205+ Giraffe Names (Good, Cute & Funny Pet Naming Ideas)

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Few animals are as recognizable and are as strongly associated with the African savannah as the giraffe. With their characteristic long necks and unique yellow and brown patched coat, the giraffe is a recognizable and well-known icon. 

Native to the African savannah, giraffes are the tallest mammal on earth. Because of their size and strong legs, they are quite fast and able to run at 35 miles per hour. They stand up for most of their lives – even sleeping and giving birth while standing. 

With so much to learn about these fascinating animals, there is a lot at stake when choosing a name. But never fear – our ultimate guide to good, cute, and funny giraffe names are sure to give you some inspiration.

Read on to find the perfect giraffe name. 

Best Giraffe Names 

1. Zeke
2. High Tower – Given a giraffe’s natural height, need we say more about this name? You could also modify this name to the simpler “Tower.”
3. Rook – In chess, the rook piece is a tall tower – a perfect name for accentuating a giraffe’s most noticeable feature. 
4. Judy
5. Savannah – When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with naming your giraffe after her natural habitat. 
6. Cammie
7. Goldie – After the giraffe’s lovely golden coat. 
8. Jenga
9. Rooster
10. Slim 
11. Mr. / Miss Long
12. Ladder
13. Sphinx
14. Taffy
15. Legs
16. Daddy Longlegs – For a female giraffe, this name could be modified to “Mommy Longlegs.”
17. Big Foot
18. Tripod
19. Eiffel – After the famous Eiffel Tower.
20. Beanstalk
21. Goliath – A giant referenced in the Bible, this is a great name for a large male giraffe. 
22. Zenith
23. Luke
24. Jack
25. Stretch
26. Empire State Building – Quite a mouthful, this name could be shortened to “Empire.” A fitting name due to a giraffe having long legs.
27. Greta
28. Raspberry
29. Big Bird
30. Asparagus
31. Elevator – Or “lift” for those based in the UK. 
32. Hodor
33. Lofty
34. Skyscraper
35. Godzilla
36. Sunflower – Gold and towering, just like a giraffe. 
37. Hercules – A powerful name for a powerful animal. 
38. Gandalf – This name works particularly well for an older, wiser giraffe. 
39. Africa – When in doubt, you can always name your majestic giraffe after the continent to which the species is native. 
40. Natasha
41. Asha – From the Swahili word for “life, living.”
42. Faraji – A male name that means “consolation, comfort” in Swahili. 
43. Ollie
44. Lionel
45. Malinalli – This lyrical female name means “tall grass” in Nahuatl.
46. Link
47. Malaika – Swahili for “angel.”
48. Geraldine
49. Juma – This male Swahili name means “Friday.” Could be a great name for a giraffe born on this day of the week. 
50. Timber

Female Names For A Giraffe

1. Gabrielle – Could also be shortened to “Gabby.” 
2. Gertrude – You could call her “Gertie” for short. 
3. Amber – This feminine name honors your giraffe’s lovely coat. 
4. Angel
5. Celeste
6. Acacia – This lovely feminine name works on two levels – not only is it gorgeous, but it is also the giraffe’s natural food source on the African savannah. The giraffe is the only animal tall enough to reach the leaves at the very top of the acacia tree, and its thick blue tongues aren’t bothered by the tree’s thorny branches.
7. Jasmine
8. Freya – Named for the Norse goddess of fertility and beauty, this is a perfect name for a mother giraffe. 
9. Trixie
10. Tilly
11. Willow
12. Opal
13. Maddie
14. Lillian
15. Pearl

Male Names For A Giraffe

1. Goff
2. Vinny
3. Gregory
4. George
5. Earl
6. Melvin
7. King – A regal name for your towering companion. 
8. Omari
9. Patch
10. Roscoe
11. Vlad
12. Elvis
13. Kobe – After Kobe Bryant, the famed basketball player known for his height. 
14. Rocky
15. Michael Jordan – After the famous basketball player known for his height.

Baby Names For A Giraffe

1. Skinny
2. Baby
3. Twigs
4. Skittles – A sweet, silly name for a baby giraffe. 
5. Sweetling
6. Birdie
7. Daisy – Floral names are always a good option for naming, and the name Daisy denotes a sweet, gentle young giraffe. 
8. Bao Bao – This sweet moniker is Mandarin for “treasure” and is colloquially used as a name for “baby.” What better name to honor your little treasure than this? 
9. Tweety Bird
10. Rosie
11. Gigi
12. Joey – While a joey is a baby kangaroo, the name can be for a giraffe as well. 
13. Simba
14. Little Foot – This name brings to mind the baby brontosaurus in The Land Before Time franchise. 
15. Tafari

Unisex Names for Giraffes

1. Imani – This unisex name means “faith” in Swahili. 
2. Herbie
3. Zawadi – A Swahili name meaning “gift” that works for both male and female giraffes.
4. Nicky
5. Ziggy
6. Mosi – Swahili for “firstborn,” this would be a great name for a first-born giraffe. 
7. Lanky
8. Vieno – This unisex Finnish name means “gentle.”
9. Frankie
10. Scout
11. Riley
12. Sky
13. Harley
14. Tree
15. Bailey

Cute Giraffe Names

1. Patches – This name references a giraffe’s characteristic gold and brown pattern. 
2. Twiglet – Given how a giraffe’s legs look like twigs. 
3. Twizzler – After the long, skinny candy.
4. Jelly – You could also modify this name to “Jellybean.”
5. Cupcake
6. Ruby
7. Lollipop
8. Prancer
9. Darling
10. Zoe
11. Yoda
12. Beanpole
13. Elf
14. Smurf
15. Pipsqueak

Good Names for Giraffes

1. Aisha – This beautiful name is used throughout Africa and means “living, alive” in several African languages. 
2. Jengo – This name means “building” in Swahili – a perfect name for a giraffe, as it denotes height.
3. Prince / Princess
4. Miriam – This strong female name hails from the Bible.
5. Meinir – This female Welsh name means “tall, fair maiden.” 
6. Zara
7. Jake
8. Sarai – This strong female name comes from the Bible and means “princess.”
9. Koppany – This Hungarian name means “great, tall” and may originally stem from Turkish.
10. Rahna – This feminine South African name means “beautiful lady.”
11. Kellan – This Irish name means “strong” – very fitting for a giraffe. 
12. Obi – This Nigerian name means “heart.” A perfect name for a giraffe with a kind, gentle personality. 
13. Zuri – Swahili for “beautiful.”
14. Safari
15. Duma – Means “lightning” in Swahili.

Funny Giraffe Names

1. Noodles
2. Slink
3. BFG (Big Friendly Giant) – After the Roald Dahl novel of the same name. 
4. Spaghetti
5. Lemon Meringue
6. Bananas
7. Longfellow
8. Chopsticks
9. Popsicle
10. Longneck
11. Moonwalker – This name brings to mind the slow, yet graceful walk giraffes have that isn’t unlike how astronauts walk on the moon. 
12. Blackbeard – Named for the infamous pirate, a great name for a giraffe with a darker coat. 
13. Stretch Armstrong
14. Tinkerbell
15. Thumbelina – A dainty yet ironic name for a giraffe.

Cool Names for Giraffes

1. Duke
2. Big Boy
3. Hulk
4. Caesar – After the ill-fated Roman general.
5. Mr. Big
6. Desmond – A strong name for a strong creature. 
7. Chad – This name comes from the Old English word for “alpha male.”
8. Kenya
9. Sergeant
10. Julius
11. Apollo – Greek for “destroyer.”
12. Major
13. Colonel
14. General
15. Tank

Unique Giraffe Names

1. Subira – Means “patience” in Swahili. 
2. Baha – This name means “splendid” in Arabic.
3. String Bean
4. Cedrick
5. Pippi Longstocking
6. Zuzen – This Basque name means “fair, just.”
7. Xanthe – This name comes from a Greek word meaning “blonde.” 
8. Forest
9. Umber
10. Slender Man
11. Uhuru – This Swahili name means “freedom.” A perfect name for such a majestic creature as the giraffe. 
12. Mildred – This Old English name means “gentle strength” – a strong and beautiful name for a female giraffe.
13. Jamyang – This means “gentle song” in Tibetan. 
14. Rafiki – Swahili for “friend,” also brings to mind the wise baboon from The Lion King. 
15. Limoncello

Famous Giraffe Names in Movies

1. April – Why not name your giraffe after the famous New York Zoo resident?
2. Geoffrey – The lovable Geoffrey the Giraffe has been the Toys R Us mascot for decades. 
3. Melman – Who can forget the neurotic and hypochondriac Melman the giraffe in Dreamworks’ Madagascar franchise?
4. Zarafa
5. Nessa – Nessa is a pink giraffe from the animated series My Big Friend.
6. Nina – Nina is a character in Cartoon Network’s Camp Lazlo. 
7. Sophie – This sweet giraffe is the protagonist of the French children’s book series Sophie La Girafe and Friends. 
8. Georgina – This giraffe is one of the characters featured in the Belgian animated series 64 Zoo Lane. 
9. Gerald – Gerald the Giraffe is the titular protagonist in the children’s book series Giraffes Can’t Dance. 

Disney Giraffe Names

1. Shingo – A character in Disney’s The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, Shingo is a friendly young male giraffe. 
2. Juhundi – A young female giraffe in The Lion Guard. She is Twiga’s daughter and, like her mother, has green eyes.  
3. Twiga – An adult female giraffe featured in The Lion Guard series. She is devoted to her family. 
4. Bridget – This pampered, pretty giraffe is from the 2006 Disney film The Wild. 
5. Bucky Oryx-Antlerson – While technically a kudu instead of a giraffe, Bucky is one of Judy Hopps’s raucous neighbors in Disney’s 2016 film Zootopia. 

Cartoon Giraffe Names

1. Pyotr – This giraffe is a character from the Japanese anime School Rumble. 
2. Alison Janney – In the animated adult cartoon Family Guy, there’s an episode where the main character Peter Griffin gets a giraffe as a pet and names it Alison Janney after the actress known for her height. 
3. Peter the Giraffe – From the animated web series of the same name, Peter the Giraffe lives in a small town where he has many adventures.
4. Ingrid – This giraffe is from the cartoon My Gym Partner is a Monkey. 
5. Alexa – The character Alexa Mongello is a giraffe from the animated Cartoon Network series Summer Camp Island. 
6. Lem – Lem Mongello is a giraffe on Cartoon Network’s animated series Summer Camp Island. Alexa Mongello is her older sister. 
7. Gerald – Gerald the Giraffe is a character in the British children’s cartoon Peppa Pig.

Name Inspiration

Since giraffes are native to Africa, you can’t go wrong with Swahili or Nigerian names. If you like other languages but wish to choose a language from a country where giraffes aren’t native, consider translating various qualities giraffes are known for (like “blond” or “tall” or “strong”) to give your giraffe’s name special meaning. 

Besides language and etymology, nature is always fertile territory for name inspiration. Several names in our ultimate guide take inspiration from the giraffe’s natural habitat – Acacia, Safari, Tree, Kenya, and Sky are just a few.

Help Choosing the Perfect Name

When choosing your perfect giraffe name, consider your giraffe’s personality and the qualities you wish to imply through the name. 

For example, are you looking for a cute name for a baby giraffe, or do you prefer something a little more regal that honors your giraffe’s African heritage? After all, there’s a world of difference between the names Cupcake – which denotes a cute and sweet disposition – and Zuri, a Swahili name meaning “beautiful” that honors the giraffe’s native land. 

Take your time when choosing a name. Rushing never ends well, and you don’t want to choose a name you regret. With enough time and careful consideration, you’re sure to find a name you love. 

Conclusion

Whether you’re a zookeeper curating name options for your newest giraffe or searching for a giraffe name for a character of your own design, there is no shortage of names in our ultimate guide to giraffe names.

From the sweet to the regal and everything in between, we hope you’ve found some inspiration in our guide. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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