If your family is adding a new friend to the ol' fish tank, you need to pick the perfect fish name! We're here to help you with some inspiration. It's not always easy to determine their personalities, so naming a fish can be a bit more difficult than naming a dog, deciding what to call a cat, or even naming a chicken. While you don't get to interact with a fish in the same way you do other pets, there are so many benefits to having them in your home. According to the Mental Health Association of Delaware, owning fish can help reduce stress, improve sleep, and even increase productivity.
When you start thinking about what would make a nice moniker for a fish, first consider what kind of fish are you naming. Betta fish make for excellent, low maintenance pets as do goldfish and guppies. Also think about a name that works best with the color of your fish. Whether you're naming a singleton or an entire school of fish, the perfect name is on this list. Heck, there's enough names here to give one to every creature at your local aquarium.
Ocean-Themed Fish Names
It makes sense to name a fish by something from the great blue! These fun fish name ideas have an under-the-sea theme, taking inspiration from aquatic animals and other watery items.
- Bubbles
- Orca
- Ariel
- Foamy
- SeaSea
- Wave
- Current
- Guppy
- Coral
- Whaley
- Sharky
- Salty
- Shell
- Submarine
- Oyster
- Ink
- Squid
- Octo
- Hurricane
- Barnacle
- Mussel
- Shrimp
- Sandy
- Current
- Bermuda
- Floater
- Tide
- Marina
- Pacific
- Rip Tide
- Minnow
Pirate-Inspired Fish Names
Scrub the deck with these names fit for a pirate. They're fun for any type of fish, but we love them for the largest ones in the tank.
- Shipwreck
- Pirate
- Treasure
- Peg Leg
- Patch
- Map
- Bastian
- Captain
- Jack Sparrow
- Crow
- Parrot
- Matey
- Aye
- Booty
- Coins
- Hearties
- Blimey
- Yo Ho Ho
- Land Lubber
- Scalawag
- Plank
- Davey Jones
- Scuttlebutt
- Buccaneer
- Jolly Roger
- Doubloon
- Binnacle
- Cannon
- Doubloon
- Ahoy!
Best Betta Fish Names
These guys are one of the most popular pets for a reason. In addition to being beautiful, they're fairly low-maintenance.
- FlashDrive
- Dancer
- Alpha the Betta
- Darth Betta
- Swimmy Todd
- Eddie Betta
- Dragon
- Flashy
- Swishy
- Squiggles
- Hillary Finton
Best Names for Goldfish
- Goldie
- Goldilocks
- Mellow Yellow
- Cheddar
- Champagne
- Dijon
- Golden Rod
- Honey Comb
- Pineapple
- Sunshine
- Ray
- Carat
- Golden Dome
- Crown
- Gilded
- Nugget
- Bullion
- Croissant
- Caramel Apple
Food-Inspired Fish Names
Favorite foods always translate well to names. Some of these require a special sense of humor.
- Goldfish
- Butter
- Caviar
- Frito
- Ahi
- Tuna
- Big Mac
- Tender
- Popcorn
- Chomp
- Nugget
- Pizza
- Crescent
- Aioli
- Breadstick
- Dorito
- Maki
- Nigiri
- Pez
- Sashimi
- Tartar Sauce
- Dijon
- Canned Tuna
- Chowder
- Tabasco
- Saltine
- Jalapeño
- Radish
Fictional Fish Names
Name your fish after a famous fish from a book, movie, or television show.
- Patrick: Starfish from Spongebob SquarePants
- Cheep-Cheep: Fish from Super Mario Bros
- Nemo: Star of Finding Nemo
- Flounder: Character from The Little Mermaid
- Muddy Mudskipper: Character from Ren and Stimpy
- Mrs Puff: Pufferfish teacher from Spongebob SquarePants
- Ponyo: The main character of the anime classic film, Ponyo
- Edward Bloom: The star of Big Fish
- Willie: a famous whale from the movie Free Willie
- Dorothy: Celebrity Elmo's pet goldfish
- Carlos K. Krinklebine: a character in Cat in the Hat
- Dory: Character from Finding Nemo
Best Names for a Pair of Fish
Is your tank hosting an adorable pair of fish? Try these names that work perfectly for duos.
- Fish 'n Chips
- Cup and Saucer
- Buzz and Woody
- Shaggy and Scooby
- Batman and Robin
- Bert and Ernie
- Tom and Jerry
- Peanut Butter and Jelly
- Salt and Pepper
- Thing 1 and Thing 2
- Harmony and Melody
- Romeo and Juliet
- Surf and Turf
- Mario and Luigi
- Thelma and Louise
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
- Adam and Eve
- Mary Kate and Ashley
- Cherries and Jubilee
- Day and Night
- Pen and Paper
- Peaches and Cream
- Kibbles and Bits
- Wash and Dry
- King and Queen
- Bonnie and Clyde
Boy Pet Fish Names
- Ralph
- Anderson
- Adam
- Billy
- Einstein
- Hank
- Trevor
- Trey
- Joseph
- Peter
- Steven
- James
- Jimmy
- Jason
- Jaws
- Jeromy
- Fido
- Finn
- Max
- Radish
- Flip
- Finster
- Fishy
- Jonah
- Hulk
- Blimey
- Lucky
- Speedy
- Lefty
- Lenny
- Paul
- Brenton
- Nickolas
- Monk
- Barney
- Romeo
- Rocky
- Spike
- Roomba
- Ronnie
- Cisco
- James Pond
- Keanu Reefs
- John Jacob
- Jingle
- Derek
- Greg
- Rodney
- Gilly
- Godzilla
- Jacque
- Goober
- Richy
- Mike
- Johnny
- Elmer
- Plucky
- Rumpelstiltskin
- Clown
- Lester
- Janio
- Chunker
- Snail
- Yoyo
- Quartz
- Swim Shady
- Larry
- Burt
- Winslow
Girl Pet Fish Names
- Brenda
- Rachel
- Monica
- Lolly
- Lucinda
- Diana
- Princess
- Crissa
- Margot
- Scaley
- Flashy
- Jen
- Alison
- Emily
- Martha
- Dorothy
- Wish
- Sandy
- Beachy
- Wanda
- Jeanie
- Sara
- Goldie
- Betty
- Boo
- Eloise
- Paula
- Polly
- Abby
- Darla
- Anna
- Whitney
- Orange
- Banana
- Cherry
- Isabella
- Penny
- Barbie
- Rosella
- Joy
- Jackie
- Trisha
- Bouquet
- Eliza
- Charlotte
- Laurey
- Nora
- Lady
