Male and Female Animal Names

428469

The world is full of countless different species and for every animal there is a different name. However, sometimes we need a way of differentiating even further in order to indicate whether we are talking about a male from the species or a female. For this reason, you will find that for most animals separate terms are used to signify the gender of the creature in question.

We all know the obvious examples like cow and bull, mare and stallion or hen and rooster, but what about less common animals? For example, how do you differentiate between a male and female crocodile, falcon or jellyfish?

If you’d like to find out the correct male and female names for these animals and many more, then check the list below. As you’ll see, there is a certain amount of repetition when it comes to these names, but there are still examples where you’ll find a term unique to one specific animal.

Enjoy the list and feel free to let us know your favourites in the comment section below.

animal female male
ant queen / worker drone
antelope doe buck
bear sow / she-bear boar
camel cow bull
caribou doe buck
cat queen tom
chimpanzee empress blackback
chicken hen cock / rooster
coyote bitch dog
crab hen / jenny cock / jimmy
crocodile cow bull
deer doe stag / buck
dog bitch dog
donkey jenny jack
dragonfly queen king / drake
duck duck / hen drake
elephant cow bull
elk cow bull
falcon falcon tiercel
ferret gill / jill hob
finch hen cock
fox vixen dog
gerbil doe buck
giraffe cow bull
goat nanny / doe billy / buck
goose goose gander
guinea pig sow boar
hamster doe buck
hawk hen tiercel
hedgehog sow boar
hippopotamus cow bull
horse mare / dam stallion / stud
jellyfish sow boar
kangaroo flyer / doe / jill boomer / buck / jack
leopard leopardess leopard
lion lioness lion
lobster hen cock
mallard hen greenhead
mole sow boar
mouse doe buck
opossum jill jack
peafowl peahen peacock
partridge hen / chantelle cock
pig sow / gilt boar / barrow
rabbit doe / jill buck / jack
rat doe / cow buck / bull
red deer hind stag / hart
salmon hen cock
seahorse seamare seastallion
sheep ewe / dam ram / buck
swan pen cob
termite cow bull
tiger tigress tiger
turkey hen gobbler / stag / tom
walrus cow bull
whale cow bull
wolf bitch / she-wolf dog
wolverine angeline wolverine
zebra mare stallion

Sources

  • OxfordWords blog, ‘What are the male and female names for animals?’. Available here [accessed on 02/02/18].

Written by

Liam Kennedy – Schuman Trainee at the Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament. Graduate of Journalism with a Language (French) at Dublin Institute of Technology. Completed a Masters in Translation Studies at University College Cork.