Aslan, derived from the Old Turkic for "lion," is best known in the West as the name of the heroic lion in C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" series, who serves as an allegorical stand-in for Jesus Christ. It was also used as a positive epithet for several Turkish emperors in the Middle Ages.

Aslan

Readers will be familiar with Aslan — a historied Turkish name — via C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. Azlan is the Arabic variation, rising in popularity among Muslim families and Arabic-speakers. One of the fastest rising names in England and Wales in 2022, Azlan is now in the Top 400 and twice as popular than Aslan.

Azlan

Bear has suddenly lumbered onto the baby name landscape.  Perhaps inspired by British adventurer Bear Grylls (born Edward Michael), first celebrity chef Jamie Oliver used it as the middle name for his boy Buddy, and more recently Alicia Silverstone called her son Bear Blu., followed by Kate Winslet's Bear Blaize. It's part of a current trend normalizing once aggressive animal names like Wolf and Fox. Bear is now Number 218 on Nameberry and in the Top 900 in England.

Bear

This ancient name is that of the hero of the epic Beowulf, which is thought to be the oldest-ever poem in English lit written in the vernacular. J. R. R. Tolkien used the poem as one of his inspirations for The Lord of the Rings.

Certainly a weighty if historically relevant choice, but usable for a modern baby? Even a few years ago, we might have said no. But Beowulf Sheehan is a noted portrait photographer, Beowulf Borritt a Broadway production designer, and the nicknames Wulf or Wulfie are feeling positively mainstream.

With other ancient names from myth and legend coming to life once again, Beowulf is certainly up for consideration.

Beowulf

Birdie was until recently a middle-aged Ladies' Club member wearing a bird-decorated hat --but now it's just the kind of vintage nickname (think Hattie, Josie, Mamie, Millie) that's coming back into style in a big way. Actress Busy Philipps named her baby Birdie (inspired by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson), as did soap star Maura West.
 In an earlier heyday of nickname names--the 1880's--Birdie was a Top 200 name.

Birdie

One of the rare cases where spelling a name with a y makes it less rather than more feminine.  Birdie might be the freshest choice in this aviary.

Byrd

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.

Cougar

Native to america, the coyote has long been associated with danger and independence. Has some teasing potential thanks to 2000 film Coyote Ugly but it is certainly a strong statement name for American nature lovers.

Coyote

Cheetah

The Spanish and Italian variation of the sophisticated French Delphine is also the word for "dolphin". A popular choice in Uruguay and Argentina, the name is rarely used in the US. 

Delfina

Delphine is a sleek, chic French name with two nature associations — the dolphin and the delphinium, a bluebell-like flower, a well as a link to the ancient city of Delphi, which the Greeks believed to be the womb of the earth. All of these derive from the Greek word delphus "womb". 
 
Delphine was very popular in France from the 1960s to the 1980s, peaking at Number 6 in 1977-78. In the US, its peak came earlier — in 1930, when it reached Number 427. Today, Delphine is absent from the Top 1000 entirely but retains its French flair, making it an even fresher alternative to stylish vintage names like Daphne and Josephine. Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas have a daughter named Delphine, which may revive the name among Americans.
 
Balzac used the name in two of his novels, and Madame de Stael wrote the 1802 epistolary Delphine, which helped bring the name into fashion in France. Delphine Seyrig was a renowned French movie actress.
 
The attractive Spanish version is Delfina.

Delphine

This Top 100 <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' name</a> in The Netherlands is unlikely to translate to the U.S., where it would undoubtedly pronounced fee-line and mistaken for the adjective that means cat-like. While the name Feline -- and Felina and Felinus -- do have the same root, the considerably more charming pronunciation in modern-day Europe is fee-LEEN-ah. Some websites mistakenly relate it to Felix and give its meaning as happy or fortunate.

Feline

Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files. Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting middle name.
 It was reported that the TV character's first name was not a tribute to the Fox network which aired The X-Files, as often assumed; show creator Chris Carter said he had a childhood friend named Fox. Fox was one of the fastest-rising boys' names of 2016, perhaps because of the popularity of the X-Files revival.

Fénix

Animal names are on the rise, especially more of the aggressive Hawk-Fox-Wolf variety than cute little Bunnys or Robins, and Hawk is a prime example. 
Hawk is more commonly heard as a surname, represented by uber-skateboarder Tony Hawk, a pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding. Variations include Hawke, as in actor Ethan, Hawks, as in Golden Age movie director Howard, Hawking, as in scientist Stephen, and Hawkins, as in musicians Coleman, Screamin' Jay and Sophie B, and was recently given to his baby boy by quarterback Tony Romo. There have been characters named or nicknamed Hawk in The Revenant, The Path and Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. Hawk ranks at Number 699 on Nameberry.

Hawk

Jaguar

Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for thirteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.

Derived from the Latin meaning "lion", Leo is one of those names, like Luke and Finn, that many people assume must be short for something but that is authentically a complete name in its own right. That said, Leo can but short for any number of names, from Leonardo in Latinate languages to Leon and Leopold in Germanic languages. We've even heard of little girl Leonoras and Leonies called Leo: How cute is that?

Leo's simplicity makes it an international star, ranking in the Top 100 in countries as diverse as Ireland and Israel, Spain and Sweden, Austria and Australia. Leo is a truly diverse name, a perfect choice for any family crossing countries or blending cultures.
 
Leo's only real downside is its universal popularity and familiarity. If you call your child Leo, you and they will almost certainly encounter many other Leos over the years of all types and ages. Plus or minus? Or both?
 
Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem called their son Leo, as did actress Kim Raver, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and Kristin Olson. 
 Famous Leos of the past include Pope Leo the Great, a number of early saints, and Leo Tolstoy, as well as Dead End Kid Gorcey, colorful baseball manager Durocher, influential gallerist Castelli and the leonine MGM icon. There have been Leos seen on everything from The West Wing to Charmed to Grey's Anatomy to Seinfeld's Uncle Leo.

Currently overshadowed by the bright and lively Leo, Leon feels a slightly more serious, more quietly confident than its short and trending counterpart. 
 
Just as leonine as Leo and Leonardo, Leon is popular across Europe, ranking in the Top 40 in Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Poland, Germany and Finland. It has dipped in and out of the UK Top 100, but as of 2022, it is back. 
 
Leon peaked in the US in the 1920s, but it is on the rise again as parents turn to familiar-but-less-used alternatives to the most popular names. In 2023, it was in the US Top 200, and given to nearly 2500 boys. 
 A name with history, Russian Marxist revolutionary Lev Davidovich Bronstein is better known to history as Leon Trotsky. Leon (LAY-on) has been the name of three French prime ministers, while Leon Russell (born Claude) is a respected singer-songwriter.

Leon

A Top 100 name from 1896 to 1921, Leona reached as high as Number 72.
Since then, Leona had seemed to be one of the most unfashionable of the pride of lion names, but singer Leona Lewis has done a lot to rejuvenate it.

Leona returned to the Top 1000 in 2009 after decades of being away. 
 A somewhat more sophisticated option is the French Leontine.

Leona

Leonard is the name of several saints, including one who is the patron saint of childhood, and another medieval saint who's the patron of prisoners--known for freeing prisoners he deemed worthy of God.  Popular from 1900 to 1930, Leonard is perhaps more notable for those who dropped the name when they entered show biz than those who kept it: former Leonards include Roy Rogers and Tony Randall. Two musical Leonards did keep their names though--composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein and poet-singer Leonard Cohen.  Leonard Woolf was the husband and publisher of great English novellist Virginia Woolf. These days, modern parents tend to prefer Leo or the romantic Italian Leonardo, especially since Leonard does not get pronounced with the trendy "Leo" sound.

Leonard

Leonidas is an ancient name that has started rising again along with centuries-old names such as Augustus and Cato. The original Leonidas was the most famous of Sparta's warriors, sacrificing his life at the Battle of Thermopylae; there is also a saint Leonidas. More stately than Leon, more melodious than Leonard, Leonidas is a leonine name that commands respect. In Greek, the name is pronounced leh-oh-NEE-das, but Americans tend to say lee-oh-NYE-dus.

Leonidas

Leonie is a chic French and German form of a name that exists in a range of variations from Leona to Leonia to Leon to Leo to Lionel, all newly fashionable after a couple of generations in style limbo. 
 Pronunciation can be confusing: The first syllable can be pronounced as lee or lay, the second as on or own, and the accent can be on either the first or the second syllable or be evenly distributed over all three syllables of the name, so that it sounds like the male name Leon with an ee at the end. Take your pick, but know that others might often pick differently.
 Aunt Leonie is a major character in Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. Leonie Hemsworth is the mother of Liam and Chris and Leonie is the name picked by Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel for their daughter.

Leonie

Its mellifluous sound makes Leonora--which has a rich history and a tie to the popular Leo names-- a keen possibility for revival. Though it's been hiding below the Top 1000 since the 1940s, Leonora is being rediscovered by stylish parents in the US and Europe.
Leonora has the distinction of being three major opera characters, including the heroines of Beethoven's Fidelio and Verdi's Il Trovatore. It was also the name of two characters played by Elizabeth Taylor--in Secret Ceremony and Reflections in a Golden Eye.
Leonora Carrington was a notorious British-born surrealist artist and writer who lived most of her life in Mexico.
Related names include Leonore, Lenora and Lenore, subject of a famous Edgar Allan Poe poem.

Leonora

This aristocratic, somewhat formal Germanic route to the popular Leo is a royal name: Queen Victoria used it to honor a favorite uncle, King Leopold of Belgium. Though Leopold sounds as if it might be a leonine name, it's not really a relative of such choices as Leon, and Leonard.
 In literature, the name is famous via Leopold Bloom, the central character of James Joyce's Ulysses and in music is associated with the distinguished conductor Leopold Stokowski, and it is also a saint's name.

Leopold

Leopoldo

Somewhat dated Hebrew name that appears more modern when spelled Liora. 

Leora

Lion

One of the fierce new animal names new to name lists, helped by its strong x-ending.

Lynx

The y makes it seem more like a name and less like an animal, but it's still not as appealing as several Leo choices. 

Lyon

Leopard

León

With Bear and Fox becoming hot baby names, why not Panda? Why not indeed. Both the name and its animal namesake are adorable. And Pan is a nickname right in line with the mythological name trend. The word panda comes from the Nepali word ponya, meaning "bamboo eater" for the panda's favorite food.

Panda

Panda, welcome to the baby name menagerie! Panda is an adorable animal name (after an adorable animal) that is sure to be both very rare and very cute. In Skins there was a character called Panda, which was short for Pandora. The name Panda comes from the Nepali word ponya meaning "bamboo eater".

Effortlessly cool with a hint of the mystical, Phoenix rolls a lot of trends into one: it's a place-name and a bird name, it ends in the stylish letter x, it's got in-built nicknames, and it's unisex too. Familiar but not over-popular, Phoenix ranks in the US and UK Top 1000s.
 
The name Phoenix is associated with an immortal bird from Greek and Egyptian mythology, which having lifted for several centuries would catch fire, then rise from its own ashes. This cycle would endlessly repeat, and therefore, Phoenix is tied to fresh starts, rejuvenation and beginning again after loss. 
 
Phoenix is also linked to the US city in Arizona, named as such because the area was abandoned when settlers found it, and it was seen as a new city born from the ruins of another.
 
Phoenix is a statistically unisex name, though it does tilt slightly towards the boys' side. In 2023, it was given to 1200 boys compared to 860 girls.

A celebrity favorite and a regular feature in pop culture, from Phoenix Wright in video game franchise, Ace Attorney, to a song by the Gorillaz, Phoenix remains an approachable but cool option.

Phoenix

Phoenix is a New Age name symbolizing rebirth and immortality. It's also a place name, a color name, a mythological name, AND an animal name, combining several of today's hottest trends in one appealing package.

The name Phoenix is associated with an immortal bird from Greek and Egyptian mythology, which having lifted for several centuries would catch fire, then rise from its own ashes. This cycle would endlessly repeat, and therefore, Phoenix is tied to fresh starts, rejuvenation and beginning again after loss. Phoenix is also linked to the US city in Arizona, named as such because the area was abandoned when settlers found it, and it was seen as a new city born from the ruins of another. 
Statistically, Phoenix does lean slightly to the boys' side with 1200 boys receiving the name in 2023 compared to 900 girls. Nevertheless, it shares sounds with the familiar Phoebe, Beatrix, and Fiona, as well as Phillip and Felix, and so it doesn't feel out of place on any gender. 
 A celebrity favorite, Scary Spice Mel B, rugby player Mat Rogers, fashion designer John Richmond, and actress Tammin Sursok all chose Phoenix for her daughters.

Lithe and leonine name chosen for her daughter by singer Erykah Badu -- whose other child has the number name Seven. 

Puma

Pantera

Panther

Bird name Raven, once a symbol of pride for both African-American and Wiccan parents, is finding new life as a superhero name. Raven Darkholme is the real name of Mystique, heroine of the X-Men films played by Jennifer Lawrence. And there is another Raven superheroine in Teen Titans. Some parents may still choose Raven to signal black pride or mystical powers or maybe even Edgar Allan Poe fandom, but we are guessing most inspiration is coming from the comics.

Raven

Other wild animals like Fox, Wolf and Bear are catching on as baby names, and Tiger is a rarer option with several famous namesakes, including golf champ Tiger Woods, who was born Eldrick. Other famous Tigers include Indian actor Tiger Shroff, born Jai, and British actor Tyger Drew-Honey, who spells his name with a Y.

 Chinese martial artist Tiger Hu Chen is another well-known bearer. In Chinese culture, the tiger is considered the king of the animals and a major symbol of masculine yang energy, representing power, courage, and luck.

Tiger

This name of the bright orange flower found in Asia has been used occasionally in English-speaking countries. A notable namesake is Tiger Lily, the Native American princess from Peter Pan. Read more about Tiger Lily and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Tigerlily

Wolf is a name with a split personality. It can be seen as one of the fierce animal names, like Fox and Bear and Puma, with a touch of the werewolf, or it can be viewed as a quieter, Wolf Blitzer kind of name, fairly common in German (where is pronounced Vulf) and Jewish families, sometimes as a short form of Wolfgang, or even Wolfram or Wolfhart.

 CNN newscaster Blitzer inherited the name from his grandfather. Other Wolfs of note include British screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz, who was instrumental in the early James Bond films, painter Wolf Kahn, and the hero of Jack London's 1904 novel The Sea-Wolf, Wolf Larsen.

 
Despite all it has going for it, Wolf is relatively rare and has never been given to more than 80 babies in a single year. But now that Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott chose it for their infant son, Wolf is primed to climb the charts.

 Spelling variations Wolfe or Woolf push it into surname territory, while nickname Wolfie definitely domesticates it.

Wolf

The Wolfe spelling shifts this name from animal name to surname-name, aggressive to aristocratic.  One source suggests that bearers of the Wolfe family name were all fierce and cunning and/or hunters of wolves. An intriguing choice.

Wolfe

Chef Wolfgang Puck has helped soften this thunderous Germanic name; music-lovers will appreciate its association with Mozart, though the composer's middle name Amadeus is more appealing. 

Wolfgang

Wolfhart

Most famous as one of the many <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a> of Professor Dumbledore from Harry Potter,
Wulfric is an earlier form of the medieval English name Ulric. It has also belonged to an 11th-
century Earl of Mercia and a 12th-century saint. 
An interesting way to get to cool-kid nickname Wolf.

Wulfric

vix's list "unique animal names" of 48 great name ideas: Aslan - Wulfric!