Names That Mean Bear

This Welsh name, also used in France, is the name of a 6th century saint who went to Brittany and established abbeys. Armel has a pleasant and familiar sound, making it easily used outside of Wales and France.

Benno is a cool name in its own right -- there was a tenth century Saint Benno -- though it is also used as a lively nickname for Benjamin. Saint Benno of Meissen is the patron saint of anglers and weavers and, strangely enough, alliteration.

Fierce meaning, gentle image. This name is very common in Israel, where an endearing pet form is Dubi.

Cool bearlike option, though Orson might be easier to embrace.

Reversed vowels make it seem less fierce.

Bruin is the Old English term for bear, taken from the Dutch word meaning brown. Bruin might be a sports fan's choice or an animal name in hiding. As a kind of hybrid of Roone and Bruno, it's definitely got some cool.

Unusual multicultural choice that may appeal to the artistically inclined. The bear meaning gives it a new trendy edge as an animal name.

Unusual multicultural choice that may appeal to the artistically inclined. The bear meaning gives it a new trendy edge as an animal name.

Orson is being rediscovered and Orsino is every bit as attractive.

Derived from the Gaulish and old Celtic word artos meaning "bear", Artula shares its roots with the classic boy name Arthur. Some sources also suggest it could be linked, or even part of the inspiration behind the Latin name Ursula, which has the same meaning, but from the Latin Ursa.

The advantage of Orsa over the arguably-more-attractive Ursula is that it breaks the tie to the hideous she-witch of The Little Mermaid. Orsa definitely feels more ready for modern life now that brother name Orson is on the rise.

Berengaria was one of the medieval queens of England - married to Richard I (also known as Richard the Lionheart). She was originally from Navarre (in modern northern Spain) and despite being the Queen of England, she only lived in England after her husband had died. Despite its royal roots, Berengaria is one of the less attractive medieval names, although it gets points for having an unusually strong meaning for a feminine name.

Hip short form of Bernard, also Swiss place-name.

As dated as the old Pat Boone song.

Berangere has never seen much usage in the US, but it has an interesting meaning of "bear spear." The name it stems from—Berengaria—was used as a common royal name during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

The first name of famed designer Balenciaga, was also the birth name of Christopher Columbus--aka Cristobal Colon. A name still well used in the Hispanic community.

A surname style choice that could get you nicknames Bear and Ozzy, which is pretty cool. It comes from the Old English variant of the Old Norse Ásbjǫrn, which was introduced to England after the Norman conquest and used occasionally as a given name ever since. Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell used the spelling variation Osborne in her final novel, Wives and Daughters.

Once a diminutive for Arthur, now used in its own right. Tuur is a Top 100 name in Belgium and a Top 300 name in the Netherlands.

Too close in sound to the so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out Bernard.

With the growing popularity for girls of such names as Aubrey and Audrey, Auberon feels like a fresh and viable option.