The best name for your brand-new filly or mare can be intimidating and challenging, particularly knowing that the name will be hers for several decades. Not to worry—our list of female horse names suitable for fillies and mares covers various categories to choose from. Happy naming!

Photo by Terri Cage/Adobe Stock

Popular Female Horse Names

These tried and tested names are very popular and with good reason. If you’re looking for great ideas, these horse names are always a solid choice.

• Angel
• Bailey
• Beauty
• Bella
• Charm
• Cheyenne
• Clover
• Cookie
• Dancer
• Dolly
• Dream
• Duchess
• Ella
• Ellie
• Emma
• Fancy
• Flicka
• Freckles
• Glory
• Grace
• Hazel
• Holly
• Honey
• Jane
• Jewel
• Kylie
• Lady
• Lexi
• Lucy
• Lucky
• Magic
• Meadow
• Melody
• Misty
• Paris
• Peach
• Poppy
• Prada
• Pumpkin
• Rose
• Rumor
• Sadie
• Sally
• Sandy
• Sassy
• Savannah
• Scarlet
• Sierra
• Star
• Sugar
• Summer
• Sundance
• Symphony
• Tess
• Twilight
• Whisper
• Willow
• Winnie
• Zoe

Unique Female Horse Names

Photo by Tanya/Adobe Stock

• Carnival
• Dahlia
• Fleur
• Kiva
• Lollipop
• Sansa
• Sequoia
• Tulip

Female Horse Names by Color

Your horse’s color can be a great source of inspiration when coming up with a name for your filly and mare. Check out these names with a female flair, all inspired by coat color.

Bay and Brown Female Horse Names

Photo by vprotastchik/Adobe Stock

• Adobe
• Brandy
• Briar
• Java
• Roxy

Chestnut Female Horse Names

Photo by callipso88/Adobe Stock

• Amber
• Autumn
• Cinnamon
• Coco
• Garnet
• Ginger
• Hershey
• Latte
• Maple
• Mocha
• Penny
• Ruby
• Sable
• Sienna

Gray Female Horse Names

Photo by Viktoria Makarova

• Arctic
• Blizzard
• Dreamer
• Faith
• Iris
• Jasmine
• Moon
• Moonbeam
• Moondance
• Moonlight
• Nova
• Orchid
• Silver
• Snowdrop

Black Female Horse Names

Photo by anjajuli/Adobe Stock

• Nyx 
• Onyx
• Raven
• Eclipse 
• Shadow 
• Noir
• Midnight 
• Velvet
• Salem 
• Mystique 
• Ember 
• Jett
• Luna 
• Ebony

Funny and Cute Female Horse Names

Photo by Rita Kochmarjova/Adobe Stock

• Bubbles
• Fifi
• Pebbles
• Pickles
• Sprinkles
• Tater Tot
• Twinkles

Tips for Naming Your Mare or Filly

If you’re just getting acquainted with your horse, it might be helpful to let her go without a name for a few weeks. As her personality develops, you may get ideas for names that are unique and suit her perfectly. Each horse is unique, and her habits, behaviors, and preferences could provide inspiration for the ideal name.

When you’re ready to settle on a name, start by making a list of names you like. There are many ways to find excellent name suggestions. The color of your horse, her breed, or even the discipline you ride can serve as starting points for brainstorming ideas.

If you’re not familiar with your horse’s bloodlines, the possibilities are endless. Song titles, lyrics, and popular phrases can be great sources for coming up with a barn or registered name. If you’re required to name your horse for a registry, be sure to check the naming guidelines before investing too much time in brainstorming.

When choosing a barn name for your horse, there are no restrictions, but there are some practical guidelines to consider. Select a name that is simple to pronounce and not too long. And, of course, most importantly, find a name that perfectly fits your filly or mare.

This article about female horse names is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post 100+ Best Female Horse Names for Your Mare or Filly appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

There’s something magical about naming a horse. We start off as children with little plastic equines that we stable on our bookcases. We give those horses names like Star or Jet. Then we move up to digital models that we pilot through the pixelated worlds of our computer games. We give those horses names like Bramble or Lucky. But when it actually comes down to naming a real live horse, you’ll have to give it a little more thought.

Photo by Terri Cage/Adobe Stock

While there may be 101 things that are far more important to consider when bringing home a new horse, somehow choosing the perfect name skyrockets to the top of the priority list. What’s more fun that carefully pondering all of the choices and ultimately selecting the best and most wonderful name? But with limitless possibilities, how do you narrow down the options and make your choice? You know only one name is going to be the right one. So how do you decide?

When naming a horse, you want to choose a name that will be the perfect fit. Maybe the name will reference the horse’s color in some way, or its personality, or its breed or bloodlines. Below, we’ve compiled several different lists, each distinctly suited to different types of horses (and ponies!). We’ve tried not to be too obvious, but if you truly feel that “The Black” is the best name for your ebony-coated equine, you can certainly feel free to go ahead and use it. But for the purposes of these lists, we have tried to move further away from clichés and find creative names that will capture your horse’s qualities and make you smile.

Coat Color Names

Horses are often given names that refer in some way to their coat color or pattern. For example, chestnuts get “red” names like Garnet, Ginger, or Flame. A horse’s coat color is a distinctive part of who he is, so it’s natural to want to incorporate that characteristic into a name. Here are lists of color names that are a bit off the beaten path.

Photo by Terri Cage/Adobe Stock

Black Horse Names

• Enigma
• Midnight
• Storm
• Dahlia
• Raven
• Cherry
• Velvet
• Domino (for a black horse with white markings)
• Jaguar
• Ebony
• Onyx
• Noir
• Belle
• Flicka
• Jet
• Echo
• Angus
• Shadow
• Pirate
• Blackjack
• Harley
• Phantom
• Bandit

Bay and Brown Horse Names

• Clay
• Cleveland
• Adobe
• Mocha
• Teddy
• Chewbacca
• Bear
• Rusty
• Kit Kat
• Brandy
• Briar
• Dusty
• Snickers

Chestnut Horse Names

• Toffee
• Cappuccino
• Brownie
• Copper
• Swiss
• Nutmeg
• Penny
• Ginger
• Brick
• Fawn
• Cinnamon
• Autumn
• Sable
• Sandy
• Sienna
• Maple
• Hazel
• Nutella
• Cocoa
• Opie
• Whiskey
• Amber
• Red
• Marigold
• Tawny
• Hazelnut
• Russell
• Grizzly
• Rose

Palomino and Buckskin Horse Names

• Eclipse
• Platinum
• Bambi
• Glimmer
• Sundrop
• Aurora
• Aurelia
• Biscotti
• Nugget
• Sunburst
• Clementine
• Paloma
• Zelda
• Epona
• Lux
• Blondie
• Rapunzel
• Spirit
• Trapper
• Ed
• Barbie
• Sunny
• Daisy

Gray Horse Names

• Snowball
• Napoleon
• Pepper
• Lacey
• Traveller
• Greg
• Coal
• Hugo
• Picasso
• Crystal
• Moonlight
• Frosty
• Alaska
• Jasper
• Snowden
• Silver
• Sterling
• Pegasus
• Blizzard
• Pearl
• Cloud
• Casper
• Diamond
• Starlight

Pinto Horse Names

• Scout
• Little Joe
• Jigsaw
• Rain
• Hidalgo
• Patch
• Pirate
• Marble
• Sparkle
• Bean
• Paint
• Picasso
• Splash
• Flash
• Fancy

Type-of-Horse Names

Many horsey people like to name their horses something that relates to their breed. Most breeds have a specific ‘style’ of name; for example, Arabians are often given Egyptian-inspired names, while Welsh Ponies often sport Welsh-inspired names and spellings. Here, however, we’re going to take a look at wider categories of horse types instead of individual breeds.

Photo by Rita Kochmarjova/Adobe Stock

Draft Horse Names

• Monte
• Baymax
• Goliath
• Giant
• Thor
• Banner
• Hercules
• Maximus
• Denali
• Tank
• Bruno
• Jupiter

Sport Horse Names

• Challenger
• Jet
• Power
• Victory
• Fargo
• Bolt
• Billie Jean
• Brady
• Jordan
• Simone
• Phelps
• Serena
• Messi
• LeBron
• Kobe
• Montana
• Gretzky
• Bo
• Pharaoh (or use the infamous misspelling “Pharoah” if you’re a racing fan!)

Western Horse Names

• Bonney
• Trigger
• Champ
• Oakley
• Billy
• Cisco
• Rio
• Dale
• Gene
• Cash
• Chisholm
• Augustus
• Cochise
• Hank
• Ranger
• Whiskey
• Gunner
• Maverick
• Bronco
• Chico
• Champion
• Bonanza
• Calamity Jane
• Reeves
• Sundance
• Davy
• Cassidy
• Sheriff
• Oakley
• Jesse
• Stetson

Pony Names

• Buttons
• Misty
• Dolly
• Cookie
• Charlie Brown
• Olaf
• Sebastian
• Jake
• Leo
• Lotto
• Polo
• Tinkerbell
• Marshmallow
• Pixie

Personality Names

You can go a few different routes with this kind of name. You can go by what your horse is—a bit of an alpha mare, a rather quiet gelding—and choose a name that reflects that, or you can give your horse a name that denotes a quality you would like him to have. These lists are just the beginning—use them as inspiration!

Photo by Windhound Photo/Adobe Stock

Elegant Horse Names

• Isabelle
• Debutante (Choose this for her registered name, and “Debbie” can be her barn name)
• Marquis
• Juliet
• Henrietta
• Vanderbilt
• Versailles

Bossy Horse Names

• El Jefe (You can’t get much more literal than this; it means “The Boss” in Spanish, and is pronounced El HEH-fay. Use LA JEFA for a mare. )
• Queen
• Boots
• Major
• Barkley
• King
• Chief
• Captain

Silly Horse Names

• Barnaby
• Whiskers
• Tigger
• Buster
• Goofy
• Scooby
• Bugs
• Daffy
• Mickey
• Mopsy
• Flopsy

Names Tied to Inspiration

Perhaps you want to take inspiration from some of your other favorite things in life, like places you’ve been or dreamed of, or maybe art and music that makes you feel inspired. Naming a horse is a great opportunity to combine these passions with your greatest passion: your horse.

Photo by Frank/Adobe Stock

Names Inspired by Places

• Paris
• Sicily
• Vancouver
• Utah
• Sydney
• Berlin
• Carolina
• London
• Georgia
• Odessa
• Athens
• Vienna
• Adelaide
• Florence
• Austin
• Savannah
• Phoenix
• Cheyenne
• Havana
• Vegas
• Geneva
• Boston
• Laredo
• Venice
• Cairo

Names Inspired by History and Culture

• Mozart
• Jackson
• Beethoven
• Mona
• Dickinson
• Bard
• Da Vinci
• Sullivan
• Chopin
• Michelangelo
• Banksy
• Monet
• Frida

Names Inspired by Pop Culture

• Taylor
• Beyoncé
• Ringo
• Harry
• Clooney
• Jackson
• Shakira
• Marilyn
• Cruise
• Miley
• Elvis
• Sinatra
• Oprah
• Madonna
• Marvel
• Ariana
• Stevie
• Adele
• Elton
• Whitney
• Prince
• Mariah
• Bowie
• Axl
• Freddie

Names for Horse Pairs

In the special case in which you have not one, but two equines to name (you lucky duck!), the process becomes even more complex because it’s multiplied. Double the trouble, if you will. And if you want to choose names that go well together . . . that’s enough to make even the most expert “namer” throw up their hands in defeat.

So if you’re trying to select two perfect names that sound like they belong in adjacent stalls, what better way than to pick a duo that is already famous? Check out this list for ideas!

Photo by byrdyak/Adobe Stock

• Bonnie and Clyde
• Fortune and Cookie
• Romeo and Juliet
• Venus and Serena
• Yin and Yang
• Jack and Diane
• Garfield and Odie
• Sonny and Cher
• Fred and Barney
• Rhett and Scarlett
• Laverne and Shirley
• Tom and Jerry
• Buzz and Woody
• Rick and Morty
• Bert and Ernie
• Batman and Robin
• Mac and Cheese
• Mario and Luigi
• Jim and Pam
• Kirk and Spock
• Timon and Pumbaa

Best Horse Names by Gender

If you’re looking for a name as unique as your horse, consider one of these remarkable choices for male or female horses.

Unique Male Horse Names

Do you need help naming a colt or gelding? Check out these male horse names ideas.

• Ace
• Milo
• Cody
• Atlas
• Enzo
• Percy
• Hudson
• Beau
• Benjamin
• Brooks
• Wyatt
• Charlie
• Albert
• Diego
• Eli
• Bentley
• Finn
• Henry
• Bart
• Timmy
• Luca
• Max
• Apollo
• Ollie
• Linus
• Blaze
• Sheldon
• Theo
• Levi
• Buddy
• Wes
• Koda
• Oscar
• Jax
• Huey

Female Horse Names

If you’re looking for the perfect name for your mare, here are some good female horse names ideas to consider.

• Cadence
• Bella
• Annie
• Betsy
• Carly
• Caroline
• Ladybird
• Luna
• Martha
• Sassy
• Shania
• Wanda
• Willow
• Dottie
• Queenie
• Dove
• Athena
• Sadie
• Molly
• Rosie
• Ava
• Charlotte
• Emma
• Mia
• Harper
• Chloe
• Ella
• Lucy
• Delilah
• Amelia
• Zoe
• Elsie
• Phoebe
• Aspen
• Haven

Tips for Naming Your Horse

When naming your horse, it can be helpful to take inspiration from traits of your horse or other meaningful aspects of your life. Some names are inspired by coat color or personality, while others can reflect pop culture or history. You can always try on a name to see if it fits before determining which moniker best represents your horse, but eventually, the right one will make itself known.

How about you? What are some of your favorite horse names? Leave a comment below and share your favorites!

The post 400+ of The Best Horse Names appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.