Since prehistoric man first encountered the mighty wolf stalking just beyond the light of his campfire, wolves have fascinated and enthralled us. Wolves have been revered, loved, and feared by civilizations throughout human history, and even today, there’s still a powerful inherent fascination many of us have with these powerful, stoic creatures. After all, wolves do play an extremely significant role in human history—without them, we wouldn’t have dogs!
Maybe you’re a wildlife specialist who works with wolves, or a pet parent who’s recently adopted a wolf-dog hybrid. Maybe you’re planning on playing as a badass lupine character in a role-playing game. Heck, maybe you just bought a really cool wolf plushie that you want to name. Whatever your reasons are, if you’re looking for female wolf names, male wolf names, or cool wolf names that capture the strength, independence, and beauty of these amazing creatures, we’ve what you’re looking for!
Male Wolf Names
First, let’s get the ball rolling with some classically cool male wolf names. Whether you’re naming a werewolf character for a story you’re working on, a real-life wolf, or just a very wolfy dog, one of these captivatingly cool names should fit the bill!
- Devdas
- Spiro
- Gunnar
- Vasily
- Tristan
- Jurgen
- Friedrich
- Gerhardt
- Caspian
- Sigfried
- Griffith
- Cornelius
- Jabari
- Stanislav
- Wulfric
- Naveen
- Rudolf
- Ishmael
- Ulrich
- Baldur
- Salah
- Jorge
- Ignacio
- Flynn
- Sergei
- Fidel
- Erich
- Brandt
- Ulfred
- Dario
- Kentaro
- Hakim
- Manfried
- Victor
Related: 15 Dogs That Look Like Wolves
Female Wolf Names
These powerful female wolf names balance grace and femininity with strength, tenacity, and vigor. Show the world that your she-wolf is not one to be messed with!
- Doreen
- Victoria
- Sona
- Evelyn
- Brunhilde
- Akiko
- Rei
- Morgan
- Rosario
- Shoshanna
- Ingrid
- Paloma
- Luciana
- Nikita
- Jyoti
- Katyusha
- Kimiko
- Priya
- Diamanda
- Matilda
- Tatiana
- Flavia
- Lisbeth
- Aoife
- Sinead
- Maya
- Winifred
- Eileen
- Assata
- Arya
- Elvira
- Sabina
- Sigrid
- Xochil
Names That Mean Wolf
Subtlety is for the birds—why give your wolf characters clever, euphemistic names when you could instead opt for names that literally mean “wolf?” Alright, we kid, we kid, but if you are in the market for a particularly lupine name, we can help. All of these are either names that mean wolf (or some similar derivation) in their respective languages, or are the literal translations of the word “wolf.” We’ve marked which is which and their cultural origins, in case you’re looking for a name with a specific cultural background.
- Bheriya (Hindi word for wolf)
- Ulf (male, Norwegian/Swedish)
- Lykos (male, Greek)
- Conan (male, Irish)
- Adolfo (male, Spanish)
- Owais (male, Arabic)
- Valko (male, Bulgarian)
- Ulfur (male, Icelandic)
- Lupita (female, Spanish)
- Okami (Japanese word for wolf)
- Fenrir (male, from Norse Mythology)
- Varg (male, Swedish)
- Gurgen (male, Georgian/Armenian)
- Serigala (Malay word for wolf)
- Velvel (male, Yiddish)
- Lupin (male, Latin)
- Sirhan (male, Arabic)
- Gayl (Armenian word for wolf)
- Channing (unisex, English)
- Wolf (male, German)
- Ylva (female, Swedish)
- Láng (Mandarin Chinese word for wolf)
- Lobo/a (Spanish word for wolf/she-wolf)
- Vuk (male, Serbian)
- Lupe (female, Spanish)
- Blaidd (male, Welsh)
- Loup (male, French)
- Tekula (Amharic word for wolf)
- Farkas (male, Hungarian)
- Zev (male, Hebrew)
Related: Rare ‘Dire Wolf’ Is the First of Its Kind to Exist in Over 10,000 Years
Mythological and Spiritual Wolf Names
Wolves have appeared throughout religions and mythologies around the world – sometimes as gods, sometimes as monsters, and sometimes as great beasts both wise and ferocious. We’ve compiled the names of some of the most iconic figures related to wolves from mythology and spirituality, giving a little bit of context behind each one.
- Romulus (the mythological founder of Rome, was raised by a she-wolf)
- Remus (the brother of Romulus in Ancient Roman mythology)
- Fenrisulfr (a monstrous wolf from Norse mythology)
- Raijū (a lupine creature from Japanese mythology)
- Artemis (Greek goddess associated with wolves)
- Diana (essentially the Roman version of Artemis)
- Leto (a Greek goddess who once took the form of a she-wolf)
- Skadi (the Norse goddess of hunting, often depicted with wolf companions)
- Lycaon (the mythological king of Arcadia, whom Zeus transformed into a wolf)
- Geri and Freki (the two wolves that accompanied the Norse god Odin)
- Asena (a magical she-wolf goddess in Turkic mythology)
- Amaroq (a giant wolf from Inuit mythology)
- Skoll and Hati (the two wolves that chase the moon and sun across the sky in Norse mythology)
- Apollo (the Greek god born of the wolf-goddess Leto)
- Anubis (the Egyptian god of the underworld, he has a canine head believed to be modeled after either the jackal or the African wolf)
- Cerberus (the three-headed guard dog of the underworld)
- Loup-garou (the French term for “werewolf”)
- Wepwawet (an ancient Egyptian god of war, depicted with a wolf’s head)
- Loki (trickster god in Norse mythology, father of the monstrous wolf Fenrir)
- Morrigan (a shapeshifting goddess from Irish mythology who sometimes took the form of a wolf)
- Horkew-Kamui (a wolf god from indigenous Ainu mythology, based on the Hokkaido wolf)
- Argos (Odysseus’ faithful dog from The Odyssey)
- Garmr (a blood-stained hellhound from Norse mythology)
- Ailbhe (the Catholic patron saint of wolves)
- Francis (for St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals)
- Xolotl (the Aztec god of fire and lightning, often depicted with a canine head)
- Vukodlak (werewolf in Slavic mythology)
- Zarathustra (Zoroastrian god, raised by a she-wolf in mythology)
- Medeina (an ancient Lithuanian forest goddess, sometimes depicted as a she-wolf)
Badass Wolf Names
Wolves are badass—enough said. These ferocious yet noble hunters of the forest don’t really need any extra help to become cooler than they already are, but if you’re dead-set on finding some particularly badass wolf names, here are a few possibilities to consider:
- Fenriz
- Indira
- Maximus
- Koda
- Arjun
- Warrior
- Demon
- Lightning
- Hunter
- Fury
- Vercingatorix
- Hannibal
- Sniper
- Terror
- Arcadia
- Hellhound
- Thunder
- Wolfgang
- Rambo
- Dagger
- Striker
- Alaska
- Frostbite
- Sebastian
- Raja
- Finn
- Zion
- Blaze
- Hera
- Bruiser
- Bellatrix
- Grimm
- Hurricane
- Vixen
- Blizzard
- Bruno
- Iron Claw
- Zuma
Cute and Playful Wolf Names
Yes, wolves are powerful and badass creatures, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have a playful side (they are the ancestors of dogs, after all)! If you’re naming a wolf that’s silly, playful, or soft-hearted, consider giving them one of these cute wolf names!
- Melvin
- Bounder
- Nibbler
- Wooly
- Baxter
- Tuck
- Loopy
- Moon-Moon
- Wiggles
- Leapfrog
- Padfoot
- Frisky
- Missy
- Howl
- Skips
- Rambler
- Prince/Princess
- Benji
- Rascal
- Mowgli
- Dancer
- Tumbles
- Ellie
- Maxy
- Sniffles
- Daisy
- Precious
- Softpaw
- Strongsnout
- Longtail
- Scout
- Debbie
- Twitch
- Havoc
Nature-Themed Wolf Names
Wolves have made their homes in forests, mountain ranges, grasslands, and deserts across the world, so it only seemed fitting to include a few nature-inspired names for them here!
- Juniper
- Aspen
- Ford
- Hawthorne
- Maple
- Cedar
- Sycamore
- Zephyr
- Willow
- Hollow
- Slate
- Holly
- Amanita
- Wadi
- Hazelnut
- River
- Yew
- Playa
- Snowdrift
- Canyon
- Iceberg
- Summit
- Fjord
- Creek
- Oleander
- Birch
- Glacier
- Banyan
- Laurel
- Frost
- Oak
- Mesa
- Forest
- Sahara
Wolf Names Inspired By The Moon and The Night Sky
Howling at the moon has long been a stereotype of wolves, and even though there’s not a lot of scientific evidence to suggest that they actually do that, the association between wolves and the moon has stuck (especially in regards to werewolf mythology). These “far-out” names were all inspired by the moon or other heavenly bodies, constellations, and astrological events you might see up in the skies above.
- Andromeda
- Dawn
- Gemini
- Amore (when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie…)
- Selini (the Greek word for moon)
- Dusk
- Hydra
- Luna (the Spanish word for moon)
- Draco
- Aurora (for the Northern lights or the Southern Lights)
- Vega (the brightest star in the Lyra constellation)
- Galaxy
- Saggitarius
- Capricorn
- Phoenix
- Sirius (the Dog-Star)
- Leo
- Alpha Centauri (the closest star to the sun)
- Aquarius
- Dipper (for the Big Dipper/Little Dipper constellations)
- Virgo
- Equinox (the moment in a season where the sun sits directly above the Equator)
- Wayne (just a pun, for a “waning” moon)
- Meteor
- Aries
- Scorpius
- Orion (a constellation)
- Gibbous (another phase of the moon)
- Chandra (the Nepali word for moon)
- Perseus
- Pleiades (the Seven Sisters star cluster)
- Tsuki (the Japanese word for moon)
- Eclipse (in a lunar eclipse, the earth’s shadow passes over the moon)
- Crater (the moon’s surface is full of ‘em)
Famous Wolves (and Werewolves) in TV, Games & Books
Wolves are popular throughout all forms of fictional media, offering many possibilities for some really memorable, kickass wolf names. Since we’re getting wolfy with it, we thought it only fair to include our favorite werewolves as well, since werewolves account for some of the coolest lupine characters of all time!
- Remus Lupin (Harry Potter)
- Moro (Princess Mononoke)
- Roxanne (Five Nights at Freddy’s)
- Nymeria (Game of Thrones)
- Jacob (Twilight)
- Ginger (Ginger Snaps)
- Faolan (Wolves of the Beyond)
- Freddy Lupin (100% Wolf)
- Arcanine (Pokemon)
- Akela (The Jungle Book)
- Grey Wind (Game of Thrones)
- Boris (Bendy and the Ink Machine)
- Ghost (Game of Thrones)
- Gmork (The NeverEnding Story)
- Ansel (The Originals)
- Clawdeen Wolf (Monster High)
- White Fang (White Fang)
- Hopper (The Wheel of Time)
- Lawrence (The Wolf Man)
- Sif (Dark Souls)
- Wendy Wolf (Peppa Pig)
- Legoshi (Beastars)
- Humphrey (Alpha and Omega)
- Delphine Angua von Uberwald (Discworld)
- Amaterasu (Okami)
- Nitka (Shasta of the Wolves)
- Hug Wolf (Adventure Time)
- Lucian Greymark (The Mortal Instruments)
- Maugrim (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe)
- Balto (Balto—technically a wolf-dog)
- Miss Lupescu (The Graveyard Book)
- Lycanroc (Pokemon)
- Poochyena (Pokemon)
- Sabrewulf (Killer Instinct)
How to Choose a Wolf-Inspired Name
What you want to prioritize when choosing an epic wolf name is up to you. Still, if you’d like a little bit of additional naming advice to help you along the way, here are some tips to consider.
- Make It Linguistically Lupine: There are lots of other potential options for names that mean wolf (or include wolf as a partial meaning) than the ones we included here. Look out for Germanic names with -olf, -olph, or -ulf (like Rudolph or Ulfric), or names from Latin languages with Lup (like Lupina or Lupus).
- Think of The Attributes of a Wolf: This is especially true if you’re naming a real-life animal or a memorable fictional character. Look for names that embody your wolf’s most admirable traits: strength, resilience, bravery, nobility, etc.
- Make Sure You Like The Sound Of It: Any time you’re naming a character or animal (wolf or otherwise), it always pays to sound it out first. Your wolfy name might look good on paper, but is it a real mouthful to get out, or does it sound just as cool out loud as it does in your head? That’s the true test of a name’s mettle.
Related: Gray Wolf Hybrid Puppy Finds His Howl and Pure Perfection Ensues