Fox names: 180+ cute, clever and folklore fox names

187 names · Updated October 8, 2026 · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

The best fox names are quick, clever and a little bit sly, like Reynard, Tawny and Sherfox Holmes. Foxes have starred in fables since Aesop, so folklore names, words for fox in other languages and warm red colors all make great names for foxes, fox plush toys and fox-faced pets.

Below are 180+ fox names in ten groups: cute names, fox names for girls, fox names for boys, words for fox in other languages, famous foxes from folklore and fables, real fox words and species, red and orange names, woodland names, names for Arctic and fennec foxes, and funny fox names. Every name has a short note, with the story or meaning and a pronunciation where it helps.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

Fluffkin
A tiny, soft bundle you want to hug
Rusty Rascal
A red-coated troublemaker with a heart of gold
Egg Burglar
Guilty, but very cute about it
Rosella
A bright red Australian parrot, and a pretty name
Haboob
A towering desert dust storm, and very fun to say
Shual
Hebrew for fox; say shoo-AHL

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

Cute fox names

Sweet names for a fluffy little fox, a fox plush or a fox-faced puppy.

Bushytail: For a fox who is mostly fluff from the hips back
Tiptoe: For a fox who sneaks across the yard without a sound
Little Ember: A tiny glowing spark of red-orange fur
Copperkin: A tiny bundle of shiny, penny-bright fur
Rusty Rascal: A red-coated troublemaker with a heart of gold
Scamper: For a fox who never walks when running is an option
Conker: The glossy horse chestnut British kids collect each fall
Vixie: A sweet nickname for a little vixen
Kitsy: A playful twist on kit, the word for a baby fox
Foxie: The simplest pet name for a little red rascal
Snuffle: For a curious nose that investigates everything
Wiggle Tail: For a happy fox whose brush never stops moving
Twitchy: For ears that swivel at every tiny sound
Fluffkin: A tiny, soft bundle you want to hug
Pocket Fox: For a pint-sized pet with a pointy little face
Rosehip: A bright red wild rose fruit for a bright red kit
Smarty Paws: For a clever kit who opens every latch
Tricksy: Playful, sly and always up to something

Fox names for girls

Pretty names for a vixen, many drawn from red flowers, warm colors and glowing gems.

Pimpernel: A tiny scarlet wildflower that closes when rain is coming
Bryony: A hedgerow vine with glossy scarlet berries in autumn
Tawny: The warm orange-brown of a red fox's coat
Henna: A plant dye that turns hair a rich red
Cerise: French for cherry, a bright pinkish red; say suh-REEZ
Carnelian: A glowing red-orange gemstone used since ancient times
Rosella: A bright red Australian parrot, and a pretty name
Hibiscus: A big tropical flower in fiery reds and oranges
Celosia: A flame-shaped flower in red, orange and gold
Canna: A tall garden lily with fiery orange blooms
Clove: A warm, spicy name for a sweet-tempered vixen
Sumac: A tangy red spice, and a shrub with brilliant fall leaves
Vixenberry: A berry-sweet twist on the word for a female fox
Flannery: An Irish surname built on flann, meaning red
Auburn: A soft reddish-brown hair color
Titian: A golden red named for the Venetian painter
Vermilion: A vivid red-orange pigment once made from cinnabar
Alpenglow: The rosy light on mountain peaks at sunset

Fox names for boys

Clever names for a dog fox, from surnames that mean fox to titles for a born schemer.

Tod: An old Scots and northern English word for a fox
Voss: A German surname meaning fox, from Low German
De Vos: A Dutch surname meaning the fox
Volpe: An Italian surname from the word for fox; say VOHL-peh
Foxworth: An English surname with a clever, well-to-do ring
Foxley: An English place name from Old English words for fox and clearing
Foxton: An English village name, for a country gentleman
Kitson: An English surname meaning son of Kit, with a built-in pun
Reddington: A grand-sounding surname for a dashing redhead
Ruddock: An old English name for the robin redbreast
Rudd: A red-finned European fish and a short, strong name
Wily: Crafty and clever, the classic fox trait
Captain Cunning: For a dog fox with a plan for everything
Professor Pounce: A scholarly hunter who studies every mouse hole
Agent Sly: A secret operative with a very fluffy cover story
Mister Mischief: For a boy who is always plotting his next prank

Words for fox in other languages

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

Renard: French for fox, borrowed from the fable trickster's name; say ruh-NAR
Raposa: Portuguese for fox; say hah-POH-zah
Zorrito: Spanish for little fox; say so-REE-toh
Räv: Swedish for fox; say REHV
Refur: Icelandic for fox; say REH-vur
Kettu: Finnish for fox; say KET-too
Rebane: Estonian for fox; say REH-bah-neh
Liška: Czech for fox; say LISH-kah
Lisitsa: Russian for fox; say lee-SEET-sah
Lisichka: Russian for little fox, and also a chanterelle mushroom
Róka: Hungarian for fox; say ROH-kah
Tilki: Turkish for fox; say teel-KEE
Alepou: Greek for fox; say ah-leh-POO
Lisica: Croatian, Serbian and Slovenian for fox; say LEE-see-tsah
Sionnach: Irish for fox; say SHUN-ukh
Madra Rua: Irish for red dog, an old name for the fox
Llwynog: Welsh for fox; the double l is a breathy sound
Cadno: Another Welsh word for fox, heard in South Wales
Thalab: Arabic for fox; say THA-lab
Shual: Hebrew for fox; say shoo-AHL
Rubah: Persian, Malay and Indonesian for fox; say roo-BAH
Lomdi: Hindi for fox; say LOHM-ree
Yeou: Korean for fox; say YUH-oo
Huli: Mandarin Chinese for fox; say HOO-lee
Atuq: Quechua for fox, a trickster of Andean folk tales

Famous foxes from folklore and fables

Foxes from medieval fables, fairy tales and world legends, each with where the story comes from.

Reynard: Trickster hero of medieval European fables, forever outwitting a wolf
Renart: Hero of a cycle of French animal tales begun around 1170
Reineke: The German name of the trickster, from Goethe's 1794 epic poem
Reynaert: The Dutch trickster of a famous 1200s Flemish poem
Hermeline: Renart's wife in the medieval French animal fables
Tod Lowrie: A traditional Scots nickname for the fox in ballads and tales
Lowrence: The fox in Robert Henryson's Scots fables of the late 1400s
Daun Russell: The fox who snatches the rooster in Chaucer's Nun's Priest's Tale
Reynardine: Hero of an English folk ballad, often read as a shape-shifting fox
Foxy Loxy: The sly fox who tricks Henny Penny and her friends
Lisa Patrikeevna: The crafty vixen of Russian fairy tales
Kuma Lisa: Godmother Fox, the trickster of Bulgarian folk tales
Kumiho: A nine-tailed fox spirit of Korean legend; say KOO-mee-ho
Huli Jing: A Chinese fox spirit that can take human form
Tamamo-no-Mae: A legendary Japanese court lady unmasked as a nine-tailed fox
Kuzunoha: The fox wife of Japanese legend, mother of Abe no Seimei
Inari: Japanese kami of rice, whose messengers are white foxes
Zenko: Kindly celestial foxes of Japanese folklore, linked with Inari
Teumessian Fox: A Greek fox no one could catch, chased by a hound that always caught
Daji: Consort of the last Shang king, a fox spirit in Chinese legend

Fox words and real fox species

Real fox vocabulary and the names of real fox species, from the Andes to the Asian steppe.

Dog Fox: The proper term for a male fox
Skulk: One word for a group of foxes
Brush: The old hunting word for a fox's bushy tail
Mask: The old hunting word for a fox's face
Earth: The word for a fox's underground den
Gekker: Named for the throaty chatter foxes make when they squabble
Mousing: The high, pouncing leap foxes use to catch mice under snow
Vulpine: An English word meaning fox-like, or crafty
Vulpes: The Latin genus name for true foxes
Alopex: Ancient Greek for fox, once the Arctic fox's genus name
Urocyon: Genus of the gray fox, a skilled tree climber; Greek for tailed dog
Corsac: A small, pale fox of the Central Asian steppes
Culpeo: A big Andean fox, South America's second-largest wild canid
Sechura: A small desert fox of coastal Peru and Ecuador
Pampas: South American grasslands that gave a gray fox its name
Swift Fox: A tiny, speedy fox of the North American prairies
Kit Fox: A big-eared desert fox of the American Southwest
Island Fox: A tiny fox found only off the coast of California
Silver Fox: A dark color form of the red fox, frosted with gray
Cross Fox: A red fox color form with a dark stripe across the shoulders
Sampson Fox: A red fox born without its long outer guard hairs
Blue Fox: The dark, smoky color form of the Arctic fox

Red and orange fox names

Names that match a red fox's coat, from earthy pigments to fiery peppers.

Cinnabar: A bright red mineral, the original source of vermilion
Ochre: An earthy yellow-red pigment used since the Stone Age
Umber: A warm brown earth pigment used by painters for centuries
Terracotta: The warm red-orange of a clay garden pot
Adobe: Sun-baked earth brick in warm desert tones
Sunset: For a fox who glows orange in the evening light
Rooibos: A red South African tea, mellow and caffeine-free
Orange Peel: Bright, zesty and a little bit tangy
Annatto: A seed that gives cheddar its orange color
Habanero: A small, fiery orange pepper for a spicy little guy
Ancho: A dried poblano pepper, mild and smoky
Harissa: A smoky North African red chili paste
Pimento: The sweet red pepper tucked inside a green olive
Guajillo: A dried Mexican chili with a deep red color; say gwah-HEE-yo
Ruddy: An old word for a healthy red glow

Woodland fox names

Names from the hedgerows, glades and forests where wild foxes hunt at dusk.

Bramblewood: A thorny thicket, perfect cover for a sly hunter
Hedgerow: The leafy field borders where country foxes travel
Copse: A small grove of trees; say KOPS
Glade: A sunny clearing in the middle of the woods
Fernwood: A shady forest floor carpeted in green fronds
Gorse: A spiny shrub with coconut-scented yellow flowers
Bilberry: A small wild blue berry of heaths and woods
Rowanberry: Bright orange-red berries of the mountain ash
Hawthorn: A hedge tree with white May blossom and red berries
Elderberry: Dark purple berries from a common wild shrub
Woodsmoke: The cozy autumn scent of a fire in the trees
Moonrise: For a fox who wakes as the moon comes up
Fallow: Resting farmland, where foxes hunt for voles
Wildwood: An old word for untamed, ancient forest
Greenwood: The old word for the forest of Robin Hood ballads
Foxfire: The eerie glow of certain fungi on rotting wood
Fox Hollow: A sheltered dip in the hills, just right for a den

Names for Arctic foxes and fennec foxes

Arctic foxes live on snow and tundra. Fennecs live in the Sahara and have the biggest ears for their size of any fox.

Nunatak: A rocky peak poking up through an ice sheet
Sastrugi: Wind-carved ridges on a snowfield; say sas-TROO-gee
Firn: Old, grainy snow on its way to becoming glacier ice
Graupel: Soft little pellets of snowy hail; say GROW-pel
Boreal: Of the far north, like its great evergreen forests
Borealis: Half of the Latin name for the northern lights
Lemming: The small rodent at the top of an Arctic fox's menu
Haboob: A towering desert dust storm, and very fun to say
Khamsin: A hot, dusty spring wind that blows across Egypt
Erg: A vast sea of sand dunes in the Sahara
Wadi: A desert valley that fills with water only after rain
Sahel: The dry belt along the southern edge of the Sahara
Dune Runner: For a fennec who zooms across the sand
Oasis: A green, welcome spot in the middle of the desert
Satellite Dish: For a fennec whose ears pick up every signal
Sonar: For ears that can hear prey moving underground
Ears McGee: Exactly what it sounds like, with love

Funny fox names

Puns and joke names for a fox with comic timing, or a stuffed fox with a big personality.

Fox Populi: A Latin pun for a fox elected by popular vote
Outfoxed: For a clever kit who is always one step ahead
Sly Stallone: An action-hero pun for a tough little scrapper
Vixen Diesel: A fast and furious pun for a speedy girl
Henhouse Inspector: Claims every visit to the coop is official business
Sir Sneaks-a-Lot: A noble title for a master of stealth
Bushy McTailface: For a fox whose brush is half its length
Pounce de León: An explorer pun for a fox who leaps first
Tail Swift: A pop-star pun that is also a real fox species
Egg Burglar: Guilty, but very cute about it
Sherfox Holmes: A detective pun for a sleuth who solves every mystery
Pawdini: An escape artist no fence can hold
Bin Raider: For the city fox who treats the trash like a buffet
Count Snoutula: A dramatic, nocturnal nose that sniffs out every snack
Fox Fighter: A rock-band pun for a fox with loud opinions
Fleetwood Fox: A classic-rock pun for a rascal who goes its own way
Nose-feratu: A spooky-film pun for a fox who prowls at night
Tod Almighty: For a dog fox who thinks he runs the forest
Clever Clogs: British slang for a know-it-all, said fondly

How to pick the right name

Start with the coat

Most foxes are red, but Arctic foxes turn white or smoky blue and fennecs are sandy cream. A coat-color name like Cinnabar or Graupel fits right away.

Lean into the trickster

Foxes are the clever schemers of fables everywhere. A name like Reynard, Kuma Lisa or Captain Cunning tells everyone this animal has a plan.

Say it out loud

Some of the best names here come from other languages. If you love Llwynog or Sionnach, use the pronunciation guide and pick a short everyday version too.

Name a stuffed fox or a character, too

Many people want fox names for a plush, a story or a game character. Folklore names and puns work especially well when no real animal has to answer to them.

Save this list for later

Pin it to a naming board, or tap the heart next to any name to keep it in your favorites on this device.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a good name for a fox?

Reynard, Tawny, Rosehip, Tod and Kumiho are all great fox names. Folklore names, words for fox in other languages and warm red colors like Cinnabar suit a fox especially well.

What are good fox names for girls?

Tawny, Bryony, Cerise, Pimpernel and Hermeline are pretty picks for a vixen. Hermeline was the fox's wife in medieval French fables.

What is a famous fox name?

Reynard is the most famous fox in European folklore, the trickster of medieval fables. Others include Daun Russell from Chaucer, Foxy Loxy from Henny Penny and the Kumiho, the nine-tailed fox of Korean legend.

What is a female fox called?

A female fox is a vixen and a male is a dog fox, also called a tod or a reynard. Baby foxes are kits, cubs or pups, and a group of foxes can be called a skulk.

What is the word for fox in other languages?

Fox is renard in French, Fuchs in German, kitsune in Japanese, lisa in Russian and sionnach in Irish. The French word came from Renart, the name of the famous fable fox.

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