Ant Name Generator
Names for ants, queens and whole colonies
Generate names for ants and ant colonies: ant puns like Antony and Antoinette, queen and worker names, famous ants from A Bug's Life and Antz, real genus names such as Formica and Atta, picnic-raid names, and tiny-but-mighty names for a creature that lifts fifty times its own weight.
About ant names
Ant names fall into a few clear families. Puns come first, because the syllable is hiding in so many real names: Antony, Anthony, Antoinette, Antonio, Antigone, Samantha and Atlanta all read as ant names once you look, and Ant-Man, Atom Ant and Adam Ant are the pop-culture versions. Famous fictional ants supply a second layer: Flik, Atta and Dot from A Bug's Life, Z, Bala, Weaver and General Mandible from Antz, and Zoc and Hova from The Ant Bully. Real myrmecology adds names such as Formica (wood ants), Lasius, Myrmica, Atta (leafcutters), Solenopsis (fire ants), Camponotus (carpenters), Eciton (army ants) and the Myrmidons, Achilles' soldiers, said to be ants turned into men.
The third family describes what ants do. One queen rules a colony, so Regina, Her Majesty, Empress and Matriarch suit her; workers get job names such as Forager, Scout, Sentry, Nurse, Digger and Carrier, and the big-headed soldiers are Majors. Picnic-raid names (Crumb, Sugarlump, Syrup, Sticky) and strength names (Atlas, Hercules, Mighty Mite) round out the pool, with tiny names like Speck, Pip, Mote and Poppy Seed. Species nicknames, ant-keeping terms and foreign words for ant complete the list.
For a pet colony, name the queen and the colony itself; individual workers are interchangeable by design, which is why giving one a solemn name like Gerald is funny.
How to choose ant names
- Name the queen first and let the colony take her name (Queen Formicia's colony becomes the Formicia Mound); workers can share a job-based naming scheme like Scout, Sentry and Forager.
- For a story or classroom project, pair an ant pun with a job: Antoinette the Nurse, Antony the Forager, Samantha the Scout.
- Match the name to the species: Ember, Cayenne and Scorch for red fire ants, Onyx, Soot and Inky for black garden ants, Timber and Sawdust for carpenter ants, and Cutter or Leafbearer for leafcutters.
- Strength names (Atlas, Hercules, Titan) and tiny names (Speck, Mote, Pip) both work; the joke is funnier when the name is the opposite of the size.
- If you keep a formicarium, name the colony as a whole (Crumb Street Colony, Windowsill Nation, Mound Seventeen) because individual workers are impossible to tell apart.
Frequently asked questions
What are good names for a queen ant?
Regal names fit best: Regina, Reina, Empress, Matriarch, Her Majesty, Queen Formicia or a pun such as Queen Antoinette. Many keepers also name the queen after the month she was caught on her nuptial flight or the species, for example a Lasius queen becomes Lady Lasius or Queen Lasia.
Who are the famous ants in movies and cartoons?
Flik, Princess Atta and Dot from A Bug's Life; Z, Princess Bala, Weaver, Azteca and General Mandible from Antz; Zoc, Hova, Kreela and Fugax from The Ant Bully; Antony the flying ant from Ant-Man; and Atom Ant from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon.
What are some funny ant names?
Puns (Antony, Antoinette, Samantha, Ant-Man), oversized names for a tiny insect (Hercules, Atlas, Goliath, Tank), military ranks for six-legged soldiers (Sergeant Sixlegs, Captain Crumb, Private Pebble) and perfectly ordinary names like Gerald, Kevin and Doris on an anonymous worker.
Should I name my whole ant colony or individual ants?
Name the queen and the colony; workers look identical and live only months, so individual names rarely stick. Colony names like The Sugar Hill Colony, Backyard Legion or Mound Seventeen are what most ant keepers use, with the queen's name attached.
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All 1,000 ant names
A: 103 names
- Aardvark
- Acacia Guard
- Account-Ant
- Acorn
- Acorn Cap
- Acrobat
- Acromyrmex
- Adam Ant
- Admiral Anthill
- Aeacus
- Aegina
- Aenictus
- Aesop
- After the Rain
- Agnes
- Alate
- Alfie
- Amber
- Ameise
- Andante
- Anochetus
- Anoplolepis
- Ant Farm Annie
- Ant Misbehavin'
- Ant-Bob
- Ant-Man
- Antagonist
- Antal
- Antarctica
- Antares
- Antbird
- Antcestor
- Anteater
- Antechamber
- Antek
- Antelope
- Antenna
- Antennella
- Antero
- Anthea
- Anthem
- Anthill Annie
- Anthill Heights
- Anthology
- Anthony
- Anthracite
- Antics
- Antidote
- Antie
- Antigone
- Antigua
A, continued
- Antihero
- Antilles
- Antimatter
- Antimony
- Antioch
- Antipasto
- Antique
- Antlantic City
- Antler
- Antoine
- Antoinette
- Antoinette the Nurse
- Anton
- Antonella
- Antonia
- Antonin
- Antonina
- Antonio
- Antonius
- Antony
- Antony the Forager
- Antonym
- Antpitta
- Antrim
- Antsel
- Antshrike
- Antsy
- Antsy Pantsy
- Antti
- Antwan
- Antwerp
- Aphaenogaster
- Aphid
- Aphid Herder
- Aphid Rancher Ruth
- Apple Core
- Apterostigma
- Ari
- Army Ant Annie
- Assist-Ant
- Atlanta
- Atlantis
- Atlas
- Atom
- Atom Ant
- Atta
- Atta Cephalotes
- Atta Sexdens
- Auntie Ant
- Avanti
- Azcatl
- Azteca
B: 49 names
- Back Door
- Backhoe
- Backyard Legion
- Bala
- Bane
- Banter
- Barbara
- Barbatus
- Barkley
- Baron von Mound
- Baroness Burrow
- Bartholomew
- Bartleby
- Baseboard Brigade
- Bead
- Beatrice
- Beowulf
- Big Mama
- Big Red
- Big-Headed Betty
- Biscuit
- Bitsy
- Bivouac
- Black Garden Bob
- Blood-Red Bess
- Bon Vivant
- Bootprint
- Bottle Cap Borough
- Brachymyrmex
- Bramble
- Brawn
- Breadcrumb
- Breadline Bill
- Bridge Builder
- Brilliant
- Brood Mother
- Brood Nurse Bettie
- Brood Pile
- Bruiser
- Brute
- Bucket Brigade
- Builder Bea
- Bulldog
- Bullet
- Buoyant
- Burrowbeth
- Burrowes
- Bustle
- Busybody
C: 77 names
- Callow
- Camponotus
- Camponotus Herculeanus
- Camponotus Maximus
- Candy Floss
- Captain Crumb
- Captain Scuttlebutt
- Carapace
- Caravan
- Caraway
- Cardiocondyla
- Carebara
- Carl
- Carpenter
- Carpenter Cole
- Carrier
- Carrier Cal
- Cataglyphis
- Cataglyphis Bombycina
- Cayenne
- Cedar Stump Colony
- Centurion
- Cephalotes
- Cereal Shelf Expedition
- Chamber
- Charlie Ant
- Cheenti
- Chester
- Chili
- Chitin
- Chitina
- Chomper
- Cinder
- Citronella
- Clackers
- Clarence
- Claustral
- Claydon
C, continued
- Clicker
- Clothesline Colony
- Clover
- Clydesdale
- Clypeus
- Cobbleton
- Colobopsis
- Colonel Cutter
- Colonel Sugarcube
- Colony of the Cracked Slab
- Column
- Commandant
- Compost Heap Commune
- Confidant
- Conga Line
- Consult-Ant
- Convoy
- Cookie
- Copper
- Cornelius
- Corporal Crumbsnatcher
- Countertop Commando
- Crabgrass Clan
- Crane
- Crazy Ant
- Crematogaster
- Crimson
- Crop
- Crumb
- Crumb Street Colony
- Crumbcake
- Crumbhunter
- Crumblet
- Crumbsworth
- Crumbthief
- Crusher
- Cutter
- Cyphomyrmex
- Czarina
D: 46 names
- Daceton
- Dame Digger
- Dame Dirt
- Dame September
- Dandelion
- Deadlift
- Deadwood
- Dealate
- Debutante
- Decimal
- Defiant
- Delver
- Demerara
- Desert Sprinter
- Deviled Egg
- Diacamma
- Digby
- Digger
- Digger Dan
- Diggory
- Dinoponera
- Dinosaur Ant
- Dirt Tower
- Dirtbert
- Dirtwhisker
- Dirtwood
- Dodger
- Dolichoderus
- Donut Hole
- Door Guard
- Doorstep Dynasty
- Doris
- Dorothy
- Dorylus
- Dot
- Double Time
- Dr. Flora
- Dracula Ant
- Driver
- Driveway Dominion
- Drone
- Dropped Lollipop
- Duke of Dirt
- Dump Truck
- Dust Bunny
- Dusty
E: 28 names
- Earl of Earth
- Echidna
- Eciton
- Eciton Burchellii
- Ectatomma
- Edna
- Eggbert
- Eggplant
- Elbow
- Elegant
- Elephant
- Elmer
- Ember
- Emmett
- Employee of the Month
- Empress
- Empress Formica
- Empress of the Underground
- Enchantress
- Ensign Eggshell
- Enzo
- Ergate
- Ernest
- Erumbu
- Eusocial
- Excavator
- Exo
- Eyelash
F: 40 names
- Fantasia
- Ferdy
- Fernwick
- Field Marshal Fig
- Fig Jam
- Fire Ant Fred
- Fire Queen Solenopsa
- Firebrand
- First Worker
- Fleck
- Fleetfoot
- Flik
- Flint
- Flood Survivor
- Flowerpot Kingdom
- Flying Ant Day
- Forager
- Forager Fifi
- Foreman
- Forklift
- Formic
- Formica
- Formica Fusca
- Formica Rufa
- Formicaio
- Formicarium
- Formicia Mound
- Formiga
- Formigueiro
- Formiko
- Founder
- Foundress
- Fourmi
- Freight Train
- Fugax
- Full Stop
- Fungus Farmer
- Fungus Garden
- Furnica
- Furrowed Fay
G: 36 names
- Gaemi
- Gallant
- Gallery
- Gallivant
- Garden Gus
- Garden Hose
- Garden Shed Assembly
- Garden Wall Guild
- Gargantua
- Gary
- Gaster
- Gasterina
- General Granule
- General Mandible
- Gerald
- Gertrude
- Ghost Ant
- Giant
- Giant Killer
- Gigantiops
- Goliath
- Grain of Sand
- Grain Sorter
- Grainsworth
- Granary
- Grandmother Mound
- Grant
- Grasshopper's Neighbor
- Gravelton
- Green Tree Gwen
- Greenhouse Republic
- Greg
- Grenadier
- Grit
- Grub
- Gyne
H: 48 names
- Haidomyrmex
- Half-Pint
- Hamper
- Hangya
- Hardhead
- Harold
- Harpagoxenus
- Harpegnathos
- Harpegnathos Saltator
- Harvester
- Hatchling
- Hauler
- Heavy Lifter
- Hedge Bottom Mound
- Her Majesty
- Her Royal Smallness
- Her Tinyness
- Herbert
- Hercules
- Hester
- High Hopes
- Hilda
- Hill
- Hill Number Nine
- Hill Warden
- Hillstone
- Hive Mind
- Homer
- Honey
- Honeydew
- Honeypot
- Honeystick
- Horace
- Hormiga
- Hormiguero
- Hormiguita
- Horned Lizard
- House of Formica
- Hova
- Hugo
- Hulk
- Humus
- Hup Two Three
- Hurrah Hurrah
- Hustle
- Hydrant
- Hydration Station
- Hydraulic
I: 12 names
- Icing
- Imperatrix
- Import-Ant
- Independ-Ant
- Industrious
- Inf-Ant
- Inkblot
- Inkwell
- Inky
- Intern
- Inurri
- Iridomyrmex
J: 11 names
- Jack Jumper
- Jackhammer
- Jalapeno
- Jam Jar Jim
- Jam Tart
- Jamface
- Jelly
- Jellybean
- Jet Black Jack
- Jit
- Jubilant
K: 8 names
- Kaiserin
- Karinca
- Kevin
- Kien
- Kingdom Under the Paver
- Kitchen Counter Crew
- Kitchen Kevin
- Kreela
L: 45 names
- Labidus
- Lady Eggsworth
- Lady Formica
- Lady Larder
- Lady Lasius
- Lady Leafcutter
- Lady Marchalot
- Lady Midsummer
- Lady of the Mound
- Lance Corporal Lint
- Langgam
- Larva
- Lasius
- Lasius Flavus
- Lasius Niger
- Lawn Edge Legion
- Lawnmower
- Leaf Cutter Lou
- Leaf Folder
- Leafbearer
- Leafcutter
- Leafy
- Left Right Left
- Leftovers
- Legion of One
- Legionnaire
- Leiningen
- Lemonade
- Leptogenys
- Leptothorax
- Lever
- Lieutenant
- Line Leader
- Linepithema
- Little Atlas
- Little Black
- Living Bridge
- Loam
- Loamfoot
- Longlegs
- Lord Leafcutter
- Los Antgeles
- Lower Burrowton
- Lunchbox
- Lunchroom Floor Crew
M: 95 names
- Mabel
- Mack
- Madame Mound
- Magellan
- Magnifying Glass
- Maharani
- Mailbox Post Colony
- Major
- Major Minor
- Mama Mound
- Mandibella
- Mandible
- Mandy Mandible
- Manica
- Mantle
- Marabunta
- Marching Mike
- Marching One by One
- Marmalade
- Martialis Heureka
- Mason Max
- Master Mandible
- Matriarch
- Maur
- Mayi
- Meat Ant
- Melon Seed
- Melophorus
- Meranoplus
- Merchant
- Mesosoma
- Messor
- Messor Barbarus
- Metapleural
- Midden
- Middle Manager
- Mier
- Mierenhoop
- Mighty
- Mighty Mite
- Mildred
- Millet
- Miner
- Minim
- Minor
- Minuscule
- Mirmigi
M, continued
- Miss Morsel
- Mister Mound
- Monomorium
- Monomorium Pharaonis
- Montgomery
- Morgrugyn
- Morsel
- Morsel of Dust
- Mortimer
- Moss
- Mossbrook
- Mosswood
- Mote
- Mother Mound
- Mother of Millions
- Mother Tunnel
- Mound
- Mound Marshal
- Mound Seventeen
- Mr. Soil
- Mrav
- Mravec
- Mravenec
- Mravka
- Mrowka
- Muddy
- Mudrick
- Mum of Thousands
- Muncher
- Murakha
- Muravey
- Muscovado
- Mustard Seed
- Muurahainen
- Myra
- Myre
- Myrmecia
- Myrmecia Gulosa
- Myrmecocystus
- Myrmella
- Myrmex
- Myrmica
- Myrmica Rubra
- Myrmicaria
- Myrmidon
- Myrna
- Myrtle
- Mystrium
N: 27 names
- Namla
- Nanitic
- Nantucket
- Naonao
- Nectar
- Neivamyrmex
- Nemala
- Nest Entrance
- Nestmate
- New Antsterdam
- Nibbles
- Nigella
- Night Shift Nora
- Nipper
- Nonchalant
- Nonpareil
- Noon Runner
- Norman
- Nothomyrmecia
- Novomessor
- Nubbin
- Number Eleven
- Nuptial Flight
- Nurse
- Nursery
- Nutkin
- Nylanderia
O: 15 names
- Oak Root Nation
- Ocellus
- Ochre
- Odontomachus
- Odorous Otis
- Oecophylla
- Oecophylla Smaragdina
- Old Queen Ember
- Old Sixlegs
- Old Stump Citadel
- Onyx
- Ounce
- Outworld
- Overtime Olive
- Ox
P: 80 names
- Pachycondyla
- Pack Mule
- Pageant
- Pangolin
- Pantry Pat
- Pantry Raid
- Paraponera
- Paraponera Clavata
- Paratrechina
- Pathfinder
- Patience
- Patio Patrol
- Paul Bunyan
- Pavement
- Paving Crack Commonwealth
- Payload
- Pea Shooter
- Peach Pit
- Pebble
- Pebble Pearl
- Pebbleton
- Pebblewick
- Penny
- Peony Bud Patrol
- Pepper
- Peppercorn
- Percival
- Petiola
- Petiole
- Pheidole
- Pheidole Megacephala
- Pheromone
- Pickaxe
- Picnic
- Picnic Jack
- Picnic Pirate
- Picnic Polly
- Picnic Table Raiders
- Pincer
- Pincerella
P, continued
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinchy
- Pine Needle
- Pinecone Parliament
- Pinprick
- Pip
- Pipilika
- Pismire
- Plagiolepis
- Playground Edge Colony
- Pocket Hercules
- Pogonomyrmex
- Pogonomyrmex Barbatus
- Polyergus
- Polymorph
- Polyrhachis
- Ponera
- Popokorua
- Poppy Seed
- Popsicle Stick
- Porter
- Postpetiole
- Potato Salad
- Powerlifter
- Prenolepis
- Pretzel
- Prince Pebble
- Princess Atta
- Princess Bala
- Princess Pip
- Private Pebble
- Private Pincher
- Proceratium
- Propodeum
- Prudence
- Pseudomyrmex
- Psyche's Helper
- Puddle Jumper
- Pulley
- Pupa
Q: 33 names
- Quadrant
- Quarter-Inch
- Quartermaster
- Queen Antoinette
- Queen Atta
- Queen Attalia
- Queen August
- Queen Brooda
- Queen Camponota
- Queen Cell
- Queen Crumbella
- Queen Flying Day
- Queen Formicia
- Queen Honeydew
- Queen July
- Queen Lasia
- Queen Loamira
- Queen Messoria
- Queen Myrmidia
- Queen of the First Rain
- Queen of the Hill
- Queen Pebblina
- Queen Pheidola
- Queen Regina
- Queen Scuttlina
- Queen Solstice
- Queen Sugarplum
- Queen Tetramoria
- Queen Thermidor
- Queen Thimblina
- Queenie
- Quickstep
- Quinoa
R: 24 names
- Radiant
- Raft
- Rafter
- Rain Gutter Federation
- Rank and File
- Ration Run
- Rearguard
- Recruit Rootlet
- Red Regina
- Red Wood Rita
- Regina
- Reginald
- Reina
- Replete
- Restaurant Critic
- Rhubarb Patch Realm
- Rhytidoponera
- Rootly
- Rootwick
- Rotten Log Republic
- Rubber Tree
- Ruby
- Russet
- Rusty
S: 109 names
- Samantha
- Samantha the Scout
- Samson
- Sand Crown
- Sandbox Syndicate
- Sandhurst
- Sandwalker
- Sandwich
- Sandy
- Santa Ant
- Santiago
- Sapper
- Sapper Sue
- Savant
- Sawdust
- Scamper
- Scape
- Scarlet
- Scent Trail
- Scintilla
- Scorch
- Scout
- Scout Sally
- Scruple
- Scurrybrook
- Scuttle
- Second Helping
- Seed Miller
- Seed Store
- Seedcase
- Seedhauler
- Seedling
- Semicolon
- Semut
- Sentry
- Sergeant Ant
- Sergeant Scurry
- Sergeant Sixlegs
- Sesame
- Shadow
- Shift Supervisor
- Shortcake
- Shovel
- Siafu
- Sidewalk
- Sienna
- Significant Other
- Silk Stitcher
- Silver Sahara
- Single File
- Sipelgas
- Sir Forage
- Sir Nibbles-a-Lot
- Sir Speck
S, continued
- Sister Six Thousand
- Sisyphus
- Six Million Sisters
- Sixer
- Sixfoot
- Sixpack
- Skitter
- Skudra
- Smidge
- Smokey
- Snacky
- Snapper
- Soldier
- Soldier Sid
- Solenopsis
- Solenopsis Geminata
- Solenopsis Invicta
- Solomon's Ant
- Soot
- Speck
- Sphecomyrma
- Spilled Soda
- Spiny Sam
- Sprig
- Sprinkler
- Sprinkles
- Sprout
- Steamroller
- Stenamma
- Stepping Stone States
- Steve
- Sticky
- Stinger
- Stonelift
- Strongman
- Strumigenys
- Stump Stanley
- Subterra
- Sugar
- Sugar Bowl Sue
- Sugar Scout
- Sugarfoot
- Sugarline
- Sugarlump
- Sugarsnatch
- Sultana
- Sunbaker
- Supercolony
- Supply Line
- Swarm Raid
- Swarm Season
- Sweet Raider
- Sweet Tooth
- Syrup
- Syrup Sam
T: 80 names
- Tabasco
- Tablecloth
- Tall Grass Tribe
- Tandem Runner
- Tank
- Tapinoma
- Taproot
- Tarantella
- Tea Leaf
- Teaspoon
- Temnothorax
- Temperance
- Tenant
- Test Tube
- Test Tube Number One
- Tetramorium
- Tetramorium Caespitum
- Tetraponera
- That One
- The Bird Bath Confederacy
- The Boot
- The Crumb Exchange
- The Egg Layer
- The Fence Post Union
- The Founding Dozen
- The Gravel Path Gang
- The Great Below
- The Little One
- The Long Line
- The One on the Left
- The Patio Collective
- The Porch Light Colony
- The Rose Bed Regiment
- The Sidewalk Empire
- The Sisterhood
- The Sugar Hill Colony
- The Under-Fridge Society
- Thief Ant
- Thimble
- Third Brick from the Left
T, continued
- Thistle
- Thoraxa
- Thorny
- Thrifty
- Thumbtack
- Tidbit
- Tik
- Timber
- Tiny
- Tiny Titan
- Titan
- Titanomyrma
- Tittle
- Toddle
- Tomato Bed Township
- Toni
- Tony
- Topsoil
- Toter
- Tower of Sisters
- Trachymyrmex
- Trail Boss
- Trail Mix
- Trailblazer
- Trailmaker
- Trapjaw
- Treetop
- Triumphant
- Trophallaxis
- Truant
- Trundle
- Tumble
- Tunnel Tess
- Tunnel Town
- Tunnel Vision
- Tunnelby
- Tunnelsworth
- Turtle Ant
- Twig
- Twigbearer
U: 5 names
- Umber
- Underbark
- Underhill
- Union Rep
- Unit 734
V: 4 names
- Vagrant
- Valiant
- Velvety Tree
- Vigilant
W: 19 names
- Wallace
- Warrant Officer
- Wasmannia
- Watermelon Rind
- Weaver
- Wheelbarrow
- Whit
- Winch
- Windowsill Nation
- Windowsill Wanda
- Wingdrop
- Winged One
- Winston
- Winter Stores
- Woodrow
- Workaholic
- Worker 42
- Worker Bee Impostor
- Worker Ninety-Nine
Y: 1 name
- Yellow Meadow