Good Names for Exotic Pets

Girl Holding a Pot Bellied Pig
Girl Holding a Pot Bellied Pig. Credit:

Vicky Kasal / Photodisc / Getty Images

Key Takeaways

  • Exotic pet names should be unique and fitting for the animal's characteristics.
  • Reference the animal's native habitat, physical traits, or popular cultural symbols when naming.
  • It's important to choose names that suit the pet’s species and individual personality.

Naming an exotic pet can be challenging as not all names suit every type. For example, "Chilly" fits a chinchilla but not a hedgehog, and "Doug" works for a degu but not a goat. Explore this organized list to find the perfect name for your exotic pet or gather some ideas.

Names for Chinchillas

Consider names inspired by the native habitat of chinchillas or characters they resemble.

  • Andy
  • Baja
  • Chilly
  • Chubs
  • Dusty
  • Furby
  • Milo
  • Nibbles
  • Pikachu
  • Rocky

Names for Degus

Degus related to chinchillas and guinea pigs, deserve unique names. Find a distinctive name that fits these special rodents.

  • Blossom
  • Cleo
  • Daisy
  • DeeDee
  • Dijon
  • Don
  • Doug
  • Dusty
  • Honey
  • Maple

Names for Ferrets

Ferrets are mischievous, playful, and fun. While there are many ways to describe them, all you need is one name.

  • Bandit
  • Blaze
  • Chewbacca
  • Champ
  • Chomp
  • Dodger
  • Frank
  • Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
  • Timon
  • Zippy

Names for Fish

The specific type of fish may significantly influence your name choice.

  • Angel
  • Dory
  • Fancy
  • Fin
  • Flipper
  • Fran
  • Fred
  • Goldie
  • Nemo
  • Sushi

Names for Frogs and Toads

There are a lot of names to choose from when naming your frog or toad!

  • Bully
  • Froggy
  • Hoppy
  • Jeremiah
  • Kermit
  • Lilly
  • Mr. Toad
  • Princess Tiana
  • Ribbit
  • Wart

Names for Gerbils

They're not degus, they're not hamsters, and they sure aren't mice so choose a name that fits this particular type of rodent.

  • Biscuit
  • Cookie
  • Daisy
  • Geri
  • Ginger
  • Lemmiwinks
  • Peanut
  • Pipsqueak
  • Whiskers
  • Yoda

Names for Goats

If you're lucky enough to care for pet goats, you'll need some extra special names for them.

  • Billy
  • Dumbledore
  • Gandalf
  • Lucifer
  • Nanny
  • Pan
  • Rameses
  • Satyr
  • Snowflake
  • Vincent van Goat

Names for Guinea Pigs

These furry little cavies are perfect candidates for pig-related names.

  • Bacon
  • Miss Piggy
  • Nibbles
  • Piglet
  • Popcorn
  • Pork Chop
  • Porky
  • Squeaker
  • Teddy
  • Zipper

Names for Hamsters

If your hamster belongs to a child, chances are it will get a pretty unique name without your assistance, but if you need a little inspiration, this list should provide some.

  • Bear
  • Cheeks
  • Doughnut
  • Fluffy
  • Gizmo
  • Harry
  • Marshmallow
  • Nugget
  • Teddy
  • Zippy

Names for Hedgehogs

Unlike other pets, hedgehogs have prickly spines. These unique spines often inspire names for hedgehogs.

  • Butterball
  • Harley
  • Kuiil
  • Needles
  • Prickles
  • Quill
  • Quilliam
  • Sonic
  • Spike
  • Spiney

Names for Hermit Crabs

Don't get crabby if you can't think of a good name for your hermit crab. This list should give you a few ideas.

  • Carl
  • Hermes
  • Hermione
  • Kraken
  • Krusty
  • Marina
  • Mr. Krabs
  • Sebastian
  • Sheldon
  • Shelly

Names for Lizards

There are a number of different kinds of lizards so depending on what they look like, their species, where they are from, and other factors, the names that work best for your specific lizard will vary.

  • Fluffy
  • Godzilla
  • Jabberwock
  • Lizzy
  • Mushu
  • Norbert
  • Smaug
  • Spike
  • Spot
  • Toothless

Names for Mice

They're tiny and cute and their little bare tails have personalities all their own. Find inspiration for the perfect name for your pet mouse from this list.

  • Chuck E. Cheese
  • Mickey
  • Mike
  • Minnie
  • Nibbles
  • Nicodemus
  • Pinky
  • Stuart Little
  • Squeaks

Names for Potbellied Pigs

Potbellied pigs are very smart and have wonderful personalities, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a name that best suits your pig.

  • Bacon
  • Hammy
  • Kevin Bacon
  • Miss Piggy
  • Petunia
  • Piglet
  • Porkchop
  • Porky Pig
  • Pumba
  • Squealer

Names for Rabbits

Since rabbits come in a variety of colors and sizes, your name options will be varied. Choose one that fits your rabbit the best.

  • Binky
  • Bun Bun
  • Bunny Foo Foo
  • Cinnamon
  • Cocoa
  • Dusty
  • Flop
  • Fuzzy
  • Rex
  • Velveteen

Names for Rats

Rats are extremely personable pets. You have many name options for these easy to handle rodents, especially if you are of a fan of book- or movie-inspired names.

  • Django
  • Nicodemus
  • Ratatouille
  • Rats Domino
  • Ratticus Finch
  • Ratty
  • Scamper
  • Splinter
  • Squeaks
  • Templeton

Names for Salamanders and Newts

These little amphibians are great alternatives to pet fish and since they come in different colors and patterns, you've got a lot of options for names.

  • Charmander
  • Charizard
  • Lizzie
  • Mando
  • Ned
  • Nelly
  • Sal
  • Sally
  • Sam
  • Slippy

Names for Scorpions

Not a pet for everyone, scorpions are beautiful but need to be respected. Popular names for these invertebrates include those of royalty to demonstrate this respect.

  • Aladdin
  • Anubis
  • Cleopatra
  • Constantine
  • Gypsy
  • King
  • Nero
  • Scorpio
  • Stinger
  • Zeus

Names for Snakes

Anything that starts with the letter "s" seems like a natural choice for a snake, but your options aren't limited to just this one letter.

  • Basilisk
  • Jafaar
  • Kaa
  • Medusa
  • Monty the Python
  • Noodles
  • Pretzel
  • Severus
  • Slinky
  • Slithers

Names for Sugar Gliders

These little marsupials are super special because they can almost fly! Popular names for these gliders usually focus on their cute features and daily activities but any adorable name will do.

  • Fergie
  • Flyer
  • Gidget
  • Gizmo
  • Peanut
  • Sweetie
  • Tinkerbell
  • Trinket
  • Yoda

Names for Turtles and Tortoises

Water turtles, land turtles tortoises—they all have shells and need a good name!

  • Crush
  • Donatello
  • Franklin
  • Leonardo
  • Michelangelo
  • Raphael
  • Shelly
  • Speedy
  • Squirt
  • Yertle