100+ animal names in English that learners should know

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Let’s talk about the wild world of English words for animals. 

English names for domestic animals

In North America and other English-speaking areas, there are a limited number of animals that are typically kept as pets—some are more appropriate for our homes than others! We’ve housed the most common ones in the list below.

Animal name

• bird
• cat
• dog
• ferret
• fish
• gerbil
• guinea pig
• hamster
• lizard
• mouse
• rabbit
• rat
• snake
• turtle

English names for common farm animals

On a farm, you can often find an array of species. We’ve corralled the most common ones below!

Animal name

• alpaca
• cow
• chicken
• donkey
• goat
• hen (female chicken)
• horse
• llama
• mule
• ox
• pig 
• rooster (male chicken)
• sheep

English names for common birds

We won’t let you go a-fowl with these words for birds! Here are some of the most common.

Bird name

• blue jay
• cardinal
• chickadee
• crow
• dove
• duck
• eagle
• falcon
• flamingo
• goose
• hawk
• hummingbird
• ostrich
• owl
• parrot
• pigeon
• robin
• seagull
• sparrow
• swan
• turkey
• vulture
• woodpecker

English names for forest animals

We herded together the animals you might find in the forest. As you'll see, there are regional differences for the names of the mountain lion due to its widespread habitat. 

Animal name

• bear
• beaver
• caribou
• chipmunk
• coyote
• deer
• elk
• fox
• frog
• moose
• mountain lion / cougar / puma / catamount / panther
• opossum
• porcupine
• raccoon
• salamander
• skunk
• squirrel
• toad
• weasel
• wolf

English names for marine animals, fish, and reptiles

You might be surprised to find “coral” as an animal—but it’s true! One of the main reasons they’re classified as animals is because they don’t make their own food. Here are some other water-loving creatures! 

Animal name

• alligator
• clam
• coral
• crab
• dolphin
• eel
• fish
• jellyfish
• lobster
• octopus
• orca
• oyster
• penguin
• platypus
• polar bear
• sea lion
• sea ray / stingray
• seal
• shark
• shrimp
• squid
• starfish
• tortoise
• walrus
• whale

English names for safari animals

The following animals can be seen on safari or while in the remote grasslands and savannas of Africa, Asia, and the Australian bush. 

Animal name

• baboon
• buffalo
• cheetah
• chimpanzee
• crocodile
• elephant
• gazelle
• giraffe
• gorilla
• hippopotamus
• hyena
• kangaroo
• koala
• lemur
• leopard
• lion
• monkey
• rhinoceros
• tiger
• warthog
• wildebeest
• zebra

English names for insects and arachnids

Bugs and other creepy-crawlies are also important to name, whether we like them or not!

Animal name

• ant
• bee
• beetle
• butterfly
• centipede
• dragonfly
• fly
• hornet
• ladybug
• mosquito
• moth
• scorpion
• snail
• spider
• tick
• wasp
• worm
• yellow jacket

Plural forms of English animal words

As you probably know, in English, you add an –s or –es to make a noun plural. There are some animal names, however, that don’t change when they’re plural. For example, you say fish if there is one or a whole school of them! If you say fishes, it typically means you are referring to different species of fish. Other animal words that do not change in the plural form include:

• sheep/sheep
• deer/deer
• moose/moose
• buffalo/buffalo
• shrimp/shrimp

There are also a few animal names that have unusual plural forms. Here are a few of the most common:

• Wolf becomes wolves: This is a typical change for nouns ending in “f” (for example, knife becomes knives)
• Ox becomes oxen: This is a remnant of an Old English plural ending. 
• Mouse becomes mice and goose becomes geese: These are irregular and don’t have an easy rule to follow! These forms reflect one of the ways that Old English made nouns plural: by changing the vowel instead of adding an ending.

Fun names for groups of animals in English

English has surprising and unpredictable names for groups of animals. For example blue jays usually travel in large, loud groups—and a group of them is called a party of blue jays! 

You may not want to know the word for a group of crows, but here it is along with some other fun(ny) names for groups of animals.

Group name

• army of ants
• band of coyotes
• barrel of monkeys
• clowder of cats
• coalition of cheetahs
• convocation of eagles
• herd of elephants
• murder of crows
• pack of dogs
• parliament of owls
• pod of dolphins
• prickle of porcupines
• pride of lions
• school of fish
• tower of giraffes

Names for baby animals in English

There are also special words for some of the younger (and cuter!) animals in the kingdom.

A world of new vocabulary!

In language learning, it’s not about hoo hoo hoo you know, but what you know! Now that you know animal names, brush up on more English vocabulary with restaurant words, the English calendar, and how to say “thank you” in English!