It’s a ton of fun when you get a new pet fish and one of the most fun tasks is selecting the perfect name. While a name may come to you instantly, sometimes you need some inspiration. We’ve gathered some of our favorite name ideas for fish to help you decide. Whether you’re starting a new fish tank or adding a fish or two to your aquarium, this list has all the names you need. These names work for any type of pet fish including goldfish, koi, guppies, mollies, tropical fish, cichlids, saltwater fish, and bettas. (Need more fish name ideas? Check out these betta fish names by color.) We’ve divided the names by categories. Use the menu to jump to the relevant category or check out our section on brainstorming names for fish to come up with your own ideas.
Contents
Clever & Unique Fish Names
Girl Fish Names
Tons of cute, funny, and unique names for female fish.
- Amber
- Angel
- Angela
- Annie
- Apricot
- Ariel
- Astrid
- Autumn
- Ava
- Baby
- Barbara
- Bella
- Betty/Bettie
- Blondie
- Blossom
- Brandy
- Brownie
- Bubbly
- Buffy
- Bunny
- Buttercup
- Candy
- Carmel
- Cher
- Cleo
- Cleo
- Cookie
- Cora
- Coral
- Cranberry
- Crystal
- Cupcake
- Daisy
- Delila
- Diva
- Dixie
- Donna
- Dory
- Effie
- Ellie
- Emily
- Fern
- Fiona
- Flower
- Freya
- Gem/Jem
- Ginger
- Glitter
- Goldie
- Grace
- Happy
- Honey
- Hope
- Jenny
- Jewel
- Josie
- Kendra
- Kitty
- Lavender
- Lily
- Lisa
- Lucy
- Lucy
- Luna
- Marina
- Maxie
- Minnie
- Molly
- Nessie
- Nina
- Olivia
- Paprika
- Paris
- Peach
- Peaches
- Pearl
- Penny
- Penny
- Penny
- Princess
- Pumpkin
- Queen
- Rose
- Roxy
- Ruby
- Sandy
- Sara
- Scarlet
- Shelly
- Sprinkles
- Star
- Strawberry
- Sunflower
- Tara
- Thelma
- Tigress
- Tilly
- Tori
- Ursula
- Veronica
- Violet
- Wanda
- Wendy
- Willow
Boy Fish Names
Here’s our list of clever and humorous names for male fish.
- Abe
- Alpha
- Andy
- Apollo
- Aquaman
- Archie
- Astro
- Atticus
- Barney
- Bean
- Benji
- Bennie
- Bingo
- Blade
- Bobby
- Bolt
- Bruce
- Bubba
- Buddy
- Buster
- Butch
- Captain
- Champ
- Charlie
- Chester
- Chief
- Chip
- Clint
- Colin
- Comet
- Cory
- Cosmo
- Cruise
- Crush
- Curry
- Dart
- Dash
- Davy Jones
- Dixon
- Drew
- Dusty
- Fin
- Finley
- Flash
- Flipper
- Flotsam
- Flounder
- Floyd
- Frank
- Freddy
- Gilligan
- Harry
- Houdini
- Hulk
- Igor
- Jaws
- Jimbo
- Jonah
- Jupiter
- Kermit
- Ketchup
- Killer
- Larry
- Leo
- Mack
- Marlin
- Marlin
- Melvin
- Nacho
- Nemo
- Neptune
- Ninja
- Nugget
- Oscar
- Patrick
- Pikachu
- Plankton
- Pops
- Prince
- Rascal
- Ray
- Ripper
- Rudy
- Rusty
- Scrappy
- Shark
- Skippy
- Spark
- Spike
- Spot
- Squirt
- Swim Shady
- Taco
- Umami
- Vandit
- Wiggle
- Willy
- Yoda
- Ziggy
Unisex Fish Names
Don’t know what kind of fish you have or want a name that works for boys and girls? Check out these unisex names for fish.
- Alex
- Algae
- Bait
- Berry
- Biscuit
- Bongo
- Bubbles
- Buttons
- Carrot
- Chaos
- Cheddar
- Clover
- Cookie
- Copper
- Crackle
- Cricket
- Cupid
- Fillet
- Fizz
- Flake
- Java
- Kimchi
- Lucky
- Macaroni
- Mahi Mahi
- Maki
- Navy
- Neon
- Nibbles
- Noodle
- Noodle
- Oreo
- Paprika
- Pepperoni
- Pretzel
- Pumpkin
- Rainbow
- Salsa
- Salty
- Sashimi
- Skipper
- Skittles
- Sky
- Splash
- Squishy
- Stinky
- Storm
- Sunny
- Sushi
- Taco
- Tofu
- Tomato
- Tsunami
- Tuna
- Wasabe
- Wave
- Waves
Fish Pair Names
If you have two fish, use these pair names. Includes famous names, funny names, and clever name ideas.
- Barbie & Ken
- Batman & Robin
- Beauty & Beast
- Ben & Jerry
- Bert & Ernie
- Betty & Veronica
- Bonnie & Clyde
- Bow & Arrow
- Chip & Dale
- Cinnamon & Sugar
- Cookies & Cream
- Cosmo & Wanda
- Ebb & Flower
- Eric & Ariel
- Fish & Chips
- Flotsam & Jetsam
- Fortune & Cookie
- Han & Chewie
- Ketchup & Mustard
- Kit & Kat
- Lemon & Lime
- Lightning & Thunder
- Luke & Leia
- Mac & Cheese
- Marlin & Dory
- Mary Kate & Ashley Ocean
- Miss Piggy & Kermit
- Peanut Butter & Jelly
- Pepperoni & Cheese
- Power & Chaos
- R2D2 & C3PO
- Salt & Pepper
- Sea & Weed
- Splish & Splash
- Sugar & Spice
- Sushi & Sashimi
- Thelma & Louise
- Tic & Tac
- Wasabi & Ginger
- Yin & Yang
Trio Names for Fish
Some people say three is a crowd, but plenty of fish prefer a bigger group! If you’ve got a trio of fish that need names, here are plenty of fun and funny suggestions for naming your pets.
- Alvin, Simon, & Theodore
- Bacon, Lettuce, & Tomato
- Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup
- Do, Re, & Mi
- Faith, Hope, & Charity
- Harry, Ron, & Hermione
- Huey, Dewey, & Louie
- Luke, Leia, & Han
- Marcia, Jan, Cindy
- Moe, Larry & Curly
- Peter, Paul, & Mary
- Rikki, Tikki, & Tavi
- Snap, Crackle, & Pop
- Twilight, Dawn, Dusk
- Wynken, Blynken, & Nod
How to Brainstorm Perfect Names for Fish
While our list provides plenty of cool names for pet fish, you may want to do your own brainstorming or use this list as a jumping off point. Follow these suggestions to come up with the perfect name for your fish.
Get a Piece of Paper – The first step of effective brainstorming is to write down all of your ideas. Write down any fish name that comes to mind, even if you think it’s too silly or not creative enough. The act of writing down the ideas will help you be more creative and come up with even better fish names. If the rest of your family will help to come up with the name idea, give them their own pen and paper to brainstorm.
Write Down Your Name Ideas – Start with the lists of fish names above and write down any you like. Then start thinking of other name ideas. If you’re drawing a blank, try thinking of names within these categories:
Color and appearance names: Think of names based on the appearance of your fish. For example, a red fish could be named “Rose.”
Personality names: If you’ve spent time with your new fish, you’ve probably noticed their personality. Their name can reflect their traits. A fast fish that zips around their tank could be called “Bolt” or “Snappy.”
Celebrity names: Try naming your fish after a favorite celebrity. This could be a musician, actor, artist, or any other famous person.
Nature names: Use nature as your inspiration. You can name a fish after flowers, foods, weather, or any other part of nature. Ocean-related names are especially good like “Wave” or “Coral.”
Character names: Also think of names of characters you’ve loved from books, movies, video games, and comics. You can name your fish as a tribute to classic characters.
Narrow Down Your Choices – Once you’ve got a substantial list, start eliminating names you don’t like. Eventually, you should be able to narrow down your options to one or two choices. If you’re deciding on names as a family, have each person nominate one name and then the family can vote. Whatever name you come up is the name for your new fish. Congrats!
Need more fish name ideas? Check out these betta fish names by color.