Animal Names for Babies

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.

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

Connolly, an alternate spelling of Connelly, could make a livelier and less common substitute for Connor.

Farasha is butterfly in Arabic, which means that to English-speakers, it feels more like a soft feminine name and less like a fluttery animal. Pretty without feeling flighty.

In Greek mythology, Arachne was a woman who bested Athena in a weaving competition. She later killed herself from the shame, but Athena reincarnated Arachne as a spider.

Popular name in Spain's Basque country, thanks to cowboyish meaning, virtually unknown elsewhere.

Orson is being rediscovered and Orsino is every bit as attractive.

This Biblical bird name, a variant of Ephron, suddenly feels like it could be usable thanks to actor Zac Efron. However, in reality, few if any parents seem to be using it yet.

Ayal is a boys' name used in modern Israel but virtually unknown in the US. Even more popular in Israel is the female form, Ayala.

Waya pays homage to the wolf — one of the most respected creatures in Native American culture.

Idiosyncratic Hebrew choice.

This Latinate form of Bernard hovered in the lower regions of the US Top 1000 from the late 1940s until 2006, possibly inspired by the character in West Side Story.

A common animal name in Finland, it could work as an alternative to Otto or Otis.

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

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.

One of the rare English surname names originally derived from a female given name: Eoforhild (Everild), meaning "boar battle". Also spelled Averill, it's an extremely rare choice today, but shares sounds with fashionable Ava and Avery.

Of all the astrological names —think Leo, Aries, Gemini— Scorpio probably has the most dramatically potent presence, which could prove something of a burden to a young boy.

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 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.