Animal Names for Babies

Beautiful Indigenous name connected to visual artist Dyani White Hawk. Dyani was most popular in 2001, when it was given to 73 baby girls.

Channing is a sophisticated surname name whose use is probably linked to actor Channing Tatum and Channing Crowder, former linebacker for the Miami Dolphins.

Waya pays homage to the wolf — one of the most respected creatures in Native American culture.

Leviathan was a name given to 76 boys in the USA in 2021. It makes a rather unusual Biblical choice, being the name not of a man or angel, but of a sea monster. In literature and popular culture, the term Leviathan has since come to be used as a synonym for any gargantuan, monstrous creature or object (think of the bag in VEEP).

Obsolete Swanhild gives way to oh-so-modern Swan, joining the flock of newly fashionable bird names such as Wren and Lark. In France, the Swann spelling is fashionable for both sexes. But Swan carries an image of grace, though perhaps also a bit of languor. It's a lovely and original name, right for our times.

A name with a double animal connection via two distinct origins, one Native American and the other Hebrew and Biblical. Yona is rare in the US but not unknown: It was given to a dozen baby girls in 2021.

Animal names are on the rise, especially more of the aggressive Hawk-Fox-Wolf variety than cute little Bunnys or Robins, and Hawk is a prime example.

Lovella is most likely a feminine variation on Lovell, a surname. While it feels one of the invented-yet-antiquated girls' names, has the obvious attraction of containing the word "love" within it, as well as the opportunity to use "Ella" as nickname.

Othniel is mentioned in the Bible and Tanakh (in the Book of Judges) where he is the first of the biblical judges mentioned. Othniel was related to Caleb, which might make these two names a nice biblically themed sib-set.

Half-way between Logan and Rowan, Lowan could be an interesting pick for parents looking for an off-the-beaten-track nature name.

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.

In the currently popular solid, serious, two-syllable mold.

This British surname has a somewhat aristocratic air, which ties in to its association with the early American boxing champ "Gentleman Jim" Corbett. Also borne by actor and country singer John Corbett, it blends the sounds of the more popular Corbin, Cory, Barrett, Bennett, and Beckett.

An undiscovered surname possibility with upscale overtones, could be enlivened with nickname Ingo.

Rarely used on its own and irrevocably tied to former House Speaker Gingrich -- who was christened Newton.

This obscure name from Greek mythology (Merope was one of the Pleiades) is better known from J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter series, as the name of Tom Riddle's ill-fated mother.

The kind of serious old-school name that sounds appealing again; perfect for the intrepid baby namer. More commonly spelled Rosamund but highly unusual these days in either version, with fewer than 20 baby girls named Rosamund in the US last year while Rosamond didn't even register with five.

Capella, the eleventh brightest star in the sky, carries much mythological and astrological significance. In Roman mythology, Capella represented the goat that suckled Jupiter, whose horn became the Cornucopia or horn of plenty. In Hindu mythology, Capella is called the heart of Brahma, while English legend calls it the shepherd's star.

One of a handful of Cherokee names meaning "black fox," along with Enoli and Inola.

Another winning and relaxed but energetic o-ending Latin name, sometimes associated with designer Paco Rabanne.