Animal Baby Names: Rare specimens
Animal names seem to be all the rage: Bear, Fox, Wren, and Lark…Not only are there celebrity children with these names, but I see them all over Nameberry. If you’re looking for an animal name but don’t want your daughter to be one of ten Wren’s or your son to be one of five Foxes, then maybe my list of more unusual animal names will help you find something you like.
Brocken – A two-year old stag. Brock was a popular name decades ago, but has since become old and dated. With the popular –en sound at the end, Brocken might be a way to update Brock and use a nature name other haven’t heard.
Fennec – A nocturnal fox that lives in the Sahara desert. Have you ever seen this fox? If not, you need to–it’s a gorgeous animal. Fennec would make a great name in that it sounds like Finnick, a name from the very popular _Hunger Game_s, and has the trendy Finn sound.
Jerboa – A nocturnal desert-dwelling jumping rodent. Go Google search Jerboa while I wait…That’s the cutest mouse you’ve ever seen, isn’t it? Aside from the fact that the Jerboa is adorable, it’s got easily accessible nicknames. It could have Jerry, Bo, or Boa (like the snake).
Urial – A wild central Asian sheep with a reddish coat and long curved horns. Since Ariel seems to have gone to the girls, Urial might be a way to get a similar sound. Aside from being a sheep, Urial is sound alike to Uriel, the name of an Old Testament archangel. Uri makes a fabulous nickname.
Zander – A variety of European perch. This is one of those sneaky nature names that only you will get. Zander, to the average person, is usually a nickname for Alexander, but to you, it’ll be a nature name as well as a fashionable, popular name. It’s the only one on this list that’s in the Nameberry database, just not as a nature name.
Zebrule – The hybrid offspring of a male zebra and a female horse. This one is a little more daring, but I think it’s very cool. It sounds exotic. It has Zeb and Zule (zool), too, which I think are neat nicknames.
Barbet – A stout-billed tropical bird. Barbet is an interesting name. It has the beginning part of Barbara and the end of so many popular French names. Maybe this is a new name to honor grandma Barb? Aside from that, she could go by Barbie, Betty, Ettie…
Cabrilla – An Atlantic sea bass. This might be a good one for fishing families. Cabrilla has the same sorts of sounds as Camilla and Abrilla, with the cute nicknames Cabby and Rilla.
Galah – A blue-white Australian cockatoo. This one’s got that exotic sound. It’s a lovely name and I just think Lala is the cutest nickname.
Jacana – A long-toed tropical freshwater wading bird. Here’s one to bring back Jackie. Jacqueline seems so tired and dated to me, bit Jackie always seemed to have just the right level of boyishness. In addition to Jackie, you could use Ana or Annie.
Rosella – A bright colored Austrailan parakeet. As far as Rose names go, this one is one of my favorites. It’s simple and still elegant, combining the timelessly beautiful Rose and the currently popular Ella.
Vedalia – An Australian pest-eating ladybug. Though this sounds like an onion, Vedalia is actually a type of ladybug. It’s got a gorgeous sound and is perfect as a princessy name but is still nature related. Veda, Dahlia, Dolly, Lia, Via…all great nicknames.
Anoa – An Anoa is a small wild ox of Indonesia. This is a simple, but very nice sounding name. Noah is a boy’s name and Noa is a girl’s name, so this name works perfectly for either gender.
Grayling – A silver-gray freshwater fish. Gray/Grey is a getting pretty popular right now for boys and girls and Grayson/Greyson is getting overdone, so how about Grayling?
Quinnet – The king salmon. Quinn is a unisex name that lots of people like; Quinnet just updates it a bit. Quinn is still there for a boys nickname, Nettie for a girl.