For many pond and aquarium owners, fish are pets. They invest love, time and money in keeping it. It is all the more surprising to give them a nickname. Whether goldfish, koi carp or colorful fighting fish, fish names underline the personal connection to the animal. The criteria that are decisive for the search for the most ideal name are explained below. There is also a list of creative fish names.
Criteria for choosing a name
Call names for Pisces are not uncommon. If they are nurtured and cared for, a speech is normal. While human nicknames like Rudi, Emma or Oskar suit every pet, many want more creativity for their fish. Whatever the ultimate decision, there are a few criteria to consider when searching for the ideal fish name.
gender
The first point of criticism is the distinction between male and female fish, so that a Klaus does not accidentally become an Ariel. Anyone who has not received any information about the gender from the retailer or specialist retailer can determine this themselves. The procedure is as follows
- Pronounced forehead hump is a sign of male fish (not all fish species have forehead humps)
- Larger anal and dorsal fins suggest male fish (anal fin sits under the belly)
- In male goldfish, numerous small lumps develop on the forehead, in the gill area and pectoral fins (from spring to the beginning of summer)
- Females are often fuller but smaller than males - can be seen especially in Koi females
- Significant optical changes often occur in males during the mating season (e.g. growth of bristles in Welschen)
- Males are often more aggressive (not a must)
- Much stronger/ stronger coloring in male fish
- Females often have dark "pregnancy spots" behind their anal fins during the spawning season
tip: If you are not sure about gender identification, you can note any conspicuous features and present them to a specialist retailer with a request for identification. Anyone who does not have a reference fish should take the fish directly to the zoologist.
fish color
Bright, colorful colors stand for liveliness, fun and conspicuousness. Giving an unremarkable gray or brown fish a "loud, loud" name such as Pinky or Sunshine is inappropriate. In the case of fish that are inconspicuous in color, the behavior should be the main point of criticism for the choice of name.
nature
There are different behavior patterns observed among the fish. Some are very agile and seem playful, others present themselves as the easy-going, slow and unflappable fish. In addition, there are the attackers and those who don't avoid arguments. Not to forget the gluttonous, shy, dominant and anxious characteristics. "Rocky", "Brutus" and Co. are more suitable for the strong "guys" who like to brag, while "Snow White" or "Shy" (meaning shy) are ideal for a reserved female.
drawings and stains
If drawings and spots are very pronounced, with a lot of imagination you can often see structures in them, such as clouds or feet. Names like Sky and Bigfoot can be derived from it. Drawings and spots often underline the elegance of a fish, which can be reflected in the name. Names such as Adelheid and Adelbert (meaning distinguished, noble) fit perfectly. Particularly pretty drawings can be expressed with names like “Bella” (the beautiful) or “Bonito” (the beautiful).
Special features
If a fish shows special characteristics, such as a special size or short stature, names that can be referred to are ideal. Wilhelm or Charlemagne or Chiquita/ Chiquito for small fish are just a few examples of female and male fish names. Or is the fish deformed? How about Quasimodo or Frankenstein?
fish species
Among the criteria, the respective fish species should not be ignored. Especially if different species are present together in the pond or aquarium, this can quickly lead to "confusion" due to inappropriate distribution of names, for example if the Japanese Koi is called "Karl" while the goldfish is given a typical Asian fish name such as Yuna or Sota . Derivations can also be made from the fish species, such as "Clown" from clown fish, "Barschie" from perch or "Welsi" from catfish, although this form of naming is not immensely creative.
special names
noble fish
If it is a noble fish species, a title should be underlined before the given name. In this way, the nobility of Pisces can be underpinned. Examples of suitable titles are:
- sir or lady
- doctor, professor
- Mr/Mrs or Mister/Misses
- King/Queen or King/Queen
- Count/ Countess or Lord/ Contessa
tip: Whether English, French, Turkish, Spanish or German, the more languages that come into consideration, the greater the choice. However, if you cannot pronounce the foreign name correctly, you often end up with your own creations from the world of fantasy names, which usually have no connection to the fish.
Macabre names
Impossible for some fish lovers, funny for others, are macabre fish names that refer to the preparation of fish in the kitchen or typical fish innards. Examples include:
- sushi
- filet
- fried fish
- dried fish
- bone
- fisheye
- frit (from fried)
TV Fish Names
In any case, fish names that are known from TV are suitable. These names are particularly popular with children who keep fish. Flipper, Wanda and Darwin from SeaQuest are certainly the most well-known TV stars. Further examples are the following suggestions:
- Blinky the three-eyed fish from The Simpsons
- Butt (from the fairy tale “The Fisherman and His Wife”)
- Cyprinus (from the children's book and film "The Little Aquarius")
- Fabius (from the cartoon "The Little Mermaid")
- Nemo (from Finding Nemo)
- Mrs. Puff (from the animated series "SpongeBob SquarePants")
- Klaus (from the animated series "American Dad" (Goldfish))
- Sharky/Sharko (from the animated series Delfy)
Hero and Star Names
Feminine and masculine given names for Pisces can also be found in TV and music. For example, anyone who likes to think back to Popeye or Pippi (Longstocking) or is a fan of stars/famous personalities such as Lady Gaga or Angela Merkel can use these names. It is ideal if the respective behavior or other characteristics are taken into account when choosing a name and similarities can be found in this regard. In any case, Lady Gaga would suit a lively, lively fish better than Angela (Merkel). Likewise, names from German, Roman, Egyptian or Greek history are suitable, taking into account the meaning, such as:
- Aaron - the fighter/hero
- Abel - killed his brother
- Cupid- God of Love
- Aphrodite - goddess of love and beauty
- Ares - god of war
- Brunhilde - the fighter
- Diana - goddess of the hunt
- Heinrich - ruler, prince, king
- Neptune - Roman sea god
- Poseidon - Greek god of the sea, winds and storms
- Victoria - winner
Fish names from A - Z
male names
From A - C
Adonis, Adrian, Aiko, Ajax, Aladdin, Alfons, Ali, Anton, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, August, Balboa, Balou/Balu, Baltasar, Bandit, Barney, Ben, Benno, Benson, Beppo, Billy, Blubb, Bob Marley , Bobbie, Bobo, Bodo, Bolle, Bommel, Bonsai, Boss, Bounty, Brutus, Buffy, Calimero, Captain (Cook), Carlos, Casanova, Caruso, Caesar/Caesar, Catcher, Charlie/Charly, Chico, Crazy
From D to G
Dagobert, Detlef, Diabolo, Donald Trump, Donut, Doctor Snuggles, Dustin, Easy-Peesy, Eddy/Eddie, Einstein, Elvis, Eros, Erwin, Falko, Felix, Fox, Fred(ken), Fridolin, Gabriel, Garfield, General (-secretary), Goldy, Goofy, Gordo
From H to O
Hans, Hector, Henry, Herr Schulz, Hoppsy, Harald, Hutch, Icke, Ivan, Jackson, Jerry, Johnny Walker, Joke, Junior, Caramel, Biscuit, Kermit, Killer, Knuth, Crumbs, (Bruce) Lee, Lenny, Lion , Lucky, Lulu, Macho, Major, Malibu, Matze, Mentor, Mephisto, Merlin, Mickey (Mouse), Momo, Moritz, Motzer, Mozart, Ninja, Noah, Orion, Othello, Otto
From P to Z
Pablo, Paolo, Paul, Pepe, Peter, Pineapple, Pirate, Poppel, Quincy, Rambo, Rocco/Rokko, Roger, Romeo, Rüdiger, Sam, Santiago, Sir Henry, Skipper, (Mister) Skin, Sleeper, Smartie, Snickers, Soltero, Speedy, Sputnik, Tango, Tim, Titus, Urmel, Uwe, Vincent (van Gogh), Van Gogh, Wildy, Willi, Xaver, Jury, Zacharias, Zero, Zeus, Zorro
female names
From A to C
Adele, Agathe, Amy, Angel, Arielle, Ashanti, Aussie, Babsy, Baby, Baileys, Mutter Beimer, Berta, Bibi, Bianca, Blubb, Bonny, Bonsai, Bubbels, Candy, Carla, Chayenne, Cherry/Cherrie, Chica, Cinderella , Cleopatra, Coco
From D to G
Daggy, Dayana, Dorothea, Ella, Elisabeth, Else, Famous, Fee, Frau Schulz, Funny, Gandy, Gina, Gitta, Gucci, Grete, Gorda
From H to O
Hanna, Heidi, Helga, Hexe, Hedwig, Happy, Isabelle, Johanna/Joana, Judelka, Katalina, Kicki, Kimmie, Klarissa, Lady, Leika, Lillu, Lavinia, Lola, Lolly (-popp), Luna, Madame, Marilyn ( Monroe), Mimmi, Minni (Mouse), Muddy, Nanna, Nena, Nuria, Olga, Olivia
From P to Z
Paola, Pauline, Petty, Piggy, Primadonna, Querida, Rapunzel, Rebecca, Ruth, Sally, Sammy, Sheila, Siri, Sissi, Sigille, Socke, Sunny, Tiffany, Trulla, Ulla, Ursula, Violetta, Wanja, Xenia, Zalando, zara
tip: Very popular among fish names are those with meaning. In other languages, they often sound very interesting, such as the Spanish "Flaca" means "slim" or how about the Hungarian "Gyáva" for a coward? Just try the online translator if you can't find what you're looking for among the name ideas mentioned.