Names · Ferrets

Ferret names: ideas for every personality

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Good ferret names are short, lively and easy to call: Bandit, Noodle, Slinky, Ziggy, Pepper and Luna are long-time favourites. Below are over 250 ideas in groups, cute, funny, cool, female, male, names by coat colour and names for pairs, plus tips on picking one your ferret will learn. Most ferrets live with a friend, so you may need two.

How to choose a ferret name

Watch your ferret for a few days first. Ferrets show their character fast: the one that steals socks, the one that sleeps in the food bowl, the one that dances. The best names come from that.

  • Keep it to one or two syllables, with a longer version for fun
  • Choose names for a pair that sound different, so each ferret knows which is which
  • Avoid names that sound like "no" or like other pets and people in the house
  • Check the sex before you pick a girl or boy name; a rescue or vet will tell you
  • Remember colour can change: the MSD Veterinary Manual says coats darken in winter and lighten in summer
  • Say it out loud a few times, as you would when calling them in from play

Use the name every time you offer a treat or start a game. Our guide on how to tame a ferret shows how to build that habit, and ferret behaviour explains what they are telling you back.

Cute ferret names

Ferrets are long, soft and bendy, and they sleep 18 hours a day according to the British Veterinary Nursing Association. These suit a ferret that spends most of its life curled in a hammock.

  • Noodle
  • Button
  • Pip
  • Bean
  • Mochi
  • Dumpling
  • Wiggles
  • Squiggle
  • Snuggles
  • Pebble
  • Teddy
  • Pom Pom
  • Fuzzy
  • Sprout
  • Boo
  • Dot
  • Puff
  • Twinkle
  • Cuddles
  • Nugget
  • Bubbles
  • Tiny
  • Sock
  • Slipper
  • Wriggle
  • Snoozy
  • Dozy
  • Pickle

Funny ferret names

Ferrets steal, stash, bounce off walls and fall asleep mid-play. Lean into it.

  • Sir Steals-a-Lot
  • Captain Chaos
  • Sock Thief
  • Weasley
  • Slinky
  • Tube Sock
  • Hairy Potter
  • Ferris Bueller
  • Ferret Fawcett
  • Furrdinand
  • Sir Dooks-a-Lot
  • Wiggle Bottom
  • Noodle Doodle
  • Kevin
  • Gary
  • Derek
  • Barbara
  • Brenda
  • Gremlin
  • Goblin
  • Rascal
  • Mayhem
  • Trouble
  • Bonkers
  • Zoomies
  • Hiccup
  • Pringle
  • Furball
  • Stinky
  • Mr Wriggles

Cool ferret names

For the sleek, fast one that slips through every gap. The American Ferret Association breed standard describes ferrets as capable of "contortions worthy of Houdini", which makes the first name on this list almost compulsory.

  • Houdini
  • Bandit
  • Ninja
  • Zorro
  • Rogue
  • Blaze
  • Ziggy
  • Jinx
  • Shadow
  • Smokey
  • Raider
  • Maverick
  • Ace
  • Diesel
  • Turbo
  • Nitro
  • Rocket
  • Comet
  • Storm
  • Viper
  • Loki
  • Kylo
  • Ripley
  • Banksy
  • Bowie
  • Jagger
  • Ozzy
  • Hendrix

Female ferret names

Names for a jill. The MSD Veterinary Manual says females weigh up to 1.2 kg (2.5 lb), often half the size of a male, so dainty names fit well.

  • Luna
  • Bella
  • Daisy
  • Poppy
  • Rosie
  • Lola
  • Coco
  • Willow
  • Hazel
  • Ivy
  • Penny
  • Mabel
  • Matilda
  • Winnie
  • Nellie
  • Tilly
  • Elsie
  • Pearl
  • Ruby
  • Stella
  • Pixie
  • Gigi
  • Lulu
  • Millie
  • Molly
  • Peggy
  • Dolly
  • Duchess
  • Queenie
  • Jilly

Unique female ferret names

For a jill who deserves something nobody else at the vet's has.

  • Wren
  • Juniper
  • Marigold
  • Clementine
  • Persephone
  • Ottoline
  • Esme
  • Delphine
  • Bramble
  • Saffron
  • Sorrel
  • Fennel
  • Tamsin
  • Morwenna
  • Ione
  • Isolde
  • Zelda
  • Freya
  • Nova
  • Lyra
  • Calypso
  • Mirabel
  • Odette
  • Seraphina

Male ferret names

Names for a hob. Males can reach 2 kg (4.4 lb), the MSD Veterinary Manual notes, so a big, solid name rarely looks out of place.

  • Oscar
  • Ollie
  • Milo
  • Max
  • Charlie
  • Alfie
  • Teddy
  • Archie
  • Freddie
  • Hugo
  • Otis
  • Ziggy
  • Monty
  • Bertie
  • Stanley
  • Winston
  • Rupert
  • Gus
  • Louie
  • Benny
  • Toby
  • Leo
  • Finn
  • Rocco
  • Bruno
  • Tank
  • Moose
  • Hobbes
  • Hobnob
  • Duke

Ferret names by coat colour

Most ferrets are sable, with a dark mask and dark legs, but there are albinos, chocolates, champagnes, silvers and blazes too. Our guide to ferret breeds and colours shows what each looks like.

  • Bandit
  • Mocha
  • Espresso
  • Coffee
  • Cocoa
  • Truffle
  • Smudge
  • Inky
  • Sooty
  • Raven
  • Onyx
  • Midnight
  • Pepper
  • Oreo
  • Panda
  • Mask
  • Snowy
  • Ghost
  • Casper
  • Pearl
  • Frost
  • Blizzard
  • Cotton
  • Marshmallow
  • Dumpling
  • Moon
  • Ivory
  • Yeti
  • Lily
  • Sugar
  • Champagne
  • Butterscotch
  • Caramel
  • Toffee
  • Ginger
  • Cinnamon
  • Honey
  • Biscuit
  • Fudge
  • Sandy
  • Silver
  • Sterling
  • Tinsel
  • Ash
These food names are for fun only. Ferrets are strict meat-eaters, so toffee, fudge, honey and marshmallow should never go in the bowl. Our list of what ferrets can eat has the safe foods.

Names for a pair of ferrets

The RSPCA recommends keeping ferrets in groups of up to four, ideally littermates, so names that go together make sense.

  • Salt and Pepper
  • Bonnie and Clyde
  • Fish and Chips
  • Bangers and Mash
  • Pip and Squeak
  • Wallace and Gromit
  • Laurel and Hardy
  • Thelma and Louise
  • Tom and Jerry
  • Bubble and Squeak
  • Mac and Cheese
  • Sonny and Cher
  • Ant and Dec
  • Starsky and Hutch
  • Han and Leia
  • Fred and George
  • Chaos and Mayhem
  • Hob and Jill

Common ferret names

Some names turn up again and again in rescues and ferret clubs, for good reason: they just fit. If you like a classic, these are tried and tested.

  • Slinky
  • Weasel
  • Squirt
  • Scamper
  • Sneaky
  • Dooker
  • Bouncer
  • Bounce
  • Zippy
  • Scooter
  • Sniffer
  • Nibbler
  • Digger
  • Tunnel
  • Wriggler
  • Tigger
  • Hobble
  • Jilly Bean
  • Fuzz
  • Kit Kat

Names from their quirks

Ferret rescuers describe happy ferrets hopping, jumping and springing sideways across the room. Ferrets also hoard: socks, keys, toys and food all end up in one secret stash. A name from a habit is the one people remember.

  • Hopper
  • Pogo
  • Springer
  • Bounce
  • Dancer
  • Twister
  • Stash
  • Hoarder
  • Magpie
  • Pockets
  • Snooze
  • Napper
  • Burrow
  • Sneak
  • Peekaboo
  • Sniff

When your ferrets have names, the ferret care guide covers everything else, and our ferret facts page has more of the quirks that inspire them.

Ferret names: questions

What are the most common ferret names?

Classic picks include Bandit, Slinky, Noodle, Ziggy, Houdini, Rascal, Bella, Luna, Pepper and Oreo. Bandit is a favourite because so many ferrets have a dark mask across the eyes, and Houdini because they escape through gaps you would not believe. If you want something less common, try the unique list above.

Can ferrets learn their names?

Many do, especially when the name always comes with something good. Say it, then offer a lick of a ferret treat or start a game. Use it in the same calm tone every time. Our taming guide covers daily handling, which makes this much easier. Expect a young kit to be too busy playing to care at first.

What do you call a male and a female ferret?

A male is a hob and a female is a jill. Babies are kits. The British Veterinary Nursing Association adds that a castrated male is a hobble and a vasectomised male is a hobblet. Those words make good names in their own right.

Do you need 1 or 2 ferrets?

Two, in most cases, so you will probably need two names. The RSPCA describes ferrets as sociable and recommends groups of no more than four, ideally littermates, all neutered. A lone ferret needs a lot more of your time every day.

What do ferrets do when happy?

They play hard. Ferret rescuers describe happy ferrets hopping, jumping up and down, springing sideways and dancing across the room, often with a soft chuckle owners call dooking. If your ferret does this when it hears its name, you chose well.

Should I change a rescue ferret's name?

You can. An adult ferret will learn a new name with the same treat-and-repeat method, though it may take a little longer. Many owners keep the old name for the first few weeks while the ferret settles, then switch, or pick a new name that sounds similar.

Sources

Read next

Ferret care: the complete guide

Keep a neutered pair in a big, cool home, feed complete ferret food with water always available, give 4 or more hours out daily and see a vet every year.

Ferret facts: surprising things about ferrets

Pet ferrets are tamed polecats that sleep up to 20 hours a day. Their wild cousin, the black-footed ferret, was thought extinct in 1979.

Ferret breeds, types and colours

Pet ferrets are one species with no true breeds. Types differ by colour, pattern, coat length and head shape, with sable the most common.

Ferret behaviour and body language explained

Dooking and the weasel dance mean a happy ferret, a soft hiss means back off, and screeching, whimpering or teeth grinding can mean fear or pain.

How to tame, handle and bond with a ferret

Tame a ferret with short daily sessions after play, tiny meat treats as rewards, calm two-handed holds and no punishment for nips.

Ferrets as pets: what to know before you get one

Playful, affectionate pets for people with time: they live 6 to 10 years, eat only meat, need a ferret friend and at least 4 hours a day out of the cage.