Names that mean wolf promise loyalty, nerve, and a streak of wildness, which is why parents keep circling back to them. The animal is holding its own in the real world too, with roughly 2,797 gray wolves living in at least 286 packs across seven western states as of the end of 2022 (1).
Most of the 100 picks below are genuinely rare in the United States. The Social Security Administration publishes a name only once at least five babies have been given it in a single year (2), and 66 names on this list never clear that line. Zev sits highest in that federal data, at 866th for boys in 2025.
Every entry gives you the meaning, origin, pronunciation, and where the name actually stands today, so you can tell a Viking relic from a name your kid will share with someone in preschool.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Zev, Rafe, Tala, Wolfgang and Conan.
100 Cool Names Meaning Wolf
Go wild with our collection of 100 names that mean wolf for your little howler.
Adalwolf
Adalwolf is the older, fuller form of Adolf, and it carries the meaning without the twentieth century attached. It joins the Germanic “aþalaz,” meaning “noble,” “aristocratic,” or “eminent,” with “wulfaz,” meaning “wolf.” Three syllables is a lot for a birth certificate, though Wolf falls out of it easily. It sets a suitably grand tone for everything that follows.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Noble wolf
- Pronunciation: A-dal-wuulf
- Variations: Adolf, Adolphus
- Popularity: Adalwolf has one known bearer.
Adolf
Adolf comes from Adalwolf, built on “athal” or “adal,” meaning “noble,” and “wolf” from “wulfaz.” Some sources trace the first element instead to “had(u),” meaning “battle” or “combat.” It had a real American following once, with 1,394 boys receiving it since record-keeping began in 1880. History has since done what history does to a name. If you love the sound, Adalwolf and Adolphus get you there without the shadow.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Noble wolf
- Pronunciation: A-dolf
- Variations: Adolph, Adolpha, Adolphus
- Namesakes: Adolf Meyer, a Swiss psychiatrist operating in the U.S. Georg Adolf von Hensel, a German composer and expert pianist.
- Popularity: Adolf last cleared the SSA’s five-birth line in 1990 at 8,134th, and its best U.S. showing was 840th in 1916.
Adolphus
Adolphus is the Latinized form of the German Adolf, and it wears the extra syllables like a Roman title. Just over 4,100 American boys have carried it since 1880, and it still surfaces now and then. Some readers will hear “dolphin” in the first half, which is either a problem or a charm depending on your sense of humor. The nickname Dolph settles the matter either way.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Noble wolf
- Pronunciation: a-DOL-fus
- Variations: Adolph, Adolpha, Adolf
- Namesakes: Adolphus “Doc” Cheatham, an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. Adolphus Sweet, an American actor. Adolphus Green, an American businessman and founder.
- Popularity: Adolphus peaked at 680th in 1917 and last appeared in U.S. data in 2022 at 12,393rd.
Agwang
Agwang is of African origin and means “wolf” in Dholuo, the language of the Kenyan Luo ethnic group. In Uganda, it is a fairly common surname with over 17,000 bearers. Agwang may also mean “honorable.” Besides its exotic look and sound, this is one of the few girl names that mean wolf, making it extra unique in the West.
- Origin: African
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: OG-wan
- Popularity: Agwang doesn’t appear on U.S. popularity charts and is rare worldwide.
Aldwulf
Aldwulf is the Latinized variant of Ealdwulf, and neither has any foothold in the U.S. today. The name reads as “old wolf,” which lands somewhere between wise and weathered. Parents who looked into a newborn’s face and saw an old soul tend to like it for exactly that reason.
- Origin: Anglo-Saxon
- Meaning: Old wolf
- Pronunciation: AALD-wuulf
- Variations: Ealdwulf
- Namesakes: Aldwulf, a medieval Bishop of Rochester in Great Britain.
- Popularity: Aldwulf is not on the popularity charts.
Amarok
Amarok comes straight out of Inuit storytelling. In Greenlandic Inuit lore the Amaroq is a giant wolf that devours anyone foolish enough to hunt alone at night. Other Arctic peoples use the word for the ordinary gray or Arctic wolf. It is short, stressed on the first syllable, and about as mythic as a three-syllable name gets.
- Origin: Inuit
- Meaning: Giant wolf, gray or arctic wolf
- Pronunciation: AM-uh-rok, AMA-rok
- Variations: Amaroq
- Popularity: Amarok has about 14 known bearers worldwide.
Amwolf
Hardly anything is more majestic than combining the eagle and the wolf, and Amwolf does just that. It could also mean “laboring wolf” or “wolf of work,” from the elements “amal” meaning “work” or “labor,” and “wulf” or “ulf” meaning “wolf.” Although all versions of Amwolf are rare, the variant Amulf is more popular, with about four bearers in Germany.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Eagle wolf
- Pronunciation: AM-wuulf
- Variations: Amulf, Arnulf
- Popularity: Amwolf does not appear on popularity charts.
Ardwolf
Ardwolf’s first element is a puzzle, since “ard” is an obsolete Old English term with no modern equivalent; “home-loving” or “domesticated” are the usual guesses. The modern Afrikaans “aardwolf” means “earth wolf” and belongs to a small insect-eating hyena found in Africa. Shorten it to Ari and you get a name that can also be read as lion, eagle, or brave.
- Origin: Dutch, Afrikaans, Old English
- Meaning: Earth wolf, home-loving wolf
- Pronunciation: AARD-vuulf, AARD-wuulf, AAD-wuulf
- Variations: Aardwolf
- Popularity: Ardwolf has about two known bearers worldwide, making it extremely rare.
Arnulf
Arnulf feels perfectly princely. It takes from both the majesty of the eagle and the prowess of the wolf by combining the elements “arn,” meaning “eagle,” and “ulf” or “olf” meaning “wolf.” Arnulf is highly uncommon, and some in the West might do a double take. Luckily, it has the benefit of looking and sounding similar to Arnold.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Eagle wolf
- Pronunciation: ar-NOOLF, AAR-nuulf, AAR-noolf
- Variations: Arnou, Arnoul, Anulv
- Namesakes: Arnulf von Arnim, a German classical pianist. Arnulf Rainer, an Austrian abstract painter. Prince Arnulf of Bavaria, a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach.
- Popularity: Arnulf is most prevalent in Germany and Norway
Athaulf
Athaulf was a 5th-century Visigoth king who succeeded the throne after King Alaric I. This epithet is a modern spelling of the Gothic Aþawulfs, derived from “aþals” meaning “nobility,” and “wulfs,” meaning “wolf.” In that case, Athaulf would be a cognate (words with the same linguistic origin) of Adolf. The first element could instead come from “atta,” meaning “father.”
- Origin: Gothic
- Meaning: Father wolf, noble wolf
- Pronunciation: AATH-oulf, UH-thulf
- Variations: Atawulf, Ataulf, Athavulf
- Namesakes: Athaulf, king of the Visigoths.
- Popularity: Athaulf doesn’t show up on popularity charts.
Bardolph
Bardolph comes from the Germanic Bartholf or Bardwulf, joining “bard,” meaning “ax,” with “wulf.” Another line ties it to the Old German Berhtolf, whose first element “berhta” means “bright,” so the name lands as either an ax wolf or a bright one. Both readings give you something with edges.
- Origin: Middle English, Old German
- Meaning: Ax wolf
- Pronunciation: BAAR-dolf, BAA-dulf
- Variations: Bardolf
- Popularity: Bardolph has about six known bearers globally.
Bardou
Bardou is the posh French cousin of Bardolph. It is also a small village in France and a wine label, which gives it a faintly delicious air. The Old English reading is “ax wolf,” though it may instead descend from the Old German Berhtolf, from “berhta,” meaning “bright,” and “wulf.” It reads more like a surname borrowed for first-name duty, and Denis Albert Bardou already proved that works.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Ax wolf
- Pronunciation: BAR-doo
- Variations: Bardolph
- Namesakes: Denis Albert Bardou, a French optical instruments manufacturer.
- Popularity: Bardou has about 40 global bearers, with about 4,326 bearers of the surname.
Beowulf
Arm your son for anything with Beowulf, the monster-slayer of the 9th-century epic poem. The name reads as “bee-wolf” or “bee-hunter,” long taken as a riddling way of saying bear. Other sources trace it to “beadu,” meaning “battle” or “war,” plus “wulf.” It has only been in U.S. birth records since 2010, so your son would almost certainly be the only one in the room.
- Origin: Geatish, Anglo-Saxon
- Meaning: Bear, battle wolf
- Pronunciation: BAY-oh-wuulf
- Namesakes: Beowulf Boritt, an American set designer and the son of historian Gabor Boritt.
- Popularity: Beowulf ranked 9,838th for U.S. boys in 2025 with seven births, up about 23% on the previous decade.
Bernulf
Bernulf comes from the Proto-Germanic “beran” or “bernu,” meaning “bear,” from Old High German “berô” and “bern(u).” The second element is taken from the Gothic “wulfs” meaning “wolf.” Bernulf was a moniker describing someone with the qualities of a bear and a wolf. If your baby is extra cuddly and big on family, then Bernulf is perfect.
- Origin: Old High German
- Meaning: Bear wolf
- Pronunciation: BURN-uulf
- Popularity: Bernulf is most popular in Germany and Austria.
Blaidd
Blaidd’s spelling and pronunciation will start a conversation in any English-speaking room, since the double d comes out as a soft th. Families with Welsh heritage often reach for it as a way of honoring that line. Gamers know it as the half man, half wolf character in Elden Ring. It is the Welsh word for wolf, undiluted.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: BLEYE-dh
- Popularity: Blaidd has about three known bearers limited to Russia and Wales.
Bleddyn
Bleddyn is not an invented name with a stray y dropped in. It joins the Welsh Blaidd, meaning “wolf,” with a diminutive suffix, so the sense is “wolf pup.” Poets and rugby players have carried it in Wales. For all the consonants it comes out gently, BLEHDH-in, and suits even the littlest of the litter.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Little wolf, wolf pup
- Pronunciation: BLEHDH-in
- Variations: Blevin, Blevins, Blethin, Blevyn
- Namesakes: Bleddyn Fardd, a Welsh court poet from Gwynedd. Bleddyn Taylor, a Welsh rugby union player. Bleddyn Williams, a Welsh rugby union centre.
- Popularity: Bleddyn doesn’t appear on U.S. charts but is most popular in Wales, with about 448 international bearers.
Bleiz
Bleiz is a fiery pick from Breton, meaning “wolf.” It’s closely related to the Welsh name Bleidd, which has the same meaning. In Brittonic mythology, wolves symbolize wisdom, power, and freedom. Let your baby’s wild side out with Bleiz before the trail runs cold.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: BLAY, BLAYZH, BLAYZ
- Popularity: Bleiz is rare worldwide, with about seven recorded bearers.
Bodolf
Bodolf is built for the toughest Jarl in training. Marvel readers may recall Bodolf the Black, a Viking leader who killed a dragon, bathed in its blood, and came out strong enough to trouble Thor. The name itself reads as “wolf leader,” which is a fair amount of expectation to hand a newborn. It is rare even in Denmark, where it is most at home.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Wolf leader
- Pronunciation: BOH-dolf
- Namesakes: Bodolf Hareide, a Norwegian Conservative Party politician.
- Popularity: Bodolf is most prevalent in Denmark but is extremely rare.
Boris
Boris has charted in the U.S. since 1911, and 37 boys in 2025 is a quiet showing. It comes from one or several Turkic words, among them “böri” (wolf), “bars” (snow leopard), and “bogöri” (short). It also works as a diminutive of the Slavic Borislav, from “borti,” meaning “battle,” and “slava,” meaning “glory.” Bo works as an easy everyday nickname.
- Origin: Turkic, Slavic
- Meaning: Wolf, battle glory
- Pronunciation: BAWR-iss
- Variations: Borys
- Namesakes: Boris Johnson, a British politician and former mayor and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Boris Becker, a German tennis player. Boris Krajný, an award-winning Czech pianist.
- Popularity: Boris ranked 3,189th in the U.S. in 2025 with 37 boys, a long way from its 874th-place best in 1962.
Cathwulf
Cathwulf is one of the few genuinely gender-neutral names here. It joins the Old English “cath,” meaning “battle” or “war,” from the Proto-Germanic “khattuz,” with “wulf.” Some readings give it as “pure as a wolf” instead. It has been out of use since the Anglo-Saxon scholar who bore it, which leaves it entirely unclaimed.
- Origin: Anglo-Saxon
- Meaning: Battle wolf, warrior wolf
- Pronunciation: KATH-wuulf
- Namesakes: Cathwulf, an Anglo-Saxon learned man active in Francia.
- Popularity: Cathwulf doesn’t appear on popularity charts.
Cenwulf
Cenwulf is composed of the elements “cen” meaning “bold” or “keen,” and “wulf” meaning “wolf.” Once used by a few notable individuals in the Middle Ages, Cenwulf has strong historical and linguistic significance. Nowadays, it has become a forgotten relic and might seem unusual. Fortunately, Cenwulf sounds great as a middle name.
- Origin: Anglo-Saxon
- Meaning: Bold wolf
- Pronunciation: SEN-wuulf
- Variations: Coenwulf, Kenulf, Kenwulph
- Namesakes: Coenwulf, or Cenwulf, a king of Mercia. Cenwulf, a medieval bishop and abbot.
- Popularity: Cenwulf is not on any popularity charts.
Channing
Channing is one of the few names here that genuinely works for either child, splitting roughly two boys to every girl in current U.S. births. It may stem from the Old English “caningas,” meaning “royal race” or “lineage of kings.” Another route runs through the Old English “canning,” an Anglicisation of the Irish surname Ó Canain, from the Gaelic nickname “cana,” meaning “wolf pup.” The wolf sits at the gentler end of the spectrum here, which is much of the appeal.
- Origin: Irish, Old English
- Meaning: Wolf pup, young wolf
- Pronunciation: CHAN-ing
- Namesakes: Channing Tatum, an American actor. Channing Frye, an American professional basketball player. Richard Channing Gibson, an American TV producer, and writer.
- Popularity: Channing ranked 1,772nd for U.S. boys in 2025 with 91 births and 3,136th for girls with 51, down about 43% on the previous decade after peaking at 515th in 2012.
Conall
Conall comes from the Old Irish “cú,” meaning wolf hound or wolf dog, and “fal,” meaning “rule,” “great,” or “mighty,” so “rule of a wolf” is a fair reading. Kings and saints carried it in early Ireland. It has never been common in the U.S., which is exactly why most parents pick it. Say it KON-ul and it sounds far gentler than it looks on paper.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Mighty wolf, strong wolf
- Pronunciation: KON-ul, KUN-all
- Variations: Connall, Conal, Connell
- Namesakes: Conall Cremthainne, an Irish king. St. Conall, or Conal, a 5th-century Irish bishop. Conall Gulban, a 5th-century Irish king and founder of the kingdom of Tír Chonaill.
- Popularity: Conall ranked 5,074th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 19 births, holding steady since its 2,893rd-place best in 2016.
Conan
Conan pairs the Irish element “cú,” meaning wolf hound, with a diminutive suffix, descending from the almost identical Celtic Conán. It is having its best run of American births right now, up about 94% on the previous decade. Between the barbarian and the talk show host, most people already know how to say it. That kind of familiarity is rare on a list this obscure.
- Origin: Irish, Celtic
- Meaning: Little wolf, little hound
- Pronunciation: KOH-nun, KOH-naan
- Variations: Conán
- Namesakes: Conan O’Brien, an American TV host and comedian. St. Conan, an Irish missionary and Bishop of the Isle of Man. Conan Gray, an American singer-songwriter and Youtuber.
- Popularity: Conan ranked 1,678th for U.S. boys in 2025, and its 98 births that year are the most it has ever recorded, though its best rank stays 1,087th in 1972.
Cuán
Cuán is not to be confused with the Spanish unaccented “cuan” or “cuán,” meaning “how.” This is ultimately a diminutive of the Celtic Conán, which became Conan in Irish. For a male name associated with wolves, Cuán is quite cute.
- Origin: Irish, Celtic
- Meaning: Little wolf, little hound
- Pronunciation: KOH-an, KOH-n, KOH-un
- Variations: Cúan, Cúán
- Namesakes: Cúán úa Lothcháin, an Irish poet. St. Cúan, an Irish abbot and the founder of many Irish churches and monasteries.
- Popularity: Cuán and Cúán are limited to Ireland and are extremely rare.
Cynewulf
Poets, bishops, and kings alike have touted the impressive-looking Cynewulf. With such an aristocratic meaning, it’s clear to see why. Perhaps you love Old English names or enjoy the Shakespearean pronunciation? Cynewulf will transport you to the days of yore when wolves truly did rule the woods.
- Origin: Anglo-Saxon
- Meaning: Royal wolf, kingly wolf
- Pronunciation: KIN-ih-wuulf, KIN-ee-wuulf
- Variations: Cynwulf, Cyniwulf, Kynewulf
- Namesakes: Cynewulf, an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon poet. Cynewulf of Lindisfarne, a bishop of Lindisfarne (Holy Island). Cynewulf, a king of Wessex.
- Popularity: Cynewulf is very rare as it doesn’t appear on popularity charts.
Diab
Diab stems from the Arabic “ḍi’b” or “ḏiʾb,” meaning “wolf.” It began as a nickname, then settled into use as both a surname and a given name across Arabic-speaking countries. In American records it is barely a blip, which leaves a boy plenty of room to define it himself. It works equally well as a first name or a passed-down surname.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Wolf, free and brave like a wolf
- Pronunciation: DEYE-ab
- Variations: Diyab, Dhiyab
- Namesakes: Amr Diab, an Egyptian singer, composer, and actor. Lena Diab, a Canadian politician.
- Popularity: Diab has cleared the SSA’s five-birth line only once, at 12,698th in 2016.
Direwolf
Direwolf is a very recent coinage as a given name, with no SSA record. It borrows from an extinct prehistoric canine that once lived across the Americas and East Asia, and the term joins the Latin “dirus,” meaning “terrible,” “fearful,” or “dreadful,” with “wolf” from the Old English “wulf.” Game of Thrones did the rest. It is a bold choice and it will be read as one.
- Origin: Latin, English
- Meaning: Terrible wolf, fearful wolf
- Pronunciation: DEYER-wuulf, DEYE-uh-wuulf
- Popularity: Direwolf is quite rare worldwide, with about one known bearer.
Eadwulf
Eadwulf sits one sound shift away from Edward and Edgar, with the first element left in its original state. It joins the Old English “ead,” meaning “wealth” or “fortune,” with “wulf.” Northumbrian kings, a bishop of Elmham, and a ruler of Bamburgh all answered to it. Its cousins went on to conquer the English-speaking world while Eadwulf stayed home, which is precisely why it is still available.
- Origin: Anglo-Saxon
- Meaning: Wealthy wolf
- Pronunciation: ED-wuulf
- Variations: Eadulf
- Namesakes: Eadwulf, a Northumbrian king. Eadwulf, a medieval bishop of Elmham. Eadwulf, a 10th-century ruler of Bamburgh.
- Popularity: Eadwulf doesn’t show up on popularity charts.
Esau
Esau is not an obvious wolf name, but the logic holds. It means “hairy,” a quality no wolf lacks, and Genesis describes him as a skilled hunter and a man of the field. The name first appeared in U.S. data in 1880 and still registered 37 births in 2025. It suits parents who want a biblical name that has not been worn smooth by use.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Hairy
- Pronunciation: EE-saw
- Namesakes: Esau de’ Buondelmonti, the ruler of Ioannina and its environs. Esau McGraw, an American professional improv artist and a member of The Phat Comedy Players.
- Popularity: Esau ranked 3,205th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 37 births, down about 26% on the previous decade; its best rank was 1,427th in 1916.
Ethelwulf
Ethelwulf is composed of the Old English element “aþalaz” meaning “noble,” “aristocratic,” “excellent,” or “eminent,” and “wulf” from the Proto-Germanic “wulfaz.” Due to the “ethel” portion, this epithet could be mistaken for a feminine option. Some names are just so old that modern parents can feel free to use them however they like.
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: Noble wolf
- Pronunciation: A-dhel-wuulf, EH-thel-wuulf
- Variations: Æthelwulf
- Namesakes: Æthelwulf, or Ethelwulf, a king of Wessex.
- Popularity: Ethelwulf is very rare as it doesn’t appear on any popularity charts.
Faolan
Faolan is properly spelled with a fada in Gaelic, Faolán, and comes from the Old Irish “fáel,” meaning “wolf,” plus a diminutive suffix. Irish myth gives it a friendly turn: the Faoladh is a werewolf cast as a guardian rather than a monster. It only entered U.S. birth records in 2006, so it still reads as a discovery. FAY-lawn and FOW-lan are both heard.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little wolf
- Pronunciation: FAY-lawn, FOW-lan
- Variations: Faolán, Felan, Phelan
- Namesakes: Faolán Mac an Ghabhann na Scéal, an Irish writer and genealogist. St. Faolán, or Fillan, an 8th-century monk from Munster.
- Popularity: Faolan ranked 8,466th for U.S. boys in 2025 with nine births, up about 28% on the previous decade.
Farkas
Farkas is the plain Hungarian word for wolf and one of the most common surnames in the country, though it is far rarer as a first name. Wolves were once widespread in Hungary, feared and respected, and taken as a sign of a healthy forest. The name has a hard, percussive sound that English speakers tend to like immediately. FAAR-kush is the Hungarian reading.
- Origin: Hungarian
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: FAAR-kush, FAAR-kus, FAR-kas
- Variations: Farkaš
- Namesakes: Farkas Molnár, a Hungarian architect, painter, essayist, and artist. Farkas Gatal, a 12th-century Hungarian lord. Farkas Bejc, a 13th-century Hungarian prelate and bishop.
- Popularity: About 377 people are called Farkas worldwide.
Fenrir
Fenrir is the giant wolf of Norse mythology and one of Loki’s monstrous children. The name itself points to “fen,” meaning marsh in Old and Middle English, so it earns a place here by association rather than translation. American parents only started using it in the last decade. Fenris is the softer variant if the full name feels like a lot to carry.
- Origin: Norse, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Fen-dweller
- Pronunciation: FEN-reer
- Variations: Fenris
- Popularity: Fenrir ranked 7,335th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 11 births, having first appeared in the federal data in 2016.
Freki
In Norse myth Freki is one of the two wolves who sit at Odin’s side. The name comes from the Old Norse “frekr,” meaning “avaricious” or “greedy,” which became the Proto-Germanic “frekaz” and reached Old English as “frec,” meaning “desirous” or “gluttonous.” So this is the ever-hungry wolf of folklore, given a name. Freki has no obvious nickname, which may suit parents who want the name to stay whole.
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: Avaricious, greedy
- Pronunciation: FREH-kee
- Popularity: There are about 156 bearers of Freki globally.
Fridolf
Fridolf is rare worldwide but is most popular in Sweden, Germany, and Finland. It’s derived from the Old High German element “fridu,” meaning “peace,” paired with the Gothic “vulfs,” meaning “wolf.” This one is great for free-spirited peace warrior types. Fridolf even sounds like the word “free.”
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Wolf of peace, peaceful wolf
- Pronunciation: FREE-dolf
- Variations: Fridulf
- Namesakes: Fridolf Heck or Höök, a Finnish naval captain, whaler, free trader, and settler. Fridolf Lundsten, a Finnish wrestler. Fridolf Rhudin, a Swedish actor and comedian.
- Popularity: There are about 72 bearers of Fridolf internationally.
Garou
Garou comes from the Middle French “garou,” from Old French “garoul,” where it worked as a prefix meaning “were,” as in werecat. Japanese gives it a second life: the kanji can be read as “elegant tower” but is more often read as “wolf,” “fanged wolf,” “hungry wolf,” or “fierce like a wolf.” Two very different traditions, one two-syllable name. It pairs naturally with a short, one-syllable middle name.
- Origin: French, Japanese
- Meaning: Werewolf, hungry wolf
- Pronunciation: GA-roo, GYA-roo, GA-ROH
- Namesakes: Pierre Garand, stage name Garou, a Canadian singer, actor, and entertainer.
- Popularity: Garou is most popular in French territories, with about 771 bearers worldwide.
Gerulf
Gerulf is composed of the Old German “ger” and “wulf,” from the Old High German elements “gaizaz” meaning “spear,” or “javelin,” and “wulfaz,” meaning “wolf.” Other versions include the German Gerolf and the Old Swedish and Old Danish Gæirulfr or Geirúlfr. Gerulf seems remarkably similar to Geralt, so perhaps it’s just right for the birth of a new legend.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Spear of the wolf, spear wolf
- Pronunciation: GEE-roolf, GEH-ruulf, JEH-ruulf
- Variations: Gerolf, Gerwulf
- Namesakes: Gerulf the Elder, the first count of Frisia. Gerolf of Holland, also Gerulf, a count of Frisia.
- Popularity: Gerulf is most prevalent in Germany and Austria, with about 112 global bearers.
Gundulf
Gundulf comes from the Old High German “gund,” meaning “war” or “battle,” and the Gothic “vulfs,” meaning “wolf.” It’s most prevalent in Germany, where it originated. A great way to make Gundulf more approachable in English-speaking countries is to use the easy-to-say nickname, Gunner.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Battle wolf, war wolf
- Pronunciation: GUN-doolf, GUN-duulf
- Variations: Gundulph, Gundulfus, Gondulf
- Namesakes: Gundulf, or Gundulph, a Norman monk operating in England after the Norman Conquest.
- Popularity: Gundulf is extremely rare, with about five known bearers worldwide.
Hardulph
Hardulph is taken from the Gothic “hardus” and Old High German “hart,” meaning “hardy” or “brave,” and Gothic “vulfs,” meaning “wolf.” Though Hardulph and its variants aren’t on any charts, Hardolf has been recorded once as a surname in Sweden. All parents want their children to be brave, and Hardulph could push them in the right direction.
- Origin: Anglo-Saxon, German
- Meaning: Brave wolf
- Pronunciation: HAA-doolf, HAAR-duulf
- Variations: Hardulf, Hardolf
- Popularity: Hardulph and its variants do not show up on popularity charts.
Hariwolfar
Hariwolfar is a mouthful with an epic ring to it. It combines the Proto-Norse “hariaR,” meaning “warrior,” with “wulafar” or “wulfaR,” meaning “wolf.” Norse culture read wolves as omens of chaos and destruction but also of loyalty and courage, which suits a name carrying this much weight. Harry and Wolf are both hiding inside it when the full version is too much.
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: Warrior wolf
- Pronunciation: HAA-ree-wol-faa, HAA-ree-wuul-faar, HAA-ree-vol-faa
- Variations: Hariulfr, Hariwulfar, Hariwulafar
- Popularity: Hariwolfar is extremely rare worldwide and doesn’t appear on popularity charts.
Hati
In Norse mythology, Hati is a wolf who chases the moon to devour it. He has a possible alternate name, Mánagarmr, meaning “moon hound” or “moon dog.” In Hindi, Hati means “golden,” but it’s also seen as a variation of the Arabic Hadi in the Quran. There it means “someone who guides people toward the Straight Path.”
- Origin: Old Norse, Indian
- Meaning: Despiser, hater, golden
- Pronunciation: HA-tee
- Variations: Hadi
- Popularity: Hati has just over 13,000 bearers worldwide.
Hrolleif
Hrolleif certainly stands out, yet it doesn’t get much play. It has been attested as “old wolf,” possibly being connected to Hrolf, meaning “wolf.” It’s more accurately connected to “hroll,” meaning “fame” or “glory,” and “leifr,” meaning “heir” or “descendant.” For the sake of authenticity, Hrolleif is pronounced with a rolled “r” similar to the Spanish “rr.”
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: Old wolf, famous descendant
- Pronunciation: HROL-eyef, HROL-eye-if, HROL-eef
Ingolf
Ingolf comes from the Old Norse Ingólfr, which pairs the Germanic god Ing, or Yngvi, with “úlfr,” meaning “wolf.” Because Ing traces back to the Germanic Ingwaz, possibly “ancestor,” the whole name can be read as “ancestor wolf.” That makes it a quiet way to nod at the generations behind your baby. It has been out of American use for a century, which is either a warning or an invitation.
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: Ing’s wolf, ancestor wolf
- Pronunciation: ING-golf, ING-gulf
- Variations: Ingólfr
- Namesakes: Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, a Danish count and former prince. Ingolf Wunder, an Austrian award-winning classical pianist. Ingolf Lück, a German actor, comedian, and TV host.
- Popularity: Ingolf has not appeared in U.S. data since 1921, when it ranked 4,648th; 17 American boys carry it in the entire record.
Isolfr
Isolfr is a frosty pick that combines the Old Norse “íss,” meaning “ice,” and “úlfr,” meaning “wolf.” Isolfr is the ideal nature name for a boy born in winter. And if he has a sister, it also pairs well with the feminine Isolde, meaning “ice ruler.”
- Origin: Old Norse, Icelandic
- Meaning: Ice wolf
- Pronunciation: EE-sol-vur, EE-sohl-fur
- Variations: Ísólfr, Ísólfur
- Popularity: Isolfr does not appear on popularity charts as it’s extremely rare.
Ivaylo
Ivaylo is of uncertain meaning but may be derived from the Old Bulgar name that spawned the Bulgarian name Vŭlo. Ultimately they come from the Proto-Germanic “wulfaz,” meaning “wolf.” Wherever it originates, Ivaylo just sounds so cool!
- Origin: Bulgarian
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: eev-EYE-loh
- Variations: Ivailo
- Namesakes: Ivaylo Petkov, a Bulgarian football player. Ivaylo, or Ivailo, a rebel leader and a tsar of Bulgaria. Ivaylo Kirov, a Bulgarian basketball player who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Ivaylo is the most popular in Bulgaria.
Kenneally
Kenneally is the Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic Ó Cionnfhaolaidh. It derives from “ceann,” meaning “head,” and Old Irish “fáel,” which became “faol,” meaning “wolf.” As a surname, Kenneally has almost 5,000 bearers, mostly found in Ireland and the U.S. Kenneally looks a bit complex, so it’s good that it can be shortened to the much simpler Ken.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Wolf head
- Pronunciation: kuu-NEE-lee
- Variations: Kennelly, Kennealy, Keneally
- Namesakes: William Kenneally, an Irish politician. Siassie Kenneally, an Inuit artist from Cape Dorset.
- Popularity: Kenneally has less than ten known bearers worldwide.
Kiba
Kiba is a variation of the Hebrew Akiva, meaning “protection,” which sits oddly beside its Japanese sense of “fang.” Anime did most of the work of carrying it west: Kiba is the white lone wolf at the center of Wolf’s Rain, and in Naruto he is a ninja of the dog-keeping Inuzuka clan, whose dogs are also ninjas. It only turned up in American birth data in 2015, well behind the anime characters that made it recognizable.
- Origin: Japanese, Hebrew
- Meaning: Fang, protection, shelter
- Pronunciation: KEE-buh, KEE-ba
- Variations: Akiva
- Namesakes: Masao Kiba, a Japanese football player.
- Popularity: Kiba last cleared the SSA’s line in 2021 at 13,199th, with its best showing at 11,473rd in 2015.
Kiyiya
Kiyiya originates from the Native American Yakima tribe. Among the Yakima people, wolves are highly respected as they symbolize strength, loyalty, and family. They believe wolves teach us significant lessons about survival and cooperation. Whether you wish to honor Native American heritage or show respect for the natural world, you can answer the call of the wild with Kiyiya.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Howling wolf
- Pronunciation: keh-YEE-yah
- Popularity: Kiyiya doesn’t appear on U.S. popularity charts.
Kveldulf
Kveldulf joins the Old Norse “kveld,” meaning “evening” or “night,” with “úlfr.” It began as the nickname of Ulf Bjalfason, a 9th-century Viking commander and landowner whom many believed to be a shapeshifter, which is one way to earn the title night wolf. The name nods at wolves and werewolves in a single breath. It is rare even in Norway.
- Origin: Norwegian
- Meaning: Night wolf, evening wolf
- Pronunciation: kfel-DUULF, kfel-DOOLF
- Variations: Kveldúlfr, Kveldulv
- Namesakes: Ulf Bjalfason, better known as Kveldulf, a 9th-century Norwegian Viking military commander, landowner, and skald.
- Popularity: Kveldulf is most popular in Norway but is rare worldwide.
Lobo
Lobo is simply the Spanish and Portuguese word for wolf, which makes it about as direct as this list gets. Comics readers will think of the DC bounty hunter; anyone who had a radio in the 1970s may think of Roland LaVoie, who took it as a stage name. It has only registered in U.S. birth data since 2021. Roland LaVoie’s stage name kept it in American ears through the 1970s.
- Origin: Spanish, Portuguese
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: LOH-boh
- Namesakes: Porfirio Lobo Sosa, a Honduran politician and former president of Honduras. Roland Kent LaVoie, stage name Lobo, an American folk-rock and country-pop singer, and lyricist.
- Popularity: Lobo first appeared in U.S. data in 2021 and last cleared the line in 2024 at 10,510th.
Lopez
The festive-sounding Lopez is a patronymic, a name built from a father’s given name. It comes from the medieval given name Lope, meaning “wolf,” which traces back to the Latin “lupus.” As one of the most common Hispanic surnames, it is a familiar word doing unfamiliar work in the first-name slot. Fewer than 100 American boys have ever been given it.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Son of Lope, son of Wolf
- Pronunciation: LOH-pes, LOH-pez
- Variations: López
- Namesakes: Porfirio López Meza, a Costa Rican football player. Jennifer Lopez, an American singer, and actress. George Lopez, an American stand-up comedian, and actor.
- Popularity: Lopez last cleared the SSA’s line in 1995 at 7,483rd, and 90 American boys have received it as a first name in total.
Loup
Loup is the French descendant of the Latin “lupus.” French Canadian folklore gives us the Loup-Garou, a man cursed to run as a werewolf for 101 days rather than by the moon’s schedule, and a related loup-garou, also spelled Lagahoo and Lugarhou, prowls the folklore of Trinidad and Tobago carrying a coffin. As a name it is elegant and almost weightless. Say LOO and let the p stay quiet.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: LOO, LOOP
- Variations: Leloup
- Namesakes: Loup Verlet, a French physicist. Paul-Loup Chatin, a French professional racecar driver. Pierre-Loup Bouquet, a French competitive ice dancer.
- Popularity: In 2021, Loup ranked 309th in France.
Lovel
Lovel comes from an English surname, a variant of Lowell, and both trace to a Norman French nickname built on “lou,” meaning “wolf,” plus a diminutive suffix. The literal sense is “little wolf,” far friendlier than most of the Germanic compounds gathered here. The word “love” sitting inside it is an accident of spelling that no parent seems to mind.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Little wolf, young wolf
- Pronunciation: LUH-vul, luh-VEL
- Variations: Lovell
- Namesakes: Lovel Palmer, a Jamaican football player.
- Popularity: Lovel last appeared in U.S. data in 2000 at 11,485th, well below its 2,878th-place best in 1929.
Lovett
Lovett comes from the Anglo-Norman French “louet,” meaning “wolf pup,” a diminutive of “lou.” It first appears in U.S. birth data in 2024, on six girls. Parents of daughters may hear it as a wolfish cousin of Cosette, another diminutive French name. It sounds at home next to Everett or Beckett.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Wolf pup, young wolf
- Pronunciation: LUH-vut, LUH-vit
- Popularity: Lovett first appears in U.S. data in 2024 at 14,543rd with six girls.
Ludolf
Ludolf is like an interesting cousin to Rudolph. It comes from the Old High German Hludwolf and comprises the elements “hlūdaz,” for “loud,” “sound,” “noise,” or “fame,” and “olf” from “wulfaz,” meaning “wolf.” Another possible meaning comes from the Germanic elements “liud,” meaning “people” or “tribe,” and “olf.” Consider using a cool-sounding nickname like Ludo.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Famous wolf, the people’s wolf
- Pronunciation: LOO-dawlf, LOO-dolf
- Variations: Ludolph
- Namesakes: Ludolf Bakhuizen, a German-born Dutch painter and printmaker. Gottfried Ludolf Camphausen, a Prime Minister of Prussia. Ludolf Nielsen, a Danish composer, conductor, and musician.
- Popularity: Ludolf is most popular in Germany and the Netherlands, with about 984 bearers internationally.
Lupe
Lupe is usually short for Guadalupe, which reads as “river of the wolf” or “valley of the wolf,” from the Arabic “wadi,” meaning valley or river, and the Latin “lupus.” On its own it simply means wolf. It was a genuine hit in the 1920s and has been fading since, down about 31% on the previous decade. That makes it a vintage pick rather than a trend, which is the whole point of a vintage pick.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: LOO-pay, LOOP
- Namesakes: María Guadalupe Vélez, known professionally as Lupe Vélez, a Mexican actress, singer, and dancer. Wasalu Jaco, stage name Lupe Fiasco, an American rapper and record producer.
- Popularity: Lupe ranked 14,243rd for U.S. girls in 2025 and 10,285th for boys, the rarest current showing of any name on this list, though it once reached 317th in 1927.
Lupin
Lupin goes back to the Old French “lupin,” from the Latin “lupīnus,” meaning “pertaining to the wolf.” Gardeners know it as the flowering Lupinus. Readers know Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief. It only entered U.S. birth records in 2017 and still sits far outside common use. A wolf name with manners.
- Origin: Latin, French
- Meaning: Wolf-like, pertaining to the wolf
- Pronunciation: LOO-peh, LOO-pin
- Popularity: Lupin ranked 11,481st in U.S. data in 2025 with six births, well below its 7,095th-place best in 2024.
Lycan
Lycan derives from the Greek “lykos,” meaning “wolf.” Greek myth supplies the backstory: Lycaon, a fabled king of Arcadia, tried to test Zeus and was turned into a wolf for the trouble. American use is up about 59% on the previous decade, though it last charted in 2024 at 8,103rd, below its 2018 best. And you cannot spell lycanthrope without it.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: LEYE-kun, LEYE-kn
- Popularity: Lycan last cleared the SSA’s line in 2024 at 8,103rd with 10 births, up about 59% on the previous decade.
Lycus
Lycus is the Latinized form of the Greek word “lykos,” meaning “wolf.” Greek mythology cites many people called Lycus, including the wolf-shaped hero, Lycus of Athens, and Lycus, the son of Poseidon. If you’re into giving your kids complementary or matching names, try pairing Lycus and Lycan.
- Origin: Greek, Latin
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: LEYE-kus
- Variations: Lykos
- Popularity: Lycus is extremely rare worldwide, with less than five known bearers.
Madadh
Madadh is certainly unconventional. It’s of Scottish Gaelic origin but is rare even in its homeland. Wolves have been an important part of Scottish folklore for centuries, including creatures like the mythical, modern-day wolf-headed Wulver. Unfortunately, real Scottish wolves were hunted to extinction in the 18th-century. Revive a little piece of the Scottish wilderness with Madadh.
- Origin: Irish, Scottish
- Meaning: Dog, wolf
- Pronunciation: MA-dah, MA-duh
- Popularity: Madadh doesn’t make the top 1,000 on popularity charts as it’s quite rare.
Ma’iingan
Ma’iingan is Native American Chippewa or Ojibwe. It’s extremely rare and does not appear on popularity charts. Wolves are revered in Chippewa culture and considered brothers to humans, as well as spiritual guides and protectors. So important is the wolf that it features prominently in their clan systems. Ma’iingan is rich with cultural history.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: The wolf
- Pronunciation: meye-IN-gan
Maugrim
Maugrim was the talking wolf in C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. The first element may come from the Middle English “maugre,” meaning “ill-will,” or from the word “maw.” The second belongs to English folklore, where a Grim was either a guardian spirit or a crimson-eyed black dog of very bad news. It is a villain’s name, and some parents want exactly that.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Grim of ill-will
- Pronunciation: MAW-grim
- Popularity: Maugrim doesn’t appear on popularity charts.
Miyax
Miyax derives from the Inuit word “miyaw” meaning “fox” or “little fox.” It was popularized by the main character of the book Julie and the Wolves. After losing her home, Miyax, whose English name is Julie, joins a wolf pack in the Arctic wilderness. This adorable pick invokes ideals of found family and kinship.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Fox
- Pronunciation: MEYE-aks
- Popularity: Miyax is very rare, with about one known bearer in the world.
Okami
Okami is Japanese for wolf, said with a long OH at the front. In Shinto belief wolves connect the human and spirit worlds as guides, protectors, and messengers, and the name itself contains “kami,” the word for a deity. The Ainu had their own wolf god, Horkew Kamuy, the Howling Wolf God, also called Horkew Retara Kamuy, the White Wolf God. Few names here carry that much reverence.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Wolf, great god
- Pronunciation: OH-ka-mee
- Variations: Ookami, Ōkami
- Namesakes: Kei Okami, a Japanese physician and the first Japanese woman to obtain a degree in Western medicine. Yushin Okami, a Japanese mixed martial artist.
- Popularity: Okami has about 114 worldwide bearers.
Qutuz
Qutuz was a 12th-century sultan touted for his wolf-like fierceness and courage in battle. In Arabic culture, wolves symbolize loyalty and fidelity, depicted as spiritually significant in some legends. For English-speakers, Qutuz might serve better as a middle name. Despite being a highly unusual choice, it could be a unique addition to your roster.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Vicious beast, strong as a wolf
- Pronunciation: KWOH-tuz
- Variations: Kutuz, Kotuz
- Namesakes: Saif ad-Din Qutuz, a Turkic military leader and a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt.
- Popularity: Qutuz doesn’t occur on U.S. charts.
Radulf
Radulf is perfect for a radical baby. It comes from the Proto-Germanic Rēdawulfaz, which consists of the Old High German “rat” meaning “counsel” or “advice,” and “wulfaz,” meaning “wolf.” The combination of these elements can also mean “wise wolf.” Wisdom comes with many advisers, so why not take ours and put Radulf on your list of names meaning wolf?
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Wolf counsel
- Pronunciation: RA-doolf
- Variations: Radolf, Ráðúlfr, Radulfus
- Popularity: There are about 47 people called Radulf globally.
Rafe
Rafe is a variant of the English Ralph, tracing to the Old Norse Raðulfr, from “rað,” meaning “counsel,” and “úlfr,” meaning “wolf,” which passed into Old English as Rædwulf. In Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Hebrew use it is a short form of Rafael instead, usually said RA-fehy. It is quietly having its strongest moment ever in American birth records. One syllable, no nickname required.
- Origin: Old Norse, Scandinavian, English
- Meaning: Wolf counsel
- Pronunciation: RAYF
- Namesakes: Rafe Wolfe, a Jamaican international football player. Rafe Spall, an English actor known for his roles in Prometheus and The Big Short. Rafe Needleman, an American editor and author.
- Popularity: Rafe ranked 1,165th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 179 births, its best showing on record and up about 57% on the previous decade.
Ragnulf
Ragnulf derives from Old High German Raginolf. The first element, “ragn” stems from the Old Norse word “rögn,” meaning “counsel,” “decision,” or “advice.” “Ragn” could also be related to the word “ragna,” meaning “of the gods/powers.” So Ragnulf can mean “wolf of counsel” or “wolf of the gods.”
- Origin: Norwegian
- Meaning: Advisor wolf, wolf counsel
- Pronunciation: RAG-nuulf, RAG-noolf
- Variations: Ragnulv, Raginolf
- Popularity: Ragnulf is so rare it doesn’t show up on any popularity charts.
Remus
The meaning of Remus is uncertain, though it may connect to the Latin “geminus,” meaning “twin” or “double.” In Roman myth he is the twin brother of Romulus, abandoned as an infant and suckled by a she-wolf, which is how a name meaning twin ended up on a wolf list. The Harry Potter werewolf Remus Lupin gave it a second life. American use has been rising in recent years, up about 158% on the previous decade.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Oar, twin
- Pronunciation: REE-mus, RAY-mos
- Namesakes: Remus Cernea, a Romanian activist against faith-based discrimination. Remus Răduleț, a Romanian electrical engineer. Remus von Woyrsch, a Prussian field marshal.
- Popularity: Remus ranked 5,789th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 16 births, up about 158% on the previous decade.
Rikiwulf
In the Assassin’s Creed video game, Rikiwulf is a 9th-century Viking from the Wolf Clan. The first element, “riki,” might come from the Old Norse word “ríkr,” meaning “ruler.” It could also be a variation of the Old High German name Richi meaning “powerful ruler.” Either way, Rikiwulf is perfect for the next alpha in your pack.
- Origin: Old High German, Old Norse
- Meaning: Powerful ruler of wolves, mighty wolf
- Pronunciation: REE-kee-voolf, REE-kee-woolf, REE-kee-wuulf
- Namesakes: Rikiwulf, a member of the Scandinavian Wulfing dynasty.
- Popularity: Rikiwulf doesn’t appear on popularity charts as it is rare.
Rolf
Rolf is an Anglicization of the Old German Hrolf and its Old Norse cognate Hrólfr, both short forms of Hrodulf, from “hrod,” meaning “renown” or “fame,” and “wulf.” Rudolf is the same name in a longer coat. Rolf Harris and Rolf Lassgård both wore it comfortably, proof it travels beyond Scandinavia.
- Origin: Scandinavian, German
- Meaning: Famous wolf
- Pronunciation: RAWLF, ROLF
- Variations: Hrolf, Rolph
- Namesakes: Rolf Harris, an Australian entertainer and artist. Rolf Lassgård, a Swedish actor. Rolf Stommelen, a German racecar driver.
- Popularity: Rolf ranked 13,496th in the U.S. in 2025 with five boys, far below the 781st it reached in 1960.
Rudolf
Rudolf comes from the Germanic Hrodulf, built from “hrod” or “hróðr,” meaning “fame,” “glory,” or “renown,” and “olf” from “wulf.” The reindeer has a firm claim on the -ph spelling, but Rudolf with an f reads European and grown up. It was a real presence in American nurseries a century ago and has been scarce since, though births have ticked up about 26% on the previous decade. Rudy and Rolf are both waiting as nicknames.
- Origin: Scandinavian, German
- Meaning: Famous wolf
- Pronunciation: ROO-dawlf, ROO-dolf
- Variations: Rudolph, Rodolphe
- Namesakes: Rudolf Nureyev, a Soviet-born ballet dancer. Rudolf Diesel, a German inventor and engineer who created the diesel engine. Rudolph Marcus, a Canadian-born chemist and Nobel laureate.
- Popularity: Rudolf last cleared the SSA’s line in 2024 at 12,080th, and its best U.S. rank was 720th in 1927.
Sceolang
Sceólang’s meaning is uncertain. Some have suggested that this name means survivor, while others claim it combines with the Old Irish words “scél,” meaning “story” or “tale,” and “cú,” meaning “hound” or “dog.” What is certain is the mythology. Sceolang was one of the giant hounds of the Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhaill, Anglicized as Finn McCool or MacCool.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Young wolf, whelp, survivor
- Pronunciation: SHKYOH-lung
- Variations: Sceolan, Sceolán, Skeolan
- Popularity: Sceolang is rare worldwide.
Shunkaha
Shunkaha is Native American Lakota in origin. In Lakota culture, the wolf is held as sacred as it is tied to both the natural and spiritual worlds. Shunkaha isn’t commonly used outside of the Lakota community and is quite rare. It could be a unique and meaningful option for parents wanting a connection to Lakota culture.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: shun-KAA-hah
- Popularity: Shunkaha doesn’t show up on popularity charts.
Sigewulf
Sigewulf is composed of the Old English elements “sige,” meaning “victory,” and “wulf,” meaning “wolf.” It’s a rare name, not found among the top 1,000 names in the U.S. or the UK. Sigewulf was more popular during the Anglo-Saxon period of English history, though it was still fairly uncommon. Prepare your child for success with Sigewulf.
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: Victorious wolf
- Pronunciation: SIDZH-wuulf, SEE-geh-woolf
- Variations: Siwulf, Siulfus
- Popularity: Sigewulf is extremely uncommon worldwide.
Skoll
In Norse myth Skǫll is one of the two wolf sons of Fenrir, the one who chases the sun. The double l turns into a hard t sound in Icelandic and several Scandinavian languages, so SKOT is the authentic reading and SKOL the practical one. Choose the first and you will impress at least one Icelander. Choose the second and nobody will blink.
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: Mockery, treachery
- Pronunciation: SKOT, SKOL
- Variations: Sköll, Skǫll
- Namesakes: Jeffrey Skoll, a Canadian engineer, entrepreneur, and film producer.
- Popularity: Skoll is quite rare internationally but mostly found in the Netherlands.
Tala
Tala turns up across several cultures and stays mostly female. It has two Native American origins: in Lakota it means “alpha she-wolf,” while in Navajo it means “wolf princess.” In Samoan it means “story” and is used for boys and girls alike. It ranked 1,217th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 187 births, up about 72% on the previous decade, a gentle landing on this list for a daughter.
- Origin: Native American, Persian, Scandinavian, Tagalog
- Meaning: Alpha she-wolf, gold, tale, star
- Pronunciation: TA-lah
- Variations: Talah, Tara
- Namesakes: Tala Hadid, a London-born film director, producer, and photographer. Tala Madani, an Iranian-born American artist. Tala Raassi, an Iranian-American fashion designer.
- Popularity: Tala ranked 1,217th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 187 births, its best showing on record and up about 72% on the previous decade.
Torolf
Torolf joins the Old Norse “tor,” meaning “thunder,” with “ulf” or “olf,” so it reads as either Thor’s wolf or thunder wolf. Norse stories cast wolves as loyal companions and agents of ruin in equal measure, and this name sits happily in either camp. Norwegian designers, journalists, and musicians have carried it into the modern era. It sounds like weather.
- Origin: Norwegian, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Thor’s wolf
- Pronunciation: TOO-ruulf
- Variations: Torolv, Torulf
- Namesakes: Torolf Eklund, a Finnish aircraft designer. Torolf Elster, a Norwegian newspaper and radio journalist, editor, and author. Torolf Nordbø, a Norwegian musician and comedian.
- Popularity: Torolf has about 612 worldwide bearers, mostly in Norway.
Udolf
Udolf might stem from the Old English elements “eád,” meaning “riches” or “prosperity,” and “olf” from “wulf,” meaning “wolf.” It could also be an Old Germanic Adolf variant, meaning “noble wolf.” To many, it may sound like an incomplete Rudolf.
- Origin: Old English, German
- Meaning: Wealthy wolf, noble wolf
- Pronunciation: OO-dolf
- Variations: Adolf
- Popularity: Udolf is mostly prevalent in Germany but is rare worldwide.
Ulf
Ulf is the blunt Old Norse word for wolf, with Úlfr and Ulv as its siblings. It is used freely across Scandinavia and reads as completely ordinary there, which is much of its charm in English. American parents have essentially never touched it. Three letters, one growl, and a ready-made short form for half the names on this list.
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: OOLF, UULF
- Variations: Úlfr, Ulfr, Ulv
- Namesakes: Ulf Ekberg, a Swedish singer-songwriter, musician, TV, and film producer. Ulf Andersson, a Swedish title-winning chess player. Ulf Merbold, a German physicist and astronaut.
- Popularity: Ulf appears in U.S. birth data exactly once, at 4,398th in 1965.
Ulfhednar
Ulfhednar is for parents with a wild child on their hands. The Old Norse word means “wolf skins” or “wolf shirts,” the counterpart to the Berserkir, the bear shirts. Ulfhedinn is the singular form and works just as well. It shortens to Ulf the moment the full version gets tiring.
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: Wolf skins, wolf shirts
- Pronunciation: OOLF-hedh-nar
- Variations: Úlfhéðnar, Ulfhedinn
- Popularity: Ulfhednar has one known bearer in Russia.
Ulfric
Ulfric is a combination of the Germanic elements “ríkr,” meaning “power” or “ruler,” and “wulf,” meaning “wolf.” This is a poised option that retains a sense of Viking strength. Despite its rarity, Ulfric is popular in fiction. Ulfric Stormcloak is a major character and a Jarl in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim video game.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Wolf ruler
- Pronunciation: UUL-frik, OOL-frik
- Variations: Ulfrik, Úlfríkr
- Popularity: Ulfric is extremely rare worldwide.
Ulva
Ulva is the feminine form of the Old Norse Úlfr and a cognate of Ylva, so “she-wolf” is the usual reading, though some trace it instead to a Norse phrase for “wolf isle.” It has all but vanished from American use. That leaves it wide open for a daughter who will never meet another one.
- Origin: Old Norse, German
- Meaning: She wolf
- Pronunciation: OOL-vah
- Popularity: Ulva appears in U.S. birth data once, at 5,096th in 1916.
Ulvelaik
Ulvelaik is so rare almost nothing is known about it. It has Old Norse roots but seems to have been used in Old English. For only the most playful babies, Ulvelaik is worth a shot!
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: Wolf sport, wolf’s play
- Pronunciation: OOL-veh-leyek
Uwais
Uwais, also spelled Owais, is an old Arabic name meaning “little wolf,” from the root “aws.” Owais al-Qarani, a Yemeni Muslim, is honorarily counted among the companions of the prophet Muhammad, which gives the name a devotional weight most wolf names lack. It has been in U.S. birth records since 2012. Iko Uwais carried the name into action-movie fame.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Small Wolf, little wolf
- Pronunciation: oh-WEYE-az
- Variations: Owais, Ovais
- Namesakes: Uwais Qorny, known professionally as Iko Uwais, an Indonesian actor, stuntman, fight choreographer, and martial artist.
- Popularity: Uwais ranked 9,641st for U.S. boys in 2025 with eight births, down about 27% on the previous decade.
Valko
Despite sounding sinister, Valko is still great for sweet little boys. It’s derived from the Bulgarian word “valk,” meaning “wolf,” and is also a short form of the Czech and Slovak name Valentin. This would give it the meaning “strong” or “vigorous.” Valko is a perfect choice for a healthy little wolf.
- Origin: Bulgarian
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: VAL-koh
- Variations: Valcho
- Namesakes: Valko Chervenkov, a Bulgarian communist politician and prime minister.
- Popularity: Valko has about 1,878 bearers worldwide, mostly in Bulgaria.
Velvel
Velvel is a distinctive Yiddish diminutive of the Slavic name Volf meaning “wolf.” In Yiddish folklore, the wolf is often portrayed as clever and resourceful. If your family has Jewish roots, Velvel could be a way to connect with your history and culture.
- Origin: Yiddish
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: VEHL-vl, VEHL-vul
- Variations: Velvl
- Namesakes: Velvel Pasternak, a Canadian-born Polish leading expert in Jewish music. Velvel Zbarjer, born Benjamin Wolf Ehrenkrantz, a Galician Jewish Brody singer.
- Popularity: Vevel is most prevalent in the U.S. but doesn’t make the top 1,000 names.
Volkov
Volkov is a surname with first name potential, especially in the West. Bears aren’t the only wild animals Russia is known for. Russia’s wolf population is comparable to Canada’s; they are attested in Russian folklore as helpful companions or cunning villains. If you’re having a girl, consider the female form, Volkova.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: VOHL-koff
- Variations: Volkova
- Popularity: Volkov is very popular in Russia as a surname, with about 36 bearers of the given name worldwide.
Warg
Warg is an Anglicization of the Swedish “varg,” meaning wolf, which goes back to the Old Norse “vargr.” Tolkien handed the word to a breed of huge, malevolent wolves in Middle-earth. George R. R. Martin borrowed it differently: in A Song of Ice and Fire a warg is a person who can enter an animal’s mind and steer it. Varg is the gentler-looking spelling for parents who would rather dodge the Tolkien association.
- Origin: Swedish
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: WArg, wAWRg
- Variations: Varg, Vargr
- Popularity: Warg is more popular as a surname found in the U.S. and Sweden.
Waya
Waya comes from Cherokee culture, where wolves are respected as teachers and pathfinders. The best-known Cherokee wolf story describes two wolves at war inside every person, one made of anger and fear and one made of strength and bravery, and the one that wins is the one you feed. That is a great deal of meaning packed into four letters. Waya works equally well for a son or a daughter.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: WEYE-ah
- Popularity: Waya has about 3,198 international bearers.
Wolfe
Wolfe is English with Old German roots, and it is really just the word wolf wearing a final e. Does the e need to be there? No. Does it turn a noun into a name? Yes. It is climbing faster than anything else gathered here, which suggests a lot of other parents have reached the same conclusion.
- Origin: English, German
- Meaning: Wolf, wolf-like
- Pronunciation: WUULF
- Variations: Wolf, Wolffe
- Namesakes: Wolfe Glick, an American award-winning competitive Pokémon player, streamer, and YouTuber. Wolfe von Lenkiewicz, a British artist.
- Popularity: Wolfe ranked 2,879th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 44 births, up about 327% on the previous decade, the fastest rise of any name on this list.
Wolfgang
Wolfgang joins the Old German “wulf” with “gang,” meaning “path,” “way,” or “journey,” so the name effectively sets a boy walking. Mozart has owned it for two centuries and shows no sign of letting go, which is either the whole appeal or the whole problem. It is among the more usable names here in the U.S., and American births have roughly doubled in the past decade. Wolf makes an easy short form for the playground years.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Path of the wolf, way of the wolf
- Pronunciation: VUHLF-gang, WUHLF-gang, WUULF-gang
- Variations: Wulfgang, Vulfgang
- Namesakes: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a prolific Salzburg-born composer. Wolfgang Joop, a German fashion designer. Wolfgang Borchert, a German author and playwright.
- Popularity: Wolfgang ranked 1,519th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 115 births, up about 105% on the previous decade; its best rank was 1,282nd in 2019.
Wolfhard
Wolfhard has Old High German roots. It’s composed of the elements “wulfaz” meaning “wolf,” and “harduz” or “hardu-” meaning “hard,” “strong,” or “brave.” Wolfhard might be commonly used as a surname in the modern era but was more popular as a first in the Middle Ages. Bring back Wolfhard for your brave-hearted boy.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Brave as a wolf, strong as a wolf
- Pronunciation: VOLF-haart, VUHLF-haart, WUULF-hard
- Variations: Wulfhard
- Namesakes: Finn Wolfhard, a Canadian actor, and musician. Gualfardo of Verona, or Wolfhard of Augsburg, a Swabian artisan, trader, and hermit.
- Popularity: Wolfhard has about 2,223 bearers worldwide, with the majority in Germany.
Wolfram
Wolfram combines the Old Germanic “wulf” with “hraben,” “hræfn,” or “hram,” meaning “raven,” pairing two of the most storied animals in northern Europe. Anime and manga picked it up as well, in the shape of Wolfram von Bielefeld, youngest son of the former Demon Queen in Kyo Kara Maoh! American use has never risen above a handful of boys a year.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Wolf raven
- Pronunciation: WUUL-frum, WUUL-fram
- Variations: Wulfhram, Wolfran, Wulfram
- Namesakes: Wolfram Saenger, a German biochemist, and crystallographer. Wolfram Waibel Jr., an Austrian sport shooter. Wolfram von Eschenbach, a German knight, poet, and composer.
- Popularity: Wolfram ranked 13,801st in the U.S. in 2025 with five births, well below its 5,643rd-place best in 1971.
Wulfric
Wulfric is a dignified Old English option meaning “wolf ruler.” It joins “wulf,” from “wulfaz,” with “ríkr,” from “rīkijaz,” meaning “king,” “ruler,” or “powerful.” An Anglo-Saxon nobleman and a medieval hermit both carried it. It only entered American birth records in 2012 and remains a serious rarity.
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: Wolf ruler, power of the wolf
- Pronunciation: WUUL-frik
- Variations: Wolfric
- Namesakes: Wulfric Spot or Spott, an Anglo-Saxon nobleman. Wulfric of Haselbury, an English eremite and miracle worker.
- Popularity: Wulfric ranked 13,805th in the U.S. in 2025 with five births, up about 48% on the previous decade.
Wulfrun
Wulfrun is one of the few female wolf names with real history behind it. It joins the Old English “wulf” with “run,” meaning “secret,” “rune,” or “lore,” though some read the second element as “hræfn,” meaning “raven.” Its one notable bearer was a 10th-century noblewoman and the founder of Wolverhampton. A thousand years later the name is still essentially unclaimed.
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: Whispering wolf, secret wolf
- Pronunciation: WUUL-frun
- Variations: Wulfruna
- Namesakes: Wulfrun, a 10th-century English noblewoman and founder of Wolverhampton.
- Popularity: Wulfrun is extremely rare worldwide and doesn’t appear in the top 1,000 names on popularity charts.
Wulfstan
With bishops among its bearers and a meaning of “wolf’s stone,” Wulfstan feels sturdy and slightly pious. The parts are plain Old English, “wulf” and “stan.” The nicknames are the real selling point, since Wulf, Wulfy, Stan, and Stanley are all sitting right there waiting.
- Origin: Anglo-Saxon
- Meaning: Wolf’s stone
- Pronunciation: WUULF-stn, WUULF-stan
- Variations: Wolfstan, Wolstan
- Namesakes: Wulfstan, or Wulfstan II, a 10th-century English bishop, and archbishop. St. Wulfstan, an English bishop and nephew of Wulfstan II.
- Popularity: There are about three known bearers of Wulfstan worldwide.
Ylva
Ylva comes from the Old Norse “úlfr” and is the feminine counterpart to Ulf, so “she-wolf” is exactly right. It sits comfortably beside other Y names like Yvette without sounding invented. Scandinavian parents use it freely; American ones have only just started. Two syllables, YIL-va or EEL-va, and a meaning with teeth.
- Origin: Scandinavian, Old Norse
- Meaning: She-wolf
- Pronunciation: YIL-va, EEL-va
- Variations: Ylfa
- Namesakes: Ylva Eggehorn, a Swedish poet, writer, and hymnist. Ylva Johansson, a Swedish politician. Ylva Lööf, a Swedish actress.
- Popularity: Ylva last cleared the SSA’s line in 2024 at 15,212th, and it first appeared in U.S. data in 2017.
Zev
Zev, or Ze’ev, is simply Hebrew for “wolf.” Biblical wolves tend to be metaphors, as in Jacob’s blessing, where Benjamin is likened to the animal and the tribe’s fighting reputation follows. Of every name gathered here, this is the one an American child is most likely to share with a classmate, and it is still nowhere near common.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: ZEH-ev
- Variations: Ze’ev, Zeev, Z’ev
- Namesakes: Zev Asher, a Canadian musician. Zev Siegl, an American businessman and a co-founder of Starbucks. Zev Buffman, born Ze’ev Bufman, an Israeli-American Broadway producer.
- Popularity: Zev ranked 866th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 277 births, its best showing on record and the highest current U.S. ranking of any name on this list.
