Bat Name Generator

Bat names usually pull from three directions. Night and sound come first, because bats are nocturnal echolocators: Vesper (Latin for evening, and the root of vesper bats), Nocturne, Echo, Sonar, Dusk and Umbra all sit naturally on a bat. Second is fiction and folklore. Bartok from Anastasia, Fidget from The Great Mouse Detective, Stellaluna from the picture book, Rouge from Sonic, and Zubat and Noibat from Pokemon are among the best-known bat characters, and vampire lore contributes Vlad, Orlok, Carmilla, Mavis and Alucard. Third is the animal itself: fruit bats and flying foxes eat mango, fig and nectar; the tiny bumblebee bat (Kitti's hog-nosed bat) is the smallest mammal alive; and species names such as Pipistrelle, Myotis and Rousette make surprisingly elegant given names.

Tone matters. A plush bat or a nursery character wants something soft and squeaky (Pip, Fuzz, Nibbles, Beans), a gothic OC or Halloween mascot wants velvet and shadow (Belladonna, Lenore, Crypt, Nox), and a real rehab bat or a wildlife-center ambassador is often named for its markings or a bit of habitat (Speckle, Longears, Belfry, Grotto).

Many of these names double as good choices for other night creatures, so they suit a moth, an owl or a black cat that keeps bat hours.