15 Classic Goldfish Names

With the right tank, care and attention, your goldfish can live for well over ten years. You want to make sure that you pick a name that you like, as you are, hopefully, going to be using it for a long time.

If you are struggling, we have provided a list of classic, and a few leftfield, suggestions for goldfish names that will hopefully help to inspire you.

Oh, and when we say classic, we have still avoided the old faithfuls like Goldie, Flipper and Bubbles.

Cara

If you want to be a bit intellectual when it comes to naming your goldfish, why not opt for the name Cara or even Aura? The scientific name for this species is Carassius auratus.

Cleo

If you are a fan of old Disney movies, you may already know that Geppetto had a pet goldfish called Chloe in Pinocchio. She was sweet, loyal and loved tickles.

Just don't expect your goldfish to get on with any resident cats like Cleo does with Figaro in the movie.

Dorothy

If you have young children in the house, they may enjoy watching 'Elmo's World' on Sesame Street. Elmo has a curious pet goldfish called Dorothy.

Dorothy lives in a bowl, as a lot of on-screen goldfish do. Don't forget that it is much better to have a bigger, appropriately kitted out tank for your goldfish to help them live a long and happy life.

Fin

This one certainly should be listed as a classic, as it often ranks on lists of most popular names for fish. It will work especially well if you have a goldfish breed that has a dorsal fin. Not all goldfish have this fin on the top of the body. If you want to pick something more unusual, you could even name your fish Dorsal.

Fish out of Water

Okay, so it may be a little bit of a mouthful, but you could always shorten it to FOW. This name is inspired by the goldfish best friend of the title character in the Disney movie Chicken Little.

Despite not being able to understand anything much of what he is trying to say, he is a great character — optimistic, fun and friendly.

Just don't let your kids try to recreate his character being able to come out of his tank!

George

Why not consider naming your goldfish George, as a tribute to one of the oldest recorded pet goldfish. George entered the Guinness Record Books for making it to the grand old age of 44 years old, before passing away in 2019.

George's owner won him, along with his companion Fred, at a funfair way back in 1974. Fred also lived to be a seriously impressive age of 42.

Goudvis

If you are looking for something a little bit more unique, why not consider calling your goldfish Goudvis. This is the Dutch translation of the word, and it is not likely that many other people will have opted for this name.

Jaws

Okay, we know this one is a bit of a cliche and a name a lot of other goldfish will have appropriated over the years. But still, it is humorous, cool and sure to make you smile whenever you are referring to your little, gentle fish. They will be the exact opposite of the far-fetched, but still somehow terrifying, giant Great White Shark in the blockbuster movie Jaws.

Jīnyú

This is another unusual name, taken from the translation of the word goldfish. This time it is the Chinese translation. This one is all the more meaningful because China is where the goldfish was first selectively bred over a thousand years ago. They still have a lot of cultural significance in the country, and the species is thought to bring good fortune.

Klaus

If you have watched the blackly comedic animated sitcom American Dad, you will be familiar with the families talking goldfish Klaus Heissler. Klaus was formerly a German Olympic ski-jumper until his brain was transferred into the body of a goldfish.

Naming your fish after this hilarious, crazed character would certainly be a fun talking point with any visitors!

Moby

If you are looking to name your goldfish after one of the most famous literary sea creatures around, you can't get much more famous than the character of Moby Dick, in the novel of the same name. The fact that Moby Dick is a Sperm Whale, so totally different in terms of size and species, makes it all the more of an appealing name.

Michael

Naming your fish Michael, Mick, Mickey or Mike after the famous swimmer Michael Phelps could be an inspired idea. Phelps is the most successful Olympian ever and is widely regarded as the best swimmer of all time.

Nemo

Okay, we know Nemo was a Clownfish in the highly-successful movie Finding Nemo, but that doesn't stop this name being one of the most popular for pet goldfish.

Crackers

This one may be a bit left field, but naming your fish after the popular American institution - the cheese flavored Goldfish Cracker snacks—could be a fun option.

Swimmy

This is another popular classic, and a great option if you have young kids that you want to encourage to read more.

The book Swimmy by Leo Lionni is a highly regarded story with great illustrations and teaching points for kids, told in a heartwarming and captivating way.

Swimmy is a black fish, so this will work well if you have a Black Moor Goldfish, also known as a Black Telescope.