bambi, Fawn maintains relevance in the 21st century, thanks to its warmth and ties to the natural world. We would love to meet more baby girls named Fawn.
  7. Fauna
    • Origin:

      Roman, English word name, from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "young deer; all the animals that live in a particular area"
    • Description:

      Fauna is the Roman goddess of the earth as well as one of the fairies who protected Disney's "Sleeping Beauty". It can also be considered a word name with a scientific, nature focused feel. Used to as a way to refer to all the animals in a particular area, habitat, or time period, many might think of the phrase "Flora and Fauna" on seeing the name.
  8. Darby
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "from the deer estate"
    • Description:

      Spirited and bubbly, but handsome and preppy too, Darby is a surname style choice that fits in well with the likes of Alby and Lennox.
  9. Ossian
    • Origin:

      Old Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little deer"
    • Description:

      Ossian, or Osian, from the Old Irish name Oisin, was the son of Finn in Irish legend that was transformed into a Scottish hero in the Ossianic poems of James Macpherson in the eighteenth century--which also popularlized Oscar, Fingal, Selma and Malvina.
  10. Buck
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "male deer or rabbit"
    • Description:

      Comedian Roseanne Barr chose this macho nature name for her son. In the 18th century it was used to describe a dashing, fashionable dressed man. Buck fits in well alongside names like Beck, Jack and Huck.
  11. Raleigh
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "meadow of roe deer"
    • Description:

      Attractive North Carolina place-name and surname of explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. Distinctive, classy-but-approachable choice for either sex.
  12. Hershey
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Hershel, German and Yiddish
    • Meaning:

      "deer"
    • Description:

      Hershey is best-known in the US as a brand of chocolate, named after the company's founder, Milton Hershey. Hershey and its many variations, including Hersh and Hershkovitz, is most commonly a surname that may be either German or Jewish.
  13. Xiamara
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Guiomar, Spanish, Portuguese
    • Meaning:

      "famous in battle"
    • Description:

      The longer form of Xia is more rhythmic but also more problematic.
  14. Roscoe
    • Origin:

      English, Norse
    • Meaning:

      "deer forest"
    • Description:

      Though Roscoe is an edgy hipster name for boys (with a much longer history of use than you might imagine), it's an even edgier name for girls, appearing in US stats in 1927 and then again in 2024. Its rarity is almost surprising, given its similarity in sound or style to trending choices like Rosalyn, Rowan, Winslow, Cleo, Collins, and Harlow.
  15. Kauri
    • Origin:

      Maori or Finnish
    • Meaning:

      "tree or deer"
    • Description:

      A Maori name derived from a type of tree native to New Zealand's North Island.
  16. Doe
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "a female deer"
    • Description:

      Doe is a soft and gentle-eyed middle name possibility and, like Fawn, one of the few animal names open to girls.
  17. Buckley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "meadow of the deer"
    • Description:

      Mama's boy.
  18. Riles
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "rye hill; roe deer hill"
    • Description:

      Riles is the coolest surname name that nobody's using. Seriously nobody — Riles (and the older version of the name, Ryles) have never been given to more than five American baby boys in a single year. But we're hoping to put Riles on the map. Its similarities to trendy names like Riley and Miles make it a great option if you're looking for a name that fits in but stands out.
  19. Fiadhnait
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little deer"
    • Description:

      Sweet Irish saint's name related to the rising star Fiadh.
  20. Kinta
    • Origin:

      Choctaw, Native American
    • Meaning:

      "deer"

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