Today is a very special day.
I want to congratulate you on getting a new finned friend!
You have now entered the “honeymoon stage” of your goldfish relationship and are probably spending quite a few minutes gazing in adoration at your new pet.
What beautiful fins! What exquisite scales! And just look at that sweet little face!
But there is a question weighing on your mind.
A very disturbing question:
“What do I name my goldfish?”
Ah, there’s a lot in a name!
You know once you start calling your fish something, it’s bound to stick – so it better be good!
A frantic internet search has landed you on this page…
And you won’t be disappointed 😉
Because I’m going to provide you with exactly what you are looking for – the GOLD MINE of goldfish names for your use, a priceless list acquired from countless years of experience and bribing an old Asian man with a bag of Jelly beans.
You’ll find everything from funny to cleaver – to downright amazing. Whether you’re looking for either one (or something in between) you’re guaranteed to find exactly what you’re looking for.
So let the names begin!
Most Popular Names for Goldfish
- Bubbles – A good one-size-fits-all
- Comet – Quite fitting for the slim-bodied types
- Flash – Hopefully not due to ammonia poisoning
- Fish – You would be surprised how many people choose this one
- Fin Fin, Finny – Or try getting creative with “Finwick” or “Finderella”
- Goldie – This one takes the cake for the most popular goldfish name, sometimes alternately spelled Goldy
- Jaws – I have yet to see a goldfish truly live up to this one
- Nemo – It means “The Man” in Oromo (go figure)
- Splash – For the hyperactive goldfish in your life
- Swimmy – Commonly chosen by children under the age of 5
- Sushi – Upvoted by the family cat
Goldfish Names by Color
Naming your fish by color is a fun way to come up with the perfect fit.
One thing to keep in mind:
Your goldfish may change colors later on in its life, due to genetics, lighting or other factors.
Orange, red and yellow are the least likely to change. Black… that’s another story.
Black Fish Name Ideas
- Batman
- Bandit
- Blackie
- Coal
- Ebony
- Eclipse
- Inky
- Jet
- Licorice
- Midnight
- Onyx
- Pepper
- Shade
- Shadow
Orange Fish Name Ideas
- Amber
- Cheeto
- Clementine
- Copper
- Cutie
- Dorthy (Elmo’s goldfish)
- Ember
- Goldie
- Peaches
- Penny
- Pumpkin
- Sherbert
- Rusty
- Sunset
- Tangerine
Yellow Fish Name Ideas
- Brandy
- Buttercup
- Citrus
- Dandelion
- Flax
- Ginger
- Honey
- Lemon
- Lightning
- Nugget
- Pyrite
- Sandy
- Summer
- Sunny
- Sunflower
Red Fish Name Ideas
- Apple
- Autumn
- Cinnamon
- Cherry
- Crimson
- Flame
- Poppy
- Rose
- Ruby
- Russet
- Salmon
- Scarlet
- Sparky
- Valentine
White Fish Name Ideas
- Alabaster
- Angel
- Aspen
- Birch
- Bones
- Diamond
- Cloud
- Crystal
- Ghost
- Luna
- Popcorn
- Snowy
- Snowflake
- Starlight
- Vanilla
Silver Fish Name Ideas
- Ash
- Bullet
- Chrome
- Dove
- Dusty
- Earl Gray
- Gunpowder
- Hurricane
- Nickel
- Mushroom
- Pebbles
- Platinum
- Smokey
- Steel
- Sterling
- Stormy
- Tornado
Brown Fish Name Ideas
- Acorn
- Amber
- Chestnut
- Chip
- Clove
- Cocoa
- Cookie
- Hazel
- Hershy
- Hickory
- Kitkat
- Nutmeg
- Mocha
- Muffin
- Truffles
- Twix
- Walnut
- Woody
Variegated Patterns or Markings Name Ideas
- Brindle
- Camo
- Callie (short for calico)
- Checkers
- Dapples
- Dice
- Domino
- Dotty
- Flake
- Freckles
- Kaleido
- Marble
- Motley
- Oreo
- Patches
- Snickers
- Speckles
- Spot
- Sundae
Goldfish Names by Personality
It’s a fact that no two goldfish are the same – they all have their own interesting character.
So rather than just looking “skin deep” when choosing a name, what about going with something more personal?
Take a look at these creative selections:
- Barnacle
- Bingo
- Bliss
- Brute
- Einstein
- Fang
- Goofy
- Kisses
- Lovie
- Lucky
- Mischief
- Nibbles
- Peppy
- Pokey
- Precious
- Princess
- Scholar
- Smoochie
- Spaz
- Speedy
- Sugar
- Sunshine
- Sweetie
- Viper
- Zany
- Zippy
Think You’re Finished? You’ve Only Just Begun!
Picking out a name for your fish is just the beginning of your goldfish journey (as I’m sure you’re finding out!).
It’s all so new and exciting…
But there’s something you should be aware of before you go.
Goldfish keeping is harder than it looks. You will want to make sure your finned friend lives a full, happy life by understanding what it takes to be successful.
It’s all in my book, The Truth About Goldfish.
You can be sure you’re off to the best start with all of the answers at your fingertips.
Check it out!
The Secrets to a Healthy Goldfish Revealed
Learn how to keep your goldfish alive and thriving using the only complete, accurate goldfish manual available today –
The Truth About Goldfish.
Final Tips
Names identify your fish. They serve to separate one fish from the next fish, often times goldfish that look very similar.
They also stick. Too often, someone has not taken the time to come up with the right name and end up with something unoriginal and ill-fitting, but because they have called their fish by that name so many times, they can’t change it! It becomes stuck in their brain, or in the brains of their family members. So remember, when naming your goldfish, you pretty much have one opportunity to come up with the perfect name. And goldfish can live over 40 years, so they might be stuck with it for a long time!
Suggestion#1: Ask for Advice
Getting a second opinion can be helpful when trying to name your goldfish. Ask your friends or family what name they think you should call your goldfish. If you are at a loss, don’t be too proud to ask others to help. It’s easy to get stumped, and two heads are better than one! Not only might you be able to benefit from their input, but you can also make them feel like their opinion is valued.
Suggestion #2: Go on a Name Hunt
Searching the web has often been a valuable tool in finding names for goldfish. You can search by gender (boys’ names verses girls’ names), by meaning, (color, animal, vegetable, mineral, etc.) by country (Irish names, English names, Spanish names…) and by many other categories.
I have found it useful to keep a “Baby Name Book” lying around to flip through when it comes to naming pets. They often have definitions beside the names, offer pronunciation guides and similar variations on a name you might like.
Suggestion #3: Name Your Goldfish After Someone
The name of a favorite book character, movie star, former president or king, author or someone else you like or admire might make a nice name for a goldfish.
Suggestion #4: Naming After its Physical Characteristics
Is your goldfish the color of a beautiful sunrise? A name like “Dawn” or “Rosy” might apply. Think of things that look similar to your fish and try to find synonyms to them. Special patterns and coloring can often bring to mind the perfect name. Does your fish swim a little different than the others? Maybe his fin is a funny shape? The physical characteristics of your fish are often very helpful when trying to come up with a name.
What’s YOUR Goldfish’s Name?
By now you should have some good ideas for what to call your fish.
I hope you’ve enjoyed them 🙂
Now:
I’m handing it off to you.
What did you decide to name your goldfish (or goldfishes)?
Or do you have a few favorites you can’t decide between?
Let the world know what you think when you drop your comment in the box below!
I have on red fish called chips AKA jaws (because it’s extremely greedy) and an orange one called gravy. Both are named in memory of my first fish (called fish)
Awesome names, Jacob! Chips AKA Jaws and Gravy sound like super fun names 🙂
I have an Inspector Peepers and a Detective I.C. Moore 🙂
Great names! Love the detective theme!
i have a baby calico butterfly named Captain Dotty (beacuse she/he have color dotspattern) and a baby black moor butterfly named Black Pepper (beacuse her/his color is black )
Those are some great names, Sekar! Butterflies are awesome!
I have 3 goldfish. Two are orange guys and one she is all white with orange patches. Their names are Princess, Frank, and Bubbles. I didn’t have a name for my 3rd guy but I got his new name from the list! So helpful!! 👍🏻
Great to hear, Kelley! Those are a great collection of names.
I named my goldfish Viola and Cesario xD
I’m such a nerd lol
Creative names, Hannah!
Our fantail is named Huriko, from Japanese mythology.
Very unique!
I misspelled that. It’s Hiruko not huriko 🙂
I have an Oranda with a red patch on its head. I was going to call it Testarossa (which is Italian for “red head”) but I called it Curiosity as in the Curiosity Rover on Mars. This is because I had a Telescope Oranda called Hubble and decided to keep the space theme running.
I’ve never thought of using a space theme! Cool ideas.
My Orandas names are Goldie, rosie, pearl and splash. I just got splash. I love my fish. I have 5 tanks 2-60 gallons, 2-55 gallons and a 20 gallon which was my first. I enjoy coming home after a long day of work, watching them.
Good for you! Those are super cute names 😀
i have 3 goldfish one is black and orange,orange,white and orange.i need to more names for two goldfish i named the black and orange fin
Sherbert might be good for the orange and white one 🙂
Peaches is the name I picked
I have four fantails called eenie meenie minnie and mo 😂🐟
Very creative and cute names, Rebecca! Fantails are awesome <3
i have a comet named Dakoi because they look like a mini koi carp and a black moor named Coal.
Very fitting names, Ella! Thanks for sharing.
I win two Goldfish. They’re both orange. One it’s called Archy because he has a black tipped arch fin and the other is carried Willow because she has a light yellow/green streak in her tail!
Those are some fitting names for those fish, Christian. Thanks for sharing!
I just got a fish today and named it Sushi!!
Adorable name, Hannah!
My fantail goldfish is named Seabear. Heres a video of him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU3vtdGE07k
Seabear looks like quite the perky fish! Unique name too. Thanks for sharing!
My goldfish are all named after flavors of crisps; Salt, Vinegar, Cheese, Onion, Pawn, Cocktail, Smokey, Bacon & Pickle (as in pickled onion) 🙂
Love the flavor theme! Making me hungry…
I’m considering getting a comet goldfish, and I’m thinking of naming him/her Crimson or Waffles.
Either one sounds great 😀 But I like Crimson if the fish is red and Waffles if it is more golden.
I have Pepsi and Max (although I sometimes call Pepsi, Peppy, Pep. Max gets called Maxi a lot too
Nicknames are always so much fun. Thanks for sharing!
I have a butterfly telescope called batman and recently got a new orange and white butterfly telescope and was stuck for names.I asked my brother(who is obsessed with comics)and he said the joker….I didn’t really like that name but my brother says it all the time so it’s stuck! Oh well.
Haha that happens sometimes. Butterfly telescopes are the bomb.
I named mine hook as he has one eye and a dodgy fin 😂
Lol that’s great!
I’ve decided to name my fish nibbles because although he eats a lot he savers it an takes a nibble from the flakes I feed him
Adorable! <3
I have a comet goldfish who is a silvery white with patches of Orange. Her face is white with a thin Orange “lipstick” like marking around her mouth. She zips back and forth in front of the tank Every time I’m in front of it and she seems to really adore me. I named her Pi. Either short for the word piebald which is her facial markings or the mathematical equation.
I really like that name, April! She’s probably a smart fish too 🙂
I called my fish ben because my mum said that if I don’t look after it she will flush it down the toilet but my brothers name is ben so she can’t do anything!
Well that’s a strategy I’ve never heard before to keep a goldfish alive! Very smart 😀
I am pretty set on the name Scuttle for my goldfish (name from the seagull in The Little Mermaid).
Very cute, goldfish kind of do that when they swim.
I won a fish but it died so I’m getting two new ones tonight but I don’t know what to name them.
Hope you can find one you like on our list for them! 🙂
Won two comet fish at a festival today, they look very similar and I’m thinking of calling them Fred and George from Harry Potter<3
Memorable names! Thanks for sharing 😀
I had pumpkin (aka bubbles because it nlows bubbles all the time) and peaches but peaches died and I got another and named it patches.
Sorry to hear about peaches 🙁 But patches is a cute name too!
I really liked bandit and peaches for my two fish
Very nice names, Queenielia! 😀
Daughter won 2 common goldfish: Ricky=solid orange, Lucy=white with orange bun and orange lipstick. They are quite a pair. Now I have goldfish…
Those are creative names! Very adorable, thanks for sharing!
today me and my brother got a fish each. mine is a comet so i am going to call it comet i was surprised to see the name comet was 2nd on the list. my brother called his bruce i am not sure why i think it was the first name that came to his head. love this website vey helpful:):)
i just changed my fish’s name to butter chicken
That’s quite a change in names! I assume you like butter chicken? 😉
I have 6 goldfish (2 going to a pond soon). Their names are: Venus, Norman, Spartacus, Prince, Luna and Dotty. (Oranda, Ranchu, common, fantail, and 2 ryukins.)
Thanks for sharing your collection of names, Missi!
I have a goldfish named fair (we got him from the fair) but we secretly call him jaws because he ate at least three fish he is a comet goldfish but we still love him 🐟
Wow, Fair/Jaws sounds like quite the personality! Thanks for sharing Ella!
I have a yellow and white pearlscale named Sol and just got a solid white Ranchu named Luna
Really like that combo, Hayley! I’ve never thought of using an “outer space” theme for names!
I named my calico fantail Beta, my koi Omega, my black moor Alpha, and my goldfish Gamma. Are they good names?
Since you asked my opinion… super names, Aaron 😀 I’ve never heard anyone use them before but that makes them all the more unique!
I am getting a fancy goldfish for my birthday and I am thinking of naming her/him Ari (air-e) Clide or Cheeto. Ari is my favorite tbh.
Ari is my favorite of those three too 🙂
Tomorrow I might be getting a calico fantail a comet and a red cap (these r my thoughts of names) redcap Toki, comet Asteroid, and calico Taikou (Tiy-Koo)
Fun sounding names, Empoleon! Asteroid is a fitting name for a comet! 🙂
My telescope goldfish are named Jaws (white and gray) Cheeto (Orange), And Barnacle (Pure white)
Barnacle is a super fun name, Valencia! Good job naming all your fish!
I have a Black Moor so I decided to name him Bear (as in Black bear because of his colour)
That’s a creative name!
Clementine,
I just purchased a bug eyed black goldfish, and he is ADORABLE 🙂 I’m just wondering what to name him. I want something creative and subtle. Any ideas?
Sorry for the delayed reply, been on break! If you haven’t named him yet, you could name him Bugsy!
I meant to put 5 stars, sorry 🙂
I have 2 comet goldfish that I just got. One is solid orange the other is white with a few orange spots. Named them Sunshine and Freckles!
Aww I love those names <3
I got 2 fintails and named them japanese names, Nao (honest) and Tomi (welthy;Red) Nao is gold/white and Tomi is red.
And i recently bought 2 more fintails and 1 black telescope. I wanted androgynous names so the telescope got the name Billy, one of the fintail are calico with shimmering scales called Jade. The other one looks very similar to Nao but much smaller so it got the name Dot.
Now I just looking for names for my Plecos, one yellow and one black, and I’m thinking of Chinese dragon names like Jinlong (gold+dragon) and Heifu (dark+belly)
I like Asian names, they always have such good meanings. Even my hamsters have Japanese names (Aki and Kio/kioshi) 😅
I really like those more exotic names, Becka! Thanks for sharing!
I have a black moor goldfish and since they have big eyes I called him bubbles plus he loves to play with bubbles
Very cute, Alexandra! I like that name.
I have pleco/bottom feeder I named him tank
He must be strong!
I named my fish ZOOM after the character in Flash
Cute name Ayla!
That is zo cool
I like Hazel, and my husband came up with Finnegan, so my new goldfish will have a first and last name Hazel Finnegan.
That’s a great name, Amy! Thanks for sharing.
Cute name
Wow, I love this website, you are so encouraging!! I have 2 fish that are named Vito (after a family friend) and Charlie (I dont know why but he just looks like a Charlie). I just got a new fantail, he is deep orange with a beautiful tail that is tipped in white. I cant decide on a name for him. Its between Zazzles, Fancy, Lucy, Clemmie (we are Clemson Tiger fans) and I even considered Tipper because of the tail. What is your opinion.
Thank you for your kind words, Tracy! Clemmie is my favorite 🙂
I have a cute goldfish with a puffy head but I don’t know any good yet special names.I want to name her something with pizazz but with elegance and beauty.Her color is orange and white.do you think you could advise me.I named her Amber but that didn’t suit her.
Penelope would be cute 🙂
Thanks
Also I just loved this website some of the names were beautiful,my favorites were Clementine And eclipse.
Thanks so much Penelope bubbles is perfect for her but which do you think is best ,Penelope bubbles or Amber bubbles?Have any other great 👍🏾 names .Also I have a giant Oscar but I cannot name her,and I am so so sorry 😐 for the trouble with the names
I like Penelope bubbles <3 For the Oscar, you could name him Gordon. Don't know why that came to mind. 🙂
Say I got another orange fish what should I name her
I’m partial to Clementine, but you could look under the orange fish section 🙂
Can you do other fish like parrots and Oscars
I might do another general names article in the future, keep your eyes peeled 🙂
I have 2 Black Moore Goldfish and since they were inseparable at the store I named them Laverne and Shirley! I also have an orange oranda with black tips on his fins and couldn’t think of a name for a few days and last night I decided he reminded me of my niece whom I affectionately call cheeto-face….so he is now named cheeto-face, cheeto for short! And my daughter has a beautiful iridescent gold oranda whom she named Goldie! Thank you for your site!
Very cute names, Michelle! Thanks for sharing!
Hello
Sushi is rice! Sashimi is the meat. ☺ Common misconception, though, and I am sure most people in the US think fish when they think sushi.
Our fish are named Sashimi and Chubb.
Learned something new, Jenny! Thanks for sharing. Both are cute names imo 🙂
I have a nice little shoal of 5 fancies:
red Oranda–Curly
black moor–Four Eyes
ryukin–Chum
calico fantail–Flash
pearlscale–Pearlie (not real original, but suits her)
A very cute collection of names, Tammy!
Use the name Guppy for an orange fish!
i’m naming mine midnight and sunny
Very creative pair of names!
We are looking for a name for an orange fish that was apposed to be eaten by our aquatic frog but survived and is still living after 14 moths so we are going to name him.
I have a white goldfish with red “eyebrows” I was thinking of nameing it red, eybrows, or cloud. I got the last name from the list. He also has lost a couple of scales from the tank he was in before I got him, I was thinking that could help me get a name but I don’t really know.
I have decided to name my fish scales
Scales is creative!
I have decided to name my two goldfish bubbles and splash
A great pair of names 🙂
Lazarus because he was rescued and was thought to be dead when first found.
A very fitting name to be sure, Julie!
All my goldfish have been named after curries (Vindaloo, Bhuna, Rogan & Josh, Jalfrezi, Korma, Madras, Pathia) but I’ve almost run out of names so I’m moving onto Planets!! My most recent goldfish has been named Jupiter!
Thanks for sharing your themes, Jerfa!
The goldfish at our library are named Cheeto and Dorito. When we first got them, they were tiny feeders and Cheeto was completely orange. A little boy was watching them and said, “They look like Cheetos swimming around in there!” We thought that was the perfect name.
How cute, Mel!
I have three goldfish. Nemo is the orange one named by our 2 year old daughter, goldie is the lemon goldfish (looks more gold than yellow hence why we picked goldie) and a shubunkin goldfish called bubbles as he always grabs a ball of air from the surface and will swim to the bottom to release it 😊
Very cute names, Hayley, thanks for sharing!