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Dinosaur names: 130+ cool names and their meanings

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

The coolest dinosaur names describe something fierce or strange: Tyrannosaurus means tyrant lizard, Velociraptor means swift thief and Dreadnoughtus means fears nothing.

This page gives 110+ real dinosaur and prehistoric reptile names with their meanings, grouped by type, from giant predators to armored plant eaters and the genera with the funniest naming stories. We flag the famous creatures that are not technically dinosaurs, like Pterodactylus and Mosasaurus, and finish with a labeled section of made-up names for toy and pet dinosaurs.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Velociraptor

    Swift thief; the real one was turkey-sized and feathered.

  • Triceratots

    For a set of baby triceratops toys.

  • Supersaurus

    Super lizard, one of the longest dinosaurs ever found.

  • Sir Roars-a-Lot

    A noble title for a very loud toy dinosaur.

  • Utahraptor

    Thief from Utah; the largest known raptor dinosaur.

  • Fossil

    For a vintage toy dinosaur from your own childhood.

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

Cool predator dinosaur names and meanings

Big meat-eating theropods, the dinosaurs most people mean when they say cool.

  1. Tyrannosaurus: Tyrant lizard; add rex, Latin for king, and you get T. rex.
  2. Allosaurus: Different lizard, for its unusual backbone; a top Jurassic predator.
  3. Spinosaurus: Spine lizard, for the tall sail on its back; a fish eater.
  4. Giganotosaurus: Giant southern lizard; one of the largest meat-eaters ever found.
  5. Carnotaurus: Meat-eating bull, for the two horns above its eyes.
  6. Dilophosaurus: Two-crested lizard, for the paired crests on its head.
  7. Ceratosaurus: Horned lizard, for the blade-like horn on its snout.
  8. Baryonyx: Heavy claw, for the huge thumb claw it likely used to catch fish.
  9. Megalosaurus: Great lizard; in 1824, the first dinosaur ever given a scientific name.
  10. Carcharodontosaurus: Shark-toothed lizard, for its blade-like serrated teeth.
  11. Albertosaurus: Alberta lizard, after the Canadian province where it was found.
  12. Gorgosaurus: Fierce lizard; a slimmer cousin of the tyrant lizard king.
  13. Daspletosaurus: Frightful lizard; a heavily built tyrannosaur from North America.
  14. Tarbosaurus: Alarming lizard; Asia's close cousin of the tyrant lizard king.
  15. Suchomimus: Crocodile mimic, for its long, narrow, crocodile-like snout.
  16. Cryolophosaurus: Cold-crested lizard; a crested predator found in Antarctica.
  17. Guanlong: Crown dragon, after the tall crest on its head.
  18. Torvosaurus: Savage lizard; a giant Jurassic predator first found in Colorado.
  19. Mapusaurus: Earth lizard, from a Mapuche word; a giant hunter from Argentina.
  20. Majungasaurus: Lizard from Mahajanga in Madagascar; the island's top predator.
  21. Concavenator: Cuenca hunter, after the Spanish province; it had a strange hip hump.
  22. Eoraptor: Dawn thief; one of the earliest known dinosaurs.
  23. Herrerasaurus: Herrera's lizard, after the goat herder who found it.
  24. Coelophysis: Hollow form, for its light, hollow bones.

Raptor and feathered dinosaur names

Swift thieves, bird mimics and the feathered dinosaurs that link to modern birds.

  1. Velociraptor: Swift thief; the real one was turkey-sized and feathered.
  2. Deinonychus: Terrible claw, for the big sickle claw on each foot.
  3. Utahraptor: Thief from Utah; the largest known raptor dinosaur.
  4. Microraptor: Small thief; a crow-sized raptor with feathered wings on all four limbs.
  5. Troodon: Wounding tooth, for its serrated teeth; known for a large brain.
  6. Compsognathus: Elegant jaw; a chicken-sized hunter once thought the smallest dinosaur.
  7. Gallimimus: Chicken mimic; a fast, ostrich-like runner.
  8. Ornithomimus: Bird mimic, for its long legs and toothless beak.
  9. Struthiomimus: Ostrich mimic, built like an ostrich with a long tail.
  10. Therizinosaurus: Scythe lizard, for its enormous scythe-like hand claws.
  11. Yutyrannus: Feathered tyrant; a big early relative of the tyrant lizard king.
  12. Sinosauropteryx: Chinese lizard wing; the first non-bird dinosaur found with feathers.
  13. Archaeopteryx: Ancient wing; an early bird, and so a true dinosaur.
  14. Balaur: Romanian for dragon; its full name means stocky dragon.
  15. Mononykus: Single claw, for the one stubby clawed finger on each arm.

Giant long-necked dinosaur names

Sauropods and their early relatives, including the biggest animals ever to walk on land.

  1. Brachiosaurus: Arm lizard, because its front legs were longer than its back legs.
  2. Diplodocus: Double beam, for the paired bones under its tail.
  3. Apatosaurus: Deceptive lizard, because its tail bones resembled a sea reptile's.
  4. Brontosaurus: Thunder lizard; dropped as a name for a century, then revived in 2015.
  5. Argentinosaurus: Argentina lizard; among the heaviest land animals ever known.
  6. Patagotitan: Patagonian titan, a giant from southern Argentina.
  7. Dreadnoughtus: Fears nothing, a fitting name for a giant with little to fear.
  8. Supersaurus: Super lizard, one of the longest dinosaurs ever found.
  9. Mamenchisaurus: Lizard from Mamenxi, China; had one of the longest necks of any animal.
  10. Camarasaurus: Chambered lizard, for the hollow spaces in its backbone.
  11. Amargasaurus: Lizard from La Amarga, with a double row of tall neck spines.
  12. Nigersaurus: Lizard from Niger; it had more than 500 teeth.
  13. Plateosaurus: Probably broad lizard; an early long-necked plant eater from Europe.
  14. Titanosaurus: Titanic lizard, named after the Titans of Greek myth.
  15. Sauroposeidon: Lizard earthquake god, after Poseidon; one of the tallest dinosaurs.
  16. Futalognkosaurus: Giant chief lizard, from the Mapuche language of Argentina.
  17. Europasaurus: Europe lizard; a small sauropod that evolved on an island.

Horned, armored and plated dinosaur names

Frills, horns, tail clubs and back plates: the tanks of the dinosaur world.

  1. Triceratops: Three-horned face, the famous frilled plant eater.
  2. Stegosaurus: Roof lizard, because its plates were first thought to lie flat.
  3. Ankylosaurus: Fused lizard, for the bony armor fused to its skin and skull.
  4. Protoceratops: First horned face; a sheep-sized early relative of the horned giants.
  5. Styracosaurus: Spiked lizard, for the long spikes around its frill.
  6. Pentaceratops: Five-horned face, counting the spikes on its cheeks.
  7. Kosmoceratops: Ornate horned face; about 15 horns, the fanciest skull known.
  8. Regaliceratops: Royal horned face; nicknamed Hellboy for its stubby brow horns.
  9. Euoplocephalus: Well-armed head, an armored dinosaur with a heavy tail club.
  10. Kentrosaurus: Spiky lizard; a smaller African cousin of the roof lizard.
  11. Nodosaurus: Knobbed lizard, for the bony knobs in its armor.
  12. Borealopelta: Northern shield; a nodosaur so well preserved it looks like a statue.
  13. Psittacosaurus: Parrot lizard, for its beak; an early relative of the horned dinosaurs.
  14. Pachycephalosaurus: Thick-headed lizard, with a domed skull up to 25 cm thick.
  15. Stygimoloch: Moloch from the Styx, named for Hell Creek; may be a young dome-head.
  16. Minmi: Armored dinosaur named after a road crossing in Queensland.

Duck-billed and plant-eating dinosaur names

Ornithopods: the crested, beaked plant eaters that lived in herds.

  1. Parasaurolophus: Near crested lizard, with a long, hollow, trumpet-like head crest.
  2. Iguanodon: Iguana tooth; one of the first dinosaurs ever described, in 1825.
  3. Hadrosaurus: Bulky lizard; in 1868 the first dinosaur skeleton ever mounted.
  4. Maiasaura: Good mother lizard, found with nests of eggs and babies.
  5. Edmontosaurus: Edmonton lizard, a duck-billed giant from Canada.
  6. Corythosaurus: Helmet lizard, for its crest shaped like a Corinthian helmet.
  7. Lambeosaurus: Lambe's lizard, after Canadian fossil hunter Lawrence Lambe.
  8. Heterodontosaurus: Different-toothed lizard, with three kinds of teeth.
  9. Hypsilophodon: Literally high-crested tooth, borrowed from an old iguana name.
  10. Thescelosaurus: Wondrous lizard; a plant eater from the very end of the dinosaur age.
  11. Leaellynasaura: Named after Leaellyn Rich, daughter of the scientists who found it.
  12. Shantungosaurus: Shandong lizard; the largest known duck-billed dinosaur.

Funny and unusual dinosaur names with a story

Real genera named after movie monsters, rock stars, companies and one very annoyed team of scientists.

  1. Irritator: Named for scientists' irritation at a fossil faked with plaster.
  2. Zuul: Named after the Ghostbusters monster; its species means destroyer of shins.
  3. Dracorex: Dragon king of Hogwarts, its full name, chosen with young museum visitors.
  4. Masiakasaurus: Vicious lizard; its species name honors guitarist Mark Knopfler.
  5. Oviraptor: Egg thief, a name it got before scientists realized it was guarding eggs.
  6. Ekrixinatosaurus: Explosion-born lizard, found during blasting for a gas pipeline.
  7. Bambiraptor: Named after Bambi because the fossil was a small youngster.
  8. Gasosaurus: Gas lizard, found by workers building a gas facility in China.
  9. Atlascopcosaurus: Named after Atlas Copco, the company that lent digging equipment.
  10. Mei long: Chinese for sleeping dragon; found curled up like a sleeping bird.
  11. Rhinorex: Nose king, for its huge nose, the largest for its size of any duck-bill.

Flying and swimming reptiles that are not dinosaurs

Pterosaurs, sea reptiles and sail-backs often get called dinosaurs. They lived alongside or before them but belong to other groups.

  1. Pterodactylus: Winged finger; a pterosaur, a flying reptile but not a dinosaur.
  2. Pteranodon: Toothless wing; a pterosaur with a long backswept crest.
  3. Quetzalcoatlus: Named for the Aztec feathered serpent god; a giraffe-tall pterosaur.
  4. Rhamphorhynchus: Beak snout; a long-tailed pterosaur, not a dinosaur.
  5. Dimorphodon: Two-form tooth, for its two kinds of teeth; a pterosaur.
  6. Hatzegopteryx: Hațeg wing; a huge pterosaur from an ancient Romanian island.
  7. Plesiosaurus: Near to lizard; a long-necked marine reptile, not a dinosaur.
  8. Elasmosaurus: Thin-plated lizard; a marine reptile with over 70 neck bones.
  9. Liopleurodon: Smooth-sided teeth; a big pliosaur, a marine reptile.
  10. Kronosaurus: Named for Kronos, a Titan of Greek myth; a giant pliosaur.
  11. Mosasaurus: Meuse lizard, after the river where it was found; a giant sea lizard.
  12. Tylosaurus: Knob lizard, for its bony snout; a mosasaur sea predator.
  13. Ichthyosaurus: Fish lizard, a dolphin-shaped marine reptile.
  14. Shonisaurus: Lizard of the Shoshone Mountains; a giant ichthyosaur and Nevada's state fossil.
  15. Nothosaurus: False lizard; a seal-like Triassic marine reptile.
  16. Archelon: Ruler turtle; the largest turtle ever documented.
  17. Dimetrodon: Two measures of teeth; a sail-backed synapsid, closer to mammals than dinosaurs.
  18. Edaphosaurus: Pavement lizard, for its crowded teeth; another sail-backed synapsid.
  19. Sarcosuchus: Flesh crocodile, nicknamed SuperCroc; a giant crocodile relative.
  20. Deinosuchus: Terrible crocodile; a giant alligator relative that hunted dinosaurs.
  21. Postosuchus: Crocodile from Post, Texas; a Triassic reptile on the crocodile side.

Names for toy or pet dinosaurs (ideas, not real species)

Made-up names for plush toys, figures, pet reptiles and dino birthday parties. These are not real genera.

  1. Rexy: Short and sweet for any toy T. rex.
  2. Chompers: For the toy dinosaur that bites everything, including socks.
  3. Stompy: Big feet, big steps, big personality.
  4. Tiny Arms: An affectionate joke for a little T. rex figure.
  5. Spike: A classic pick for a stegosaurus or ankylosaurus toy.
  6. Trixie: A cute nickname for a pink triceratops.
  7. Longneck: For a long-necked plush that peeks over the couch.
  8. Sir Roars-a-Lot: A noble title for a very loud toy dinosaur.
  9. Dino-Mite: Small dinosaur, big personality.
  10. Pebbles: Sweet for a little rock-colored dinosaur.
  11. Fossil: For a vintage toy dinosaur from your own childhood.
  12. Jurassic Jack: Alliterative and ready for adventure.
  13. Raptor Rosie: Alliterative name for a speedy little raptor toy.
  14. Professor Bones: For a toy dinosaur that comes with a dig kit.
  15. Eggbert: For a dinosaur that hatches from a toy egg.
  16. Steggy: Short and sweet for a stegosaurus.
  17. Triceratots: For a set of baby triceratops toys.
  18. Dinah: A real name with dino built right in.
  19. Leafy: For a gentle plant-eating dinosaur toy.
  20. Meteor: A cheeky nod to how the dinosaur age ended.

How to pick the right name

Start with the meaning

Every dinosaur name describes something: a body part, a place or a person. Pick one whose meaning you like, such as Dreadnoughtus, fears nothing, or Maiasaura, good mother lizard.

Learn the word parts

Saurus means lizard, ceratops means horned face, raptor means thief and mimus means mimic. Once you know these, you can decode most dinosaur names yourself.

Shorten long names into nicknames

Long names make great nicknames for toys and pets: Pachy for Pachycephalosaurus, Trike for Triceratops or Stego for Stegosaurus.

Match the toy or pet

A spiky figure suits Kentrosaurus or Spike, while a feathered raptor suits Microraptor. For a pet lizard or plush toy, try the invented names in the last section.

Dinosaur names: 136 ideas from Nomezo

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Frequently asked questions

What is the coolest dinosaur name?

Fan favorites include Tyrannosaurus (tyrant lizard), Velociraptor (swift thief), Spinosaurus (spine lizard) and Dreadnoughtus (fears nothing). For a great story behind the name, try Irritator or Zuul.

What does saurus mean in dinosaur names?

Saurus comes from the Greek sauros, meaning lizard. Most names pair it with a feature or a place, like Spinosaurus, spine lizard, or Albertosaurus, Alberta lizard.

Is a pterodactyl a dinosaur?

No. Pterodactylus and other pterosaurs were flying reptiles, close cousins of the dinosaurs but a separate group. Sea reptiles like plesiosaurs and mosasaurs were not dinosaurs either.

What does Tyrannosaurus rex mean?

Tyrannosaurus means tyrant lizard and rex is Latin for king, so the full name means tyrant lizard king. Henry Fairfield Osborn named it in 1905.

Are birds dinosaurs?

Yes. Scientists class birds as living dinosaurs descended from small feathered meat-eaters, and Archaeopteryx is one of the earliest known birds.

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