# How do you name your Bettas?



## Olivia27 (Nov 26, 2015)

There's just something about names that fascinate me. I have a complicated, long history of names myself, so I suppose it came from that. I was actually appointed unofficial name advisor in my dog forum LOL whenever someone has a new puppy, I would throw this whole bunch of names at them - separated into different categories based on origin, meaning, etc :lol: pet names in particular is something I love to look into. I found that people have their own style of naming pets. This is even more apparent with fish, since there's no "typical" name in the fish world. Unlike in the dogs and cats world, where you can find probably 1000 Marleys, Charlies, Storms, Diesels, Angels, Shadows and all those. 

So! Here's a quick survey if you don't mind filling it out:

Name of fish:
Gender:
*Name* gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex)
Meaning:
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?)
Why choose this name?
Did you think it up way ahead?
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead?
Why/why not?

I have a feeling that if you haven't found your naming style, you'd soon find out after filling that ^^^ out ;-) other than that, I also find it fascinating how people from different backgrounds rate the gender of different names. A Japanese, for example, would rate anything that ends with -ko as a feminine name. Personally, I rate anything that ends with -o as masculine, and anything that ends with the -ee sound as feminine. What about you?


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## Olivia27 (Nov 26, 2015)

I'll start  

Name of fish: True Blue Fantasy
Gender: M
*Name* gender: Unisex
Meaning: "a real fantasy", too good to be true
Origin: there's a clothes shop in a nearby mall called True Blue You  "true blue" itself is a saying that developed in The UK, in a town called Coventry that was known for creating blue fabric that doesn't fade as easily. It was originally "as true as Coventry blue".
Why choose this name? because he was beautiful, too good to be true 
Did you think it up way ahead? Yes
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? Yes
Why/why not? Just me being me. I like head starts LOL

Name of fish: Memory Lane
Gender: F
*Name* gender: feminine
Meaning: welp, memory lane is memory lane. I like obvious-meaning names you see. That's my naming style 
Origin: just randomly came up in my head
Why choose this name? she's bought to take up Blue's role after his passing
Did you think it up way ahead? Yes

Name of fish: Serendipity
Gender: F
*Name* gender: feminine
Meaning: a series of happy/pleasant events that developed out of pure luck
Origin: Serendipity Books is my favorite children's book series
Why choose this name? Honestly IDK. I just like it.
Did you think it up way ahead? Yes

Name of fish: Will-o-the-wisp
Gender: F
*Name* gender: feminine. May be unisex to some others! 
Meaning: will-o-the-wisp is a mythical ball of light that is either demonic or angelic based on whose folklore you're listening to
Origin: Disney movie Brave
Why choose this name? because it's a mythical being lol thought it sounds cool
Did you think it up way ahead? Yes 

Name of fish: Langit Merah
Gender: M
*Name* gender: unisex
Meaning: Indonesian for "red sky"
Origin: title of my first ever not-for-kids novel haha
Why choose this name? because he's red LOL
Did you think it up way ahead? no

Name of fish: Heliconius Sapho
Gender: M
*Name* gender: masculine
Meaning: binomial nomenclature for a blue butterfly species
Origin: some British butterfly ID site
Why choose this name? because he's a blue butterfly!
Did you think it up way ahead? yes

Name of fish: Nichiyobi
Gender: F
*Name* gender: unisex? leaning towards feminine...
Meaning: Japanese for "Sunday"
Origin: I just speak Japanese
Why choose this name? bought her on a Sunday LOL
Did you think it up way ahead? no

Name of fish: Morpho Cypris
Gender: M
*Name* gender: unisex
Meaning: binomial nomenclature for another blue butterfly species
Origin: Wikipedia haha
Why choose this name? because he WAS a blue butterfly
Did you think it up way ahead? no

Name of fish: Cobalt Blue
Gender: M
*Name* gender: masculine
Meaning: just a specific shade of blue
Origin: IDK just his color
Why choose this name? because he's literally cobalt blue
Did you think it up way ahead? no

Silhouette, I love you, but I didn't name you so you're not in the survey! XD


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## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

After reading your names, my ones are put to shame! :lol: But with my bettas, only the ones that stand out get names, so I guess a terrible name is better than none at all :lol:

Name of fish: Big Blue
Gender: m
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: Hes big and blue...
Origin: Describing him to myself
Why choose this name? Hes blue...
Did you think it up way ahead? Nah, just everytime Id feed them Id notice the biggest blue fry, started off as Biggest Blue One, then graduated to Big Blue...
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? Not really
Why/why not? My "names" just kind of become names gradually

Name of fish: Dude
Gender: m
Name gender: boy
Meaning: A pretty cool guy
Origin: My partner kept referring to his as "my dude" and somehow it turned to Dude
Why choose this name? He was just a dude in general lol
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

Name of fish: Blacky
Gender: M
Name gender: unisex
Meaning: Black colour
Origin: My petsitter asked what his name was...Blacky was the first thing that came to mind... :shock: Im obviously very creative haha
Why choose this name? He was very black
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

Name of fish: Fat Stup
Gender: F
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: Fat and stupid
Origin: She was a dragon and has irid over her eyes, as a result it took her a while to find food. Partner kept calling her stupid and it kinda stuck
Why choose this name? She was fat, not really stupid but acted a bit dense
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope


Back when I first had bettas I had slightly more intelligent names for them

Name of fish: Pakeha 
Gender: m
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: white/european man
Origin: In New Zealand the word pakeha is used in everyday language, so I just used it
Why choose this name? He was white
Did you think it up way ahead? Nah the seller lied to us and I thought he was going to be light blue...but instead was a creepy cello

Name of fish: Loam
Gender: F
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: "fertile soil or clay"
Origin: I was probably playing pokemon and planting seeds in the loamy soil
Why choose this name? Its a simple sound, and she was a very simple girl
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope


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## fleetfish (Jun 29, 2010)

Name of fish: Maitake
Gender: Male
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: A type of mushroom
Origin: I was looking up random Japanese food and came across a list of mushrooms, veg and fruit and thought these would make good names for my bettas at the time.
Why choose this name? I'm not sure, except that it fits him. 
Did you think it up way ahead? Noooooo!
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? No, though I do like to look at names. 
Why/why not? I'm a very spontaneous person, I go with the flow and tend to get carried away with it - I blame my horoscope sign ... we're known to just not plan on anything. 

Name of fish: Snozzberry
Gender: Male
Name gender: male
Meaning: Well ... a man's ;-):lol:
Origin: So I was reading a lot of Roald Dahl and snozzberries are one of the dirtiest in jokes in children's literature. If you want to look it up, be my guest but younger people really, *seriously shouldn't. *
Why choose this name? I was watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Charlie was telling the kids to lick the walls, and one tasted like a snozzberry. It just stuck ....  

Name of fish: George Peony
Gender: Female
Name gender: unisex
Meaning: Farmer of Peonies?
Origin: I made this one up. First of all I thought that George was a male, but now she's all egged up and fat, so Peony was tacked on to make her more feminine.
Why choose this name? Downton Abbey ... because I wanted an homage to it. George is the son of one of the sisters and he's super cute. Also it sounds posh. Peony because she looks like a frilly little flower sometimes 

Name of fish: Marigold
Gender: Female
Name gender: Female
Meaning: A yellow flower
Origin: From Downton Abbey
Why choose this name? She's a yellow marble, and quite adorable so I needed something pretty for her.

Name of fish: Yuzu
Gender: Male
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: A type of citrus fruit
Origin: To be honest, after I'd bought him I was in a grocery store, and there were bottles of fancy salad dressing. One was a yuzu vinaigrette, and it had a picture of a yellow fruit. Yuzu (the fish) is a yellow dragon, and I'd found my name! 
Why choose this name? I was in my Japanese food vein then, and when I got home with him I looked up the name and lo and behold it was on the website I was looking at.

Name of fish: Orca
Gender: Male
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: Cetacean, a kind of whale
Origin: Well, he's black and white, like an Orca whale.
Why choose this name? Because he's black and white.


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## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

fleetfish said:


> Origin: So I was reading a lot of Roald Dahl and snozzberries are one of the dirtiest in jokes in children's literature. If you want to look it up, be my guest but younger people really, *seriously shouldn't. *
> Why choose this name? I was watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Charlie was telling the kids to lick the walls, and one tasted like a snozzberry. It just stuck ....


Omg lol I just looked it up! :shock::lol:


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## Witchipoo (Dec 13, 2015)

Name of fish: Vincent The Glorious

Gender: male

Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) Male

Meaning: he's named for Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night because he looks like a star spangled night sky.

Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Put up a thread here to help name him and someone suggested Starry Night, Vincent evolved from there, The Glorious just came about because, well, he's glorious.

Why choose this name? It's different. I have noticed a few Vincents since I named him but he is the original.

Did you think it up way ahead? Nah

Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? Not usually

Why/why not? I'm way too scattered for that!


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## Tourmaline (Nov 23, 2015)

... I have a lot to name. I do prefer to name them ahead of time. I like going into it thinking, "This is your name, it fits you so perfectly it was your name before I even have you!" 

Name of fish: Merlin
Gender: Male
Name Gender: Masculine
Meaning: Just a name
Origin: A wizard in the Arthurian legend
Why choose this name?: It just.. Fit. I don't know, soon as I saw him, I thought, "Your name is Merlin. No question about it." 
Did you think it up way ahead?: No

Name of fish: Topaz
Gender: Male
Name Gender: Unisex
Meaning: A precious stone
Origin: Just kinda came to me
Why choose this name?: He's the color of a yellow Topaz
Did you think it up way ahead?: No, his name was almost Sir Pearl before I changed my mind xD

Name of fish: Azure
Gender: Male
Name Gender: Unisex
Meaning: A fancy word for blue
Origin: Was thinking of fancy words for blue and that popped into my head
Why choose this name?: He _was_ white with blue iridescence. I thought it fit him well. 
Did you think it up way ahead?: Yes, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to name him that. It took me a few days to settle on it

Name of fish: Rajah
Gender: Male 
Name Gender: Masculine 
Meaning: It means "King"
Origin: It was suggested to me by my former partner, and it stuck. It's also the name of the tiger in Aladdin, although his name is spelled Raja. I liked it with an H more. 
Why choose this name?: It just worked. And the fact that he's a King Betta made it work so much better
Did you think it up way ahead?: No, thought of it as I walked to the car with his cup 

Name of fish: Apollo
Gender: Male 
Name Gender: Masculine 
Meaning: Not sure if it has a meaning
Origin: The Greek God of a lot of things. Light, music, truth, etc 
Why choose this name?: I was lazy naming him. I just named him something from my long thoughtless name pile 
Did you think it up way ahead?: Not really

Name of fish: Sebastian 
Gender: Male 
Name Gender: Masculine 
Meaning: Just a name
Origin: Just popped into my head 
Why choose this name?: I didn't really have a reason.. He just looked like a Sebastian. It fits him. 
Did you think it up way ahead?: Yes. I had been calling him Sebastian in the store for a while before finally getting him. 

Name of fish: Meeko
Gender: Male 
Name Gender: Masculine 
Meaning: It means "little mischief" 
Origin: He's named after a dog in a game called Skyrim, his name is also the name of the Racoon in Pocahontas, but I was thinking of the game when I named him
Why choose this name?: Another one that just seemed like it fit. 
Did you think it up way ahead?: Yes and no. I was choosing between that and another name on the way home with him, but I was open to suggestion.

Name of fish: Maru
Gender: Male 
Name Gender: Masculine 
Meaning: It means "circle" in Japanese, apparently. Also means a tempest or a storm in Estonian, I just learned. 
Origin: The YouTube cat.
Why choose this name?: His namesake is cute, he's cute, it works. 
Did you think it up way ahead?: I thought it up the day I said I was bringing him or another boy home. I had names prepared for them both. 

I didn't name Roman so he's not on this list. Wow that is a huge wall of text. I'm so sorry xD I'll make the font smaller.


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## Witchipoo (Dec 13, 2015)

I'm going to have to do seperate posts, I'm on my phone and can only paste one form for some dumb reaon.

Name of fish: Hector
Gender: Male
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) Masculine

Meaning:Troy's greatest hero and son of King Prium.

Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) I'm a myth, legend and ancient history nerd. Hector was a great warrior.

Why choose this name? My Hector is a draginscale, he's armoured, and not afraid of anything. Chases my hand around, flares at me, bites me! He's bada**.

Did you think it up way ahead? I had the name filed away for some time, when I got him home it fit, so it stuck.

Do you prefer to think names up way ahead?
Why/why not? Nope. Too scattered, I prefer to pick names that fit the individual.


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## fleetfish (Jun 29, 2010)

trilobite said:


> Omg lol I just looked it up! :shock::lol:


Me too ... I thought they were actually berries, like yummy fantasy berries. Until I looked it up ... and ... I'm so, so sorry!


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## Witchipoo (Dec 13, 2015)

I'm going to do the four plump blue girls here because they got named as a group.

Name of fish: Ann, Nancy, Grace and Dolly

Gender: females

Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) feminine.

Meaning: Just names

Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) It was really a random thought, they're all named after female vocalists. Ann and Nancy Wilson from Heart, Grace Slick and Dolly Parton. Dolly is the plumpest, she is a big breasted girl! Grace is my clutz, lol, she has a new rip in her tail, a couple of weeks ago she banged her left eye on something, she tries to swim up the siphon, she's always got a bruise, or ripped fin or something. 
Ann and Nancy are impossible to tell apart.
Why choose this name? Opps, see above.

Did you think it up way ahead?nope
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead?
Why/why not? Not usually.


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## OUOhYeah2016 (Dec 9, 2015)

So many lol I'll do current ones only probably...

Name of fish: Fawkes
Gender: M
Name gender: M
Meaning: The phoenix in Harry Potter
Origin: He's a solid red VT
Why choose this name? Color
Did you think it up way ahead? No
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? No? 
Why/why not? Idk I like to meet the fish first. If I have a name in mind and it works then thats good but I usually change my mind when I meet them.
__________________
Name of fish: Luna
Gender: F
Name gender: F 
Meaning: Moon
Origin: Named after Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter
Why choose this name? She's a HM and dark blue, like a Ravenclaw and Luna Lovegood is a Ravenclaw
Did you think it up way ahead? No
_________________
Name of fish: Prism
Gender: M
Name gender: Unisex 
Meaning:something that splits the colors of light
Origin: 
Why choose this name? He's a turquoise HM and looks different colors depending on the lighting
Did you think it up way ahead? No
________________
Name of fish: Lavender and Saphira
Gender: Both F
Name gender: F
Meaning: Color lavender/Lavender Brown in HP and Blue dragon from Eragon series
Origin: 
Why choose this name? Mostly Olivia's nickname choices lol but I decided to keep them
Did you think it up way ahead? Sorta? lol
_______________
Name of fish: Queenie
Gender: F
Name gender: F 
Meaning: 
Origin: like royalty
Why choose this name? she's a CT and it just seemed to fit
Did you think it up way ahead? no
_______________
Name of fish: Helga
Gender:F
Name gender:F 
Meaning:"holy/blessed female" Also strong
Origin: Scandinavian
Why choose this name? She's my sorority bully
Did you think it up way ahead? nope, took a week ish of having her
________________
Name of fish: Rea
Gender: F
Name gender: Unisex?/F
Meaning: "ray" of sunshine
Origin: 
Why choose this name? She's yellow and a galaxy/samurai pattern HMPK
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope, again, took a while


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## moodynarwhal (Mar 24, 2016)

Name of fish: Raspberry
Gender: Male
*Name* gender: Unisex 
Meaning: Umm... A berry? It doesn't really have a _meaning_.:lol:
Origin: I really wanted to name him after a plant, and we have a bunch of raspberry bushes, and his fins are sort of red, I guess I was just thinking of raspberries.
Why choose this name?See above.:lol:
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope!
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? No
Why/why not? I like to see my fish before I name them, I think it fits better that way (though I do want a black orchid to name Midnight XD)

Name of fish: Sunspot
Gender: Male
*Name* gender: Unisex
Meaning: A dark spot on the sun
Origin: An astronomy book... (I know, I'm a nerd, I look for fish names in the astronomy book:lol
Why choose this name? His tail is pinky-red with a black edge, just kinda reminded me of the sun.
Did you think it up way ahead? No
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? No
Why/why not? I think I already answered this...

Name of fish: Fishy (SIP)
Gender: Male
*Name* gender: Male (I have no idea why it sound masculine to me, it just does.)
Meaning: Uhh, fish?
Origin: He was a fish and my four-year-old brain couldn't think of anything better. 
Why choose this name? He was a fish.
Did you think it up way ahead? No, I didn't even know I was getting a fish. He was a B-day present.
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? No
Why/why not? I like them to fit the fish individually.


Name of fish: Sea Star (SIP)
Gender: Male
*Name* gender: Unisex
Meaning: A starfish
Origin: My brain
Why choose this name? Just thought it fitted him
Did you think it up way ahead? No
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? No
Why/why not? (I think I said this before, but) I like the name to fit the fish.


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## Vrisnem (Jan 25, 2016)

*Name of fish*: Roan
*Gender*: Male
*Name gender*: Male
*Meaning*: Red-haired.
*Origin*: The_ Infected_ series by Andrea Speed. The protagonist was Roan McKichan. 
*Why choose this name?* An 'R' name felt like it suited him. I was torn between Roan and Romeo. I ended up going with Roan, knowing I'd find him his Paris (Roan's lover) someday. 
*Did you think it up way ahead?* Nope. I think it took 2-3 days after getting him to name him, although I planned his purchase three days in advance of getting him.

*Name of fish*: Kairi
*Gender*: Female
*Name gender*: Unisex depending on origin, but primarily female IIRC 
*Meaning*: Ocean
*Origin*: Kingdom Hearts.
*Why choose this name?* Originally she was going to be Juliet, and had Roan's name been Romeo that definitely would have happened. Although I'd be kicking myself right now as they both died so young just a couple days apart. She was named Kairi as a pair-name with Naminé. 
*Did you think it up way ahead?* Nope. She was an unplanned purchase. 


*Name of fish*: Naminé (aka Nami) 
*Gender*: Female
*Name gender*: Female
*Meaning*: Wave.
*Origin*: Kingdom Hearts, like Kairi. Although I'm also really into League of Legends lately and Nami is the name of my favourite champion atm too. The game-character doesn't have the accent on the 'e', but given I misread her name as "na-meen" in the GBA title until the release of KH2 when voice acting came back, I wanted to make the pronunciation clearer haha. 
*Why choose this name?* It's a cute pair-name with Kairi. 
*Did you think it up way ahead?* Nope. Like Kairi, she was unplanned. I got her the day after Kairi. 


*Name of fish*: Paris
*Gender*: Male
*Name gender*: Unisex
*Meaning*: Various, but mostly linked to the French capital
*Origin*: The_ Infected_ series by Andrea Speed. Paris Lehane was Roan McKichan's lover. 
*Why choose this name?* The dream was to keep Roan & Paris in a divided tank together. Also, I went to Paris, France on vacation in August 2015 - my first 'just because' vacation outside of the UK. I'm sat below a canvas of the city right now. 
*Did you think it up way ahead?* YES. I named him over a month before I even found him on AquaBid. I knew exactly how he looked in my head, it was just a case of finding the right boy. 


*Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? Why/why not?*
While my only experience with this is Paris, it was nice actually having something to call him straightaway. Usually when I get a pet I take forever to name them. My hamster, Ranmaru (Ran), went without a name for a fortnight.


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## Euro (Nov 13, 2015)

-sobs- Does this for all my bettas so we'll be here for a while FFF

Name of fish: Rudolph Valentino
Gender: M
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) M
Meaning: Tis the name of an actor, Rudolph is German for "Famed Wolf"
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) See above
Why choose this name? Because Valentino is a lover not a fighter
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

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Name of fish: Charles Beaumont
Gender: M
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) M
Meaning: Charles I believe means warrior or something like that.
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?)
Why choose this name? I was looking for a Twilight Zone themed name that wasn’t already taken in my household because he’s a grayscale fish and I just, yeah LOL I already have a cat named Rod Serling and goldfish named after other well known characters. 
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

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Name of fish: Issac Newtson
Gender: M
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) M
Meaning: Isaac means “he who laughs”
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Love me some science
Why choose this name? “”””
Did you think it up way ahead? A little bit, I just have been wanting to name something “newt” for a while and Newton fit the bill to me.

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Name of fish: The Pumpkin King
Gender: M
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) M
Meaning: Denada
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Its from the Nightmare before Christmas. It’s Jack Skellington’s title. 
Why choose this name? I didn’t choose the name, my wife did because she chose the fish and NMBC is one of her favourite movies.
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

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Name of fish: Pvt Hudson
Gender: M
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) Though technically unisex b/c it’s a surname, the character hes named after is male.
Meaning: Denada
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Another “fan name”, this one is from Aliens
Why choose this name? BECAUSE PVT. HUDSON IS A D-BAG. He bites me!
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

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Name of fish: Purplefish
Gender: M
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) M
Meaning: Denada
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Lol, the first Betta I ever got after I moved, my wife was like “don’t waste a good name on a betta because they only live like 3 years.” So… well… heres Purplefish
Why choose this name? Because hes purple
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

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Name of fish: Lady Sif
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: Norse Mythology
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) I’m Marveltrash and was watching the Agents of SHIELD episode with Sif when she was delivered to my doorstep
Why choose this name? Because Sif is a “warrior” colored girl and I though she deserved a warrior name ;D
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

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Name of fish: Rosalind Lutece
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: Think Rosalind means like tender rose or something. Lutece is the Roman name for Paris.
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) I’m a HUGE Bioshock fan, I’m honestly shocked that I don’t have more fish with Bioshock names.
Why choose this name? Because she has the color scheme of the character… and she disappears sometimes.
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

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Name of fish: Marie Curie
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: Name is derivative of Mary
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Love me some science!
Why choose this name? She seemed like it, she has a green/turquoise hue that’s really bright and I dunno, my brain went “that’s radiation colored”.
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

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Name of fish: Tera
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: “Earth” or “Of the Earth”
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) My friend god her as a birthday present for me and he got to name her.
Why choose this name? He said her brown color reminded him of classy dirt. Shes now sort of lost the brown and gone true copper with a red wash.
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

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Name of fish: Quellek
Gender: M
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) M
Meaning: Denada
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Its my fav character from Galaxy Quest (the best Star Trek movie ;P)
Why choose this name? Because Quellek (the Character) is a precious child.
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

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Name of fish: Vittorio Orlando
Gender: M
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) M
Meaning: Vittorio is the italian variant of Victor
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) </history major>
Why choose this name? Because I love the name Vittorio. I don’t really care for the person of Vittorio Orlando, BUT he had a sick name. 
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

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Name of fish: Winston Churchill
Gender: M
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) M
Meaning: Winston means “joy stone”
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) </history major>
Why choose this name? Another name where I don’t care much for Churchill himself, but I love the name Winston LOL
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

___________________

Name of fish: Queenie
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: Denada
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Random name 
Why choose this name? She was the first girl I my room, so she was in charge lol
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

___________________

Name of fish: Lucy
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: Of the LIght
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Random name
Why choose this name? No, I kept her name from the person I bought her from :]
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

___________________

Name of fish: Signe
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: New Victory
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Its from Scandanavian mythology.
Why choose this name? Because it seemed to fit her
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

___________________

Name of fish: Hedy Lamarr
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: Denada
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) The name of an actress
Why choose this name? she had blue lipstick and I thought the name was fitting
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

___________________

Name of fish: Belladonna
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: “Beautiful lady”
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Random Name
Why choose this name? Well originally a roommate named her Tinkerbell, but I didn’t care for it so I changed it up a little bit :]
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

___________________

Name of fish: Madeline
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: “Of Mary Magdelene”
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) From the childrens book, I had just gotten one in an antique store because I loved that book as a child.
Why choose this name? See above
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

___________________

Name of fish: Little Monster
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: Denada
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Random name
Why choose this name? Because shes a holy terror
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

___________________

Name of fish: Dahlia
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: “From the Valley”
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) Named after the Black Dahlia because I was reading a book and it came up. </keeping it classy>
Why choose this name? She has a little black dot on her tail and I dunno, name stuck
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

___________________

Name of fish: Mako
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: Truthful
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) From Pacific Rim
Why choose this name? Because she and Otachi hang out a lot so I thought they should be named things that were from the same thing
Did you think it up way ahead?

___________________

Name of fish: Otachi
Gender: F
Name gender: (not gender of the fish! So do you feel like this name is masculine, feminine or unisex) F
Meaning: No clue
Origin: (how do you come across this name? A book? A movie? Just a random thought?) From Pacific Rim, its one of the Kaiju names. My favourite kaiju to be honest
Why choose this name? Because she has the same color scheme ;D
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

*Name of fish:* Spitfire
*Gender*: Male 
*Name gender*: Unisex 
*Meaning*: No formal meaning. 
*Origin*: When I was little my brothers and their friends were into skateboarding. Spitfire was a logo I saw frequently. It's a flame head with sharp teeth. It has a wicked look to it. 
*Why choose this name?* He was a feisty fish when I got him. He flared at anyone who walked past the tank and tried to bite me any time I put my hand in his tank. I imagined he would spit fire at me if he could. 
*Did you think it up way ahead?* No 
*Do you prefer to think names up way ahead?*No 
*Why/why not?* The name should fit the personality. 

*Name of fish:* Spike
*Gender:* M
*Name gender:* M
*Meaning:* Something sharp that can do damage?
*Origin:* Random thought
*Why choose this name?* At this point all my male pets have tough names (my dog's name is Beast) and Spike was in rough shape, so I went with a tough name to both stick with the theme and because he would need to be tough to heal. 
*Did you think it up way ahead?* No


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## DangerousAngel (Mar 26, 2015)

OMG Fleetfish! I'm on the floor!! BAHAHA

As for my boys, my naming just comes to me, depending on their personality, coloring, ect. Sometimes the name comes quick, sometimes it could take a week.

Name of fish: Dangerous
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine 
Meaning: erm..
Origin: A Michael Jackson album
Why choose this name? When I got my first Betta, I knew I wanted an MJ related name
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Chili
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine
Meaning: A red pepper/ or seasoning
Origin: BF.com help
Why choose this name? He's red
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

Name of fish: Oscar
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine
Meaning: erm...
Origin: Sesame Street LOL
Why choose this name? His cute little grump faces reminded me of Oscar the Grouch, and Oscar just stuck
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Eclipse
Gender: M
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: Solar/Lunar eclipse
Origin: 
Why choose this name? His coloring
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Kip
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine
Meaning: Uhh..
Origin: Not sure..
Why choose this name? When I first saw him at the store, the name just popped into my head, he was so wiggly
Did you think it up way ahead? Sure did! I names him way before I took him home!

Name of fish: Storm
Gender: M
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: Like a rain storm
Origin: 
Why choose this name? It suited his colors
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Chloe
Gender: F
Name gender: Feminine 
Meaning: IDK
Why choose this name? A friend suggested it to me
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope

Name of fish: Snowy
Gender: M
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning:
Origin: 
Why choose this name? He was white
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Onyx
Gender: M
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: A deep black stone
Origin: 
Why choose this name? His coloring
Did you think it up way ahead? Yes

Name of fish: Speckles
Gender: M
Name gender: Unisex 
Meaning: Splotched?
Origin: 
Why choose this name? His pattern
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Jasper
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine
Meaning: A stone, that is rarely blue, very mysterious 
Origin: I found it off a naming website, and it just stuck
Why choose this name? His deep blue colors
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Oliver
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine
Meaning: IDK
Origin: IDK
Why choose this name? Someone suggested it to me
Did you think it up way ahead? Yes

Name of fish: Buttons
Gender: M
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: 
Origin: 
Why choose this name? Hess 'Cute as a button'!
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Stella
Gender: F
Name gender: Feminine 
Meaning:
Origin: Of latin origin meaning 'Star"
Why choose this name? Someone suggested it to me, it matched her coloring
Did you think it up way ahead? Yes

Name of fish: Xena
Gender: F
Name gender: Feminine 
Meaning:
Origin: 
Why choose this name? It suited her personality 
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Zanzibar
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine 
Meaning:
Origin: 
Why choose this name? It suited him
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Akio
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine 
Meaning: Japanese for 'Bright boy'
Origin: 
Why choose this name? It suited his colors at the time
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Kai
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine
Meaning: "open' or 'Victory' in Mandarin Chinese
Origin: 
Why choose this name? It suited him
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Loki
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine
Meaning:
Origin: 
Why choose this name? It suited his personality
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Jedi
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine
Meaning:
Origin: Star Wars
Why choose this name? It suited him
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Mullen
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine
Meaning: 'Fighter'
Origin: 
Why choose this name? It suited his situation
Did you think it up way ahead? No


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## Olivia27 (Nov 26, 2015)

Quick note for Vrisnem: did you know that Kairi as a whole means "nautical mile" instead of "ocean"?  the kai part means ocean, but the kanji for "ri" happens to be a measurement unit of distance. That name was made up specifically for the Kingdom Hearts game, so it was a little odd lol. But then I suppose it took off in popularity instantly, because nautical mile or ocean or whatever, it sounds awesome nonetheless. As for Namine, it depends on how you write it but when I first pictured it in my head what came up is "wave" for nami and "sound" for ne. So altogether, Namine can be written as "sound of the waves". If you're curious what does this look like in Japanese kanji, I tested it on google translate, and apparently if you punch in "wave" and "sound" the first kanji that pops up is the correct one. If you combine those two you'd get Namine. Totally don't punch in "wave sound" or "sound of the waves" tho lol it will send Google on a crazy spiral

OK I will shut up now. Carry on folks~


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Name of fish: Neptune
Gender: Male
*Name* gender: Male
Meaning: Roman god of the sea, like the Greek god Poseidon
Origin: Random thought
Why choose this name? Random thought, then I looked it up and thought it was perfect - his tank is called Planet Neptune 
Did you think it up way ahead? No, named him after having him for a few days
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead?
Why/why not? I like to at least get to thinking about it, but nothing is set in stone until I get to know my pet's personality

Name of fish: Luna
Gender: Female
*Name* gender: Female
Meaning: Roman goddess of the moon
Origin: Went along with the Roman god/goddess theme I had going on with Neptune & also goes along with the outer space theme kinda
Why choose this name? See above, plus it reminds me of Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter - she's probably my fav character because she's so odd/unique
Did you think it up way ahead? Maybe a week before I got her
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead?
Why/why not? I liked it and it seemed to fit her just fine, so it stuck!


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## Vrisnem (Jan 25, 2016)

Olivia27 said:


> Quick note for Vrisnem: did you know that Kairi as a whole means "nautical mile" instead of "ocean"?  the kai part means ocean, but the kanji for "ri" happens to be a measurement unit of distance. That name was made up specifically for the Kingdom Hearts game, so it was a little odd lol. But then I suppose it took off in popularity instantly, because nautical mile or ocean or whatever, it sounds awesome nonetheless. As for Namine, it depends on how you write it but when I first pictured it in my head what came up is "wave" for nami and "sound" for ne. So altogether, Namine can be written as "sound of the waves". If you're curious what does this look like in Japanese kanji, I tested it on google translate, and apparently if you punch in "wave" and "sound" the first kanji that pops up is the correct one. If you combine those two you'd get Namine. Totally don't punch in "wave sound" or "sound of the waves" tho lol it will send Google on a crazy spiral
> 
> OK I will shut up now. Carry on folks~


Rings a bell, actually! I've been following the KH franchise for 12 years so it's been many years since I really looked into it.


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## SimplyXt (Mar 27, 2016)

This is such an awesome thread, reading how others decided on names!


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## RMKelly (Jan 17, 2016)

Name of fish: Kirito
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine 
Meaning: No meaning
Origin: Sword Art Online
Why choose this name? My partner kept saying "Kirito is always right" from the Sword Art Online Abridged series. So...Kirito is always right, don't question him lol 
Did you think it up way ahead? No


Name of fish: Sasuke
Gender: M
Name gender: Masculine 
Meaning: 
Origin: Named after Sarutobi Sasuke, a ninja from Japanese folklore. 
Why choose this name? Sasuke is my favorite ninja from Sengoku Basara 
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Zelda
Gender: F
Name gender: Feminine 
Meaning: 
Origin: Legend of Zelda 
Why choose this name? It was the only name that came to mind when I looked at her, and the only one that she'd respond to. 
Did you think it up way ahead? No


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## MyBabiesHaveScales (Aug 24, 2015)

Name of fish: Horatio
Gender: M
Name gender: Male
Meaning: Timekeeper
Origin: CSI Miami
Why choose this name? CSI Miami is my favourite show, and Horatio is my favourite character.
Did you think it up way ahead? Yes! Horatio was named almost a year before I got him  I wanted a handsome red betta because Horatio has red hair. 
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? Yes.
Why/why not? I feel like I can have a better connection to the name if it's something I think about for a long time. My fish are named before I even purchase them.

Name of fish: Journey
Gender: F
Name gender: I think it's more suited for a female, however it's technically unisex.
Meaning: Journey
Origin: Just a random thought.
Why choose this name? I love to travel and experience the most out of life, so Journey was named after my life experiences and goals.
Did you think it up way ahead? Yes!

Name of fish: Draco
Gender: M
Name gender: Male
Meaning: Dragon
Origin: Harry Potter
Why choose this name? Harry Potter is one of my favourite movie series to watch, and Draco is my favourite character!
Did you think it up way ahead? Yes, but only about a week ahead, not months or anything compared to naming my other fish! 


I always name my fish after things I love or care about. It just makes me love their name all that more. They even suit their names. Horatio is mysterious, Journey is curious and Draco is feisty.


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## SimplyXt (Mar 27, 2016)

I'm only going to put down the names of the fish *I* named 

Name of fish: Xena 
Gender: M
Name gender: F 
Meaning: Warrior Princess (also means Welcoming)
Origin: A TV show (but really its a greek name lol) 
Why choose this name? We thought Xena was a girl and she was / he is a fighter 
Did you think it up way ahead? No
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? No
Why/why not? I want the name to suit the fish personality or looks.

Name of fish: Turk
Gender: M
Name gender: M
Meaning: Short for Turquoise
Origin: /
Why choose this name? It suited him - his colouring is turquoise and I liked the masculine sound of K at the end
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Cola
Gender: F
Name gender: Maybe Unisex
Meaning: The Coca Cola brand
Origin: /
Why choose this name? Cola is red and black. So original lol
Did you think it up way ahead? No

Name of fish: Triton
Gender: M
Name gender: M
Meaning: Triton is the son of Poseidon 
Origin: /
Why choose this name? Because he is such an aggressive and interactive betta, we wanted a Greek mythology name. We chose Triton because it has less syllables. 
Did you think it up way ahead? No


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I rarely name my wild bettas. Usually the ones that are named are culls, or have some sort of unique characteristic. Normally I just call my breeding pairs Mr and Mrs (species name). 

Name of fish: Zig-Zag
Gender: Male
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: According to Google - 'a line or course having abrupt alternate right and left turns.'
Why choose this name? Because when the fish was born his spine was so deformed it looked like a literal zig-zag. 
Did you think it up way ahead? Nope, it was an affectionate nickname that grew into his actual name. 
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? No
Why/why not? Because all my names are based on the actual physical appearance of the fish. 

Name of fish: Stumpy
Gender: Male
Name gender: Unisex, although I think it sounds more masculine
Meaning: According to Google - 'short and thick; squat.'
Why choose this name? Because the body of this fish is about half the length it's supposed to be. Hence the name 'Stumpy'. 


Name of fish: Shiny
Gender: Male
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: According to Google - '(of a smooth surface) reflecting light, typically because very clean or polished.'
Why choose this name? Because the body of this male is covered in very thick, shiny green scales. He's the only male from his spawn to display this trait. 

Name of fish: He's either Major or Slight Disappointment. I forget which one I chose. 
Gender: Male
Name gender: Unisex
Meaning: I like this definition from Google, 'a person or thing that causes disappointment'
Why choose this name? Because until his death, the father of this male was one of the nicest fish I'd ever owned. I kept several of his sons, and they all had 'Disappointment' as part of their name, as they never were as good as their father.


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## dcline007 (May 2, 2016)

*My Boy Blue*

I just got my betta not to long ago. He is a Twintailed Halfmoon betta with blue coloring. so being the simple kind of guy I am I named him blue. for the simple reason that I can yell "Your my boy blue!" across the room when I see him swimming around. I know it is cheesy but I love it. 

Your My BOY BLUE!


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## KaelaByte (Nov 23, 2015)

Name of fish: BlackBeard (BB)
Gender: Male
Name gender: Masculine for reference but could work for a female i suppose?
Meaning: Name of an old pirate
Origin: Yooooo so into pirates as a kid XD
Why choose this name?: Because his red and black reminded me of a cape and his beard, then blue speckles for the sea
Did you think it up way ahead?: Nope saw my lil boy and decided i needed him, was a toss up between this and some pun off a heavy metal singer but i couldnt find any to fit
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead?: Nah never know who im going to buy tbh


Name of fish: SweetTart (Sweetie)
Gender: Male
Name gender: Uni
Meaning: It's a candy
Origin: just remembered them is all
Why choose this name?: Cause hes a super pastel little boy and hes agry as all get out so i thought it was funny. Like a Dobbie named Fluffy or something. 
Did you think it up way ahead?: Nope

Name of fish: Thomas
Gender: Male
Name gender: Male
Meaning: IDK
Origin: Thomas Newton is a character played by Bowie in one of my favorite movies, this guy was a small homage to his death. 
Why choose this name?: Well originally he looked orangeish, the color of the characters hair, turns out it was just stress and hes the same color as blackbeard XD
Did you think it up way ahead?: nah


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## Magdalen (Mar 17, 2016)

Name of fish: Salt
Gender: male
Name gender: unisex
Meaning: Well it's a food item
Origin: Mostly named after his coloring but also because of the movie Salt
Why choose this name? I liked the movie and he's white like salt, the food. Also he was being sold as female, but I thought he might be male so he got a unisex name.
Did you think it up way ahead? Yes, I've had other bettas named Salt haha
Do you prefer to think names up way ahead? no
Why/why not? I need to see the fish before I name him. I usually get the name by seeing the fish.

Name of fish: Blue Moon (Blu for short)
Gender: male
Name gender: unisex
Meaning: not sure how to answer this
Origin: the beer hahaa also Wolf's Rain character
Why choose this name? Well he's a lovely blue shade and Wolf's Rain is a favorite of mine, but I wanted something a little more than just Blu so I made his formal name Blue Moon
Did you think it up way ahead? no

Name of fish: Oliver (Olli, Oli)
Gender: male
Name gender: Masculine
Meaning: the olive tree
Origin: I know a few animals named Oliver and it was suggested in this forum
Why choose this name? Well, for the longest time I couldn't think of what to call him, he does have some greenish in him so it kind of came from Olive. Wanted something organic to match with Salt.
Did you think it up way ahead? no

Name of fish: Kyo
Gender: male
Name gender: Masculine
Meaning: Village, Apricot
Origin: From Fruits Basket
Why choose this name? He is an orange and black koi betta and Kyo from fruits basket is a favorite character that has orange hair.
Did you think it up way ahead? no


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