For years now, I’ve known that I would really like to continue a naming tradition my mother started with me–using cute little animal nicknames for her children, alongside their actual names and nns based on their given names. I’m “butterfly”, my brother is “dragonfly”, and my sisters are “Flit” (like the hummingbird from [name]Pocahontas[/name]) and “Ladybug” respectively.
I have always tossed around a few ideas–I’m about 99% sure my first son will be [name]Little[/name] [name]Bear[/name]. I like the idea of a type of bird for my first daughter, to honor my grandmother, since she loves birds, but I can’t come up with something that sounds as cute as [name]Little[/name] [name]Bear[/name], and around there my inspiration stops. And I really want to be able to do it for all my children.
Today, I was thinking about Bumble [name]Bee[/name]–which gender do you think that would fit better? Also, any other animal/bird/insect nns along these lines? I’ve heard Squirrel a few times, but I’m not too keen on that one, haha. [name]Do[/name] you use animal-like nns for your children?
For a short story I wrote a while ago, I had the main character, [name]Robin[/name], called ‘[name]Red[/name] [name]Robin[/name]’ by her older brother [name]Jay[/name], who she obviously called in return “[name]Blue[/name]
[name]Jay[/name]”. Yes, I know that it wasn’t very creative to just add a color in front of their names, but I am still loving the simplicity. And I think that I suggest it for your future daughter, to be called [name]Little[/name] [name]Wren[/name] or [name]Red[/name] [name]Robin[/name] or some other bird-ish nickname, even if her name isn’t [name]Robin[/name] or [name]Wren[/name]. I just think that the idea is really cute :).
And as for your last two questions…I picture 'Bumble [name]Bee[/name]" as a little cute six year old boy running around. But I think that a girl 'Bumble [name]Bee[/name]" could work
too.
I’m only thirteen, so no children yet :), but my Mom used to always call my brother “[name]Honey[/name] Pot”…I was “Geeze” ([name]Long[/name] story…) so I can totally relate to kids being called things by their mothers…I think most people can.
But I really, really like the idea of Animal Nicknames…
I had a childhood nickname that involved the sounds of the word moose. But I don’t think my father was actually calling me moose. At least I hope not : D.
If we have a [name]Lily[/name], I do plan on [name]Tigerlily[/name]/[name]Tiger[/name] sometimes, and if she is a [name]Lily[/name] [name]Beatrix[/name] or [name]Lily[/name] [name]Blythe[/name], [name]Lily[/name] [name]Bee[/name], sometimes. So because of that I see Bumblebee as feminine, but it’s not like it wouldn’t work on a boy.
I’m not sure about the other names I like though. I’ve toyed around with the idea of [name]Jay[/name] for [name]James[/name] but not so much because of the animal, although it is interesting. Same thing with [name]Robin[/name] for [name]Robert[/name]. I guess these things are everywhere!
I do like them : D.
[name]Bunny[/name] and [name]Birdie[/name] seem like they could be cute? [name]Kitty[/name]…maybe puppy, pup? Dogs are complicated though, even though they’re great animals.
Cub? Thinking like wolf although it might be too close to [name]Little[/name] [name]Bear[/name].
Damselfly?
Junebug (THAT one is too cute for a little [name]June[/name]. [name]Even[/name] though the bugs are kinda icky).
Lightningbug/firefly (you could use both. My dialect defaults to firefly more, but lightningbug still sounds normal).
Badger?
My cousin has three girls who they nn’s Muecke (Mosquito), [name]Flo[/name] (Flee) and Wespe (Wasp). It sounds much cuter in [name]German[/name] than in English. My mother thinks it’s awful since they named their children after annoying insects - she does have a point - but I always figured it was a cute way to vent your frustration with your kids much better than hollering and screaming at them.
I love the idea of animal nns! My grandma called me Sassafrass and my brother Wart There are some really cute suggestions here already. Bumble bee can go both ways I think, but my first instinct was girl. I call my son Bug all the time. Lady bug would be a cute nn for a little girl. I’ve always liked Magpie for a girl. Also [name]Kit[/name] (as in a baby fox, badger, etc.) for a boy or girl.
Other thoughts:
Roo
[name]Joey[/name]
[name]Chickie[/name] (I also love chickadee!)
Duckling or Ducky
Owlet
Chipmunk
Meadowlark
[name]Blue[/name] bird
Monkey
Rat (sorry, I call my son Rat all the time I think the nn Weasel might be in his future too
Otter
Coyote
[name]Finch[/name]
Katydid
Whip-poor-will
[name]Dove[/name] (turtle dove, inca dove, mourning dove if you like double barrel nns)
Pigeon
Sandpiper
Plover
Kestrel
[name]Falcon[/name]
Osprey
Swan
Tern
[name]Sparrow[/name] (someone already mentioned it, but I like it)
Ok, I know I’ll think of more later, but laundry is calling me Good luck! I might have to use this idea
I love the suggestion of Roo, boy or girl! That’s a cute on. When I was 16 in 2004, a young 6th grade girl in my school who used to follow me around all the time, called me [name]Birdie[/name] once and it stuck. She literally called me that up until she graduated high school, lol, and I then worked at the school! It’s kind of funny that in 2006 I started dating who is now my husband and his last name is [name]Bird[/name]. It was a sign, I guess, haha! Anyhow, I think just [name]Birdie[/name] is kind of cute!
My little brother was called Whisk, a reference to how, even when cuddling in his parents bed, he would be continually in motion.
My older brother was [name]Little[/name] Frog because he would sleep in a frog-like position.
I quite like animal nicknames, but I have to admit I prefer them to be names that for some reason wouldn’t be appropriate as a given name. [name]Finch[/name], [name]Heron[/name], [name]Sparrow[/name] and [name]Falcon[/name] are all ok as proper names, Chickadee, Junebug, Owlet and [name]Tigerlily[/name] would be less so, thus more suited as nicknames. Firefly as well
I’ve thought about this not because I like animal nicknames, but because my current surname is an animal name. My maiden name would be my number one choice for a daughter’s middle name (too many family surname options already for the boys!), but lately I’ve been wondering if it could work as a first name…
Thanks, ladies! I love so many of your ideas–[name]Birdie[/name], Whip-Poor-[name]Will[/name], Ducky, Roo/Kangaroo, [name]Turtle[/name], Junebug, Firefly, etc. I adore Hummingbird and Ladybug, but those are my sisters’ nns, so unusable. My grandmother used to call us her chickadees, so that seems off-limits, as well.
I really love Kangaroo/Roo, I think that’s adorable and could be cute for a little boy, maybe? Especially if he loves to jump around, haha.
I had originally really loved [name]Sparrow[/name], [name]Wren[/name], and [name]Lark[/name], but they all seem sort of namey. And I had originally planned on using [name]Sparrow[/name] for my first daughter, envisioned writing letters and notes to “my sweet little sparrow” over her lifetime, but after [name]Nicole[/name] [name]Richie[/name] used it for her son, I think I died a little–I don’t know if I could ever use [name]Sparrow[/name] again after that! I do really love it, though, so hopefully by the time I have my first daughter I can maybe come around to it. Right now, [name]Little[/name] [name]Bear[/name], [name]Sparrow[/name], Bumble [name]Bee[/name], and Kangaroo are my favorites. I like the idea of something like firefly or a cute little insect nn, but most of those are already used in my family already, haha.
I love the idea of [name]Bella[/name] Bug as a nn for [name]Isabelle[/name] (or really any [name]Belle[/name] name), too.
I like the idea of a type of bird for my first daughter, to honor my grandmother, since she loves birds, but I can’t come up with something that sounds as cute as [name]Little[/name] [name]Bear[/name], and around there my inspiration stops. 
And I really want to be able to do it for all my children.
Good luck! I might have to use this idea 