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Bear names and nicknames: 200+ teddy bear, cute and famous bear names

209 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

The best bear names are warm, sturdy and a little bit cuddly, like Ted E. Bear, Winnipeg and Bearlock Holmes. Teddy bear puns, famous real bears, bear nicknames like Cuddle Bear and Bearkins, names that mean bear and words for bear in other languages all work for a stuffed bear, a mascot, a big lovable pet or a person you adore.

Below are 200+ names for bears in thirteen groups: teddy bear names, cute bear names, bear nicknames, famous real bears, famous pandas, names that mean bear, words for bear in other languages, bears from myth and the stars, bear species, polar bear names, honey and salmon names, names for big bears and funny bear puns. Every name has a short note, with the true story for real bears and a pronunciation where it helps.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Tai Shan

    Born at the National Zoo in 2005; the name means peaceful mountain

  • Kodiak Moment

    For a bear who is always ready for a photo

  • Arktos

    Ancient Greek for bear, the root of the word Arctic

  • Xiang Xiang

    A Tokyo-born panda, adored at Ueno Zoo from 2017 to 2023

  • Dozy

    For a cub who is always half asleep

  • Bern

    The Swiss capital, named after a bear according to local legend

Want endless ideas? Try the funny name generator and generate new names in one click.

Teddy bear names

Names for a stuffed bear, from classic nursery names to puns that work best said out loud.

  1. Ted E. Bear: The punniest teddy name there is, said out loud
  2. Old Ted: A worn, much-loved friend with one ear hanging on
  3. Ted Talks: For a teddy who listens to every secret
  4. Cuddlesworth: A dignified name for a friend made for hugging
  5. Sir Fuzzalot: A knightly title for a very soft bear
  6. Honeypaw: A sweet bear who has clearly raided the pantry
  7. Barnabear: A pun on Barnaby for a dapper, old-fashioned bear
  8. Bearnard: A pun on Bernard, which already means brave as a bear
  9. Bearemy: A friendly pun on Jeremy for a friendly bear
  10. Teddy Bearington: A posh title for a bear with a bow tie
  11. Professor Plush: For a wise old bear who lives on the bookshelf
  12. Stitches: For a bear who has been mended more than once
  13. Button Eyes: The classic teddy face, shiny and sewn on with love
  14. Mohair: The silky fabric used for classic teddy bears
  15. Growler: The little voice box that makes old teddies rumble when tipped
  16. Excelsior: Wood wool, the stuffing inside the earliest teddy bears
  17. Rag Bear: A soft, floppy friend stitched from fabric scraps
  18. Threadbare: A bear loved so hard the fur wore off
  19. Bedtime: For the bear who only comes out at lights out
  20. Bear Hug: A teddy's only job, done perfectly
  21. Mr. Buttons: A dapper little gentleman in a tiny waistcoat
  22. Plushkin: A soft little friend for the pillow pile
  23. Hug-a-Lot: Exactly what a teddy bear is for
  24. Pocket Teddy: Small enough to come along to school

Cute bear names

Sweet names for a bear cub, a plush or a big dog who looks like a bear.

  1. Pawsley: A cheerful, herb-sounding name for a little cub
  2. Cubcake: A cupcake-sweet name for a baby bear
  3. Beary: Very sweet, very fuzzy and very huggable
  4. Bearfoot: For a cub who refuses to wear shoes
  5. Dozy: For a cub who is always half asleep
  6. Roly Poly: For a round little cub who tumbles everywhere
  7. Honey Cub: A golden, sweet-natured little bear
  8. Cubbington: A grand family name for a very small bear
  9. Tumble Cub: For a cub who falls over and keeps going
  10. Pawsworth: A distinguished name for a cub with big feet
  11. Fuzzbeard: For a bear with a fluffy chin
  12. Snoozle: Half snooze, half snuggle, all cub
  13. Butterbear: Soft, golden and melts your heart
  14. Bumblecub: A clumsy, buzzy little bundle of fur
  15. Little Grizz: A tiny grizzly with a big attitude
  16. Huggabear: For a cub who greets everyone with open arms

Bear nicknames

Cuddly bear nicknames for a partner, a little one or a big, huggable friend.

  1. Bear Bear: Doubled for double the cuddles; a classic pet name
  2. Cuddle Bear: For the person who gives the very best hugs
  3. Fuzzy Bear: For a sweetheart with a soft beard or a fluffy sweater
  4. Bearkins: An old-fashioned -kins diminutive, as sweet as can be
  5. Beary Sweet: For someone kind, gentle and a total softie
  6. Bearito: A playful Spanish-style -ito ending for a little cuddler
  7. Sleepy Bear: For the friend who can nap anywhere, anytime
  8. Bearcat: Old American slang for a go-getter; also a name for the binturong
  9. Cocoa Bear: For a warm, brown-eyed sweetheart
  10. Panda Pants: For a little one in black-and-white pajamas
  11. Koala Bear: A classic cuddly nickname, though the real animal is a marsupial
  12. Smoochy Bear: For someone who never skips a goodbye kiss
  13. Bubba Bear: A big-brother nickname for a big, soft guy
  14. Mister Bear: A formal title for a very informal hugger
  15. Teddy Bean: For a tiny cuddler who fits in your arms
  16. Hug Monster: For the friend who squeezes everyone they meet
  17. Grizzly Adams: Nickname of an 1850s California mountain man who tamed wild bears
  18. Bearfriend: A punny pet name for a boyfriend who hugs like a grizzly
  19. Marshmallow Bear: Tough on the outside, soft all the way through
  20. Cubbie: For the youngest little one in the family den

Famous real bears

Real bears with real stories, from a war hero to the champions of Fat Bear Week.

  1. Winnipeg: Canadian black bear at London Zoo who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh's name
  2. Smokey Bear: The Forest Service's wildfire prevention mascot since 1944
  3. Hotfoot Teddy: First nickname of the real cub rescued from a 1950 New Mexico fire
  4. Wojtek: Syrian brown bear who served with Polish soldiers in World War II
  5. Old Ephraim: A legendary Utah grizzly, killed in 1923 after years of escapes
  6. Old Mose: A giant Colorado grizzly that eluded hunters for decades until 1904
  7. Grazer: Katmai's Fat Bear Week champion in 2023 and 2024
  8. Beadnose: Fat Bear Week champion in 2015 and 2018
  9. Chunk: Fat Bear Week's 2025 champion, who won despite a broken jaw
  10. Bear 747: Two-time Fat Bear Week champion, in 2020 and 2022
  11. Grizzly 399: Grand Teton's most famous mother bear, followed by fans until 2024
  12. Bart the Bear: A Kodiak bear actor who starred in films of the 1980s and 1990s
  13. Brumas: A London Zoo polar bear cub who became a celebrity in 1950
  14. Michtom: The Brooklyn shopkeeper behind one of the first teddy bears
  15. Berryman: Cartoonist whose 1902 drawing of Roosevelt and a bear inspired teddies
  16. Mishka: A Russian pet name for a bear, and the 1980 Moscow Olympics mascot

Famous pandas and panda names

Giant pandas that became zoo superstars, many with names that mean treasure.

  1. Su Lin: The first giant panda brought alive to the United States, in 1936
  2. Bao Li: Bao Bao's son, who came to the National Zoo in 2024
  3. Ling-Ling: A 1972 gift from China to the National Zoo in Washington
  4. Hsing-Hsing: Ling-Ling's partner, sent to Washington after Nixon's visit to China
  5. Tai Shan: Born at the National Zoo in 2005; the name means peaceful mountain
  6. Mei Xiang: A National Zoo mother panda from 2000 until her 2023 return to China
  7. Tian Tian: Mei Xiang's partner, whose name means more and more
  8. Bao Bao: Born in Washington in 2013; the name means precious treasure
  9. Bei Bei: Born at the National Zoo in 2015, another precious treasure
  10. Xiao Qi Ji: Little miracle, the National Zoo cub born in 2020
  11. Fu Bao: Lucky treasure, the first panda born in South Korea, in 2020
  12. Xiang Xiang: A Tokyo-born panda, adored at Ueno Zoo from 2017 to 2023
  13. Tuan Tuan: Gift to Taiwan in 2008; paired with Yuan Yuan, the names mean reunion
  14. Xiongmao: Mandarin for panda, literally bear cat; say shyong-MOW

Names that mean bear

Real given names from Latin, Norse, Germanic and Yiddish roots, each tied to the word for bear.

  1. Ursa: Latin for she-bear, short and strong
  2. Ursel: A German nickname for Ursula, meaning little bear
  3. Orsolya: The Hungarian form of Ursula; say OR-sho-yah
  4. Urszula: The Polish form of Ursula; say oor-SHOO-lah
  5. Orsino: Italian, from Latin for bear-like; a duke in Twelfth Night
  6. Ursin: A French name from the Latin word for bear-like
  7. Barend: The Dutch form of Bernard, brave as a bear
  8. Bernt: A Scandinavian and German form of Bernard
  9. Bera: Old Norse for she-bear
  10. Bernardine: A French feminine form of Bernard, brave as a bear
  11. Bjarne: Norwegian and Danish, from the Old Norse word for bear
  12. Bjarki: Old Norse for little bear, the name of a saga hero
  13. Esbjörn: Swedish, from Old Norse words for god and bear
  14. Berengar: Germanic for bear and spear, a name of medieval kings
  15. Bernward: Germanic for bear and guard; a saintly bishop of Hildesheim
  16. Ber: Yiddish for bear, often paired with the Hebrew name Dov

Words for bear in other languages

The word bear around the world, with a simple pronunciation where it helps.

  1. Bhalu: Hindi for bear; say BHAH-loo
  2. Ours: French for bear; say OORS
  3. Ourson: French for bear cub; say oor-SOHN
  4. Bär: German for bear; say BAIR
  5. Orso: Italian for bear; say OR-so
  6. Urso: Portuguese for bear; say OOR-soo
  7. Medved: Russian for bear, often explained as honey eater
  8. Vedmid: Ukrainian for bear; say ved-MEED
  9. Gom: Korean for bear; say GOHM
  10. Higuma: Japanese for the brown bear of Hokkaido; say hee-GOO-mah
  11. Karhu: Finnish for bear; say KAR-hoo
  12. Karu: Estonian for bear; say KAH-roo
  13. Medve: Hungarian for bear; say MED-veh
  14. Mackó: A Hungarian pet word for a bear or teddy; say MAHTS-koh
  15. Ayı: Turkish for bear; say ah-YUH
  16. Mathan: Scottish Gaelic for bear; say MAH-han
  17. Arth: Welsh for bear, with a soft th as in thin
  18. Arkouda: Greek for bear; say ar-KOO-dah
  19. Arktos: Ancient Greek for bear, the root of the word Arctic
  20. Dubb: Arabic for bear, short and punchy
  21. Dubu: Swahili for bear; say DOO-boo
  22. Beruang: Malay and Indonesian for bear; say beh-ROO-ahng
  23. Baavgai: Mongolian for bear; say BAHV-guy
  24. Lokys: Lithuanian for bear; say LOH-kees
  25. Datvi: Georgian for bear; say DAHT-vee
  26. Khers: Persian for bear, with a throaty kh

Bears in myth, stories and the stars

Bears from old tales and the night sky, with where each one comes from.

  1. Ursa Major: The Great Bear constellation, home of the Big Dipper
  2. Ursa Minor: The Little Bear, with Polaris at the tip of its tail
  3. Bern: The Swiss capital, named after a bear according to local legend
  4. Arctophylax: An old Greek name for the constellation Boötes: bear guard
  5. Arcas: Callisto's son in Greek myth, later set among the stars
  6. Artio: A Celtic bear goddess, shown in a bronze found near Bern
  7. Otso: The sacred bear of Finnish myth, honored in the Kalevala
  8. Berserker: Old Norse warrior whose name likely meant bear shirt
  9. Bruin: The bear in the Reynard fables, from the Dutch for brown
  10. Three Bears: From Robert Southey's 1837 tale, before Goldilocks joined the story

Bear species and bear words

Real bears from around the world, plus a few words every bear fan should know.

  1. Kermode: A British Columbia black bear subspecies, sometimes born white
  2. Spirit Bear: The white Kermode bear of British Columbia's rainforest
  3. Moon Bear: The Asiatic black bear, named for its pale chest crescent
  4. Sun Bear: The smallest bear, with a golden patch on its chest
  5. Sloth Bear: A shaggy Indian bear that slurps termites through a gap in its teeth
  6. Spectacled: South America's only bear, with pale rings around its eyes
  7. Mazaalai: The rare Gobi bear of Mongolia's desert
  8. Marsican: A rare brown bear of Italy's Apennine mountains
  9. Cinnamon Bear: A warm reddish color form of the American black bear
  10. Sleuth: One word for a group of bears
  11. Hibernator: For a bear who sleeps through the whole winter
  12. Torpor: The slowed-down, sleepy state bears enter in winter

Polar bear names

Names from the sea ice and the Arctic coasts where polar bears hunt.

  1. Nanuq: An Inuit word for polar bear; say NAH-nook
  2. Thalarctos: An old genus name for the polar bear, Greek for sea bear
  3. Maritimus: Latin for of the sea, from the polar bear's scientific name
  4. Barents: The Arctic sea where many polar bears hunt seals
  5. Chukchi: The Arctic sea between Alaska and Russia
  6. Wrangel: A Russian Arctic island famous for polar bear dens
  7. Baffin: Canada's largest island, home to many polar bears
  8. Churchill: The Manitoba town known as the polar bear capital of the world
  9. Pack Ice: The floating sea ice where polar bears do their hunting
  10. Seal Hunter: What every polar bear is, waiting patiently at breathing holes
  11. Polar Prince: A royal title for the king of the sea ice

Honey, berry and salmon names

Named for what bears love to eat, from wild berries to the salmon run.

  1. Bearberry: A low shrub whose Latin name means grape of the bear
  2. Salmonberry: A juicy orange-pink berry of Pacific Northwest forests
  3. Thimbleberry: A soft red wild berry bears happily forage
  4. Serviceberry: A wild shrub whose purple fruit feeds bears in summer
  5. Chokecherry: A tart wild cherry and a favorite late-summer bear food
  6. Beechnut: A small, rich nut bears fatten up on in fall
  7. Clover Honey: Mild, golden and sweet, for a mild, sweet bear
  8. Wildflower Honey: A sweet, golden name for a meadow-loving bear
  9. Sockeye: The bright red salmon Alaska's bears wait for each summer
  10. Chinook: The largest Pacific salmon, also called king salmon
  11. Coho: A silver salmon that runs upstream in autumn
  12. Cutworm: Moths that Yellowstone grizzlies feast on high in the mountains
  13. Whitebark: A pine whose seeds are a prized grizzly food in the Rockies
  14. Salmon Run: The yearly upstream swim that turns a river into a buffet
  15. Bear Claw: A sweet almond pastry shaped like a big paw

Names for big, strong bears

Mighty names for a grizzly, a Kodiak or a big dog built like one.

  1. Ironpaw: For a powerful bear with a mighty swipe
  2. Thunderpaw: Every step shakes the forest floor
  3. Brawn: Pure muscle under a thick fur coat
  4. Rockslide: Big, loud and impossible to stop
  5. Big Timber: A towering name for a towering bear
  6. Old Growth: Ancient forest, for a big, wise, old bear
  7. Redwood: The tallest trees on Earth, for a very tall bear
  8. Sequoia: The most massive trees on Earth, for a hefty bear
  9. Ironwood: One of the hardest woods, for a tough-as-nails bear
  10. Oakheart: Strong, steady and loyal to the core
  11. Stonepaw: A sturdy name for a sturdy grizzly
  12. Stampede: For a bear who charges toward dinner
  13. Mountain: When a bear stands up, this is what you see

Funny bear names

Bear puns for plush toys, mascots and big, lovable pets.

  1. Bearlock Holmes: A detective who always sniffs out the honey
  2. Bearistotle: A philosopher who ponders the meaning of snacks
  3. Bearly Awake: For a bear who has not quite finished hibernating
  4. Ursa Mayor: Elected leader of the whole forest, by a landslide
  5. Kodiak Moment: For a bear who is always ready for a photo
  6. Picnic Basket Bandit: Every campground's most wanted, and proud of it
  7. Napoleon Bearnaparte: A small cub with very big plans
  8. Abearham Lincoln: Honest, tall and fond of top hats
  9. Winston Furchill: A stubborn bear who will never surrender a snack
  10. Bearon von Snooze: A noble who sleeps through most of the year
  11. Bearaoke: For a bear who sings along to everything
  12. Snorezilla: The loudest sleeper in the whole den
  13. Bearyoncé: A pop-star pun for a bear who runs the forest
  14. Bearer of Good News: For the bear who always shows up with treats
  15. Pawl Revere: Warns everyone the moment the picnic arrives
  16. Sir Snoozalot: A knight whose only quest is the next nap

How to pick the right name

Match the bear

A soft teddy suits Old Ted or Plushkin, a big dog suits Thunderpaw, and a white plush polar bear suits Nanuq. Start with size and color, then pick the mood.

Borrow a true story

Real bears like Winnipeg, Wojtek and Chunk come with stories worth retelling. A name with history gives a stuffed bear or a pet an instant backstory.

Try the pun out loud

Bear puns like Ted E. Bear and Bearistotle land best when spoken. If it makes you smile when you say it, it is the one.

Give a gift bear a meaningful name

For a baby gift, a name that means bear, like Ursa, Bjarki or Ber, adds a quiet layer of meaning to a classic teddy.

Bear names and nicknames: 209 ideas from Nomezo

Save this list for later

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Frequently asked questions

What are good bear names?

Ted E. Bear, Winnipeg, Honey Cub, Ursa and Bearlock Holmes are all great bear names. For a teddy, classics like Old Ted, Mr. Buttons and Cuddlesworth work well.

What are cute bear nicknames?

Bear Bear, Cuddle Bear, Bearkins, Fuzzy Bear and Smoochy Bear are sweet bear nicknames for a partner or a child. Bearcat is old American slang for a go-getter.

Why is it called a teddy bear?

The teddy bear is named after President Theodore Roosevelt. On a 1902 hunt in Mississippi he refused to shoot a captive black bear, a cartoon of the moment spread nationwide, and toymakers began selling Teddy's bears.

What are some famous bear names?

Famous real bears include Winnipeg, the black bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh's name, Wojtek, who served with Polish soldiers in World War II, and Smokey Bear, the wildfire prevention mascot. Fat Bear Week champions like Grazer and Chunk are modern stars.

What names mean bear?

Ursula means little bear in Latin, Bernard means brave as a bear, Björn is Old Norse for bear and Dov is Hebrew for bear. Ursa, Orsino, Bjarki and Ber also carry the meaning.

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