Names from fairy tales and fables for your pet
Ask your vet about your own pet. This page is general information from the sources below.
Fairy tales and fables have been told for hundreds of years, and many have an animal at their heart. In the Brothers Grimm's Town Musicians of Bremen, a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster set off together. Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina is no bigger than a thumb: a perfect name for a very small pet.
19 names, good for any pet. Fairy tales for kids, on Peabody.
| Shortlist | Name | Boy or girl | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thumbelina | Girl | Hans Christian Andersen's girl no bigger than a thumb. Great for a hamster, mouse, rat or gerbil or fish. | |
| Tom Thumb | Boy | The tiny boy of the old English tale. Great for a hamster, mouse, rat or gerbil. | |
| Rapunzel | Girl | The girl with very long hair, from the Brothers Grimm. Great for a guinea pig or dog or cat. | |
| Bremen | Either | The Town Musicians of Bremen: a donkey, dog, cat and rooster on the road together. | |
| Henny Penny | Girl | The hen who thinks the sky is falling. Great for a bird. | |
| Chicken Little | Either | The chick who cries that the sky is falling, in American tellings. Great for a bird. | |
| Velveteen | Either | The Velveteen Rabbit (1922), the toy loved until it became real. Great for a rabbit. | |
| Puss | Boy | Puss in Boots, the clever cat of Charles Perrault's tale. Great for a cat. | |
| Goldilocks | Girl | Who tried the three bears' porridge. Great for a dog or fish. | |
| Gretel | Girl | The clever sister in Hansel and Gretel. | |
| Hansel | Boy | Her brother, who leaves a trail of crumbs. | |
| Rumpelstiltskin | Boy | The little man who spins straw into gold. | |
| Rose Red | Girl | Snow-White's sister in Snow-White and Rose-Red. | |
| Jack | Boy | Jack, who climbs the beanstalk. | |
| Duckling | Either | Andersen's Ugly Duckling, who grows into a swan. Great for a bird. | |
| Nightingale | Girl | Andersen's Nightingale, whose song is better than a clockwork bird's. Great for a bird. | |
| Hare | Boy | The speedy one in Aesop's The Tortoise and the Hare. Great for a rabbit. | |
| Tortoise | Either | Slow and steady, and wins the race in Aesop's fable. Great for a reptile or turtle. | |
| Tin Soldier | Boy | Andersen's Steadfast Tin Soldier. |
Tick the names you like, then take them to a family vote.