Animal Names: Doe, Tiger and Elk

Griffin

Welsh, variation of Griffith

"strong lord"

Griffin is one of the newer and most appealing of the two-syllable Celtic surnames. In English, griffin is the name of a mythological creature, half eagle, half lion. It re-entered the list in 1983…

Colt

Word name

"young horse"

Colt is the kind of unconventionally macho name that is so trendy right now, because of or in spite of its association with horses and guns. A rent study of voter names by political party found that…

Zander

Diminutive of Alexander

"defending men"

On the rise as an independent name: Zander and Xander are both widely used can increasingly be found as characters in movies and on TV.

Bear

Animal name

"bear"

Bear has suddenly lumbered onto the baby name landscape. Perhaps inspired by British adventurer Bear Grylls (born Edward Michael), first celebrity chef Jamie Oliver used it as the middle name for his…

Joey

Diminutive of Joseph

"Jehovah increases"

This nickname for popular and traditional Joseph has a long history of being used as a given name all on its own. Nonetheless, everyone will always assume that Joey is short for the longer form. It…

Kit

English, diminutive of Christopher

"bearer of Christ"

Actor Kit Harington, aka the dreamy Jon Snow on Game of Thrones , has given this nickname-name new style and appeal for boys. Actress Jodie Foster used it for her son back in the 2000s, while actor…

Fox

Animal name

Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files . Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting…

Wolf

Animal name or diminutive of Wolfgang, German

" traveling wolf"

Wolf is a name with a split personality. It can be seen as one of the fierce animal names, like Fox and Bear and Puma, with a touch of the werewolf, or it can be viewed as a quieter, Wolf Blitzer…

Buck

English

"male deer or rabbit"

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…

Ram

Arabic, Sanskrit, Hebrew

"archer; pleasing; exalted"

One of the most familiar, and assertive, names found throughout the Middle East and India, Ram has an assertive and solid air about it. Derived from a number of different origins, in English speaking…

Lynx

Animal name

One of the fierce new animal names new to name lists, helped by its strong x-ending.

Lion

English animal name, Hebrew

"lion; my strength"

Lion is a masculine name taken straight from the name of the animal, associating it with strength, courage, and nobility across many cultures. With Germanic, French, and English language roots, Lion…

Tiger

English

"animal name"

Other wild animals like Fox, Wolf and Bear are catching on as baby names, and Tiger is a rarer option with several famous namesakes, including golf champ Tiger Woods, who was born Eldrick. Other…

Gryphon

Mythological animal name or form of Griffin, Welsh

"strong lord"

Rare but rising, Gryphon is an intriguing name that combines several stylish associations. The Gryphon spelling relates directly to the fierce legendary creature that's eagle in front, lion behind.…

Newt

English

"a small salamander"

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

Pike

American animal name

"pike, a fish"

The field of nature names is constantly expanding to include all species of flowers and trees and animals and birds and even fish. In addition to its appeal for anglers, Pike recalls Zebulon Pike,…