150+ Cute Bear Names That Are Totally Adorable

Even though bears are powerful and imposing predator animals, chances are, you can’t help but find them cute, especially when they’re cubs. We cuddle teddy bears throughout our childhood, we read our children stories about playful little bears and we’re more than happy to admire these magnificent bears at the zoo (from a safe distance, of course). So, if you happen to want to give one of these furry creatures a name, you’re in luck because we rounded up over 150 cute bear names that are totally adorable that you can use.

While you probably aren’t always dreaming up new names for bears in your day-to-day life, unless you work directly with bears, you may find yourself needing a unique teddy bear name one day, or a radical moniker for your ursine protagonist (or antagonist) in a piece of fiction. And, with zoos allowing patrons to sponsor animals or even submit ideas when naming new baby animals, you may get your chance to name a real bear someday—and when that day comes, you’ll be ready for it, because we’re here to help.

From the adorable to creative, and classic to innovative, we’ve got more than 150 bear names of all sorts to choose from. While we don’t want to boast too much, we think that these bear names are “bear-illiant!” Check them all out and see if you agree if these are a good fit for these cute animals.

Male Bear Names

You’d be surprised just how many common boy names that we take for granted today, such as “Arthur” and “Barney,” are related to bears! Take a deep dive into some of these marvelous masculine bear names.

Bernard: An Old Germanic name meaning “brave as a bear.”
Humphrey: A Germanic name meaning “peaceful bear cub.”
Bamse: From an Old Scandinavian word that meant “bear.”
Hartz: A Basque word for “bear,” possibly derived from Celtic languages.
Maska: The word for “bear” in Mari.
Barrett: A Germanic name meaning “bear strength.”
Torbjörn: A Scandanavian name meaning “Thor’s bear.”
Jukumari: An Aymara name meaning “bear.”
Kermode: The Kermode Bear or Spirit Bear is a subspecies of black bear that can occasionally exhibit a rare genetic mutation making them white like a polar bear.
Osborne: A cognate of the Old Norse name Ásbjǫrn, meaning “god bear.”
Dagbjorn: A Norwegian name meaning “day bear.”
Honoya: Hopi for “little bear.”
Armel: A French/Britonic name meaning “bear chieftain.”
Barney: A diminutive form of the name Bernard.
Arthur: An Old English name derived from an ancient word for “bear.”
Kuruk: The Pawnee word for “bear.”
Umberto: The Italian version of “Humbert.”
Upa: The Chuvash word for “bear.”
Nokosi: “Black bear” in Seminole.
Orson: Derived from the Norman French word for “bear.”

Female Bear Names

A brown bear and her two cubs in a field of grass.

Few animals to walk the earth are more frightening or fearsome than a protective mama bear watching over her cubs. Female bears are tough ladies, and deserve excellent names that reflect their feminine ferocity.

Birna: An Old Norse name meaning “she-bear.”
Yrsa: A Swedish name believed to come from the Latin name for bear, ursa.
Bernadette: The female form of Bernard.
Mishka: A Russian name meaning “little bear.”
Callisto: A mythological Greek nymph who was turned into a bear by Hera, the wife of Zeus.
Theodora: The female version of Theodore (aka “Teddy,” as in teddy bears).
Arcadia: A name derived from the Ancient Greek word for bear, arktos.
Winnie: Short for Winifred, but can also be a reference to Winnie the Pooh!
Orsina: An Italian name meaning “bear-like.”
Ursula: A Latin name meaning “little bear.”
Mato: A unisex Sioux name meaning “bear.”
Atiqtalik: The Inuit word for a mother bear with new cubs.
Beertje: Dutch for “little bear.”
Hon-mana: “Bear maiden” in Hopi.
Kumako: Japanese for “bear child.”
Ungnyeo: In Korean mythology, she was a bear who became a woman and gave birth to the mythological founder of Korea.
Artemis: The Greek goddess of the hunt, her name is likely related to the aforementioned Ancient Greek word for bear, arktos.
Artio: An ancient Celtic bear goddess.
Mielikki: A Finnish nature goddess who helped create the bear.
Taiga: The Russian word for “snow forest,” a biome often populated by bears in the subarctic northern areas of the world.

Names That Mean Bear in Other Languages

A black bear family marching through the woods.

Some of the names we included above, such as “Nita” and “Dov,” translate directly to “bear” in their respective languages. They aren’t the only ones, though. All of these words also translate to “bear” in various languages from all over the world!

Umka (Chukchi, specifically meaning “polar bear.”)
Bjorn (Swedish/Norwegian)
Nanuq (Inuktitut, specifically meaning “polar bear.”)
Beruang (Malay/Indonesian)

Names Inspired By Famous Bear Characters

A big bear in a field of yellow flowers.

There are many famous fictional bears from movies, shows and books that you can take inspiration from when coming up with a cute bear name. Check out the names of some of these celebrity bears!

Paddington (Paddington Bear)
Smokey Bear (Mascot for the US Forest Service)
Winnie The Pooh (Winnie The Pooh)
Yogi Bear (The Yogi Bear Show)
Fozzie Bear (The Muppets)
Freddy Fazbear (Five Nights at Freddy’s)
Ernest (Ernest & Celestine)
Rilakkuma (cute Japanese bear mascot)
Boo-Boo (The Yogi Bear Show)

Teddy Bear Names

Far from the ferocious apex predators that stalk to forests and the cold, snow-blown regions of the world, teddy bears are soft, gentle guardians built for cuddling. They deserve names that are sweet, soft, and soothing—just like they are! Here are some of our favorite teddy bear name options:

Powerful Polar Bear Names

Polar bears live far north in the Arctic Circle, surrounded by snow and ice at all time—and loving it. The indigenous peoples who live within the Arctic Circle, especially the Inuit peoples of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska, have lived alongside these bears for hundreds of years. Harkening back to their shared cultural heritage, these inspired polar bear names are taken from Inuit languages like Inuktitut and Kalaallisut (Greenlandic).

Mattuvoq: Tough, strong of constitution.
Sappipoq: Brave, unafraid, defiant.
Nakuaq: Strong, capable of hunting.
Nittaalaq: Air thick with rain or snow.
Sullarniq: Snow blown indoors.
Mamaajoqq: Ogre, scary monster.

Colorful and Evocative Names for Black and Brown Bears

A grizzly bear holding a freshly caught salmon.

Polar bears may be hard to find outside of the Arctic, but black bears, brown bears, and grizzlies can be found all across the Northern Hemisphere. These are some bear names inspired by the color of the fur, their imposing temperament, and the rugged environments in which they live, making them ideal if you want a bear name that feels a bit more on the “wild side.”

This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Jan 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the Wildlife section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.