Animal Names for Babies

A striking Nordic name with ancient roots, Svala (and its less common variant form Svale) derive from the Old Norse name for the swallow. This could be a great choice for nature lovers and fans of Edith Piaf (piaf being a term for a swallow).

A too-literal spin on Owen.

Feminine spin on Arnold that received a brief flurry of use in the early 1990s.

The name of a breed of Spanish sheep is hardly worthy of a child.

Famously Tupac Shakur's middle name.

The suffix Bran is familiar as raven-related since Game of Thrones, and the -ley suffix has been popular since the 1990s heyday of Ashley.

Ptarmigan is the common English name for the genus Lagopus, in the grouse family of birds. The name is derived from the Scottish word for the bird, tàrmachan (meaning unknown), with the initial P- added by erroneous association with the Greek pteron ("wing").

Ranine name with a bouncy rhythm.

Obscure, though legitimate, name that could be used to honor a relative named Barton or Martin.

Not one of the five hundred names of Muhammad, but that of his uncle.

Stuffy presidential choice: consider Hayes instead.

Kew is an offbeat name of a saint from Cornwall with boyish appeal.

A quetzal is a beautiful, brightly-colored bird found in Mexico and Central America. It is the national bird of Guatemala, as well as the name of their currency.

Berold is one of the more obscure boy names meaning bear, which also include Arthur, Orson, and (in a different vein) Teddy.

Cherokee name that honors the eagle, a sacred symbol in Native American culture.

Welsh for "lion", or a nickname for Llewelyn. Could make a cooler substitute for the blander Lou.

Hip short form of Bernard, also Swiss place-name.

This evocative Spanish surname would make an unusual but lively choice for a girl.

Lovely, international, tea-scented possibility undiscovered by baby names.