Bird Names for Babies

Associated with a 16th century Gunpowder Plotter and a phoenix in the Harry Potter series, Fawkes, also spelled Vaulx, Vaux, and Faulks, comes from the Norman name Faulques, which in turn came from a Germanic nickname meaning "falcon". Theoretically, it could fit into the "last names as first names" trend, and with the rise of boy names ending in -s, such as Brooks and Banks, however, many might link it too closely with Guy Fawkes and in English-speaking countries it might sound too much like a piece of cutlery (or a swearword, perhaps).

Fawkes

Gentle sounding but with a bright and powerful meaning, Bennu is a name associated with both mythology and astronomy.
 
Originally an ancient Egyptian deity, Bennu is associated with the sun, creation, and rebirth. He is said to have played a part in the creation of the world, having come into being by himself, and let out a call that shaped the path of creation. Also associated with Osiris and rebirth and depicted as a large, human-sized heron (a species which did in fact exist), Bennu is possibly the inspiration behind the legend of the Phoenix. 
 
Bennu is also the name of a carbonaceous asteroid, listed as a potentially hazardous object, that was the subject of a space mission in which artefacts of the asteroid were brought back to earth. 
 
Bennu is also a Turkish feminine name, deriving from different roots, and a Welsh word meaning "decide" or "determine".

Bennu

A peaceful Dutch name that many English speakers will find tough to pronounce.

Douwe

An (understandably) rare word name, Kite nevertheless has the sounds of two favorites — Kai and Kit. The word kite possibly derives from Proto-Indo-European roots and means "screech", however, it is better known as the name of a bird of prey and a toy designed to be flown in the wind. It might also be used to describe a fraudulent bill, cheque, or receipt.
 
Kite has been given to a number of fictional characters including Missouri Kite "Kite" from Natasha Pulley's novel The Kingdoms, the main character from the .hack franchise, and to a character in the anime and manga series Hunter x Hunter — also called Kaito in Japanese.

Kite

An Albanian word name with spiky yet playful sounds, Bilbil ultimately derives from the Arabic bulbul, meaning "nightingale". It is used as a masculine name in Albania, however in the Philippines, it is used as slang for love handles.

Bilbil

A rustic yet aristocratic boy name, derived from an English surname and place name. It derives from the Old English name Hræfn and the element wic to create the cool meaning "raven's settlement".

Renwick

This 1950s Welsh bird name sounds less dated than our fifties Robin. 

Deryn

From the Ojibwe word for feather, Miigwan is used by the Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region and the northern plains. It was used for a a character in the 2022 Canadian TV comedy series, Shoresy, played by Keilani Rose A nature connected name, the name Miigwan reflects the important of feathers in Ojibwe culture, in which they may symbolize a breath of air or a connection to the divine, though the meaning greatly varies depending on the type and color of the feather.

Miigwan

This Old English name feels as if it could have stepped out of a fantasy novel, but it may be just similar enough to Everett and Elliot that it could work in the real world. Derived from the elements elfitu meaning "swan" and either ēa meaning "stream, river" or ēg meaning "island", it is a nature related option name, given to an area in the city of Durham in England.
 
Another possible origin is from the medieval Welsh poem, Y Gododdin, about a hero king who fights and dies at the Battle of Catraeth in the 7th century. Known as Madog Elfed or Madawc Elvet, it is suggested that readers are meant to interpret Madog as King of Elvet, Elvet possibly referring to a place in Wales, the aforementioned Durham area, or to Elmet, an old independent kingdom in what is now Yorkshire. In this case, Elvet or Elfed could be a poetic Welsh word for "autumn", though this is speculation rather than certain.

Elvet

A sweet, short, and sunny name, with international flair, Suna had its roots in a number of different languages. 
 
As a Turkish name, Suna means "duck, drake", or more specifically, it is used to refer to ruddy or common shelducks (suna ördeği), large waterfowl that live on salt marshes or inland lakes. It is notably borne by actress Suna Selen and violinist, Suna Kan.
 
From its Japanese roots, Suna can mean "sandy shore" however, the meaning will vary depending on the kanji combination that is used. Alternatively, in Hausa, Suna relates to the word for "name, title, reputation", adding something lofty and regal to the choice.
 
In Sweden and Denmark, and occasionally in other Scandinavian countries, Suna may be used as a feminine form of Suni or Sune, meaning "son", which, figuratively, could make this mean "daughter". 
 
Similar in sound to Sunny, Una, Luna, Sunniva, and Susanna, Suna may work in multiple languages — though particularly cautious English speakers may be put off the name for the same reasons they might be dissuaded from Lana.

Suna

This animal name sails from Greenland, where it's an elaboration on the word ptarmigan, aqisseq, referring to a ptarmigan chick. But the arctic bird is not the name's only significant namesake: Aqissiaq is also the name of the protagonist of a well-known Greenlandic folk story, making this a layered cultural choice.

Aqissiaq

Bird name Finch has been quietly used in the US since the early 2010s, perhaps thanks to the rise of Wren and Birdie, and because of its connection to Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Longer form Finchley has yet to appear in the stats, however, it may interest those who like Wrenley and Finley, but also want something ultra-rare. 
 
Finchley is a district in North London and may also be used as a surname.

Finchley

A Greenlandic name with a sweet meaning: it directly translates to brood egg, but it is also interpreted as the embraced one, as a bird sits on its eggs to hatch them. Other unisex or feminine forms of this name are Ivaneq and Ivaana, both meaning the brooded one, and Ivaaraq, the sweet little brooded one.

Ivaaq

First used in Iceland back in the 1940s, Arnrún is an officially approved name. It may be interpreted as meaning "secret eagle",  or more figuratively, "eagle magic" or "eagle's secret lore", lending it a hint of mystique. Occasionally spelled as Arnrun outside of Iceland, it has been used quietly in Iceland since it was approved. 

Arnrún

A bright and melodic name, Lushanya is derived from the Chickasaw language, spoken by the Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands of the US. It is believed to come from the words taloowa meaning "sing" and foshi meaning "bird". 
 
The name was notably used by Tessie Mobley, a famous opera singer of the 20th century who was sometimes known as the "Songbird of the Chickasaws". She chose the name to honor her Chickasaw heritage and for its musical meaning. A rare choice, it has been occasionally used since though never enough to make the US stats.

Lushanya

An unexpected nature option with a bright, on-trend sound and a totally cool bird meaning, Ninox is the name of a genus of owls, including hawk-owls and boobooks. Said as NYE-noks, it could get you to nickname Nox (like Knox) or quirky Nye. 
 
Also used for the name of a business app, it was chosen by chef Mike Eggert in 2024.

Ninox

A bird name from the same Latin root as Aurelia, Oriole is extremely rare as a name: No babies were given the name in the US in 2022. But most people are aware of the Oriole bird, which makes this name uncommon yet possible.

Oriole

A blend of gentleness, sharpness, and trendiness, Dovian is a modern invention, inspired by the word name Dove or by the Hebrew name Dov, meaning "bear". Blended with the popular -ian suffix, the name evokes peace and calm or strength and power. You could say it as DUV-ee-uhn or DOHV-ee-uhn, depending on which associations you want.

Dovian

Dashing Latin surname name -- but also a well-known brand of Spanish packaged foods. 

Ortega

Professional surfer Craig Elmer Chapman went by the avian nickname Owl. We could see it working as a given name, a la Hawk and Dove.

Bird names for babies are one of the hottest of the hot nature categories, all the way from Birdie to Wren. Bird names can work as unique first names or meaningful 

 and are often appropriate for both sexes.

While many bird names come straight out and announce themselves, as Robin or Hawk, others are more subtle, carrying bird meanings. Cool bird names for baby girls include Paloma, which means dove, and Vega, which means swooping eagle. Unique bird names for baby boys include Corbin, which means crow, and Lonan, which means blackbird.

Along with Paloma and Wren, other bird baby names among the 

 include Arden, Ava, Callum, Gavin, Jay, Jonas, Mavis, and Robin. Up-and-coming bird names to listen for include Adler, Astor, Dove, and Lark.

Robin, almost exactly evenly divided between the sexes in the US, is a Top 100 name for boys in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium, and in the Top 100 for girls in the Netherlands.

, you may want to search more deeply into the new genre of bird names for babies, with many choices that work for both girls and boys as well as dozens of 

Here, our entire collection of bird names for babies.

Bird Names for babies, including bird-themed names for baby girls and baby boys with meanings, origins, and popularity. (Page 10)

160+ Bird Names for Babies