Cow Name Generator

Cow names have a longer tradition than almost any other farm animal name. Bessie, Daisy, Buttercup, Clover, Elsie and Bertha are the classics, sturdy old-fashioned names that farmers gave to dairy cows they milked by hand every day for a decade or more. Add flowers and pasture words (Clover, Meadow, Bluebell, Primrose) and you have the core of the traditional list. Famous cattle extend it: Elsie the Borden cow, Ferdinand the peaceful bull, Otis from Barnyard, Norman from City Slickers, Clarabelle from Disney, Milky White from Into the Woods and Mrs. O'Leary's legendary Chicago cow.

Colour and breed give you the next layer. Black-and-white Holsteins collect names like Oreo, Domino, Patches, Panda and Cookies & Cream; fawn Jerseys and Guernseys get Caramel, Honey, Butterscotch and Latte; red Herefords and Angus get Rusty, Big Red, Copper or simply Angus; and shaggy Highland cattle almost always get Scottish names like Hamish, Morag, Fergus and Bonnie. Dairy cows attract dairy names (Buttermilk, Brie, Gouda, Cheesecake), while bulls and steers get tough or tongue-in-cheek names such as Brutus, Tank, T-Bone and Sir Loin.

Puns are a proud part of cow culture, from Moona Lisa and Moodonna to Cowabunga, and this list keeps the best of them without letting them crowd out names you would happily paint on a barn stall.