The Best Names for Stuffed Animals

Giving your plushie a name is the first step in creating its identity. Whether you are a child or an adult, naming your stuffed animal will help you develop a deeper connection with your stuffed friend. Some teddy bears and stuffed animals come with preValentine’s heart on its belly-given names. Though these names often suit these plushies well, they are rarely unique and don’t allow for much imagination. Its time to find a name for your plushie yourself!

Choosing a name for a stuffed animal is not always an easy task. Research shows that the most common name for a stuffed animal is simply “bear”. While this is of course partly due to the bear being the most popular type of plushie, a little inspiration won’t hurt. To help with naming your plushie, we’ve listed some practical and inspiring tips for you.

• Why it’s important to name your plushie
• How do you find the most suitable name for your plushie?
• Names for male plushies
• Names for female plushies
• Names for teddy bears

Stimulate creativity: name your own plushie

To truly stimulate your creativity, create a feeling of ownership and build a thoughtful relationship with your plushie, the plushie’s name should come from you. Dwelling in fantasy and imagination will help you continue to develop your brain and has a positive effect on your mental health. The best way to indulge in this little fantasy is by befriending a character of your own imagination – which is one of the reasons why some of the best plushies you can buy are not based on popular film and TV characters.

From a Name to a Character

Think of any common name; take the name Alexander, for example. Chances are, you probably know someone named Alexander, right? When you think of the name, you think of the person. This is often paired with either positive or negative emotions, based on how you relate to the individual you are thinking off. You might even attribute the characteristics of the person you know to the name itself. The same goes for plushies: what does a name feel like, and what characteristics do you attribute to it? In this way, your stuffed animal’s name will contribute greatly to its personality.

How do you find the most suitable name for your plushie?

Stuffed animals often have simple, one-syllable names. They range from the cute and cuddly to the odd and wonderful. Here are some tips on how to name your stuffed animals, with some great examples from within the the plushie community itself.

1. Base its Name on its Species

Most plushies in the world own their name to the (plushie) species they belong to. Classic names for teddy bears are Bear, Teddy, Ted or even Roosevelt. Simple, easy to remember and very much to the point. If you wish to be a little bit more creative, use the species as its last name, and add a matching first name to give it a stronger sense of identity. Great examples from the plushie community are Giles Bear, Bonnie Bunny and Mannie the Manatee, who were named after their species, but were granted cute first names as well.

2. Use a Play on Words

Another great way to name a stuffed animal based on its species is by using a play on words. Combine or alter the name species to come up with something new. Great examples from the community are Mika Coonington, a classy British raccoon; Giraffina, a sweet little giraffe; Miss Tipsy Cat Bose, an experienced traveling cat; or Rossofante, Instagram’s cutest red elephant. Another funny plushie name using a play on words is Gustav von Schnabel, which belongs to a cute travelling duck.

3. Base its Name on its Appearance

Does your stuffed animal have pink fur, scruffy hair, or an extremely long tail? Your stuffed friend’s defining feature can easily be used to define its name. Examples of plushies named after their specific features are Pinchie the Lobster, scruffy looking pup Scruff Cotterill and Snowy Bear, named after her white fur.

4. Base its Name on its Theme

Does your stuffed animal come with a Christmas hat, a Valentine’s heart on its belly, or a pirate-like eye patch? Its name will almost write itself! One of the Instaplushie’s frequent contributors is a little yellow shark named Sharka the Pineapple Shark, who carries around a pineapple all day long. In case your plushie functions as your loyal travel partner, a more suitable name might be related to its lifestyle choice: from Fluffy, “the Bite-Sized Backpacker” to Steve der Reisebär and Goggles and Talulu McTravel, there are dozens of plushies on the open road.

5. Name it after a Popular Character

Does your plushie belong to a species which has a famous character connected to it? Honor them by naming your plushie after them. There are plenty of teddy bears – and other stuffed animals – named Winnie, after Winnie-the-Pooh. Other cool examples are Monsieur Renard, who’s name resembles that of the mischievous medieval character Reynard the Fox, or Private Penguin, who’s name equals that of the short and chubby penguin from Madagascar.

6. Get inspired by Cultural Heritage

Do you live in an exotic location, or a city with a rather cool sounding name? Or does your cultural background provide you with pleasant sounding words? Within the plushie community, Waikiki Bunny is named after a popular neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii. It has quite a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Otter Ohana‘s name equally inspired by the culture of Hawaii. Another beautiful example is teddy Hope her nickname ‘the Honey Grove Bear‘, who lives in Honey Grove, Texas… and we all know what bears like!

7. Use a Word or Name from a Different Language

Use an online translator to translate the name of your stuffed animal’s species or defining feature into a different language, and see if anything cool comes up. Did you known the German word for “bear” is “bär”? Both Bäri Bear and Bärchi derived their names from the German term. Another cool duo whose names are German are Maus and Elefant. In the Dutch Harry Potter books, Hagrid’s three headed dog goes by the incredible cute nickname of Pluisje, meaning Fluffy. Of course, there’s also inspiration to be found in the Latin language. Gato, for example, means “cat” in Spanish, Portuguese and Galician.

8. Name it after a Friend or Family Member

It might seem odd to some to name a plushie after a loved one, but it happens quite often! The names of our friends and family members often have a positive feel to them, due to our personal connection to the people who embody those names. If you have friends in Thailand, it’s worth checking what nicknames they go by: you’ll find a wealth of cute official nicknames in Thailand for sure! Some of our Thai friends have truly adorable names, such as Freshy, Kiwi, Omsin, Oki and Tiger!

9. Use an Alliteration

Do you have multiple stuffed animals that require names? Try matching them up using alliterations. Famous characters with alliterating names are Huey, Dewey and Louie, and Ed, Edd and Eddy. Within the plushie community, you’ll run into the adorable hamster family of Flinki, Flora and Fluxie. Sounds like a perfect match, doesn’t it?

10. Choose the Name of Someone Famous

Fame is the name of the game! Name your plushie after a famous individual. Whether it’s an actor, scientist or singer, it doesn’t matter! From Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt to Napoleon Bonaparte, granting your plushie the name of someone famous will automatically attribute some of that stardom to your stuffed animal. In addition, it will give your plushie a slightly pre-defined character. A great example of a famous plushie named after a scientist is the fluffy bunny Feigenbaum.

11. Circumvent Expectations by Choosing an off-beat Name

Nobody says your plushie’s name always has to be logical and on point! Don’t let your imagination be curbed by social constructions. Your stuffed animal’s name is your choice. Just ask Bear the Elephant or Chickens the Bunny; they can tell you a thing or two about unique names!

Examples of Stuffed Animal Names

Names for male plushies

Is your plushie a boy? There are plenty of options out there to choose from, but here are some names to get you inspired!

Names for female plushies

Is your plushie a girl? Make sure she gets a name worthy of her cute and cuddly nature – unless, of course, she’s a true rebel, like Rey from the Star Wars franchise!

Names for teddy bears

What’s a good name for a teddy bear? Here are some great examples from the plushie community and beyond! Of course, many of these names are suitable for non-bear plushies as well.

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Pick a Name that Suits Your Plushie Best

Write down some ideas for names and go through your list with a friend or family member. Which name suits your plushie the best? Sometimes, the answer will come to you right away and sometimes it will require some time to come to a good decision. In the end, no choice is a bad one: if you realize you don’t really like the name you picked, or you’ve come up with a better one, it’s never too late to change it!

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