Fish Names Starting with A..,

Akarui – This is the Japanese word for “bright,” and is well-suited for goldfish and koi that are brightly colored, such as Lionhead goldfish or sparkly, metallic gin-rin koi varieties.

Autumn – A soft, sweet name for female fish with colors that inspire thoughts of the season’s warm bursts of color.

Ash – Suitable for grey, silver, or darkly speckled fish (or if you’re a fan of the popular Pokémon character).

Angel – Perhaps an obvious name, this one works for white or silvery fish, particularly if they have long, flowy fins and bits of yellow coloring.

Fish Names Starting with B…

Bubbles – A classic, albeit obvious, name choice suitable for almost any fish, particularly those with higher energy levels and a cheerful personality.

Buddy – A simple yet charming name that works for amiable, friendly fish.

Booboo Sousa – This one is really just a goofy, nonsensical name coined from a popular American show called Adventure Time; Booboo Sousa is both a teddy bear and a catchy little tune that plays at the end of some episodes, and is a name that could work for a kind or quirky fish.

Babushka – Babushka is a Russian or Polish term for an old woman, particularly one that is wise and caring.

Blaze – For brightly colored fish, or one that is very fast.

Fish Names Starting with C…

Coy – A clever play on words, this one works particularly well for koi that are shy or, well…coy!

Crash – For your, shall we say, less…graceful…fish.

Casper – For white or very light colored fish, or those that like to hide.

Cleo – In the classic Disney film Pinnochio, Cleo is the name of Geppetto’s goldfish.

Comet – For slender fish (particularly comet goldfish!), or those that have blue-black coloring like that of a space comet.

Cypress – Cypresses are evergreen shrubs and trees with some varieties native to Asia. Part of what makes this name unique for your fish is that it not only refers to this native plant, but it’s also a bit of a play on part of the koi’s Latin name, Cyprinus (it’s full name being Cyprinus Carpio).

Fish Names Starting with D…

Daenerys – In the popular book/television series A Game of Thrones, Daenerys is a powerful but kind silver-haired queen. This name could work for metallic, silvery fish or those with headstrong personalities.

Drake – In Middle English mythology, a drake is a small dragon.

Dancer – For active fish that like to move about.

Dot/Dotty – An old-timey name for female fish that have spots.

Fish Names Starting with E…

Einstein – For particularly smart and cunning fish.

Eclipse – Suitable for darkly colored fish, particularly those that are both black and white.

Ember – For fish that are orange, red, yellow, or any combination thereof.

Fish Names Starting with F…

Finn or Fynn – A play on words with unique spelling that works well for any fish! The “i” spelling works for male fish, while the “y” spelling is more often used for females.

Flounder – Though Flounder is the name of a popular tropical fish character in the Disney movie The Little Mermaid, in reality flounders are a species of grey-white flatfish that are slow-moving and able to blend into their surroundings like a chameleon. Whether your fish is simultaneously cowardly and curious/adventurous (like Flounder), or a bit sluggish with camouflage-like patterning (like the flounder species), Flounder is both a classic and unique name for a fish.

Frank – This one is purely a silly name, useable for really any male fish.

Fish Names Starting with G…

Goldie – Popular with kids under the age of five, this name can be accompanied by numbers (Goldie 1, Goldie 2, etc.) if you have many goldfish and imagination isn’t the kid’s strong suit (or they have a wry sense of humor).

Goldilocks – For fish that are particularly metallic/golden.

Gohan – Gohan is Japanese for “rice,” and is fitting since koi were initially wild carp that were caught and domesticated by rice farmers. Also, Gohan is the name of a popular character in the Japanese anime series Dragon Ball Z.

Gingko – Gingkos are Asian plants that are often used around fish ponds. The original Chinese name for this plant translates to “silver fruit.”

Fish Names Starting with H…

Hanako – What better namesake than the most long-lived fish in the world (and, she was a koi!)? Hanako translates to “flower girl,” and can be used for any brightly colored female fish, whether koi or goldfish.

Harmony – Initially, goldfish were domesticated and bred to symbolize harmony and good fortune.

Haiku – A haiku is a type of Japanese poetry, but makes a pretty and traditional-sounding name for either male or female fish.

Hoshi – Japanese for star, Hoshi can be used for fish with shining personalities or bright coloring.

Fish Names Starting with I…

Icarus – In Greek mythology, Icarus tried to escape Crete by using wings made from wax and feathers; he flew too close to the sun, causing his wings to melt and him to plunge into the sea. This name could work for a fish that is an escape artist or one that likes to stay toward the surface of the water, close to the light.

Indigo – For koi that are bluish in color, such as the Asagi variety.

Iris – Named after the pretty, exotic looking flower that is native to many portions of Asia. This flower can range in color from white to purple.

Fish Names Starting with J…

Jaws – For particularly lively, shark-like fish, what better namesake is there than the 1970’s book and film about a voracious great white shark?

Jasmine – A fragrant, gorgeous flowering plant native to portions of Asia. The flowers are most commonly white and yellow, and would fit beautifully with a fish of similar coloring.

Jinyu – A Chinese word that translates literally to “goldfish” or “golden fish.”

Fish Names Starting with K…

Kai – The Japanese word for ocean or shell.

Koshi – Meaning “green” in Japanese, this name would work well for fish that are, well, greenish in hue.

Kinkan – A Japanese citrus fruit with a slight sour kick to their flavor, Kinkan is a name that could work well for fish that have particularly bold personalities.

Fish Names Starting with L…

Leonardo Di Carpio – This name combines a well-known and well-liked actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) with part of the koi’s Latin name (Cyprinus carpio).

Lily – A beautiful water-loving plant, Lily is a name that works for most any female fish.

Lumpy – Do you have a lumpy or rotund fish? Name it Lumpy.

Lei – Chinese for “kind.”

Lucifer – The angel of darkness, Lucifer is a name that works well for fish that have a powerful presence and perhaps long, flowy fins that may somewhat resemble wings.

Fish Names Starting with M…

Mazu – Mazu is the Chinese goddess of the sea, believed to protect seafarers from any potential danger.

Mizuchi – Historically, Mizuchi is regarded as one of the Japanese gods of the sea, also known as the Sea Dragon or Japanese Dragon.

Mr. Fish – Mr. Fish is a Marvel Comics supervillain who was once a normal man. He fell into a river full of radioactive chemicals, which caused him to turn into a fish-man hybrid and gain super strength.

Magikarp – Magikarp is a carp-like Pokémon in the popular video games.

Mongol – One of the East Asia ethnic groups, Mongols traditionally hold family ties very seriously, so this name could work for a fish that likes to be part of a small group.

Fish Names Starting with N…

Neptune – The Roman god of the sea.

Nibbles (or The Nibbler) – For fish that aren’t shy of nibbling on fingers or eating out of your hand.

Nemo – While Nemo, from Finding Nemo, was a clownfish rather than a koi or goldfish, this name could work well for smaller fish that are orange and white in coloring – particularly if they’re curious. Alternatively, Captain Nemo was a fictional French submarine captain in the book 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Nami – Japanese for “wave.”

Fish Names Starting with O…

Otto – In the Dr. Seuss book “A Fish out of Water,” Otto is the name of a goldfish whose owner keeps feeding him too much food, causing him to outgrow every container and tank until he becomes the size of a whale.

Oreo – For black and white fish.

Onyx – This name works well for grey, black, or otherwise darkly colored fish.

Oscar – A silly, cute name for any fish.

Fish Names Starting with P…

Poseidon – The mighty Olympian god of the sea, and king of all other sea gods.

Phoenix – Although this is a mythological bird that is reborn from the ashes each time it dies, this name can be quite fitting for koi or goldfish with elegant, trailing fins and fiery coloring.

Pongo – In the film 101 Dalmatians, Pongo was a male Dalmatian dog; this name works well for fish that are black and white spotted.

Perdita – Similar to the previous name, Perdita was the female Dalmatian dog in 101 Dalmatians.

Fish Names Starting with R…

Rainbow – For the fish with many colors, or one that has (or is likely to) change colors many times throughout its life (such as Kumonryu koi).

Rusty – For, you guessed it, rusty-colored fish.

Ryu – Japanese for “dragon,” Ryu could work for large, elegant fish or ones that are particularly feisty.

Fish Names Starting with S…

Shai – Japanese for “shy,” shai is a unique, pretty name that works well for bashful fish.

Song – The Song Dynasty in China that lasted from approximately 960 to 1279 AD was the era during which goldfish were originally domesticated.

Splash – For the fish who likes to jump!

Shuilong – In Chinese, this term means “water dragon.”

Suika – Suika are the Japanese equivalent of watermelon, which also happens to be a food item that both koi and goldfish enjoy eating!

Squirt – A playful name for fish that are on the smaller side (or, it could be used ironically for large fish).

Shadow – For darkly colored or elusive fish.

Sunny – Whether your fish is brightly colored or has a vibrant personality, this name will suit it.

Fish Names Starting with T…

Tango – For fish with zesty personalities and/or bright, orange-yellow coloring.

Taiki – Taiki is Japanese for “great” or “large,” and works for big fish or, ironically, small fish.

Trixy – A playful name that works for a female fish that’s particularly adept at learning new things or doing tricks such as jumping.

Fish Names Starting with W…

Wasabi – Wasabi is a spicy Japanese horseradish plant, and the name would be fitting for a fish that’s particularly lively or that has fierce personality.

Willow – Suitable for fish that are either graceful, small, and/or have flowy fins.

Fish Names Starting with X…

Xiao – Japanese for “little.”

Fish Names Starting with Y…

Yoshi – Inspired by the adorable and lovable Mario Brothers character, this name also means “respectful” in Japanese.

Yama – Japanese for “mountain” and suitable for either large or steeley-colored fish.

Fish Names Starting with Z…

Zhu Zhu – A Chinese term that translates to “piggy-piggy,” this is a good name for a fish that has a big appetite.

Zippy – For fish that like to zip about.