Animal names for babies run from the openly wild to the quietly hidden, and all 100 below carry a creature somewhere in their meaning. Some say it outright, like Bear, Fox, and Kitty. Others bury it in an old root, the way Everett holds a wild boar and Callum a dove.
Two of these are still top 100 names in the United States. Aria ranked 26th and Everett 77th in the 2025 Social Security data (1). At the other end, Phelan came in at 13,402nd, about one in every 333,000 births. Birdie is the biggest mover here, running roughly 12 times more common across the last ten years of births than the ten years before them.
Every entry gives gender, origin, meaning, pronunciation, and where the name actually stands in U.S. records. Names too rare for the federal files to publish are labeled that way instead of being handed an invented number (2).
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Aria, Everett, Callum, Beckett and Griffin.
- Aria
- Everett
- Callum
- Beckett
- Griffin
100 Cute Animal Inspired Names for Boys and Girls
Keep reading to find fun animal names for babies that honor creatures big and small.
Abeille
Abeille comes from the French word for a bee, and it sounds every bit as light as the insect it names. Spelled Abiel, it turns into a Hebrew boy’s name meaning my father is the Lord, which gives one small word two very different lives. French navy ships have carried the name too. Say it out loud and the soft ending does most of the work.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Bee
- Pronunciation: AEH-beh-Ehl
- Variations: Abielle, Abiel
- Namesakes: Abeille Gélinas, a Canadian actress known for the TV series 3 Seasons in 2009.
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. records. The Social Security Administration publishes only names given to at least five babies in a year, and Abeille has never cleared that line.
Abitha
Abitha carries the sense of a gazelle or a doe, along with the meanings lovely and hearty in Hindi. It works as a variation of Tabitha, so a family drawn to that older name has a softer, less familiar option. The pairing of a deer image with a gentle sound is what makes it worth a second look.
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: Gazelle, doe
- Pronunciation: Eh-BIH-thah
- Namesakes: Abitha, an Indian actress known for the Sun TV series Thirumathi Selvam from 2007 to 2013.
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data. Abitha stays an Indian girl name that American parents have not picked up.
Alondra
Alondra is the Spanish word for a lark, and it also works as a nickname for Alejandra, the Spanish version of Alexandra. The lark is known for its song, which suits a name that already rolls like one.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Lark
- Pronunciation: Ah-LAON-Drah
- Variations: Alandra
- Namesakes: Alondra Quintero, a Mexican voiceover actress known for the anime series Naruto. Alondra de la Parra, a Mexican conductor and founder of the Mexican-American Orchestra in 2003.
- Popularity: Ranked 680th for U.S. girls in 2025, a long way from its best showing of 120th in 2005. It has appeared in the federal data since 1959.
Ander
Ander is a Basque form of Andrew and a Swedish form of Andreas. It may trace back to the Greek Alexander, carrying the lion man reading underneath. Beyond that, it holds the plainer senses of man and warrior. Two syllables and no nickname required, it travels easily across Spanish and Basque families.
- Origin: Greek, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Lion man
- Pronunciation: AEN-Der
- Variations: Anders
- Namesakes: Ander García, a Spanish basketball player for Saski Baskonia. Ander Monson, an American writer, and editor of the literary magazine DIAGRAM.
- Popularity: Ranked 728th for U.S. boys in 2025, close to its best year of 566th in 2023. It first turned up in the data in 1908, so the recent climb is a revival rather than a debut.
Arden
Arden points to the eagle valley, and in Old English it also means high. It attaches to real places in Great Britain, the Forest of Arden in Warwickshire among them. In Hebrew it reads as garden of Eden. That mix of bird, height, and garden gives it more range than most unisex picks.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: From the eagle valley
- Pronunciation: AARD-ehn
- Variations: Ardan, Arrden
- Namesakes: Arden Maddison, an English footballer for Stoke. Arden Hayes, an American child prodigy known for reciting Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.”
- Popularity: Ranked 975th in the U.S. in 2025. Its best year was 1930 at 738th, and it has been in the data since 1914.
Aria
In Greek mythology, Aria is the mother of Miletos, whose father was the god Apollo. The lioness meaning sits alongside a musical one, since an aria is the solo interlude in an opera. A girl named Aria gets a big cat and a big voice in one small name.
- Origin: Greek, Italian
- Meaning: Lioness
- Pronunciation: AAR-iy-Ah
- Variations: Ariah, Aryia
- Namesakes: Aria Aber, a German-Afghan poet whose work has appeared in The New Yorker. Aria Fischer, an American water polo player who competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Aria ranked 26th for U.S. girls in 2025, the highest placed name on this list. Its best year was 19th in 2018, and it has been recorded since 1900.
Ariel
Ariel is an angelic lion in Jewish and Christian mysticism. It comes from the Hebrew ari’el, meaning lion of God, and served as a symbolic name for Jerusalem. Disney gave it a second life underwater, but the older reading is the stronger one.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Lion of God
- Pronunciation: AER-iy-Ahl
- Variations: Arriel, Arriele, Arriell
- Namesakes: Ariel Schulman, an American filmmaker who directed two of the Paranormal Activity films.
- Popularity: Ranked 356th in the U.S. in 2025, down from a best of 66th in 1991. It has appeared in the data since 1892.
Arnold
Arnold is built from the Germanic arn, meaning eagle, and wald, meaning brightness, with Arnwald as an earlier form. Arnie is the easy shortening most people reach for, though the eagle and brightness roots are the more interesting part of the name.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Eagle power
- Pronunciation: AAR-Nahld
- Variations: Arnolde
- Namesakes: Arnold Schwarzenegger, an Austrian-American actor and the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. Arnold Smith, the first Commonwealth Secretary-General from 1965 to 1975.
- Popularity: Ranked 1,477th in the U.S. in 2025, far below its 1916 high of 89th. It has been in the records since 1880.
Auberon
Auberon means royal bear and also noble in German, and it grew out of the surname Alberich. It is a formal name with a soft landing, and Bron or Berry both work as short forms. Little about it feels ordinary.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Royal bear
- Pronunciation: AO-ber-Ahn
- Variations: Auberron
- Namesakes: Auberon Waugh, an English journalist who wrote for the publication Private Eye. Auberon Herbert, a British politician and the President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries between 1914 and 1915.
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2022, at 12,534th. Its best year was 2021 at 9,814th, and it only entered the data in 2015. It stays an uncommon English pick.
Averett
Averett means brave in Old English and grew out of the German surname Eberhard, which carries the strong boar sense. It also means strong and hardy. Everett is the familiar cousin, so Averett gives a family the same sound with a rarer spelling.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Strong boar
- Pronunciation: AHV-eh-Reht
- Popularity: Ranked 8,999th in the U.S. in 2025, with a best year of 5,123rd in 2018. It first appeared in 2014, so it is a genuinely new arrival.
Ayala
Ayala means doe in Hebrew. In Spanish it works as a surname for people living near a pasture, which is where the second sense of pasture or hillside comes from. The three open vowels make it easy to say in either language.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Deer, gazelle
- Pronunciation: Ah-YAA-Laa
- Variations: Ayalah, Ayalla, Ayallah
- Namesakes: Ayala Hetzroni, an Israeli Olympic shot putter and Israeli Women’s Champion in 1960 and 1962. Ayala Ingedashet, an Israeli-Ethiopian singer and TV host on the Briza TV channel.
- Popularity: Ranked 2,359th for U.S. girls in 2025, which is its best year on record. It has appeared in the data since 1974.
Bear
Bear comes from the German bera, meaning the brown one. Bears stand for power, independence, and courage, and the name says all of that in one syllable. It also works as a nickname for a longer formal name, which is how plenty of families ease into it.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Strong, brave bear
- Pronunciation: BEHR
- Variations: Baer
- Namesakes: Edward “Bear” Grylls, a British TV presenter for the series Man vs. Wild (2006 to 2011). Bear McCreary, an American composer most known for their work on the TV series Battlestar Galactica (2004).
- Popularity: Ranked 853rd for U.S. boys in 2025, near its best year of 760th in 2022. It has been in the data since 1975.
Beckett
Beckett means bee cottage in English and Irish, putting a hive at the center of a name most people read as a surname. Beck is the obvious short form for a family that wants an easier version day to day. The literary association with Samuel Beckett gives it real weight. That reputation is likely to outlast the surname reading it started from.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Beehive
- Pronunciation: BEH-Kaht
- Variations: Becket
- Namesakes: Beckett Bould, a British actor who appeared in 1930s films like Black Diamonds and The Outcast.
- Popularity: Ranked 141st for U.S. boys in 2025, its best year yet. It first charted in 1992 and has climbed steadily since.
Benno
Benno comes from the German name Berenhard, built from bernu, meaning bear, and harduz, meaning brave. It reached England from Normandy after 1066. The double n gives it a bounce that the longer forms lose.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Brave bear
- Pronunciation: BEHN-ow
- Variations: Beno
- Namesakes: Benno Wiss, a Swiss bicycle racer and silver medalist at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Benjamin “Benno” Fürmann, a German actor and winner of the 1999 German Television Award For Best Actor.
- Popularity: Ranked 9,835th in the U.S. in 2025. Its best year was 1916 at 2,276th, and it has been recorded since 1912.
Bernadette
Bernadette is based on the German ber, meaning bear, and hard, meaning strong. It is the female form of Bernard, carrying the same bear and strength roots into a softer shape. Bernie, Betty, and Nadette all sit inside it. That gives a long, formal name plenty of shorter everyday options. Few borrowed French names have settled into everyday American use as thoroughly as this one has.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Brave bear
- Pronunciation: Behr-naa-DEHT
- Variations: Beradette, Bernadete, Bernadet, Bernedette
- Namesakes: Bernadette Peters, an American actress with seven Tony Awards nominations. Bernadette Chirac, the widow of the former president Jacques Chirac.
- Popularity: Ranked 1,034th for U.S. girls in 2025, a long fall from 188th in 1946. It has been in the records since 1880.
Birdie
Birdie means bright and famous in German and grew out of the Old English surname Byrd. It spent decades as a grandmother name and came back as a sweet name for a new generation. The comeback is the real story here, and the numbers back it up.
- Origin: English, German
- Meaning: Bird
- Pronunciation: BEHR-Diy
- Variations: Birdey, Birdy, Byrdie
- Namesakes: Birdie Alexander, an American educator, and original Music Supervisors’ National Conference member. Birdie Draper, an American stunt performer, known as the “Queen of the Daredevils.”
- Popularity: Ranked 670th for U.S. girls in 2025, after a best year of 328th in 1913. It is the fastest riser on this list, running about 12 times more common across the last ten years of births than the ten years before them.
Bjorn
Bjorn comes from the Old Norse bjorn, meaning bear. In Norway it also shortens place names such as Bjornsplass, and Swedish and German use it too, with only small changes in accent. It stays close to its Norse root no matter which spelling a family lands on. It pairs comfortably with a longer, more traditional middle name, keeping the two balanced.
- Origin: Swedish
- Meaning: Bear
- Pronunciation: Biy-OHRN
- Variations: Bjoern, Bjorne
- Namesakes: Björn Þórðarson, the prime minister of Iceland from 1942 to 1944. Bjorn Thorsrud, an American music producer who worked with the rock band Smashing Pumpkins.
- Popularity: Ranked 829th for U.S. boys in 2025, close to its best year of 766th in 2021. It has been in the data since 1925.
Branwen
Branwen means white crow and also blessed raven in Welsh, from bran, meaning raven, and gwen, meaning fair. Branwen is a heroine of the Welsh Mabinogion. Bran works as a short form for a name most Americans will meet for the first time.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: White crow
- Pronunciation: BRAEN-Wehn
- Variations: Branwyn, Branwynn
- Namesakes: Branwen Gwyn, a Welsh TV presenter for the children’s program Planed Plant.
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2019, at 15,940th. Its best year was 1975 at 8,090th, which is also the year it first appeared.
Brayden
Brayden is an Anglo spelling of the Irish Braden, from the Gaelic bradan, meaning salmon. It also works as a surname meaning brave. The salmon reading, a fish that swims upstream, is a better fit for a stubborn toddler than most parents expect.
- Origin: Irish, American
- Meaning: Salmon
- Pronunciation: BREY-Dehn
- Variations: Braden
- Namesakes: Brayden McNabb, a Canadian ice hockey player for the Vegas Golden Knights. Brayden Wiliame, an Australian rugby union footballer for USA Perpignan.
- Popularity: Ranked 229th for U.S. boys in 2025, down from 36th in 2011. It has been in the data since 1970.
Buck
Buck comes from the Old English bucc, meaning goat or deer. It also means cowboy, which explains its long American run. It was once given to boys said to resemble a deer.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Deer
- Pronunciation: BUHK
- Variations: Buc, Buk
- Namesakes: Buck Henry (born Henry Zuckerman), an American actor known as a co-writer for Mike Nichols’s The Graduate (1967).
- Popularity: Ranked 1,993rd for U.S. boys in 2025, far below its 1913 high of 579th. It has appeared in the records since 1880.
Bunny
Bunny reads first as a term of endearment, then as a baby rabbit, and then as the Easter figure himself. Rabbits stand for abundance and good luck. It is a nickname that some families simply put on the birth certificate.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Baby rabbit
- Pronunciation: BUHN-iy
- Variations: Bunney, Bunni, Bunnie
- Namesakes: Lady Bunny (Jon Ingle), an American drag queen and founder of the annual Wigstock event. Bernard “Bunny” Carr, an Irish TV presenter for the RTE program Quicksilver.
- Popularity: Ranked 9,572nd for U.S. girls in 2025. Its best year was 1946 at 1,060th, and it has been in the data since 1917.
Calandra
Calandra originally meant singing bird in Greek, which fits the lark it names, tracing to Kalandros, the ancient Greek word for larks and, by extension, for anyone with a beautiful voice. Callie and Andra both hide inside it, giving a distinctive full name two familiar-sounding shortcuts.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Lark
- Pronunciation: Kaa-LAEN-drah
- Variations: Calandrea, Calendra
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2019, at 15,985th. Its best year was 1972 at 1,097th, and it first charted in 1962.
Callum
Callum comes from the Latin Columba, meaning dove. It is a Christian name, since doves stand for purity and the Holy Spirit. It has quietly become one of the most used names on this list.
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: Dove
- Pronunciation: KAEL-ahm
- Variations: Calum
- Namesakes: Callum O’Dowda, an Irish footballer for the Irish national team. Callum Macrae, a Scottish filmmaker and founder of Outsider Television since 1993.
- Popularity: Ranked 118th for U.S. boys in 2025, its best year on record. It first charted in 1983 and has been climbing since.
Cane
Cane is the literal Italian word for a dog, and it also means stalk of sugar in Hebrew while doubling as a spelling of Cain, worth knowing before you commit to it. Said aloud it sounds like Kane, so a family should expect to spell it out from the first day of school onward.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Dog
- Pronunciation: KEYN
- Variations: Caen, Cain, Caine
- Popularity: Ranked 4,565th for U.S. boys in 2025, with a best year of 3,943rd in 2008. It first appeared in 1995.
Cat
Cat comes from the Old English catt. The word itself may have originated from the Egyptian sau, meaning tomcat. In Greek it carries the sense of pure. A family that likes it plain can use it exactly as is, with no need to dress it up.
- Origin: English, Greek
- Meaning: Cat (animal)
- Pronunciation: KAET
- Variations: Catt
- Namesakes: Catherine Cora, an American chef, TV personality, and co-host of Around the World in 80 Plates. Catherine Smith, a British Member of Parliament since 2015.
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data as a given name. It sits below the five-birth line the federal files publish.
Chinti
Chinti is the Indian word for red ants, and little else is documented about it. In Hinduism ants are divine and their anthills stand for the earth, which gives a very small creature a very large meaning. The soft opening makes it sound gentler than its subject.
- Origin: Hindi
- Meaning: Ant
- Pronunciation: CHIN-Tee
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data. It stays an Indian girl name rather than an American one.
Cicada
Cicada comes from the Latin for tree cricket. Cicadas stand for resurrection, and their sound is the signal that summer is winding down. Anyone who has lived through a brood year will hear the name before they read it.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Loud insect of the night
- Pronunciation: Sah-KEY-dah
- Variations: Cicaeda, Cicayda
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data. It is a word name rather than an established given name, in the U.S. or among Chinese girl names.
Colt
Colt is the word for a young male horse. Everything wild west attaches to it, from cowboys to the Colt 45. It is one of the more plainly American names on this list, and the single syllable is part of the appeal.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Young horse
- Pronunciation: KOWLT
- Variations: Colte
- Namesakes: Colt David, an American football player for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Colt Knost, an American golfer and PGA Tour commentator with CBS Sports.
- Popularity: Ranked 285th for U.S. boys in 2025, near its best year of 210th in 2019. It has been in the data since 1957.
Conan
Conan means hound in Irish, from cu, meaning wolf, with a diminutive suffix attached. So the little wolf reading is built into the grammar. The barbarian and the talk show host have shared the name for decades without either one owning it.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little wolf
- Pronunciation: KOW-Naen
- Variations: Connan
- Namesakes: Conan Gray, an American singer/songwriter whose album Kid Krow debuted at #5 on the US Billboard 200. Conan Byrne, an Irish footballer for the NIFL Premiership club Glenavon.
- Popularity: Ranked 1,678th for U.S. boys in 2025, below its 1972 best of 1,087th. It has appeared in the records since 1923.
Cricket
Cricket is based on the Old French criquet, meaning to creak or rattle. It is also the name of a bat and ball game, which is the association most people reach for first. As a name it lands somewhere between a nickname and a word name, and it wears both well.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Chirping insect
- Pronunciation: KRIH-Kaht
- Variations: Crickit, Criket, Crycket
- Popularity: Ranked 8,988th in the U.S. in 2025. Its best year was 1962 at 2,550th, and it has been in the data since 1950.
Dane
Dane can refer to anyone from Denmark, and it means God is my judge in Scandinavian. The dog breed is what puts it on an animal list, and it happens to be one of the tallest breeds around, so the name carries more weight than its one syllable suggests. It works equally well for a boy or a girl.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Dog breed
- Pronunciation: DEYN
- Variations: Daen, Daene, Dain, Daine, Dayn
- Namesakes: Dane Cook, an American stand-up comedian whose special Retaliation went platinum in 2006. Dane Zajc, a Slovenian poet and winner of the Prešeren Award for lifetime achievement in 1981.
- Popularity: Ranked 821st for U.S. boys in 2025, down from 221st in 1986. It has been in the records since 1898.
Darva
Darva means honeybee and is genuinely obscure. It also reads as Persian when treated as a form of Daria, and it may have started in Slovakia. For a family that wants a bee name nobody else will be using, this is the one.
- Origin: Slavic, Persian
- Meaning: Honeybee
- Pronunciation: DAAR-Vah
- Variations: Darvah
- Namesakes: Darva Conger, an American reality show personality and winner of Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire in 2000.
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data. Darva has stayed too rare for the federal files, which publish only names given to at least five babies in a year.
Davina
Davina is the English and Scottish female form of David, so it carries beloved and friend alongside the little deer meaning. Vina and Dav both work as short forms. It sounds formal on paper and soft in conversation.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Little deer
- Pronunciation: Dah-VIY-naa
- Variations: Davinah
- Namesakes: Lady Davina Lewis, a member of the British royal family and 34th in line to the British throne. Davina McCall, an English TV presenter for Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.
- Popularity: Ranked 749th for U.S. girls in 2025, close to its best year of 562nd in 2022. It has appeared in the records since 1916.
Delphine
Delphine comes from the Greek delphis, for a dolphin. It also ties to Delphi, the ancient temple site dedicated to Apollo, and carries the senses of Delphi and womb. Few names manage to be marine, classical, and French all at once.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Dolphin
- Pronunciation: Dehl-FIYN
- Variations: Delfine, Delphina
- Namesakes: Delphine Batho, a French member of the National Assembly from 2007 to 2012. Delphine Lecompte, a Flemish poet who won the C. Buddingh’-prijs.
- Popularity: Ranked 3,592nd for U.S. girls in 2025, a long way from its 1930 high of 427th. It has been in the data since 1880.
Dillon
Dillon means loyal in Welsh, and it reads as like a lion on this list. It began as an Anglo-Norman surname before settling into first-name use. The Dylan spelling gets far more attention these days. That leaves this version feeling rarer at the same sound, which some families see as the whole appeal.
- Origin: Celtic
- Meaning: Like a lion
- Pronunciation: DIHL-ahn
- Variations: Dilan, Dylan
- Namesakes: Dillon Wallace, an American author known for the book The Lure of the Labrador Wild (1905). Dillon Barna, an American soccer player for Ventura County Fusion in the USL Premier Development League.
- Popularity: Ranked 930th in the U.S. in 2025, well below its 1992 peak of 73rd. It has appeared in the data since 1892.
Doe
Doe means a female deer, and the word covers female rabbits and kangaroos too. Doe eyes is the phrase everyone knows, used for big, soft eyes. It is about as short and quiet as a name gets.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Female deer
- Pronunciation: DOW
- Variations: Do
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 1962, at 6,821st. Its best year was 1955 at 4,147th, which is also when it first appeared.
Dov
Dov means bear in Hebrew, and the Yiddish ber sits behind it. It is common as an Eastern European Jewish name. It pairs cleanly with almost any last name, which is part of why it keeps showing up.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Bear
- Pronunciation: DOWV
- Variations: Dove, Dovey, Dovy
- Namesakes: Dov Lupi, an Israeli-American gymnast who competed for Israel in the 1976 Summer Olympics. Dov Charney, the Canadian founder of American Apparel.
- Popularity: Ranked 1,453rd for U.S. boys in 2025, near its best year of 1,230th in 2022. It has been in the records since 1949.
Eilir
Alban Eilir is the Druid name for the Welsh spring equinox festival, meaning the light of the Earth, and Eilir on its own means spring, the season when butterflies appear. The spelling is trickier than the sound, the usual trade with a Welsh name this rooted in season and light.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Butterfly
- Pronunciation: EY-Lihr
- Variations: Elier
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data. It remains a Welsh name that American parents have not adopted.
Eowyn
Eowyn was made by JRR Tolkien for The Lord of the Rings, built from the Old English eoh, meaning horse, and wyn, meaning joy. It is one of the few invented names on this list with a real etymology behind it. Expect to spell it out, and expect at least one person a year to recognize it instantly.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Horse of joy
- Pronunciation: AY-winn
- Namesakes: Éowyn (born Rebecca Krueger), a Christian alternative rock musician with two top National Christian rock singles. Eowyn Ivey, an American author and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2013.
- Popularity: Ranked 1,471st for U.S. girls in 2025, its best year on record. It first appeared in the data in 1973.
Everett
Everett comes from the German surname Everard, meaning the strength or courage of a wild boar. The plainer sense of brave travels with it too. Rhett and Ev are the short forms most families land on when the full name feels long for a toddler. It is also one of the more recognizable names on this list, ranking in the U.S. top 100 in 2025.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Brave as a wild boar
- Pronunciation: EHV-eh-Reht
- Variations: Everrett, Evrett
- Namesakes: Everett McGill, an American actor first known for the film Quest for Fire. Everett Dirksen, an American politician, known for passing the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968.
- Popularity: Ranked 77th for U.S. boys in 2025, its best year on record and one of only two names here inside the current top 100. It has been in the data since 1880.
Ezio
Ezio comes from Aetius, a Roman surname, and originally meant eagle in Greek. In Hebrew it reads as friend and lover. The z gives it a snap that most Italian boy names do not have.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Eagle, Greek
- Pronunciation: EH-ziy-Ow
- Variations: Ezeo, Eziyo
- Namesakes: Ezio Mauro, an Italian journalist and editor-in-chief of the La Repubblica newspaper from 1996 to 2016. Ezio Vanoni, the Italian Minister of Finance from 1948 to 1954.
- Popularity: Ranked 1,224th for U.S. boys in 2025, its best year on record. It has appeared in the data since 1915.
Faline
Faline is the doe Bambi falls in love with in the Disney film, though the name itself means catlike. It has English roots as well. The deer and the cat pulling in opposite directions is part of what makes it interesting.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Catlike
- Pronunciation: Faa-LIYN
- Variations: Falline, Faleane, Faleen
- Popularity: Ranked 8,528th for U.S. girls in 2025, with a best year of 4,895th in 1943, the year it first appeared.
Fauna
Fauna is the word for the animal life of a place, which makes it the broadest name on this list. In Roman mythology Fauna is the goddess of earth and fertility, attended by forest spirits called Fauns who answer to the Greek god Pan. Flora is the obvious sister name.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Young deer
- Pronunciation: FAON-ah
- Variations: Fawnah
- Popularity: Ranked 9,051st for U.S. girls in 2025. Its best year was 1978 at 4,508th, and it first charted in 1967.
Fawn
Fawn covers a young deer and a young antelope, and it comes from the Old English faun, meaning young fallow. In the 19th century it was also used as a blend of Fay and Dawn. The color it names is part of the appeal.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Young deer
- Pronunciation: FAEWN
- Variations: Fahn, Faun, Faune, Fawne
- Namesakes: Fawn Johnson, an American journalist, and correspondent for National Journal. Fawn Yacker, an American filmmaker who co-founded the LGBT organization “The Last Closet.”
- Popularity: Ranked 5,983rd for U.S. girls in 2025, far below its 1977 high of 763rd. It has been in the data since 1900.
Fia
Fia is a shorter version of the Irish Fiadh, meaning wild deer. It also means dark of peace in Scottish. It reads as a complete name on its own, with no pressure to spell out the longer Fiadh on a birth certificate. The rising numbers back that up, since more parents are choosing the short form outright rather than treating it as a nickname.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Deer
- Pronunciation: FEE-ah
- Variations: Fiadh
- Popularity: Ranked 1,738th for U.S. girls in 2025, its best year on record. It first appeared in the data in 2006.
Finch
Finch is one of many bird names used for babies that started life as surnames. Finches make good pets for their song and their company. The hard ending keeps it from sounding delicate.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Finch (bird)
- Pronunciation: FIHNCH
- Variations: Finche, Fynch, Fynche
- Namesakes: Nils Wehowsky (known as Finch Asozial), a German rapper who became famous on the German show Rap am Mittwoch.
- Popularity: Ranked 5,945th in the U.S. in 2025, near its best year of 4,905th in 2022. It only entered the data in 2011.
Fox
Fox is based on the Germanic fuhsaz, which goes back to puks, meaning thick-haired and tail. As a surname it points at the animal, part of the dog family and known for being wild and clever at once. It is a one-syllable name with no soft edges.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Fox (animal)
- Pronunciation: FOKHS
- Variations: Foxe, Foxx
- Namesakes: Fox Harris, an American actor known for the film Repo Man (1984). Fox Conner, an American general, known as “the man who made Eisenhower.”
- Popularity: Ranked 1,411th for U.S. boys in 2025, below its 2016 best of 744th. It has appeared in the records since 1888.
Gavin
Gavin is the Scottish form of the Gaelic Gawain, and Sir Gawain of the Round Table is the first famous bearer. In Welsh it reads as hawk of the battle. The white hawk meaning is the reason it lands on an animal list at all.
- Origin: Celtic
- Meaning: White hawk
- Pronunciation: GAEV-ihn
- Variations: Gavinn, Gavyn
- Namesakes: Gavin Newsom, the 40th governor of California since 2019. Gavin Hewitt, a British journalist, and BBC News Editor.
- Popularity: Ranked 303rd for U.S. boys in 2025, down from 30th in 2008. It is the steepest faller on this list, about 69 percent less common across the last ten years of births than the ten years before them.
Giles
Giles comes from the Latin Aegidius, meaning goat kid. St. Giles, known as a hermit, carried it through the Middle Ages. It also means pledge. In the U.S. it still reads as distinctly English.
- Origin: Latin, French
- Meaning: Young goat
- Pronunciation: JHI-ihlz
- Variations: Gylles, Gyllis, Gylliss
- Namesakes: Giles Corey, an English-American farmer and one of the only men accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials. Giles Blunt, a Canadian novelist who wrote Cold Eye.
- Popularity: Ranked 6,932nd for U.S. boys in 2025, a long fall from 671st in 1918. It has been in the records since 1880.
Griffin
A griffin is the mythical creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, so the name gets two animals for the price of one, and it was once a Welsh surname from Gruffydd, built on udd, meaning lord or prince. Griff is the ready-made short form for a family that wants an easier everyday version.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Mythological creature
- Pronunciation: GRIH-Fahn
- Variations: Griffon, Gryffin
- Namesakes: Griffin Dunne, an American actor best known for the film An American Werewolf in London (1981). Griffin McElroy, an American podcaster known for the podcast My Brother, My Brother and Me.
- Popularity: Ranked 222nd for U.S. boys in 2025, close to its best year of 214th in 2023. It has been in the data since 1881.
Hamsa
In India the Hamsa is an aquatic bird that may be a goose, a swan, or a flamingo, depending on the text. Sanskrit writing treats it as a spiritual symbol. That layer of meaning is what lifts it above a plain bird name, and it suits a boy or a girl equally.
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: Hamsa (bird)
- Pronunciation: HAAHM-sah
- Namesakes: Hamsa Nandini, an Indian model at the Hyderabad International Fashion week 2011 and 2013.
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2018, at 11,275th. Its best year was 2005 at 5,112th, and it first charted in 2000.
Haydar
Haydar means warrior in Arabic, alongside the lion reading. It is far more familiar in Turkey than in the U.S. It has no easy nickname, which keeps it feeling deliberate rather than casual.
- Origin: Turkish, Arabic
- Meaning: Lion
- Pronunciation: HHEY-Daar
- Variations: Hayder, Haider
- Namesakes: Haydar Aşan, a Turkish-American sprinter who competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics. Haydar Hatemi, an Iranian artist under the commission of the Qatari Royal family for the last decade.
- Popularity: Ranked 6,589th for U.S. boys in 2025, its best year on record. It only entered the data in 2010.
Hopper
Hopper describes a person or animal that hops, so it stretches past the grasshopper to cover frogs, rabbits, and kangaroos. It also carries the sense of to leap or dance. As a surname turned first name it sits comfortably next to Cooper and Piper.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Grasshopper
- Pronunciation: HHAA-Per
- Namesakes: Hopper Penn, an actor known for the War Machine film and the son of actor Sean Penn.
- Popularity: Ranked 9,218th in the U.S. in 2025, with a best year of 6,214th in 2019. It first appeared in 2009.
Ibis
Ibis is the Latin term for a group of wading birds, and the egret is described as Bubulcus ibis. They are known for their long curves and slow movement. It is a short, unusual name that most people will read correctly on the first try.
- Origin: Latin, Greek
- Meaning: Long-legged bird
- Pronunciation: IH-Bis
- Namesakes: Ibis Gómez-Vega, a Cuban-American Latina novelist and literary critic contributing to Voces: Journal of Chicana / Latina Studies. Ibis Nieves, an American contestant on Road Rules X-treme.
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2010, at 18,018th. Its best year was 1964 at 5,669th, which is also when it first appeared.
Jaguar
Jaguar comes from the Tupi and Guarani languages of South America, based on yaguarete, meaning true, fierce beast. It also carries the reading he who kills with one leap. The animal stands for ferocity and for protection from evil, which is a lot to hand a newborn.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Large spotted feline
- Pronunciation: JHAE-guw-Ahr
- Variations: Jaghuar, Jagwar, Jagwhar
- Namesakes: Jacquelyn Wright (known as Jaguar Wright), an American R&B singer/songwriter known for her collaborations with Jay-Z. Rimi Yokota (known as Jaguar Yokota), a Japanese wrestler and two-time WWWA World Single Champion.
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2024, at 13,068th. Its best year was 1995 at 4,923rd, and it first charted in 1992.
Jeleń
Jeleń comes from the Old Czech jelen, built on the Slavic elen, tied to the color yellow-brown. It refers to a male deer, also called a stag. A 15th-century Jolof prince carried a version of the name too, a sign it has traveled beyond Slavic borders before. The accent on the final letter is still the detail an American family would have to decide about.
- Origin: Serbian
- Meaning: Deer
- Pronunciation: JHEH-Lahn
- Namesakes: Jelen, Bemoim, a 15th-century buumi king or prince of the Jolof Empire in West Africa.
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data. It is a Slavic name and a Slavic word, not an American given name.
Joey
A joey is a baby kangaroo, though the Australian term covers many baby animals. So a child named Joey is covered whether the family pictures a wombat, a wallaby, or a Tasmanian devil. It also stands on its own as a short form of Joseph and Josephine, which is how most Joeys arrive.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Baby kangaroo
- Pronunciation: JHOW-iy
- Variations: Joe
- Namesakes: Joseph Kramer, an American drummer for the rock band Aerosmith. Joey Bishop, an American entertainer and a member of the Rat Pack.
- Popularity: Ranked 877th in the U.S. in 2025, down from 194th in 1976. It has been in the records since 1915.
Kedi
Kedi is the literal Turkish word for a cat. It traces back to the Byzantine Greek gati, meaning kitten, and the Latin cattus. Kedi is also a 2016 documentary about the street cats of Istanbul and the place they hold in Turkish life.
- Origin: Turkish
- Meaning: Cat
- Pronunciation: KEH-dee
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data. Kedi is a Turkish word first and a name second.
Kefira
Kefira means young lion or lion cub in Hebrew, pointing specifically at a lioness rather than a lion, with Kef or Fira as easy everyday options. That female-specific reading is rare among big cat names, most of which stay gender-neutral or lean male.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Young lion
- Pronunciation: KEHF-iy-Rah
- Variations: Kefirah, Kephira
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2018, at 16,910th, which is also its best year. It first appeared in 2006.
Kimana
Kimana is a rare name originating from the Native American Shoshone tribe based in Wyoming. Butterflies stand for growth and change. The three open syllables make it sound longer than it is.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Butterfly
- Pronunciation: Kih-MAAN-ah
- Variations: Kimanah, Kimanna, Kimannah
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2024, at 16,547th. Its best year was 1996 at 12,680th, which is also when it first appeared.
Kitty
Kitty is a term of endearment for a cat and a long-standing nickname for Katherine. It fell out of use after mid-century and has not come back yet. For a family drawn to old-fashioned names, that is an opportunity rather than a warning.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Cat nickname
- Pronunciation: KIHT-iy
- Variations: Kitti, Kittie
- Namesakes: Catherine Cronin (known as Kitty Kiernan), the fiancée of Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins. Kitty Carlisle (born Catherine Conn), an American actress and panelist on the TV game show To Tell the Truth (1956 to 1978).
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2024, at 14,422nd. Its best year was 1947 at 430th, and it has been in the data since 1880.
Koko
Koko refers to storks, symbolizing protection and the hearth tied to the Greek goddess Hera. Storks were the traditional messengers said to bring babies to new parents, which is hard to beat for a birth announcement. The repeated syllable makes it easy for a toddler to say.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Stork
- Pronunciation: Kow-Kow
- Variations: Coco
- Namesakes: Koko Darkuncoro, an Indonesian beach volleyball player and gold medalist at the 2008 Asian Beach Games. Aquilino Pimentel III (known as Koko Pimentel), a Filipino politician and the Senate Minority Leader since 2022.
- Popularity: Ranked 11,456th in the U.S. in 2025, near its best year of 9,257th in 2020. It has appeared in the data since 1982.
Kuzu
Kuzu means lamb in Turkish, and it gets confused with the Japanese kudzu, the arrowroot plant. It is also a Turkish surname and a Japanese town. Parents call their sons little lambs in most languages, and this is the one that says it outright.
- Origin: Turkish
- Meaning: Lamb
- Pronunciation: KUW-Zuw
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data. It stays a Turkish word rather than a name American parents use.
Laith
Laith means lion in Arabic, and it is used in Scotland as well. It is one of the shortest lion names available, and it avoids the obvious Leo. Laith Al-Deen topped the German charts under the name exactly as written, with no shortened stage version needed. It sits well next to a longer middle name, since the name itself takes almost no room.
- Origin: Arabic, Scottish
- Meaning: Lion
- Pronunciation: LAAIYTH
- Variations: Laeth, Laithe
- Namesakes: Laith De La Cruz, a Dominican-American trans model for Barneys and Calvin Klein. Laith Al-Deen, an Iraqi-German pop musician whose 2004 album Für Alle reached #1 on the German album charts.
- Popularity: Ranked 896th for U.S. boys in 2025, its best year on record. It has been in the data since 1969.
Lonan
Lonan comes from the Old Irish lon, meaning blackbird, with a diminutive suffix attached. It also carries the sense of cloud and belongs to several Irish saints. It sits close to Logan and Ronan without being either.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Blackbird
- Pronunciation: LOW-Nahn
- Variations: Lonin, Lonyn
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2024, at 13,461st. Its best year was 2023 at 6,382nd, and it only entered the data in 2014.
Lovella
Lovella means love and affection in Old Norman, and it is the female form of Lovell, the name that carries the wolf reading. Ella and Lovey both sit inside it. The wolf meaning sits under an unusually soft sound.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: Loh-VEHL-aa
- Popularity: Ranked 4,418th for U.S. girls in 2025, well below its 1930 best of 1,223rd. It has been in the records since 1888.
Lyall
Lyall comes from the Old Norse Liulfr, meaning wolf. Wolves run in packs. That is a friendlier image than the usual lone wolf reading most people bring to a wolf name. The spelling is the main thing to weigh, since Lyle is what most people will hear when it is said aloud. Written out in full, though, it keeps a clear Norse identity that the more common spelling loses.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: LIEY-ael
- Variations: Lyle, Lyal
- Namesakes: Lyall Hall, an Australian politician and member of the Legislative Assembly from 1897 until 1901. Lyall F. Smith, an American sports writer and president of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America from 1955 to 1956.
- Popularity: Ranked 10,287th for U.S. boys in 2025, a long fall from 1,971st in 1929. It has appeared in the data since 1912.
Lynx
Lynx is based on the Middle English leuk, meaning light and brightness. The wild cat it names is known for reflective eyes that see well in the dark. That night vision is really what the light and brightness meaning is pointing at. The x ending puts it in the same sound family as Max and Jax, which keeps it from feeling out of place next to more common names.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Forest cat
- Pronunciation: LINKS
- Popularity: Ranked 2,823rd in the U.S. in 2025, close to its best year of 2,278th in 2024. It only entered the data in 2008.
Mačka
Mačka is the literal word for a cat, coming from the Slavic maca, meaning pussycat or female cat. It works equally well as a name for a boy or a girl. It is rarely used as a given name anywhere, staying closer to a household word than a birth certificate one. For a family that wants the cat idea without reaching for the plain English word, it is worth knowing about.
- Origin: Serbo-Croatian
- Meaning: Cat
- Pronunciation: MAHTCH-Kaa
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data. It is a Slavic word for an animal rather than a name in use here.
Madden
Madden comes from the Gaelic madain, meaning son of the hound, and it reads as little dog in Irish. It began as an Irish surname related to Madigan. In the U.S. the football association is unavoidable, for better or worse.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Hound
- Pronunciation: MAED-Dehn
- Variations: Maddon, Maddun, Maden
- Popularity: Ranked 676th for U.S. boys in 2025, near its best year of 544th in 2011. It first appeared in the data in 1997.
Madigan
Madigan means son of the hound in Irish, from the Gaelic surname Mac an Mhadaidh. That surname is built on madadh, meaning dog. It may point specifically at a mastiff rather than a dog in general. Maddy is the short form waiting inside it. That gives a long surname name an easy, familiar version for daily use.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little dog
- Pronunciation: MAE-dih-Gahn
- Variations: Maddigan
- Namesakes: Madigan Shive, an American songwriter and former member of the band Tattle Tale.
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2024, at 10,772nd. Its best year was 2002 at 2,399th, and it first charted in 1992.
Manu
Manu means bird in Polynesian, along with greatest and man. In Egyptian it reads as born second. French families use it as a short form of Emmanuel, though it holds up perfectly well alone.
- Origin: Polynesian
- Meaning: Bird
- Pronunciation: MAA-Nuw
- Variations: Manou
- Namesakes: Manu Bennett, a New Zealand actor known for the Spartacus TV series. Manu Snellinx, a Belgian cyclist who competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Ranked 4,486th in the U.S. in 2025. Its best year was 1977 at 2,860th, and it has been in the data since 1972.
Mariposa
Mariposa is the literal Spanish and Portuguese word for a butterfly. It is also the Sego Lily, the state flower of Utah, and a place name in Ontario, Peru, and California. Mari and Posy both work if four syllables feel like a lot.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Butterfly
- Pronunciation: MAH-rih-POW-Sah
- Variations: Mareposa, Marriposa
- Popularity: Ranked 4,040th for U.S. girls in 2025, near its best year of 4,015th in 2022. It has appeared in the records since 1975.
Marlin
In Welsh, Marlin means land near the lake and sea fortress. It is also the name of a large game fish and carries the reading hawk. Water and sky in one name, which is unusual.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Hawk, Fish
- Pronunciation: MAAR-Lahn
- Variations: Marlan, Marlun
- Namesakes: Marlin Kuykendall, the mayor of Prescott, Arizona from 2009 to 2015. Marlin Ikenberry, an American baseball coach of the James Madison Dukes.
- Popularity: Ranked 1,788th in the U.S. in 2025, far below its 1935 high of 276th. It has been in the data since 1884.
Mavis
Mavis is an old word for the Song Thrush, a bird whose warble turns up in English poetry. It also means joy in French. It is one of the vintage names still given today, more than a century after it first appeared.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Songbird
- Pronunciation: MEY-Vihs
- Variations: Maviss, Mavisse, Mavys
- Namesakes: Mavis Jukes (pseudonym Iris Hudson), an American children’s book author and winner of the Newbery Honor distinction in 1985 for Like Jake and Me. Mavis Leno, an American philanthropist and wife of Jay Leno, the former host of The Tonight Show.
- Popularity: Ranked 561st for U.S. girls in 2025. Its best year was 270th in 1927, and it has been in the records since 1893.
Namir
Namir means leopard, and it stretches to panther and tiger as well. The broader reading is simply big cat, which covers every spotted and striped animal a family might have in mind. Namir Noor-Eldeen carried the name into war reporting, a long way from its animal roots. The stress falls on the second syllable, which gives it a bit of a snap when said aloud. There is nothing left to shorten, so what is on the birth certificate is what gets said at home too.
- Origin: Hebrew, Arabic
- Meaning: Leopard
- Pronunciation: Naa-MIHR
- Variations: Nameer, Nameir, Namyr
- Namesakes: Namir, an Iraqi singer, composer, and songwriter who became famous through his Instagram page. Namir Noor-Eldeen, an Iraqi war photographer for Reuters.
- Popularity: Ranked 2,202nd for U.S. boys in 2025, close to its best year of 2,023rd in 2024. It first appeared in the data in 1991.
Neko
Neko is Japanese for a cat, and Japanese animation uses it for characters drawn with cat-like features. It also works as a nickname for the Greek Nicholas. Short, symmetrical, and easy to say in almost any language.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Cat
- Pronunciation: NIY-Kow
- Variations: Nekko, Niko
- Namesakes: Neko Case, an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian rock group the New Pornographers. Neko Oikawa, a Japanese songwriter and winner of the Yomiuri TV Best Award in 1994.
- Popularity: Ranked 3,424th in the U.S. in 2025, near its best year of 2,453rd in 2021. It has been in the data since 1969.
Oisin
Oisin comes from the Irish os, meaning deer, and it reads as fawn in Irish. In Irish mythology, Oisin is both a poet and a warrior. That combination of soft and fierce is rare for a single name to carry. The pronunciation is the real hurdle in the U.S., since the spelling on its own gives almost nothing away.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little deer
- Pronunciation: OW-Shiyn
- Variations: Oisean, Oiseen, Oisene
- Namesakes: Oisin Gough, an Irish inter-county senior hurler with Dublin and Cuala. Oisín Quinn, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ireland, from 2013 to 2014.
- Popularity: Ranked 4,660th for U.S. boys in 2025, with a best year of 3,547th in 2020. It first charted in 1991.
Orsa
Orsa means little she-bear and also carries the sense of animal strength. It names a town in Sweden. Four letters, two syllables, and a bear inside it.
- Origin: Latin, Italian
- Meaning: Little she-bear
- Pronunciation: AOR-Sah
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data. Orsa has stayed below the five-birth line the federal files publish.
Paloma
Paloma comes from the Latin palumbus, meaning dove. Doves stand for the goddess Aphrodite, for Christianity, and for world peace, so the symbolism is doing plenty of work. It is one of the smoothest names on this list to say aloud.
- Origin: Spanish, Latin
- Meaning: Dove
- Pronunciation: Pae-LOW-maa
- Variations: Palomah
- Namesakes: Paloma Martínez (known as Paloma San Basilio), a Spanish singer awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions to Latin music. Paloma del Río, a Spanish journalist for Televisión Española (TVE).
- Popularity: Ranked 793rd for U.S. girls in 2025, close to its best year of 703rd in 2010. It has appeared in the records since 1921.
Panda
Panda comes from the Nepali ponya, meaning bamboo footed. The animal needs no introduction. As a given name it is very much a word name, so it will be read as a nickname more often than not.
- Origin: Indian, Nepali
- Meaning: Bamboo-eater (panda bear)
- Pronunciation: PAHN-Dah
- Namesakes: Márcio Moreira (known as Panda), a Brazilian footballer for Porto Velho. Noah Lennox (known as Panda Bear), an American musician and founding member of the band Animal Collective.
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 1986, at 10,490th. Its best year was 1964 at 3,472nd, and it first appeared in 1955.
Peregrine
The peregrine falcon is a bird of prey known for speed, and the name comes from the Latin peregrinus, meaning foreigner or traveler. Perry is the short form that makes a three-syllable name workable on a playground, though the full version carries the falcon’s reputation on its own.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Falcon species
- Pronunciation: PEH-reh-Grihn
- Variations: Peregreen, Peregrein, Peregrien
- Namesakes: Peregrine Honig, an American artist appearing on Bravo’s reality TV series Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. Peregrine Worsthorne, a British journalist and editor of The Sunday Telegraph from 1961 to 1997.
- Popularity: Ranked 3,359th for U.S. boys in 2025, near its best year of 3,322nd in 2024. It first charted in 1998.
Phelan
Phelan describes someone who is like a wolf. It began as the Gaelic surname Faoilain, from faol, meaning wolf. The diminutive suffix is what turns the wolf meaning into a little one rather than the animal itself. The spelling hides an F sound at the start, which is worth knowing before you use it. It also ranks among the rarest names on this whole list, coming in at 13,402nd in the latest U.S. data.
- Origin: Celtic
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: FEY-Lihn
- Variations: Phaelan, Phelin
- Popularity: Ranked 13,402nd for U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one in every 333,000 births, which makes it the rarest currently used name on this list. Its best year was 1996 at 2,891st, and it has been in the data since 1949.
Poe
As a surname Poe can be French, and it also appears as a Chinese surname meaning river bank. It works as a diminutive of Peacock, which is how it lands on an animal list. It has been used as a nickname for people with colorful appearances or personalities.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Peacock
- Pronunciation: POW
- Popularity: Ranked 10,423rd in the U.S. in 2025, near its best year of 7,428th in 2017. It only entered the data in 2010.
Raoul
Raoul carries the sense of red wolf, built from rad, meaning advice, and wolf, and it is the French form of Radulf, the same root that gave English Ralph. The spelling looks harder on paper than the two syllables actually are once it is said aloud.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Wolf counsel
- Pronunciation: Raa-UWL
- Variations: Raul
- Namesakes: Raoul Bova, an Italian actor known for the film The Tourist (2010). Raoul Walsh (born Albert Walsh), an American film director and founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2024, at 13,783rd. Its best year was 1928 at 937th, and it has been in the records since 1880.
Rex
Rex is best known from Tyrannosaurus Rex, read as lizard king. It is also a common dog name, which a family should think about for a beat. Rex Gildo carried it through a long singing career in Germany. It says exactly how it is spelled, so nobody has to guess at the pronunciation.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Dinosaur, dog
- Pronunciation: REHKS
- Variations: Rexs, Rexx
- Namesakes: Rex Gildo, a German singer of Schlager ballads who sold over 25 million records in the 1960s and 1970s. Rex McGill, a New Zealand cricketer for Northern Districts.
- Popularity: Ranked 859th for U.S. boys in 2025, well below its 1951 high of 170th. It has been in the data since 1880.
Rolly
Rolly means farmland in German and usually turns up as a nickname for Roland. In Spanish it refers to a type of armadillo. Those roll into a ball and travel that way, which is a fair description of a rambunctious toddler.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Armadillo
- Pronunciation: RAA-Liy
- Variations: Rolli
- Namesakes: Rolly Teranishi, a Japanese vocalist with the Japanese rock band, Scanch. Rolly Xipu, a South African boxer, and the South African lightweight champion.
- Popularity: Ranked 11,729th in the U.S. in 2025, far below its 1943 best of 1,978th. It has appeared in the records since 1888.
Ronan
Ronan is based on the Irish ron, meaning seal, with the -an suffix giving little seal. It comes out of an Irish folktale about a mother seal who becomes human by swimming too close to land. The soft ending keeps it from sounding harsh next to a one-syllable middle name.
- Origin: Celtic
- Meaning: Little seal
- Pronunciation: ROW-Nihn
- Variations: Ronann, Ronnan
- Namesakes: Ronan Keane, the Chief Justice of Ireland from 2000 to 2004. Ronan O’Brien, an Irish author, and winner of the 2009 Irish Book Awards Newcomer of the Year.
- Popularity: Ranked 247th for U.S. boys in 2025, its best year on record. It has been in the data since 1959.
Rosamund
Rosamund comes from the German hros, meaning horse, and mund, meaning protection. It also reads as pure rose through the Latin rosa munda. That double reading means one name holds both a horse and a flower. Rosa, Romy, and Munda all live inside it. Any one of those three works as a shorter everyday option. Few names on this list offer that many built-in alternatives at once.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Horse protection
- Pronunciation: ROW-zaa-Mahnd
- Variations: Rosamunde, Rosemund
- Namesakes: Rosamund Lupton, a British author known for the novel The Quality of Silence (2016). Rosamund Bartlett, a British writer and winner of the Chekhov 150th Anniversary Medal in 2010.
- Popularity: Ranked 7,428th for U.S. girls in 2025, near its best year of 5,157th in 2017. It has appeared in the data since 1951.
Sarika
Sarika means bird in Sanskrit and also reads as princess in Hungarian, where it works as a form of Sarah. The Indian Sarika bird is known for its song. Three light syllables and no hard consonants anywhere.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Bird
- Pronunciation: Sae-RIH-kah
- Namesakes: Sarika Koli, an Indian cricketer for the India A cricket team. Sarika Singh, the first Indian female painter, and teacher in the Buddhist Thangka painting.
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2023, at 10,200th. Its best year was 1982 at 4,489th, and it first charted in 1974.
Sparrow
The sparrow belongs to the finch family, and the name also carries the sense of freedom, having long stood for a small, chirpy person, which describes most small children well enough. Row works as a quick short form for busy days when the full name feels like one syllable too many.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Sparrow (bird)
- Pronunciation: SPEH-Row
- Variations: Sparow, Sparowe, Sparro, Sparroe
- Namesakes: Sparrow (born Michael Gorelick), an American poet published by The New Yorker and The New York Times. Robert “Sparrow” Brown, a Scottish footballer for Dumbarton.
- Popularity: Ranked 4,157th in the U.S. in 2025, near its best year of 2,180th in 2017. It first appeared in the data in 1977.
Tabitha
Tabitha means gazelle, and it also carries the senses of beauty and grace in Aramaic. Gazelles are known for both grace and speed, which lines up neatly with the meaning. Tabby is the short form most families land on. It quietly adds a cat to a name that already has an antelope inside it.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Gazelle
- Pronunciation: TAEB-ih-Thah
- Variations: Tabithah, Tabbitha
- Namesakes: Tabitha Soren, an American journalist and former reporter for MTV News. Tabitha Quaye, a member of the first parliament of the fourth republic of Ghana.
- Popularity: Ranked 1,308th for U.S. girls in 2025, a long way from its 1978 peak of 126th. It has been in the records since 1880.
Tiger
Tiger is based on the Persian tigra, meaning pointed or sharp, and it also reads as arrow. The golfer is the reason most Americans know it as a name at all. It is about as direct as an animal name can get.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Powerful cat
- Pronunciation: TYE-Ger
- Variations: Tigre, Tigur, Tyger
- Namesakes: Tiger Chen, a Chinese martial artist and protege of film director Yuen Wo Ping. George “Tiger” Greene, an American football player for the Green Bay Packers.
- Popularity: Ranked 3,743rd in the U.S. in 2025, below its 1998 best of 1,260th. It has been in the data since 1962.
Tipu
Tipu means tiger and also names a South American tree with yellow flowers. Tipu Sultan, the Indian ruler, was called the pioneer of rocket artillery, and the name still carries that weight in South Asia today. It has no obvious Western nickname, so it arrives fully formed exactly as it is.
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: Tiger
- Pronunciation: TEY-Puw
- Variations: Tipoo, Tipou, Tippoo
- Namesakes: Adnan Shah (known as Tipu), a Pakistani actor known for his comic villain roles.
- Popularity: Never recorded in U.S. birth data. It stays a South Asian name rather than an American one.
Una
Una is based on the Irish uan, meaning lamb, and it reads as one and only in Latin. In Irish mythology it attaches to the Queen of the Fairies. It pairs easily with almost any middle name, since there is no extra syllable competing for attention. The Latin meaning alone would justify it for a family set on having an only child.
- Origin: Irish, Latin
- Meaning: Lamb
- Pronunciation: UW-Naa
- Variations: Unagh, Unna, Unnah
- Namesakes: Una Harkin, an Irish Gaelic footballer who reached the 2008 All-Ireland Junior Ladies’ Football Championship final with Derry. Una Baines, an English musician with the group the Fall.
- Popularity: Ranked 3,245th for U.S. girls in 2025, far below its 1914 high of 464th. It has been in the records since 1880.
Vanessa
Vanessa is a genus of butterflies that includes the painted ladies. The name entered use in 1712 through a character in a Jonathan Swift poem. In Greek it also reads as of Venus. Nessa and Vann are the usual short forms families reach for. Few names carry a literary origin, a goddess reading, and a butterfly genus all in one word.
- Origin: English, Greek
- Meaning: Butterfly species
- Pronunciation: Vaa-NESS-ah
- Variations: Vannesa, Vannessa, Vanesa
- Namesakes: Vanessa Bayer, an American comedian and a Saturday Night Live cast member from 2010 to 2017. Vanessa Ferrari, an Italian artistic gymnast and the 2006 World All-Around Champion.
- Popularity: Ranked 377th for U.S. girls in 2025, down from a peak of 41st in 1988. It has been in the data since 1900.
Wolf
Wolf comes out of the Germanic names that carry the element, Wolfgang and Wolfram among them. Wolves are powerful, but they also travel in packs and stay loyal to them. One syllable, no softening, and no nickname needed.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Wolf (animal)
- Pronunciation: WUHLF
- Variations: Wolfe, Wolff, Woolf
- Namesakes: Wolf Kahler, a German actor most known for the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Wolf Wigo, an American member of the U.S. National Polo Team since 1993.
- Popularity: Ranked 1,902nd for U.S. boys in 2025, close to its best year of 1,605th in 2021. It has appeared in the records since 1912.
Yael
Yael is another term for the Ibex, the mountain goat with long, thin horns. Mountain goats climb where almost nothing else can. It is short, unisex, and already familiar in Hebrew-speaking families.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Mountain goat
- Pronunciation: YAA-Ehl
- Namesakes: Yael Rom (born Yael Finkelstein), one of the first female pilots of the Israeli Air Force. Yael Love, an American novelist and co-founder of the literary studio Plympton.
- Popularity: Ranked 818th in the U.S. in 2025, near its best year of 776th in 2023. It first appeared in the data in 1984.
Yara
Yara carries the small butterfly reading and also means water lady in Arabic. In Persian it reads as strength and courage. Two syllables, one clean vowel sound, and it is climbing for a reason.
- Origin: Brazilian, Arabic
- Meaning: Small butterfly
- Pronunciation: YAA-Raa
- Variations: Yarah, Yarra, Yarrah
- Namesakes: Yara van Kerkhof, a Dutch speed skater and silver medalist at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Yara Goubran, an Egyptian actress, known for the film Basra (2009).
- Popularity: Ranked 507th for U.S. girls in 2025, its best year on record. It has been in the data since 1969.
Ylva
Ylva is based on the Old Norse ulfr, meaning wolf, and it names a she-wolf specifically. It is the female form of Ulf, its male counterpart. The Y opening is what makes it look harder on the page than it actually sounds. Said aloud, it settles into two easy syllables most people pick up on the first try.
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: Female wolf
- Pronunciation: IYL-Vah
- Namesakes: Ylva Lindberg, a Swedish assistant coach to the Norwegian women’s national ice hockey team. Ylva Johansson, a Swedish politician and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs since 2019.
- Popularity: Last recorded in U.S. births in 2024, at 15,212th. Its best year was 2017 at 14,062nd, which is also when it first appeared.
