Animal Group Name Generator

Collective nouns from a murder to a loaf

Animals & Creatures500 names

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Generate names for groups of animals: well-known collective nouns like A Murder of Crows, A Parliament of Owls, A Business of Ferrets and A Crash of Rhinos, mixed with playful ones in the same pattern like A Tuxedo of Penguins and A Loaf of Cats.

About animal group names

English has a strange habit of giving each animal its own word for a crowd. Many of the oldest come from medieval hunting tradition. The Book of Saint Albans, printed in 1486, carried a long list of company terms, and lists like it are the source of A Murder of Crows, An Exaltation of Larks, An Unkindness of Ravens and A Skulk of Foxes. Some of those terms described behavior and some were wordplay even then.

This list holds 500 group names in full form, and it mixes two kinds. The first is collective nouns with some history behind them, old and newer: A Parliament of Owls, A Business of Ferrets, A Crash of Rhinos, A Smack of Jellyfish and A Bask of Crocodiles. The second is playful terms in the same pattern, such as A Tuxedo of Penguins, A Loaf of Cats, A Menace of Geese and A Rush Hour of Snails. Do not expect to find every entry in a dictionary. When it matters, look the term up.

Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and insects are all covered, and many animals have more than one term. Geese are a gaggle on the ground and a skein in flight, and both are here.

How to choose animal group names

  • For a quiz or school work, check the term in a dictionary first. The list mixes long-standing collective nouns with playful ones, and it does not mark which is which.
  • Borrow one as a team or group chat name. A Parliament of Owls suits a study group, A Business of Ferrets suits a startup team and A Murder of Crows suits a mystery book club.
  • Writers can pick a term for its mood. An Unkindness of Ravens sets a gothic scene, and A Loveliness of Ladybugs belongs in a picture book.
  • Make your own the way the playful entries do: take a sound, a habit or a look and add the animal. A Honk of Geese, A Sploot of Corgis and A Traffic Jam of Tortoises all follow that recipe.
  • Some terms depend on what the animals are doing. A Skein of Geese is a flock in the air, and A Kettle of Hawks is a group circling on a thermal.

Frequently asked questions

What are the funniest names for groups of animals?

Favorites include A Business of Ferrets, A Flamboyance of Flamingos, An Embarrassment of Pandas, A Bloat of Hippos, A Prickle of Porcupines, An Implausibility of Gnus, A Wisdom of Wombats and A Pandemonium of Parrots. All of them are in the list. Press generate a few times and the odd ones keep coming.

Are these real collective nouns?

Many are. A Murder of Crows, A Pride of Lions, A Gaggle of Geese and A Pod of Whales are long-standing terms, and others are newer coinages that spread through books and the internet. The list also includes playful terms in the same pattern, such as A Keyboard of Cats, so do not assume that every entry is in a dictionary.

Where do collective nouns for animals come from?

Many of the oldest come from medieval hunting tradition, where knowing the right term was a mark of good breeding. The Book of Saint Albans of 1486 printed a long list of them, mixing practical terms with wordplay. Later writers added more, James Lipton's 1968 book An Exaltation of Larks made the old lists popular again, and new terms still appear.

Can one animal have more than one group name?

Yes, and many do. Geese are A Gaggle of Geese on the ground and A Skein of Geese in the air. Cats can be A Clowder of Cats or A Glaring of Cats, and their young are A Kindle of Kittens. The list keeps several terms for the same animal where more than one is in use.

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All 500 animal group names

This is the complete list the generator above draws its random batches from, sorted A to Z and grouped by first letter.

Plain text, one name per line.

A: 500 names

  • A Badling of Ducks
  • A Bale of Turtles
  • A Band of Gorillas
  • A Banditry of Chickadees
  • A Bank of Komodo Dragons
  • A Barrel of Monkeys
  • A Barren of Mules
  • A Bask of Crocodiles
  • A Battery of Barracudas
  • A Bazaar of Guillemots
  • A Beakful of Toucans
  • A Bed of Clams
  • A Bed of Eels
  • A Bed of Mussels
  • A Bed of Oysters
  • A Bed of Scorpions
  • A Bed of Sloths
  • A Bed of Worms
  • A Bellowing of Bullfinches
  • A Bevy of Quail
  • A Bevy of Roe Deer
  • A Bevy of Swans
  • A Bike of Hornets
  • A Binky of Bunnies
  • A Bite of Midges
  • A Blessing of Narwhals
  • A Bloat of Hippos
  • A Bloom of Jellyfish
  • A Bloom of Tadpoles
  • A Blush of Flamingos
  • A Bob of Seals
  • A Boil of Hawks
  • A Booby of Nuthatches
  • A Boogle of Weasels
  • A Bounce of Kangaroos
  • A Bouquet of Pheasants
  • A Bray of Donkeys
  • A Breach of Humpbacks

A, continued

  • A Brood of Hens
  • A Buffoonery of Orangutans
  • A Building of Rooks
  • A Bumble of Bumblebees
  • A Bury of Rabbits
  • A Bushel of Crabs
  • A Business of Ferrets
  • A Business of Flies
  • A Business of Mongooses
  • A Buzz of Bees
  • A Cackle of Hyenas
  • A Camouflage of Chameleons
  • A Candle of Tapirs
  • A Caravan of Camels
  • A Cardboard Box of Cats
  • A Cartload of Monkeys
  • A Cast of Crabs
  • A Cast of Falcons
  • A Catch of Fish
  • A Cauldron of Bats
  • A Cauldron of Raptors
  • A Cete of Badgers
  • A Chain of Lynx
  • A Charm of Goldfinches
  • A Charm of Hummingbirds
  • A Chatter of Budgerigars
  • A Chattering of Choughs
  • A Cheekful of Hamsters
  • A Chime of Wrens
  • A Chirp of Cicadas
  • A Chorus of Frogs
  • A Circus of Fleas
  • A Circus of Puffins
  • A Clamor of Rooks
  • A Clap of Seals
  • A Clattering of Jackdaws
  • A Clew of Worms
  • A Click of Beetles

A, continued

  • A Click of Dolphins
  • A Cloud of Bats
  • A Cloud of Gnats
  • A Cloud of Grasshoppers
  • A Cloud of Tadpoles
  • A Clowder of Cats
  • A Cluster of Spiders
  • A Clutter of Cats
  • A Coalition of Cheetahs
  • A Cohort of Zebras
  • A Coil of Pythons
  • A Colony of Ants
  • A Colony of Bats
  • A Colony of Coral
  • A Colony of Sea Lions
  • A Colony of Termites
  • A Column of Ants
  • A Committee of Vultures
  • A Company of Angelfish
  • A Conclave of Cardinals
  • A Confusion of Wildebeest
  • A Congregation of Alligators
  • A Congregation of Plovers
  • A Congress of Baboons
  • A Congress of Salamanders
  • A Consortium of Crabs
  • A Consortium of Octopuses
  • A Conspiracy of Lemurs
  • A Conspiracy of Ravens
  • A Constellation of Starfish
  • A Convocation of Eagles
  • A Cornucopia of Slugs
  • A Coterie of Prairie Dogs
  • A Cotillion of Terns
  • A Couple of Spaniels
  • A Court of Kangaroos
  • A Cover of Coots
  • A Covey of Grouse
  • A Covey of Partridges

A, continued

  • A Cowardice of Curs
  • A Crackle of Cockatoos
  • A Crash of Rhinos
  • A Crawl of Caterpillars
  • A Creep of Tortoises
  • A Croak of Toads
  • A Crow of Roosters
  • A Cry of Hounds
  • A Cuddle of Koalas
  • A Curfew of Curlews
  • A Dance of Cranes
  • A Dazzle of Zebras
  • A Deceit of Lapwings
  • A Den of Snakes
  • A Descent of Woodpeckers
  • A Desert of Lapwings
  • A Destruction of Wild Cats
  • A Dissimulation of Birds
  • A Dive-Bomb of Seagulls
  • A Dole of Doves
  • A Dout of Wild Cats
  • A Down of Hares
  • A Dray of Squirrels
  • A Drift of Hogs
  • A Drove of Cattle
  • A Drove of Donkeys
  • A Drumming of Woodpeckers
  • A Fall of Lambs
  • A Fall of Woodcock
  • A Family of Sardines
  • A Farrow of Piglets
  • A Fetch of Retrievers
  • A Fever of Stingrays
  • A Flamboyance of Flamingos
  • A Flange of Baboons
  • A Fleet of Bass
  • A Flight of Dragonflies
  • A Flight of Swallows

A, continued

  • A Fling of Sandpipers
  • A Float of Crocodiles
  • A Flock of Seagulls
  • A Flock of Sheep
  • A Floof of Samoyeds
  • A Flotilla of Swordfish
  • A Fluffle of Rabbits
  • A Flush of Mallards
  • A Fluther of Jellyfish
  • A Flutter of Butterflies
  • A Flutter of Moths
  • A Fold of Sheep
  • A Frenzy of Sharks
  • A Gaggle of Geese
  • A Galaxy of Starfish
  • A Gam of Whales
  • A Game of Swans
  • A Gang of Elk
  • A Garden of Sea Anemones
  • A Gaze of Raccoons
  • A Generation of Vipers
  • A Giggle of Hyenas
  • A Glaring of Cats
  • A Glint of Goldfish
  • A Glow of Glowworms
  • A Gobble of Turkeys
  • A Gossip of Parakeets
  • A Grind of Blackfish
  • A Grist of Bees
  • A Grumble of Pugs
  • A Gulp of Cormorants
  • A Gulp of Swallows
  • A Harem of Seals
  • A Harras of Horses
  • A Hatch of Mayflies
  • A Haul of Fish
  • A Heist of Raccoons
  • A Herd of Bison
  • A Herd of Deer

A, continued

  • A Herd of Seahorses
  • A Herd of Walruses
  • A Herd of Wrens
  • A Hiss of Snakes
  • A Hive of Bees
  • A Hive of Oysters
  • A Hoard of Squirrels
  • A Honk of Geese
  • A Hood of Snails
  • A Hoot of Owls
  • A Hop of Grasshoppers
  • A Horde of Crows
  • A Horde of Hamsters
  • A Host of Sparrows
  • A Hover of Kestrels
  • A Hover of Trout
  • A Howl of Huskies
  • A Howl of Wolves
  • A Huddle of Penguins
  • A Hug of Bears
  • A Hug of Octopuses
  • A Hum of Alpacas
  • A Hurtle of Sheep
  • A Husk of Hares
  • A Journey of Giraffes
  • A Judgment of Cats
  • A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies
  • A Kennel of Dogs
  • A Kettle of Hawks
  • A Keyboard of Cats
  • A Kindle of Kittens
  • A Kit of Pigeons
  • A Knot of Frogs
  • A Knot of Snakes
  • A Knot of Toads
  • A Labor of Moles
  • A Lamentation of Swans
  • A Lap of Cod

A, continued

  • A Leap of Leopards
  • A Leash of Greyhounds
  • A Lek of Grouse
  • A Length of Dachshunds
  • A Light Show of Fireflies
  • A Litter of Puppies
  • A Loaf of Cats
  • A Lodge of Beavers
  • A Loft of Pigeons
  • A Log Jam of Alligators
  • A Lounge of Lizards
  • A Loveliness of Ladybugs
  • A Lump of Toads
  • A Maelstrom of Salamanders
  • A March of Ants
  • A Masquerade of Raccoons
  • A Maul of Bears
  • A Memory of Elephants
  • A Menace of Geese
  • A Mess of Iguanas
  • A Mews of Hawks
  • A Migration of Monarchs
  • A Mischief of Magpies
  • A Mischief of Mice
  • A Mischief of Rats
  • A Mob of Emus
  • A Mob of Kangaroos
  • A Mob of Meerkats
  • A Mob of Sheep
  • A Mockery of Mockingbirds
  • A Moo of Cows
  • A Mud Bath of Warthogs
  • A Muddle of Guinea Pigs
  • A Murder of Crows
  • A Murmuration of Starlings
  • A Museum of Waxwings
  • A Muster of Peacocks
  • A Mustering of Storks
  • A Mutation of Thrushes

A, continued

  • A Mute of Hounds
  • A Nest of Rabbits
  • A Nest of Vipers
  • A Nest of Wasps
  • A Nuisance of House Cats
  • A Nye of Pheasants
  • A Pace of Donkeys
  • A Pack of Coyotes
  • A Pack of Dogs
  • A Pack of Wolves
  • A Paddling of Ducks
  • A Pandemonium of Parrots
  • A Parade of Elephants
  • A Parliament of Owls
  • A Parliament of Rooks
  • A Party of Jays
  • A Party of Rainbow Fish
  • A Passel of Hogs
  • A Passel of Possums
  • A Peck of Chickens
  • A Peep of Chickens
  • A Picnic of Ants
  • A Pinch of Crabs
  • A Pit of Snakes
  • A Piteousness of Doves
  • A Pitying of Turtledoves
  • A Plague of Locusts
  • A Plump of Geese
  • A Plump of Waterfowl
  • A Pod of Dolphins
  • A Pod of Whales
  • A Pomp of Pekingese
  • A Popcorn of Guinea Pigs
  • A Pouch of Joeys
  • A Pounce of Cats
  • A Pounce of Pumas
  • A Prattle of Parrots
  • A Prayer of Godwits

A, continued

  • A Prayer of Mantises
  • A Prickle of Hedgehogs
  • A Prickle of Porcupines
  • A Pride of Lions
  • A Pride of Ostriches
  • A Prowl of Panthers
  • A Puddle of Frogs
  • A Quantity of Smelt
  • A Quarrel of Sparrows
  • A Quiver of Cobras
  • A Rabble of Butterflies
  • A Racket of Cicadas
  • A Radiance of Cardinals
  • A Raft of Ducks
  • A Raft of Otters
  • A Rafter of Turkeys
  • A Rag of Colts
  • A Rake of Colts
  • A Rhumba of Rattlesnakes
  • A Richness of Martens
  • A Risk of Lobsters
  • A Roar of Lions
  • A Roll of Armadillos
  • A Roll of Pill Bugs
  • A Romp of Otters
  • A Rookery of Penguins
  • A Roost of Monarchs
  • A Round of Robins
  • A Rout of Snails
  • A Run of Salmon
  • A Rush Hour of Snails
  • A Sawt of Lions
  • A School of Anchovies
  • A School of Clownfish
  • A School of Fish
  • A School of Piranhas
  • A School of Tuna
  • A Scold of Jays
  • A Scoop of Pelicans

A, continued

  • A Scourge of Mosquitoes
  • A Scream of Swifts
  • A Scurry of Centipedes
  • A Scurry of Squirrels
  • A Scuttle of Cockroaches
  • A Scuttle of Crabs
  • A Scuttle of Skinks
  • A Sedge of Cranes
  • A Shadow of Jaguars
  • A Shell of Tortoises
  • A Shimmer of Hummingbirds
  • A Shiver of Sharks
  • A Shoal of Fish
  • A Shoal of Herring
  • A Shoal of Mackerel
  • A Shoal of Minnows
  • A Shoal of Pike
  • A Shrewdness of Apes
  • A Siege of Bitterns
  • A Siege of Herons
  • A Singular of Boars
  • A Skate of Water Striders
  • A Skein of Geese
  • A Skulk of Foxes
  • A Sleuth of Bears
  • A Slither of Snakes
  • A Sloth of Bears
  • A Smack of Jellyfish
  • A Smile of Crocodiles
  • A Snap of Alligators
  • A Snap of Snapping Turtles
  • A Sneak of Weasels
  • A Snore of Bulldogs
  • A Snuggle of Sloths
  • A Song of Whales
  • A Sord of Mallards
  • A Sounder of Swine
  • A Sounder of Wild Boar

A, continued

  • A Span of Mules
  • A Sparkle of Fireflies
  • A Spit of Llamas
  • A Splash of Otters
  • A Sploot of Corgis
  • A Spot of Dalmatians
  • A Spring of Teal
  • A Squabble of Seagulls
  • A Squad of Squid
  • A Squadron of Manta Rays
  • A Squadron of Pelicans
  • A Squawk of Macaws
  • A Squeak of Mice
  • A Squeeze of Boa Constrictors
  • A Stand of Flamingos
  • A Stare of Owls
  • A Stash of Chipmunks
  • A Stench of Skunks
  • A Stick of Geckos
  • A Stick of Stick Insects
  • A Sting of Jellyfish
  • A Stomp of Dinosaurs
  • A Stoop of Peregrines
  • A Storytelling of Rooks
  • A Streak of Tigers
  • A Stretch of Giraffes
  • A String of Ponies
  • A Stubbornness of Rhinos
  • A Stud of Mares
  • A Sunbathe of Geckos
  • A Surfeit of Skunks
  • A Swarm of Bees
  • A Swarm of Eels
  • A Swarm of Krill
  • A Swarm of Locusts
  • A Swoop of Bats
  • A Tangle of Garter Snakes
  • A Tangle of Octopuses
  • A Team of Horses

A, continued

  • A Team of Oxen
  • A Terror of Tyrannosaurs
  • A Thunder of Hippos
  • A Tiding of Magpies
  • A Tittering of Magpies
  • A Tower of Giraffes
  • A Trace of Hares
  • A Traffic Jam of Tortoises
  • A Trembling of Finches
  • A Tribe of Goats
  • A Trip of Goats
  • A Troop of Baboons
  • A Troop of Chimpanzees
  • A Troop of Dogfish
  • A Troop of Monkeys
  • A Troubling of Goldfish
  • A Troupe of Shrimp
  • A Trumpet of Elephants
  • A Tumble of Pandas
  • A Turmoil of Porpoises
  • A Turn of Turtles
  • A Tusk of Narwhals
  • A Tuxedo of Penguins
  • A Ubiquity of Sparrows
  • A Waddle of Penguins
  • A Wag of Puppies
  • A Wake of Buzzards
  • A Wake of Vultures
  • A Walk of Snails
  • A Walk of Snipe
  • A Warren of Rabbits
  • A Watch of Nightingales
  • A Web of Spiders
  • A Wedge of Swans
  • A Weight of Albatrosses
  • A Whisper of Moths
  • A Whiteness of Swans
  • A Whoop of Gorillas

A, continued

  • A Wiggle of Earthworms
  • A Wisdom of Owls
  • A Wisdom of Wombats
  • A Wisp of Snipe
  • A Wobble of Ducklings
  • A Workforce of Beavers
  • A Wriggle of Worms
  • A Yap of Chihuahuas
  • A Yawn of Hippos
  • A Yodel of Loons
  • A Yoke of Oxen
  • A Zeal of Zebras
  • A Zoom of Greyhounds
  • A Zoomie of Puppies
  • An Aerie of Eagles
  • An Aggregation of Manatees
  • An Ambush of Tigers
  • An Army of Ants
  • An Army of Caterpillars
  • An Army of Frogs
  • An Army of Herring
  • An Array of Hedgehogs
  • An Audience of Squid
  • An Aurora of Polar Bears
  • An Earful of Waxwings
  • An Earth of Foxes
  • An Eclipse of Moths
  • An Embarrassment of Pandas
  • An Escargatoire of Snails
  • An Exaltation of Larks
  • An Implausibility of Gnus
  • An Improbability of Puffins
  • An Intrigue of Kittens
  • An Intrusion of Cockroaches
  • An Obstinacy of Buffalo
  • An Omniscience of Godwits
  • An Orchestra of Crickets
  • An Ostentation of Peacocks
  • An Unkindness of Ravens