Animal Names for Babies

A surname style choice that could get you nicknames Bear and Ozzy, which is pretty cool. It comes from the Old English variant of the Old Norse Ásbjǫrn, which was introduced to England after the Norman conquest and used occasionally as a given name ever since. Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell used the spelling variation Osborne in her final novel, Wives and Daughters.

Derby might be considered a word name or a surname-name. In England, it would be pronounced darby, causing confusion with that similar name.

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

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.

Biblical wife of Moses whose name has many variations, with and without the initial T and final h, with one p or two. However you spell it, it's an original choice that also carries teasing potential; those zipper jokes will get old fast, though Zippy is a cute nickname.

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

A cute, chirpy Slovene name with a meaning to match. The Slovene translation of Pippi Longstocking renames her Pika Nogavička.

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

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.

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.

An interesting possibility if you're looking for a highly unusual animal 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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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