Funny Fish Names: 150+ Quirky & Original Ideas

Updated March 23, 2022
Young boy looking at fish in aquarium

Are you looking for inspiration for clever pet fish names that will make your friends and family laugh? Although humor is in the eye of the beholder, these cute, funny fish names should get you started and give you some ideas to build on. Get inspired!

Funny Names for Any Fish

There are some cute fish names that would be funny for almost any type of fish you can purchase. Depending on your sense of humor, you might find some of these more amusing than others.

Ranchu Goldfish
  • Swedish (after the candy)
  • Aqua Bob SquarePants
  • Ying Yang
  • Sushi (a little twisted, but humorous if you don't mean it)
  • Bait (same as above)
  • Fish Sticks
  • McFish
  • Puff Daddy (perfect for a puffer)
  • Floater
  • Wave
  • Chips
  • Bob
  • Flotsam
  • Miso
  • Cod
  • Finley
  • Finneus
  • Larry
  • Salmon
  • Sea Beast
  • Otto (A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer)
  • Sardine
  • Pirate
  • Captain Jack Sparrow
  • Long John Silver
  • Bubba Gump

Funny Fish Names for a First Pet

Don't expect your child to come up with a great fish name that is clever or even makes sense, especially if they are very young and this is their first pet. A chosen name might relate to its color or a favorite character or food. It also might be your kid's attempt at humor, which can be appropriately juvenile. Possibilities might include:

  • Slimeface
  • Cheeto
  • Taco
  • Fishface
  • BoBo
  • Dave
  • Spot
  • Bubbles
  • Sparky
  • Magikarp (Pokemon)
  • Slippery
  • Stinky
  • Big Joe
  • Whatever
  • Whatshisface
  • Swim Shady
  • Bigmouth Billy Bass
  • Slimy Steve
  • Puckerface Jones
  • Squirtle
  • SelFish
  • Stanley
  • Goober

Funny Names for Pet Fish by Type

Certain types of fish are known for their appearance or behaviors. For example, the betta is also known as the Siamese fighting fish because of its aggressive nature. Naming a betta after a famous boxer is fitting. Alternately, you could name them Sweet Pea, which is the opposite name you'd expect based on the betta's reputation. Goldfish easily lend themselves to names like Goldie, but try to think outside the box to find a name that strikes a chord.

A juvenile yellow boxfish swims above the seafloor

Names for Betta Fish

  • Rocky
  • Muhammad Ali
  • Cuddles (even though a betta is the furthest thing from it)
  • Clifford (for a red betta)
  • Papa Smurf (for a blue betta)
  • Blueboy
  • Ninja
  • Mulan
  • Blue Ivy (think Beyonce)
  • Betta Midler

Funny Goldfish Names

  • Tropicana
  • Wasabi
  • Pumpkin
  • Goldilocks
  • Cleo (the long-lashed fish in Pinocchio)
  • Dorothy (Elmo's goldfish)
  • Goldie Hawn

Funny Monikers for Molly Fish

  • Eclipse
  • Phantom
  • Kosher
  • Speckles (for a black and white molly)
  • Molly Ringwald
  • Pongo (101 Dalmatians, for Dalmatian Mollies)
  • Perdita

Tetras Fun Fish Names

  • Glow
  • Squirt (because of their small size and relation to water)
  • Gnome
  • Jaws
  • Shrimpy
  • Neon

Best Names for Oscars

  • Godfather
  • PeeWee
  • Poseidon
  • Cujo
  • Oscar De La Hoya
  • Oscar Mayer

Angelfish Names

  • Diva
  • Gabriele
  • Lucifer (angel of darkness)
  • Wings
  • Sunshine
  • Blondie
  • Angelica or Angelina

Names for Clownfish

  • Garfield
  • Orange Slice (after the candy)
  • Nemo
  • Bozo
  • Pennywise (the scary clown in It)
  • Krusty

Fun Names for Damsels

  • Coral
  • Sunny (yellow Damsel)
  • Morose (for a blue fish)
  • In Distress
  • Gidget (the surf-loving teen of 1960s movies)
  • Kathy (Finding Nemo)
  • Deb
  • Mrs. Puff (SpongeBob SquarePants)
  • Ann Chovy
  • Marina

Funny Fish Names Based on Personality

One of the best ways to name your fish is by their personality. If you have a fish that moves slowly or likes the bottom of the tank, you might give them an ironic name like Zippy. By contrast, a hyper fish could be named Turtle or Snail. Try to consider opposites for a humorous name that will make your friends laugh as they observe your fish's actual behavior. Here are some other personality-based names:

Awkward Pet Portraits
  • Snapper
  • Einstein
  • Rocket
  • Marshmallow
  • Hydra
  • Turbo
  • Pudge (Lilo & Stitch)
  • Zippy
  • Shimmy

Famous Fish Names

If you're looking for a famous fish to name your own swimming friend after, look no further than Hollywood. Thanks to the children's movie industry, films like Finding Nemo and Shark Tale have provided a nice selection of names from which to choose.

  • Moby Dick
  • Nemo
  • Orca
  • Oscar
  • Lenny
  • Don Lino
  • Sykes
  • Katie Current
  • Mr. Limpet (from the movie with Don Knotts called The Incredible Mr. Limpet)
  • Flipper
  • Dory
  • Ariel
  • Flounder
  • Michael Phelps
  • Mr. Ray
  • Sheldon
  • Bruce (Finding Nemo)
  • Charlie the Tuna
  • James Pond (from the James Bond-influenced video game)
  • Mr. Fish (a Marvel Comics supervillain)
  • Poseidon
  • Neptune
  • Captain Ahab

Popular Names for Fish Pairs and Twin Fish

Although you could spend countless hours searching the internet for names for your pair of goldfish or angelfish, there is no need. We've gathered some funny fish pair names here to get you started:

Anemone Fish pair
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Peek and Boo
  • Aqua and Fina
  • Tic and Tac
  • Bonnie and Clyde
  • Jane and Doe
  • Splish and Splash
  • Zig and Zag
  • One Fish and Two Fish
  • Mickey and Minnie
  • Gidget and Moondoggie
  • Han Solo and Chewbacca
  • Thelma and Louise
  • Hall and Oates
  • Gilligan and Skipper

Cool Fish Names

There are hundreds fish species you can purchase for your aquarium. If your fish is not one of the common types listed above, you may still find a name that appeals to you on this list. To come up with your own name, consider factors like the reputation of the type of fish, their unique markings, or behavior.

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Funny Fish Names: 150+ Quirky & Original Ideas