28 Bird-Inspired Names for Girls

Looking for a girl's name with a nature link? How about a name inspired by our feathered friends? From popular bird-inspired names like Wren and Raven to more unusual but pretty options (Starling, Lark), here are 28 bird names for girls you might want to pay attention to.

Regardless of how unique they might sound, all the names listed below are in actual use in the US or the UK. We know this because they either appear in the governments' official baby name records (see US Data; UK Data), or because—in the case of very unique names—we were able to identify real people carrying these unusual names by doing a little internet research.

1. Wren. This perky bird name has graduated from a quirky, unique choice to one of the most popular nature-inspired girl names of the twenty-first century.
2. Raven. A firm fixture in the Top 200 in the 1990s, this bird name is drenched in symbolism (good or bad, depending on who you ask).
3. Aviana. An elaboration of Ava, this beautiful, modern name with an avian connection cracked the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2011, one year after actress Amy Adams used it for her baby girl. But funnily enough, Adams wasn't thinking about birds when she picked the moniker; instead, Adam's birthplace—Aviano, Italy—is said to have been behind the actress's baby name choice.
4. Mavis. You may know it as the song thrush, but back in the day, many English speakers knew this little songbird as "mavis". Or, as "throstle", but if it's a baby you're naming, our vote goes to Mavis!
5. Paloma. Though Dove is also a perfectly legit girl's name, the Spanish word meaning exactly the same thing has had more success as a baby name in the US. Globally, famous bearers of this pretty name include British singer Paloma Faith and French designer Paloma Picasso, the daughter of Pablo Picasso.
6. Robin. This unisex mid-century moniker with an avian twist could be perfect for the bird-loving retro couple's new arrival, boy or girl.
7. Alondra. Meaning "lark" in Spanish, Alondra was a popular choice for baby girls around the turn of the century, and it still has its fans.
8. Ainara. Meaning "swallow" in the Basque language, Ainara is already popular in Spain, and in 2023 it made history across the pond by cracking the US Top 1000 Girl Names for the first time ever.
9. Dove. This pretty bird name has been in use as a given name in the US since the beginning of recorded baby name history, though it's never been hugely popular. In addition to its literal avian meaning, Dove also offers symbolic significance thanks to the image of the dove as a symbol of peace.
10. Zenaida. Of Greek origin, this name means different things to different people, but for ornithologists, it brings to mind a genus of doves named after Napoleon's niece Zénaïde Bonaparte.
11. Sparrow. This name joined the ranks of baby names when Nicole Richie and Joel Madden named their son Sparrow James Midnight Madden back in 2009.
12. Rosella. This could be seen as a derivative of the classic Rose, or as an animal-inspired girl's name: rosellas are a genus of colorful parrots native to the Australian continent.
13. Lark. This single-syllable bird name has been in low-key use as an American girl's name since mid-twentieth century.
14. Teal. Basketball star Trae Young and wife Shelby Miller used this pretty name for their baby girl born in 2023. They followed the bird theme for the middle name, too, inking Teal Dove Young on their daughter's birth certificate.
15. Avis. Avis literally means "bird" in Latin. As an American baby name, it was at the peak of its popularity in the 1910s and 1920s, but has since fallen out of favor. Who's ready to bring Avis back?
16. Starling. This may feel like a new name, but Starling has actually been in use since the beginning of recorded US baby name history (albeit first as a boy's name).
17. Dovie. Dove has some edge, but Dovie is pure sweetness. Peaking more than a century ago, this cute bird-inspired girl name might also appeal to parents looking for a retro name.
18. Aquila. Meaning "eagle" in Latin, Aquila makes for an intriguing baby name with a subtle bird meaning. Aquila might also appeal to parents looking for an biblical girl's name that starts with A.
19. Canary. Rare but not completely unheard of as a girl's name, this name brings to mind the bright-colored, domesticated songbird—or the Spanish archipelago the bird was named after.
20. Feather. If you're fed up with Heather, try Feather! Even if you've never met a called girl Feather, rest assured: this is a real name, bestowed on hundreds of American baby girls in the past fifty years, according to the Social Security Administration's baby name data.
21. Adar. The plural form of the Welsh word aderyn, meaning "bird", has been used in small numbers as a unisex baby name. However, it is not clear if it's the name's bird meaning that has inspired some parents to use it, or if it's rather Adar's Star Wars associations, biblical connotations or surname appeal that those parents fell in love with.
22. Aderyn. The small number of American parents who have decided to bestow Aderyn, the singular form of the Welsh word for "bird", on their baby girls were probably thinking of birds.
23. Deryn. A little more popular in the UK than in the US, though not a mainstream choice in either country, Deryn derives from the Welsh Aderyn, meaning "bird".
24. Linnet. The common linnet is a small passerine bird in the finch family. As a baby name, Linnet has yet to realize its potential.
25. Oriole. The outer space inspired Orion is already a baby name. Will Oriole, which is a type of bird, follow suit?
26. Palila. Palila may be an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper, but it also makes a great, subtle bird name for a baby girl.
27. Swan. This one has a long history of use as a surname, but as a given name, it's a newcomer.
28. Skylark. Why isn't Skylark seeing more use as a baby name? Sky and Skye are perfectly on-trend, Lark is totally legit, and Skylar, which is just one letter away from Skylark, is extremely popular today. And if you wanted, you could even make it a little less on the nose by splitting it into a two-name moniker—Skye Lark (or Sky Lark).