These baby girl names inspired by animals are wild, charming and impossible to forget

Animal names for boys are having a moment, but what about animal names for girls? 

Though not as popular, there are two animal girl names — Ava and Penelope — that ranked rather high in the Social Security Administration’s annual list of the most popular girl names in 2024. 

Ava, the ninth most popular name, means “bird” or “bird-like” via the Latin word avis, while Penelope, the 28th most popular name, comes from the Greek word penelops, referring to a type of duck. 

But that’s just the start of what animal names for girls have to offer. 

Other animal-inspired names that landed inside the SSA’s top 1,000 include Wrenley (149th), Wren (213th), Vanessa (335th), Wrenlee (354th), Raven (388th), Birdie (754th) and Robin (799th). 

READ MORE: 65+ Trendy Nature Girl Names That Celebrate Earth’s Beauty

If you’re interested in sparking a trend among your mom friends, then this list of animal names is for you!

Raven — from the Old English word hræfn, meaning "raven," referring to the large, intelligent black bird. 

Robin — diminutive of Robert, but also refers to the thrush bird known for its reddish-orange breast

Fawn — from the English word fawn, meaning “young deer” or “little deer.”

Fawna — elaborated form of Fawn, referring to a “young deer” or “little deer.”

Birdie — diminutive of Bertha and Bernice, but also a common nickname for a bird.

Kitty — diminutive of Katherine, but also a common nickname for a cat. 

Dove — from the English word for a white bird generally viewed as a symbol of peace and love.

Paloma — from the Spanish word paloma, meaning “dove.”

Wren — from the English word for the small, lively songbird.

Wrenley/Wrenlee/Wrenleigh — from the name of a songbird combined with the suffix leah, meaning “meadow.”

Beckett — from the Old English words beo, meaning “bee,” and cot, meaning “shelter.”

Tabitha — from the Aramic word for “gazelle.” 

Adelie — means “noble” in Old German, but also refers to a type of penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae.

Ava — means “bird” or “bird-like” via the Latin word avis, but can also mean “sound” or “life.”

Deborah — from the Hebrew name Devora meaning “bee.” 

Ari — from the Hebrew word ari, meaning “lion,” or Old Norse byname meaning “eagle.” 

Ariel/Ariella — from the Hebrew elements ari, meaning “lion,” and el, meaning “God.” 

Rachel — from the Hebrew name Rahel meaning “ewe,” a female sheep.

Beverly — from a place name derived from the Old English word beofor, meaning “beaver.”

Mariposa — from the Spanish word mariposa, meaning “butterfly.” 

Melissa — from the Greek word melissa, meaning “bee.” 

Rosamund — from the Old German elements hros, meaning “horse,” and munt, meaning “protection.” 

Leona — feminine form of Leon, which comes from the Greek word leon, meaning “lion.” 

Delphina — comes from the Latin word delphinus and Greek word delfini, meaning “dolphin.” 

Yallara — the Lesser Bilby animal, a marsupial that was known as “Yallara” to the Wangkangurru people.

Deryn — from the Welsh word deryn and aderyn, meaning “bird.” 

Zipporah — from the Hebrew name Tsippora and word tsippor, meaning “bird.” 

Ayala — from the Hebrew word ayyal, meaning “doe” or “female deer.” 

Phoenix — from the name of an immortal bird that rises from its own ashes. 

Bernadette — feminine form of Bernard, which comes from the Old German word bern, meaning “bear.”

Balena — derived from the Latin word ballena, which means "whale." 

Phoebe — means “pure” in Greek, but also refers to a type of small, plain-colored flycatcher bird.

Vanessa — invented name by author Jonathan Swift that refers to a genus of butterfly.

Jemima — traditionally said to mean “dove,” but might also translate to “daytime” in Hebrew.

Fia — comes from the Irish word fia, meaning “deer,” or fiad, meaning “wild animal.”

Alondra — from the Spanish word alondra, meaning “lark,” a type of bird. 

Alouette — from the French word alouette, meaning “lark,” a type of bird.

Celebrities are in love with animal names for girls

If you’re looking at animal-themed names for your baby girl, then don’t worry — you’re not alone. 

Just look at singer Jessica Simpson and former NFL player Eric Johnson, who have a daughter named Birdie, and artists Erykah Badu and The D.O.C., who share a daughter named Puma. 

Others have chosen animal names as a middle name, like Zooey Deschanel’s daughter Elsie Otter. 

Likewise, Macklemore has a daughter named Colette Koala with his wife, Tricia Davis, and Katy Perry shares a daughter named Daisy Dove with her ex-husband, Orlando Bloom.

So, there you have it. Animal names might be more popular for boys, but they’re not completely lost on girls — and celebrity baby names could be the key to strengthening the trend. 

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But if you’re not interested in the animal name trend, then don’t worry. You can find plenty more baby name lists at Mod Moms Club — and don’t forget to try our baby name generator for more ideas!