Unlike dogs, fish pets don’t respond to their names. You have to tap the glass aquarium to catch their attention. But this doesn’t stop you from naming your fish. If you want to name your fish, but don’t know which name suits it best, here is a full list of 63 cute fish names to inspire you.
Lists of Cute Fish Names
If you want to name your fish in honor of a make-believe fish, there are so many cute options that you can choose. Here are some of the best names you can choose for your fish.
Cute Fictional Fish Names
- Cleo – this is the Geppetto’s goldfish in the Disney movie Pinnochio.
- Larry – this refers to the Shark from the movie Shark Tales.
- Bruce – a “friendly” shark from the movie Finding Nemo.
- Don Lino – a not-so-friendly shark from the movie Shark Tales.
- Dory – a little blue fish from the movie Finding Nemo and Finding Dory.
- Nemo – a little clownfish from the movie Finding Nemo.
- Marlin – the Nemo’s clownfish dad.
- Limpet – a man-turned-fish from the movie The Incredible Mr. Limpet.
- Puff – Sponge Bob’s hapless driving teacher.
- Otto – a goldfish that grows extraordinarily huge in the Dr. Seuss book A Fish Out of Water.
- Swimmy – a protagonist in the children’s book.
- Rainbow Fish – the fish who gets rid of all her rainbow scales in the children’s book The Rainbow Fish.
- Flounder – Ariel the Mermaid’s close associate from the movie Little Mermaid.
- Jaws – the frightening shark from the movie Jaws.
- Wanda – the hapless fish from the movie A Fish Called Wanda.
Funny Cute Fish Names
- Leviathan – the massive legendary sea creature.
- Flipper – everyone’s beloved dolphin (which is a mammal).
- Sponge Bob – he’s a sponge, but lives under the sea.
- Squidward – Sponge Bob’s best frenemy.
- Sebastian – this refers to a crab, from the movie Little Mermaid.
- Ariel – The Little Mermaid.
- Poseidon – Ariel’s father the King.
- Willie – a celebrated whale (mammal) from the movie Free Willie.
Rare Cute Fish Names
- Algae – this refers to a group of mostly aquatic, photosynthetic, and nucleus-bearing plants without true roots, stems, leaves, and specialized multicellular reproductive structures of plants.
- Algae B Eater – also referred to as an algivore, algae B eater is a common name for bottom-dwelling or algae-eating species that feed on algae.
- Alpha – this is primarily a female name of Greek origin that means The Greek Letter.
- Angel – this is primarily a gender-neutral name of Greek origin that means Messenger of God.
- Atlantic – derived from Greek mythology, this name means the “Sea of Atlas.”
- Atlantis – this name was derived from the Greek Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος meaning “island of Atlas,” and was regarded as the domain of Poseidon, the god of the sea. Atlantis was allegedly a mighty oceanic force that lay “in front of the Pillars of Hercules” and overpowered parts of Western Europe and Africa.
- Bait – this means a luring substance.
- BigFish – means a large and overpowering fish.
- Bubbles – this is just a cool gender-neutral name for pets.
- Bubbly – this is a cute gender-neutral name for pets.
- Calypso – is a girl’s name of Greek origin meaning “she who hides.”
- Fin – this is a popular Anglicized version of the Irish Fionn (fair, white, and clear). This name was borne by the legendary Finn MacCool, the father of the famous poet Ossian.
- Finley – this is a Scottish word from the Gaelic personal name, Fionnlagh.
Cute Male Fish Names
- Ares – it means bane. It is also the name of the god of war.
- Astor – it means hawk.
- Caspian – it means Caspian sea.
- Cohen – it is a Hebrew word for priest.
- Cole – it means coal-black.
- Darius – it is a Persian word for wealth.
- Denzel – it is a Cornish word for high stronghold.
- Kai – it is a Hawaiian word for ocean.
- Kepler – it is a German for cloak maker.
- Lupin – it is a Latin word for wolf.
- Oliver – it is a French word for peace.
- Spike – it means spike.
- Vince – it is a Latin word for conqueror.
- Quint – it is a Latin word for the fifth.
- Xander – it is a Greek word for a defender of men.
Cute Female Fish Names
- Aiza – this is an Arabic word for noble one.
- Ariel – this is a Hebrew word for a lion of God.
- Aurora – this is a Latin word for dawn.
- Coral – this word means sea growth.
- Daisy – this is an English word for daisy flower.
- Devina – this is a Hebrew word for divine.
- Eve – this Hebrew word means life.
- Fleur – this French word means flower.
- Indira – this Sanskrit word means beauty.
- Iris – this is a Greek word for rainbow.
- Jasmine – this Persian word means jasmine blossom.
- Orchid – this is a Greek word for orchid flower.
5 Tips for Choosing a Name for Your New Pet Fish
1. Think Critically
When you are choosing a name for your pet fish, you need to think critically about the kind of name that suits your fish perfectly. Ask yourself: Should I go for something unique, or something common? Should the name be clever and amusing, or mysterious and cool? Do I want a “people name” like Stephanie or Jayden, or something fanciful like Bitsy?
Sometimes it’s advisable to sit down with a pen and paper to make out some ideas. Just write down some names and try to interchange them creatively to see how they will look like. You can even try to pronounce them loudly to hear how they sound.
2. Ask for Help
If you can’t think of a good name for your pet fish, ask for ideas from friends and relatives. They might have good ideas about what to call your fish. In this era of the internet and social media, you can easily reach out to as many people as possible.
3. Experiment
If you already have a few cute names you like, but aren’t certain what fits, just try them out. You should try to call the fish by each name a couple of times and then switch to another one. That way, you will eventually know what feels better. Sooner or later, you will settle on the name that sounds more appropriate.
4. Try a Few Ideas
If you are looking for inspiration, there are many places where you can find great ideas that will inspire your creativity. For example, you can just give your new pet a typical fish name, like Bubbles, Kai, or Finn. Alternatively, you can make up names based on the species of your fish. For instance, you can name your betta fish Betty or a clownfish Bozo.
You can also consider the fish’s color, patterns, and other unique features. If it has brown scales, call it Cocoa. And if it has speckles, you can name it Spot. If a notch is missing from its fin, call it Scar.
If all these ideas do not work, you should consider the fish’s personality. For instance, if it likes to prowl under plants, you can call it Shadow. And if it swims fast, you can call it Turbo.
5. Shake Things Up
You don’t have to be like everyone else. You can just give your pet fish a title, like Mr., Sir., Ms., Jr., Dr., or “The Great.” For example, you can call it “Molly the Great” or “Mr. Finn”. Such titles are fun and add a quirky twist to the old favorite.
Themed fish names are another great idea, especially if you have more than one fish. In this case, you should just come up with one themed name for the entire school. For instance, you can call them Tic and Tac. The same thing should happen when you are replacing a fish. If the previous fish was called King, you can name the next one Prince.
