What Should You Call Your Goat? Ideas and Inspiration
Jordan Williams
How to Pick a Name That Fits
Every time a goat joins our farm—whether born here or bought—we put serious thought into what to call it. A few came with names we decided to keep, but most purchased goats arrived without one. Often, we spend several days watching the animal before settling on a name.
Spending time observing your new goat reveals its individual personality. Each of my goats has its own odd habits and preferences. Some enjoy having their backs scratched, others prefer being scratched between the horns. Some are timid, while others are very outgoing. A unique marking can also spark a name idea. My first goat, Blaze, was named for the white streak that ran up her nose to her horns.
Once I picked a name I adored, and it took two years before I could give it to a baby. My son was playing a video game where the main character was named Clementine. I loved that name. The character had dark reddish-brown hair, so I decided that if I ever got a reddish-brown girl, she would be Clementine. Two years later, Tiger Lilly gave us our first set of triplets—two boys and one girl. And there was my Clementine!
What’s the best name for your goat?
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Our Experience with Many Goats
All told, between goats we've bought and those born on our farm, we've had 63 goats. Each one received a name that seemed to fit. Some names came from coloring, others from temperament. Choosing names for new arrivals can be a lot of fun. We enjoy being creative. We look at various websites and other sources. I keep a running list on my computer of names that occur to me.
Some names may never be used if no goat comes along that suits them, but that's fine. Names can come from books, song lyrics, or simply hearing a word that strikes a chord, and then it gets added to the list. People love to get involved in naming. Whenever we have a new addition, people always suggest names.
When Snowball had her first baby, it was a beautiful girl that looked just like her. She arrived almost three weeks early, so I wasn't expecting a baby. When I go into the pen to feed or just visit, the first thing I do is count heads to make sure all my babies are accounted for. Well, one was missing, and I realized Snowball was missing too. I started looking and found her in the barn with a brand new baby girl. I looked at her and said, "You are a little angel." And so Angel got her name. Sometimes they are named instantly, and sometimes it takes a few days.
How does Almond Joy sound for this fella?
Names We've Given to Our Goats
| Boy Names | Girl Names |
|---|---|
| Jasper |
|
Rosalie
| |
Emmett
|
Fiona
| |
Charlie
|
Cher-Cher
| |
Aro
|
Kairi
| |
Casper
|
Almond Joy
| |
Huebert
|
Peanut
| |
Nobody
|
Sara Smile
| |
Bub
|
Athena
| |
Apollo
|
Cuddles
| |
Rocky
|
Licorice
| |
Pongo
|
Little Miss
| |
Sarge
|
Sally Dewdrop
| |
Shadow
|
Tribble
| |
Aires
|
Purdita
| |
Caesar
|
Flower
| |
Snickers
|
Mocha Latte
| |
Mumble
|
Turvy
| |
Ozzy
|
Bonnie
| |
Cato
|
Sally
| |
Gizmo
|
Blaze
| |
Elvis
|
Yuki
| |
Petey
|
Kimmeeko
| |
Topsy
|
Tiger Lily
| |
Clyde
|
Nanny
| |
Prince
|
Mona Lisa
| |
Georgie
|
Mama Mia
| |
Rambo
|
Harley Davidson
| |
Tallahassee
|
Briar Rose
| |
Bucky
|
Twinkie
| |
Hercules
|
Snowball
| |
Nikoli
|
Hazel
| |
Jacob
|
Nutmeg
| |
Orion
|
Rayne
| |
Maxwell
|
Suzie Q
| |
Zeus
|
Clementine
| |
Brutus
|
Jubilee
| |
Marley
|
Mystique
| |
Ringo
|
Beauty
| |
Loki
|
Mimi
| |
Smokey
|
Cutie Pie
| |
Bandit
|
Cupcake
| |
Billy Jack
|
Dot
| |
Rebel
|
Chymera
| |
Mack
|
Marshmellow
| |
Pugsley
|
Tinkerbell
| |
Capone
|
Pixie
| |
Trucker
|
Dixie
| |
Diesel
|
Magic
| |
Billy
|
Sweet Pea
| |
Domino
|
Summer
| |
Dipper
|
Marceline
| |
Blizzard
|
Milkshake
|
Featured Gallery
The boys: Emmett
Charlie
Casper
Huebert
Bod
Bub
Apollo
Rocky
Pongo
Sarge
Shadow
Rambo
Bucky
Caesar
Jasper
Ozzy
Hercules
Jacob
Petey
Featured Gallery
The girls: Almond Joy
Blaze
Cher-Cher
Hazel
Kairi
Kimmie
Mama Mia
Mona
Nanny
Peanut
Sara
Sally
Yuki
Fiona
Cuddles
Rayne
Nutmeg
Purdy
Mocha
Suzie Q
Athena
Harley
Briar Rose
Finding Inspiration for Names
Whenever I get a new goat, I take time to decide on a name. I ask others for suggestions. I use the internet a lot. I search for pet names and use translators to find interesting names in other languages (the name Cher means snow in Russian). Sometimes a name comes from a movie (like Briar Rose) or a song.
You never know where a new name idea will come from, but as long as you enjoy picking them out, that's what counts.
Some easy searches include pet names, Japanese names, colors in different languages, and so on. My daughter came up with Cher-Cher because it was snowing the day she was born. She looked up words in different languages, and Cher-Cher was named.
© 2014 Patti Downey
