Fish

Betta Fish Names – 140 Great Ways To Name Your Siamese Fighting Fish

May 11, 2022

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You aren’t going to find any better Betta fish names than these! Today we share Siamese Fighting Fish names inspired by their strong personalities, gorgeous colors and cool history. These little cuties have insane personalities and bright colors that make them stand out. They also thrive in small tanks, so a Betta fish is the perfect apartment pet! We’ve got themed names lists from trending pop culture to tough and iconic badass characters from Japanese, Thai and other Asian history. And we’ve even thrown in some famous fish from tv and animated movies for good measure.

Also known as the Siamese Fighting Fish, Japanese fighting Fish or Bubble Fish, we’re not short of inspiration for naming these tiny companions. The nickname Fighting Fish comes from the showy males’ aggressive gill and fin display towards other males. Bubble Fish is a nod to the males’ creation of camouflaging bubble nests so their ladies can lay their eggs in safety!

Top Betta fish names
Girl Betta Fish names
Boy Betta Fish name
Japanese and Thai Betta Fish names
Famous fish characters
Funny names for fish
Unique Betta Fish names
Badass Betta Fish names

We hope you will consider this your go-to article for Betta fish names as you get to know your new finned family member and consider the name that best suits your precious pet.

Picking Betta Fish Names

Picking out your Betta fish names is a great chance to learn more about these amazing fish whether you are a first-time owner or a seasoned pro! There are actually several species of Betta (“bet – uh”) fish! This is a fact that many Betta fish owners don’t realize because some Betta species are rare in the pet trade.

The Betta fish is ancient species going back centuries to the time of Siam (now called Thailand). As the International Betta Congress (IBC) tells it, these fish didn’t even have a formal scientific name until 1909 and didn’t make their way to the United States until 1927.

Today’s showy Betta fish are a far cry from those early fish. Fish breeders have made their influence felt, and today Betta fish have many different fin and tail configurations and can vary in size. Not only is it fun to learn more about this unique and intriguing fish, but knowing more about them can be really helpful in choosing your Betta fish names.

Betta Fish Naming Tips

Here are just a few naming tips to keep in mind:

Would you like to name your Betta after a family member or friend? It can be nice to ask them first just to be sure they are fine with your choice.
If you plan to train your Betta, you may want to pick a short name or nickname. This isn’t critical for training, but it will reduce your fatigue when saying your fish’s name repeatedly!
Don’t stress yourself out trying to think of a name right away. Just jot down fun name ideas as they come to you and then try each one out on your new fish until one ‘fits.’
If you pick a really unique name for your new Betta, just be sure you are okay with having to explain how you came up with the name again and again for curious visitors.

Best Betta Fish Names

We hope you enjoy these lists featuring some of the best Betta fish names for your new aquatic addition. Beautiful Betta fish demand exceptional names such as:

Naga (Thai river guardian spirits)
Mekong (famous Thai river)
Queen Sirikit (powerful Thai queen)
Sima
Liath
Athena
Destiny
Sharkowski
Inspector Gill
Sushi
Eurydice (water nymph)
Atlantis (mythical city)
Avalon (mythical island)
Poseidon (sea god)
Neptune (sea god)
Oceanus (ruler of the oceans)
Clara
Jane
Albert
Harry
Bob

Female Betta Fish Names

It’s true that female Betta fish are less outwardly show than males. But these petite fish are whip-smart and delicately dainty in their own right. One of these female Betta fish names might be just perfect for your new finned lady.

Elsa
Anna
Fanny
Star
Snow White
Beauty
Sunny
Viviane
Ariel
Doris
Persephone
Gaia
Loreley
Saraswati

Male Betta Fish Names

The male Betta fish bears a lot of responsibility for making the nest and caring for the eggs until the babies hatch. These loyal fish may be small in size, but they are mighty in courage and will defend their turf heartily when the need arises! These male Betta fish names feature strong, manly names worthy of a brave Betta male fish!

Morgan
Boyd
Noah
Orpheus
Siam
Rocky
Jacques
Jonah
Shark
The Finz
Bill
Theodore
Henry
Smith
Jones
Abbott
Costello

Cool Betta Fish Names

While Betta fish originally hail from Siam (now Thailand), Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, sometimes they are also called Japanese fighting fish or Siamese fighting fish. In fact, Thailand recently made the Betta their national fish! Each of these cool Betta fish names gives a nod to these parts of the world for their role in popularizing the fish.

Kaida (Japanese for “little dragon”)
Yoshe (Japanese for “beauty”)
Sumo (Japanese for “wrestler”)
Samurai (Japanese for “warrior”)
Nami (Japanese for “ocean wave”)
Plakat (Thai for “biting fish”)
Bettah (Asian for “warrior”)
Rama (King Rama III of Siam/Thailand)
Nuk Soo (Thai for “warrior”)
Tomoe Gozen (female Japanese samurai)
Lang-Tai (Thai for “female warrior”)
Miyamoto Musashi (Japanese samurai)
Tiger of Kai (Takeda Shingen, a Japanese samurai)
Naresuan the Great (most famous Thai warrior king)
Muay Thai (fighting style of Thailand)
Lady Hangaku Gozen (Japanese female archer and warrior)
Phra Mae Thorani (revered Thai goddess)

Cute Betta Fish Names

These cute Betta fish names include many favorites from children’s books, cartoons, fairy tales and movies. The reference is next to each name so you can learn more and see if there is a naming fit.

Bruce (“Finding Nemo”)
Dory (“Finding Nemo”)
Marlin (“Finding Nemo”)
Nemo (“Finding Nemo”)
Mr. Limpet (“The Incredible Mr. Limpet”)
Cleo (“Pinocchio”)
Rainbow (“The Rainbow Fish”)
Swimmy (“Swimmy”)
Flounder (“The Little Mermaid”)
Otto (“A Fish Out of Water”)
Larry (“Shark Tales”)
Wanda (“A Fish Called Wanda”)
Red Fish (Dr. Suess)
Blue Fish (Dr. Suess)
Jaws (“Jaws”)
Mrs. Puff (“Sponge Bob Squarepants”)
Willie (“Free Willy”)
Flipper (“Flipper”)
Kenny (“Kenny the Shark”)
Milo (“Fish Hooks”)

Funny Betta Fish Names

Muddy Mudskipper
Fish Out of Water
Darwin
Albacore
Chicken of the Sea
Bubbles
Sashimi
Gumbo
Killer
Zig or Zag
Small Fry
Caviar
Kingfish
Grouper
Finnegan
Bubblemaster
Filet

Unique Betta Fish Names

Mythology can be a particularly rich source for unique Betta fish names, with so many stories and legends from all walks of life about creatures from the deep. Many of the unique names in this section and others here draw upon the lore of water mythology from all over the world.

Kappa (smart Japanese water spirit)
Jengu (African mythological water spirits)
Nessie
Chessie (Nessie’s stateside counterpart, said to dwell in Chesapeake Bay)
Lady of the Lake
Nimue (Lady of the Lake’s successor)
Melusean (European freshwater spirit)
Mermaid
Siren
Amphritrite (wife of Poseidon the sea god)
Naiad (water nymph)
Sprite
Selkie (Scottish sea lion that sheds its skin)
Ashray (Scottish sea ghost)
Manu (Hindu flood survivor who saved Matsya in the form of a fish)
Matsya (Hindu god disguised as a fish)
Proteus (Greek sea god)

Tough Betta Fish Names

Betta fish can be tough as they come, especially if they think a competitor is eyeing their territory! These tough Betta fish names take inspiration from an international assortment of colorful characters from myth and legend.

Kraken (sea monster of pirate lore)
Leviathan (enormous mythical whale)
Dragon King (four Chinese sea rulers)
Ceto (sea Goddess)
Phorcys (sea God)
Charon (ferryman of the underworld)
Grindylow (British water demon)
Lancelot (supposedly raised by Lady of the Lake)
Excalibur (given to Lancelot by Lady of the Lake)
Panlong (Chinese water dragons)
Titys (Oceanus’ sister and ruler of the rivers)
Titan (12 sea gods)
Unceliga (Native American water spirit)
Fosse grim (Scandinavian water spirit)
Nereus (Greek sea god)
Bermuda (Triangle)
Yami (river goddess)

Fun Facts About Betta Fish

Betta splendens is the best known and most common Betta species in the pet trade.

Male Bettas are the showy fish, with long, colorful fins and prominent gills that flare out from behind their eyes when they feel threatened or challenged. Female Bettas have shorter tails and less vivid coloration.

All 137 known Betta fish species, both domestic and wild, are anabantoids. This means that they have a unique apparatus called a labyrinth that lets them breathe air from the surface when their water gets polluted.

This makes it easier to keep Betta fish in small bowls or tanks when you have limited space. But as with all pets, it is important to give your Betta maximum room to swim and ‘stretch their fins’.

Have You Got A Cool Betta Fish?

In fact, one of the most fun parts of choosing a Betta fish for a pet is that it is possible to train them to do cool tricks like jumping through hoops. You can even buy a full Betta fish training kit!

Congratulations on your new Betta fish! When you pick out a name, please stop by and post a comment to share your Betta’s name and the story behind it.