Animal Names for Babies

Shakespeare's classic drunken fool. In fact, this name, carried to Britain by the Normans, was quite popular until it was brought into disrepute by the low-life character who haunts taverns with Falstaff in Shakespeare's history plays.

Cheasequah refers to the cardinal, associated with the sun in Cherokee culture.

The advantage of Orsa over the arguably-more-attractive Ursula is that it breaks the tie to the hideous she-witch of The Little Mermaid. Orsa definitely feels more ready for modern life now that brother name Orson is on the rise.

Feeny and its alternative spelling Feeney have several origins in Irish. They are anglicised forms of the surnames Ó Fiannaidhe (descendant of Fiannaidhe, meaning warrior), and Ó Fidhne (descendant of Fidhne, from the word for tree or wood). Feeny is also a place name in Northern Ireland, meaning "the woods. Although many Irish surnames are in style, like Keegan and Sullivan, this is one you've probably never met on a person before.

Panya is a multicultural possibility with a sound that's pleasing to the English-speaking ear, though the Swahili translation, which might also be "rat," makes it less than savory as an African name.

The kind of hybrid name -- it sounds like a blend of the popular Caleb and Colton -- that could catch on despite its lack of pedigree.

Dyveke is related to the Frisian word düveke, which means "dove", as well as to the name Dietlinde.

While we don't see many parents adopting Otter as a name for their own babies, Zooey Deschanel put this one in the lexicon when she used it as a middle name for her adorably-named daughter Elsie Otter. Even in the celebrisphere, Otter is one of the most unique baby names we've heard.

Cygnus is a northern constellation of the Milky Way, derived from the Latin word for "swan".

A neglected surname name that could substitute for the more common Gordon, which has in the past associated with the milk company and Elsie the Cow.

A Navajo nature name with a cool, fresh sound.

In Cherokee, TS is pronounced like a J, which may lead to some pronunciation confusion. Nevertheless, Tsula is an appealing choice.

Like Bethany and Shiloh, a meaningful biblical place-name.

Grandmas will remember the old TV detective show; playmates won't. This is a name that has many variations in different cultures, from Columbus to Columba to Colum to Colm.

When considering the playground years, might be too close to gory.

Several animal names, from Fox to Wolf and even to Tiger, ccan work, but Cougar should stay in its cage. Even John Mellencamp has dropped it.

Buffaloes are honored in Cherokee culture, as they were notoriously difficult to hunt yet an important food source.

Ovidia is the unusual feminine form of the ancient Roman Ovidius, most famous as the name of the exiled 1st century Roman poet Ovid. Modern male form Ovidio is known in Spain and Portugal. Ovida is another variation.

Rym is one of those simple-yet-uncommon names that's extremely rare in the US , where no baby girls were given the name last year. But it certainly can travel anywhere.

Faigy is notable as New York State's quirkiest favorite name, widely-used in the Hasidic community.