History Main / AnimalThemeNaming

-->-- '''Herbert Powell''', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E15OhBrotherWhereArtThou "Oh Brother Where Art Thou"]]

For superpowered people that adopt this, see AnimalThemedSuperbeing. If this gets applied to an animal itself, then it's either a case of ADogNamedDog (if the name reflects the animal's species) or ADogNamedCat (if not). SuperTrope to ColorAnimalCodename, which basically [[JustForFun/XMeetsY combines]] this with ColourfulThemeNaming.

-->-- '''Homer Simpson''', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E15OhBrotherWhereArtThou "Oh Brother Where Art Thou"]]

* ComicBook/{{Batman}} uses this a ''lot''. He has his Batmobile, his Batcave, his Batarangs, his Batcomputer, his Batsuit... It's a StockJoke in wackier adaptions and parodies to push this to increasingly absurd levels, with things like his [[Film/BatmanAndRobin Bat Credit Card]] and his [[ComicBook/Planetary Bat Apology.]]

* ComicBook/{{Batman}} uses this a ''lot''. He has his Batmobile, his Batcave, his Batarangs, his Batcomputer, his Batsuit... It's a StockJoke in wackier adaptions and parodies to push this to increasingly absurd levels, with things like his [[Film/BatmanAndRobin Bat Credit Card]] and his [[Film/BatmanTheMovie Shark Repellent Bat-Spray.]]

* ComicBook/Batman uses this a ''lot''. He has his Batmobile, his Batcave, his Batarangs, his Batcomputer, his Batsuit... It's a StockJoke in wackier adaptions and parodies to push this to increasingly absurd levels, with things like his [[Film/BatmanAndRobin Bat Credit Card]] and his [[Film/BatmanTheMovie Shark Repellent Bat-Spray.]]

* ''ComicBook/BlackCanary'': The Twelve Brothers in Silk are a criminal mercenary group, consisting of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin twelve brothers]] each of whom was named after an animal of the Chinese Zodiac, and born uunder the corresponding sign.

* The United States Navy used to name submarines after sea animals (USS Archerfish, for instance, sank the Japanese carrier Shinano).
** The trend of naming US submarines for fish or other sea animals was ended with USS ''Cavalla'', launched in 1972 and decommissioned in 1998. (Unless you consider US Navy Admiral Hyman G. Rickover a "sea animal"; a submarine named after him is currently under construction.) Currently active US submarines are nearly all named after US cities or states. The old theme was briefly resumed with USS ''Seawolf'' (named for the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarhichadidae wolffish]], although the ship's official badge instead depicts [[IThoughtItMeant a wolf swimming in the sea]]), launched in 1989. But it was discarded again immediately after, with her sister ships being named USS ''Connecticut'' and USS ''Jimmy Carter'', and the following ''Virginia'' class are mostly named for states (though with a total of 66 planned and only 50 states, that'll obviously have to change).

* The Shiba siblings in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' follow a pattern: Kaien means "sea swallow," Ganju means "rock eagle," and Kuukaku means "sky crane."

** A recurring theme is that many of the female characters are named after birds, such as Nico Robin and Tsuru(the latter's name means "crane" in Japanese).

** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4'', [[spoiler: The Beauty and the Beast unit takes this trope one step further, combining the animal names of FOXHOUND and the emotions of the Cobra Unit (for example, combining Vulcan Raven and The Fury to make Raging Raven.) Incidentally, they also have the weapons of Dead Cell, but that doesn't affect the naming.]]

* WebVideo/{{Rabbit}}: Rabbit's job requires code names on account of its illegal nature. Rabbit's own is appropriate, as he spends his time hopping from task to task, doing things "a Taskrabbit wouldn’t do." The only other person doing the same job as Rabbit who appears onscreen goes by "Toad."

* In ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'', most of the towns are named after various canine breeds.

* All of the pirate factions on the ''LetsPlay/PiratesSMP'' are named after birds -- the Herons, the Kestrels, the Kites, and the Nightingales.

** And finally, in the British Rail days, the racehorse trend was briefly revived for some of the Class 55 "Deltic" diesels, which replaced the A3s and A4s on former LNER turf.

** Many of their Gresley A1 and A3 steam locomotives were named after racehorses from the era.
** Sir Nigel Gresley, who designed the A1/A3, was an avid birdwatcher. As a result, some of the A4 locomotives he designed were named after birds. Hence the world's fastest steam locomotive, ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A4_4468_Mallard Mallard]]'', being named after a type of duck.
** Edward Thompson, who succeeded Gresley, named some of his B1 engines after antelope species.
** Then, Arthur Peppercorn, who came after Thompson, named some of his A1 and A2 locomotives after either racehorses or birds ''a la'' Gresley.

->"People don't want cars named after hungry, old, Greek broads! They want names like Mustang and Cheetah, vicious animal names."

[[folder:VisualNovels]]