+400 Animal Names From A to Z! Do you know the names of all the animals in the world? Probably not. There are a lot of them! In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the more common animal names in English. We’ll also learn a little bit about each animal, so that you can start using them in your conversations. Let’s get started!
In this lesson, we are going to discuss 400 different animal names with infographics and PDFs. Animals are of two basic types’ domestic animals and wild animals. In this list, we have list some common domestic and wild animal names.
Related: Basic Vocabulary Words with Pictures
Types of Animal Names
There are three main types of animal names: those that are descriptive, those that are onomatopoeic, and those that are cultural.
1. Descriptive Animal Names
Descriptive animal names tend to be straightforward and literal. They’re meant to represent a characteristic of the animal itself or a folkloric belief about the animal. Some examples of descriptive animal names include “Tiny,” which is an obvious descriptor, and “Little,” which has a bit more cultural significance.
2. Onomatopoeic Animal Names
Onomatopoeic animal names tend to fit into two types: those that mimic the sounds made by animals themselves and those that mimic the sounds that animals make. The first type is fairly straightforward, such as “Crackle” and “Buzz.” The second type can be a bit trickier to explain, but I like to think of these kinds of onomatopoeic animal names as representing the sound that an audience might expect an animal to make based on its physical appearance and actions within the story. For example, “Bam” is clearly meant to mimic the sound of an actual bam, but it’s not immediately obvious that something called “Crash” will be loud and booming.
3. Cultural Animal Names
Cultural animal names are those that have no connection to the characteristics of the animal itself. Many cultural animal names were created by cultures around the world with no contact between them and so appear completely random. Other cultural animal names were derived from myths and legends that we’ve since forgotten about. For example, “Banshee” and “Cerberus” both come from Irish legends. However, most of these kinds of animal names are limited to European legend, and so names of other cultures might be more difficult to find.
In this list of animals we will categorize them in more general form:
- Farm or Domestic Animals
- Wild Animals
- Mammals
- Sea Animals
- Birds
- Pet Animals
- Insects
Farm or Domestic Animals
Farm animals are the most common kind of domestic animals. They are kept on farms to provide food or labor. They tend to be less exotic than wild animals but still interesting enough for a storybook character. Some examples are:
Cows, Pigs, Goats, Chickens, Horses, Ponies
List of Farm Animals
- Donkey
- Pig
- Bee
- Sheep
- Fish
- Camel
- Rabbit
- Chicken
- Cow
- Turkey
- Buffalo
- Duck
- Goat
- Rooster
- Horse
Wild Animals
Wild animals are the most common kinds of animals in folktales. Although they tend to be less exotic than many other kinds of animals, they still provide an interesting variety when used as storybook characters. Some examples are:
Dogs, Foxes, Wolves, Bears
List of Wild Animals
- Bear
- Jaguar
- Fox
- Hippopotamus
- Tiger
- Crocodile
- Monkey
- Hyena
- Zebra
- Deer
- Lion
- Rhinoceros
- Elephant
- Gorilla
- Panda
- Squirrel
- Giraffe
- Yak
- Kangaroo
- Wolf
Birds Animals
Birds can be either wild or pet animals. Some examples are Penguins, Owls, Eagles, Pigeons, doves, and others. Birds are usually noble and may be used in various stories. It is important to learn about the symbolism of birds. For example, Eagles are known as noble animals and they are powerful hunters.
List of Birds
- Crow
- Kingfisher
- Pigeon
- Vulture
- Woodpecker
- Penguin
- Swan
- Duck
- Sparrow
- Eagle
- Ostrich
- Rooster
- Owl
- Swan
- Hummingbird
- Parrot
- Crane
- Peacock
- Bat
- Turkey
Insects Animal
Insects are the most common kinds of pet animals. They tend to be fairly uninteresting as storybook characters, with some exceptions such as Bees, Ants and Beetles which can symbolize hard work . Some examples are: Butterflies, cricket, etc.
List of Insects
- Grasshopper
- Honeybee
- Caterpillar
- Spider
- Cockroach
- Ant
- Ladybug
- Lizard
- Scorpion
- Cricket
- Beetle
- Tick
- Butterfly
- Mosquito
- Centipede
Mammals
Mammals include farm and domestic animals as well as exotic and wild animals. They are the most common kind of living creatures in folktales. Some examples are:
Cats, Lions, Tigers, Bears, Foxes, Wolves
List of Mammals
- Cow
- Fox
- Horse
- Lion
- Wolverine
- Bear
- Dog
- Blue whale
- Giraffe
- Cat
- Kangaroo
- Tiger
- Giant Panda
- Wolf
- Elephant
Sea Animals
Like birds and insects, sea animals can either be pets or wild animals. They are fairly uninteresting as storybook characters but they may symbolize aspects of human life such as the ever-shrinking horizon. Some examples are:
Seal, Whale, Dolphins, Fish, Lobsters
List of Sea Animals
- Penguin
- Walrus
- Sea horse
- Shark
- Sealion
- Dolphin
- Prawns
- Blue whale
- Piranha
- Seal
- Catfish
- Octopus
- Fish
- Goldfish
- Crab
Pet Animals
Pet animals are less common than farm or wild animals in folktales but they do exist. They tend to be more interesting as storybook characters because of their exotic nature. Some examples are:
Elephants, Turtles, Armadillos
List of Pet Animals
- Snake
- Turtle
- Cat
- Pigeon
- Chameleon
- Fish
- Dog
- Pig
- Hamster
- Mouse
- Parrot
- Rabbit
- Horse
400 Animal Names List A-Z
A Animal Names List
- Anteater
- Ainu Dog
- Asiatic Black Bear
- Aldabra Giant Tortoise
- Alaskan Malamute
- American Bulldog
- Australian Cattle Dog
- Alligator
- Angelfish
- Australian Mist
- Arctic Hare
- Antelope
- Asian Elephant
- Arctic Fox
- Albatross
- Arctic Wolf
- American Coonhound
- American Eskimo Dog
- Aye Aye
- Akita
- Avocet
- Armadillo
- Akbash
- Alpine Dachsbracke
- Australian Kelpie Dog
- American Cocker Spaniel
- Ant
- Airedale Terrier
- Appenzeller Dog
- Asian Palm Civet
- Asian Giant Hornet
- Axolotl
B Animal Names List
- Bird
- Brown Bear
- Barnacle
- Bull Mastiff
- Basking Shark
- Blue Whale
- Budgerigar
- Barracuda
- Brazilian Terrier
- Barn Owl
- Burmese
- Bearded Collie
- Bornean Orang-utan
- Bactrian Camel
- Bullfrog
- Beagle
- Butterfly Fish
- Bedlington Terrier
- Bobcat
- Burrowing Frog
- Bearded Dragon
- Bichon Frise
- Bombay
- Black Bear
- Birds Of Paradise
- Borneo Elephant
- Badger
- Black Widow Spider
- Bison
- Border Terrier
- Baboon
- Bumble Bee
- Bear
- Black Rhinoceros
- Bengal Tiger
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Booby
- Boxer Dog
- Bandicoot
- Bottle Nosed Dolphin
- Banded Palm Civet
- Bulldog
- Bavarian Mountain Hound
- Bongo
- Border Collie
- Black Russian Terrier
- Bull Terrier
- Bat
- Butterfly
- Beaver
- Bolognese Dog
- Beetle
- Binturong
- Boykin Spaniel
- Barb
- Bull Shark
- Basset Hound
- Birman
- Buffalo
- Basenji Dog
- Blue Lacy Dog
- Bloodhound
- Bonobo
- Boston Terrier
- Balinese
C Animal Names List
- Canaan Dog
- Common Loon
- Cow
- Chinchilla
- Common Toad
- Common Frog
- Crocodile
- Clumber Spaniel
- Crane
- Cuscus
- Chinese Crested Dog
- Cross River Gorilla
- Cairn Terrier
- Chinstrap Penguin
- Cassowary
- Capybara
- Coati
- Chicken
- Carolina Dog
- Clown Fish
- Crested Penguin
- Cat
- Caiman
- Caiman Lizard
- Cichlid
- Collie
- Collared Peccary
- Crab-Eating Macaque
- Chipmunk
- Clouded Leopard
- Caterpillar
- Crab
- Curly Coated Retriever
- Chinook
- Cuttlefish
- Camel
- Common Buzzard
- Coyote
- Caracal
- Coral
- Chimpanzee
- Chihuahua
- Chow Chow
- Cockroach
D Animal Names List
- Deer
- Dormouse
- Dragonfly
- Dalmatian
- Duck
- Dodo
- Dingo
- Dogue De Bordeaux
- Doberman Pinscher
- Dog
- Dachshund
- Dusky Dolphin
- Dugong
- Dwarf Crocodile
- Dogo Argentino
- Drever
- Darwin’s Frog
- Discus
- Donkey
- Dolphin
- Dunker
E Animal Names List
- Elephant Shrew
- Emu
- Emperor Penguin
- Elephant Seal
- Eskimo Dog
- Eagle
- Entlebucher Mountain Dog
- Estrela Mountain Dog
- Earwig
- Epagneul Pont Audemer
- Echidna
- Eastern Lowland Gorilla
- English Springer Spaniel
- English Shepherd
- Elephant
- English Cocker Spaniel
- Emperor Tamarin
- Eastern Gorilla
F Animal Names List
- Flamingo
- Frilled Lizard
- Falcon
- Frog
- Fish
- Flying Squirrel
- Flat Coat Retriever
- Fox Terrier
- Fly
- Fossa
- Finnish Spitz
- Fire-Bellied Toad
- Fox
- Fur Seal
- Fin Whale
- Fishing Cat
- Flounder
- Frigatebird
- French Bulldog
G Animal Names List
- Greyhound
- Gibbon
- Glass Lizard
- Gila Monster
- Giant Schnauzer
- Goose
- German Pinscher
- Golden Oriole
- Grasshopper
- Gopher
- Grey Reef Shark
- Guinea Pig
- Grizzly Bear
- German Shepherd
- Guinea Fowl
- Gerbil
- Golden Retriever
- Guppy
- Greenland Dog
- Grey Mouse Lemur
- Gentoo Penguin
- Giant Clam
- Giant African Land Snail
- Golden Lion Tamarin
- Gar
- Geoffroys Tamarin
- Goat
- Gorilla
- Green Bee-Eater
- Grey Seal
- Giant Panda Bear
- Glow Worm
- Grouse
- Giraffe
- Gecko
- Gharial
H Animal Names List
- Hyena
- Havanese
- Humpback Whale
- Horse
- Hermit Crab
- Highland Cattle
- Horseshoe Crab
- Hamster
- Horned Frog
- Honey Bee
- Humboldt Penguin
- Human
- Himalayan
- Horn Shark
- Heron
- Hummingbird
- Harrier
- Hare
- Hippopotamus
- Howler Monkey
I Animal Names List
- Ibizan Hound
- Indian Star Tortoise
- Indian Palm Squirrel
- Insect
- Indochinese Tiger
- Indian Rhinoceros
- Irish WolfHound
- Indian Elephant
- Impala
- Indri
- Irish Setter
- Iguana
- Ibis
J Animal Names List
- Jaguar
- Jack Russel
- Javanese
- Japanese Chin
- Javan Rhinoceros
- Jellyfish
- Jackal
- Japanese Macaque
K Animal Names List
- Kingfisher
- Kiwi
- Komodo Dragon
- Kakapo
- Kudu
- Koala
- King Penguin
- Kangaroo
L Animal Names List
- Little Penguin
- Lobster
- Lizard
- Lionfish
- Leopard
- Leopard Cat
- Lemur
- Labradoodle
- Liger
- Leopard Tortoise
- Lemming
- Lion
- Llama
- Leopard Seal
M Animal Names List
- Molly
- Mountain Gorilla
- Markhor
- Manta Ray
- Mastiff
- Mountain Lion
- Marsh Frog
- Minke Whale
- Mule
- Monkey
- Mongoose
- Moose
- Monitor Lizard
- Marine Toad
- Monte Iberia Eleuth
- Meerkat
- Millipede
- Mandrill
- Moorhen
- Manatee
- Masked Palm Civet
- Mouse
- Mayfly
- Mole
- Mongrel
- Moth
- Moray Eel
N Animal Names List
- Nightingale
- Norfolk Terrier
- Newt
- Neapolitan Mastiff
- Nurse Shark
- Numbat
- Newfoundland
- Neanderthal
- Norwegian Forest
O Animal Names List
- Octopus
- Ostrich
- Okapi
- Ocelot
- Quoll
- Quetzal
- Quokka
- Quail
- Oyster
- Otter
- Orang-utan
R Animal Names List
- Red Knee Tarantula
- Raccoon
- Rat
- Reindeer
- Red Panda
- River Turtle
- Red-handed Tamarin
- Rhinoceros
- Radiated Tortoise
- Ragdoll
- River Dolphin
- Rabbit
- Raccoon Dog
- Rattlesnake
- Red Wolf
- Robin
S Animal Names List
- Serval
- Shrimp
- Sabre-Toothed Tiger
- Sheep
- Seal
- Silver Dollar
- Sea Otter
- Siberian Husky
- Slow Worm
- Saint Bernard
- Skunk
- Sun Bear
- Sand Lizard
- Sea Slug
- Sea Lion
- Siberian Tiger
- Snake
- Snapping Turtle
- Scorpion Fish
- Sea Urchin
- Sea Turtle
- Siberian
- Saola
- Sea Dragon
- Siamese Fighting Fish
- Sloth
- Salamander
- Snail
- Swan
- Seahorse
- Siamese
- Shih Tzu
- Scorpion
- Sea Squirt
T Animal Names List
- Tiffany
- Turkey
- Tiger
- Tiger Shark
- Tasmanian Devil
- Tang
- Tetra
- Tarsier
- Tuatara
- Tawny Owl
- Tree Frog
- Tortoise
- Tropicbird
- Termite
- Tiger Salamander
- Tapir
- Tibetan Mastiff
- Thorny Devil
- Toucan
U Animal Names List
Umbrellabird
Uguisu
Uakari
V Animal Names List
- Vervet Monkey
- Vulture
- Vampire Bat
W,Y,Z Animal Names List
- Wombat
- Wallaby
- Zebra Shark
- Water Vole
- Water Buffalo
- White Rhinoceros
- Zonkey
- Whippet
- Wolf
- Woolly Monkey
- Woodlouse
- Yellow-Eyed Penguin
- Woolly Mammoth
- Water Dragon
- Wrasse
- Wild Boar
- Wildebeest
- Wasp
- Yak
- Warthog
- White Faced Capuchin
- Zorse
- White Tiger
- Wolverine
- Walrus
- Woodpecker
- Zebra
- Yorkshire Terrier
