Animal Names for Babies

A kestrel is a bird of prey. It has good potential as a strong girls' name, similar to Falcon for boys.

Tarvo has two potential origin stories. The first is that it derives from the Old Finnish word tarvas, meaning "wild aurochs," a wild species of cattle that is now extinct. The second possible derivation is from the Estonian tarv, meaning "energy."

This name of famed philosopher, mathematician and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell becomes slightly more plausible with the French pronunciation, bare-TRAHN. Another noted bearer is French director and screenwriter Bertrand Tavernier.

Arlen might be thought of as an update on the midcentury Arlene or as a unisex surname-name. Arlen was given to 22 girls in the US last year vs 57 boys and those numbers may grow with the fashion for n-ending two-syllable surname-names. Another similar possibility for girls: Arden.

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

Much more niche and obviously Germanic than its anglicised cousins Everard and Everett, but with the same strong meaning. Eberhard is hardly ever used in the US - it's only made the charts once so far, back in 1918.

If you can name a boy Max instead of Maxwell, or Jax instead of Jackson, then why not Brax instead of Braxton? Over 3300 boys were named the trendy Braxton in the US in one recent year, but snappy short form Brax is a newcomer used for only a handful of babies. Brax may feel more popular than that, though, as many Braxtons are called Brax.

Capella, the eleventh brightest star in the sky, carries much mythological and astrological significance. In Roman mythology, Capella represented the goat that suckled Jupiter, whose horn became the Cornucopia or horn of plenty. In Hindu mythology, Capella is called the heart of Brahma, while English legend calls it the shepherd's star.

A common surname in Scotland, but a starchy first name choice.

According to Cherokee legend, hummingbirds were healers, helping those in medical crises.

His nickname would inevitably be Bull.

A common Scandinavian name, but hard to imagine being used elsewhere.

Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930 novel Destry Rides Again by Max Brand, subsequently adapted for the big screen.

An international variation of Ronan primarily found in Brazil.

Tazu has a certain snazzy appeal.

The name of a small yellow bird that hasn't taken off in the way that some of its avian sisters – like Robin, Wren or Lark – have.

Nature girl played by Audrey Hepburn in "Green Mansions," it now has an old-style bohemian feel.

Yes, nature lovers are starting to name their children after all forms of life, including fish, but consider carefully before you cast your line into these tease-infested waters.

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

Famous as the long-suffering wife of the philosopher Socrates.