I love so many animal names. [name_m]Fox[/name_m], [name_m]Wolf[/name_m], Otter, [name_u]Eagle[/name_u], [name_m]Hawk[/name_m] etc. But so many of them I doubt I would use as first names, I’m not bold enough. So either they’re stuck in the middle, or I love the idea of having a more established name with an animal nickname. Examples:
[name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m] nn [name_m]Hawk[/name_m]
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f] nn Panda
[name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] nn Otter
Any suggestions of other names that it would work to do this with? I’m not limited to just names for the animal names I’ve listed, I’m open to any ideas. Also, nothing too obscurely nicknamed. I’m not a fan of [name_m]Bennett[/name_m] [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] nn [name_m]Bear[/name_m]. I am possibly open to ideas that mean the same thing as the nickname tho, like [name_m]Phelan[/name_m] nn [name_m]Wolf[/name_m].
I have [name_u]Elliott[/name_u] nn Otter on my list.
I think [name_m]Felix[/name_m] nn [name_m]Fox[/name_m] could work, even more so if an O middle name is added.
[name_u]Eagle[/name_u], anything [name_m]Eaton[/name_m], [name_u]Easton[/name_u], [name_m]Ethan[/name_m] + a G middle name, e.g. [name_m]Ethan[/name_m] [name_m]Gulliver[/name_m], works well.
You could of course go with meanings, too, so [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] nn [name_m]Bear[/name_m], Ylva / Ylvie nn [name_m]Wolf[/name_m], [name_m]Conan[/name_m] nn [name_m]Wolf[/name_m], etc.
I quite like the idea of [name_m]Fox[/name_m] as a nickname for [name_m]Felix[/name_m] - and I really like your three examples.
Others:
[name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m]/[name_m]Wilfred[/name_m]/Wulfric - [name_m]Wolf[/name_m]
[name_m]Otto[/name_m] - Otter
[name_m]Orson[/name_m] - [name_m]Bear[/name_m], maybe a bit of a stretch but it’s a surname originally as a nickname meaning “bear cub” according to behindthename.com
[name_u]Barry[/name_u] - [name_m]Bear[/name_m]
[name_u]Brighton[/name_u] - In your sig that I think [name_m]Bear[/name_m] is a suitable. I think [name_m]Bear[/name_m] can be used for any nickname unrelated to a child’s actual name - it’s pretty common to be nicknamed ‘[name_m]Buddy[/name_m] [name_m]Bear[/name_m]’.
[name_m]Raul[/name_m]/[name_m]Raoul[/name_m] - “wise wolf”
[name_m]Connor[/name_m] - “wolf lover”
[name_m]Conan[/name_m] - “young wolf”
[name_m]Arno[/name_m]/Arnoud/[name_m]Arnold[/name_m] - “[name_u]Eagle[/name_u] [name_m]Power[/name_m]”
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m]/[name_u]Theo[/name_u] - [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] is a common nickname, so ‘[name_u]Teddy[/name_u] [name_m]Bear[/name_m]’?
Any other ben names you like? - [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m], [name_m]Benji[/name_m], just [name_m]Ben[/name_m]?
[name_m]Jeremy[/name_m]/[name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m] - [name_m]Bear[/name_m]/[name_m]Jer[/name_m] [name_m]Bear[/name_m]
[name_f]Bridget[/name_f]/[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] - [name_f]Birdie[/name_f]
[name_f]Davina[/name_f] - [name_u]Dove[/name_u]
[name_f]Catrina[/name_f]/[name_f]Caitlin[/name_f]/[name_f]Katya[/name_f] - [name_f]Cat[/name_f]
[name_f]Aquila[/name_f] - “[name_u]Eagle[/name_u]”
Quite a bit harder for girls!
[name_m]Beckett[/name_m]/[name_m]Christopher[/name_m] - [name_u]Kit[/name_u]
[name_u]Robin[/name_u] (not a nn but…)
[name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] - [name_f]Tabby[/name_f] (like the cat)
[name_f]Catherine[/name_f]/[name_f]Katherine[/name_f] - [name_f]Kitty[/name_f]
@opheliaflora I had never thought of [name_u]Elliott[/name_u] nn Otter before. Clever! I’m also very intrigued by Ylva, I love the sound. Thank you.
@katyi Thank you. I love [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m] and Wulfric. And [name_m]Otto[/name_m] nn Otter, for some reason that had never crossed my mind before! And [name_f]Aquila[/name_f] is a cool name, I didn’t know it meant eagle. That’s helpful :). I do agree with you that something like [name_m]Buddy[/name_m] [name_m]Bear[/name_m] or [name_m]Little[/name_m] [name_m]Bear[/name_m] could just be a fun, childhood nickname for probably almost any child no matter what the name.
@summerskin I like [name_u]Kit[/name_u] so much, and I’ve always wondered what it could be a nickname for, besides [name_m]Christopher[/name_m]. So thank you for the suggestion of [name_m]Beckett[/name_m]! I like [name_u]Robin[/name_u] for a boy (but it’s the name of a cousin…) and [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f], but I’m not actually sure I like [name_f]Tabby[/name_f] even!
[name_m]Colton[/name_m] - [name_m]Colt[/name_m]
[name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m], Wolfram, Wulfstan - [name_m]Wolf[/name_m]
[name_u]Hartley[/name_u] - [name_m]Hart[/name_m], an old word for stag
[name_m]Leo[/name_m], [name_m]Leon[/name_m], [name_m]Leonard[/name_m] etc - [name_m]Lion[/name_m]
[name_f]Fauna[/name_f] - [name_f]Fawn[/name_f]
[name_f]Lauren[/name_f], [name_f]Renata[/name_f] and any other name containing the sound “ren” - [name_u]Wren[/name_u]
[name_f]Delphine[/name_f] - Dolphin
[name_f]Bridget[/name_f], [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] - [name_f]Birdie[/name_f]
Thank you @lumen. I really like Wolfram. I think I like almost all [name_m]Wolf[/name_m] names! [name_u]Hartley[/name_u]/[name_m]Hart[/name_m] I also love, but it’s a friend’s name, so not usable for us! For some reason I don’t like most [name_m]Leo[/name_m]- names. I’m not sure why, I love the [name_m]Lion[/name_m] connection, so maybe it’s the sound. [name_f]Fauna[/name_f] and [name_f]Fawn[/name_f] and cute. I am going to have to think about them a bit more, but the more I say them both, the more I’m falling in love! I also like [name_u]Ren[/name_u]/[name_u]Wren[/name_u], but so far haven’t found any longer names for them that I just love. I also love, love dolphins, and I like [name_f]Delphine[/name_f], but not enough for it to make my list. I suggest it to everyone I can tho! [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] is also terribly cute, but like [name_u]Wren[/name_u] I don’t know of a longer version that I just love.
Thank you for your suggestions! They definitely got me thinking, I need to somehow get one of the [name_m]Wolf[/name_m] names on my shortlist! Also if any one has any more ideas of how to get to the nn [name_f]Fawn[/name_f], I’d love to hear them.
I have [name_m]Bartholomew[/name_m] nn [name_m]Bear[/name_m] on my list. 
I also love [name_m]Foster[/name_m] nn [name_m]Fox[/name_m], although I’d just use [name_m]Foster[/name_m] for [name_m]Foster[/name_m], probably. Other ideas:
[name_f]Catherine[/name_f] nn [name_u]Wren[/name_u] (or even [name_f]Florence[/name_f], [name_f]Karen[/name_f], etc.!)
[name_u]Larkin[/name_u] nn [name_f]Lark[/name_f]
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] nn [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] (or even [name_f]Bridget[/name_f] nn [name_f]Birdie[/name_f]?)
Wulfric/[name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m] nn [name_m]Wolf[/name_m]
[name_u]Rory[/name_u]/[name_m]Leo[/name_m] nn [name_m]Lion[/name_m]
My mom started this animal nn trend with us (butterfly, hummingbird, dragonfly, ladybug–I guess they’re pretty much just insects, though?), and I fully intend on continuing it when I have kids. My two favorites are [name_m]Little[/name_m] [name_m]Bear[/name_m] and [name_m]Lion[/name_m] for a boy, and [name_f]Sparrow[/name_f], [name_f]Bunny[/name_f], and Honeybee for a girl. 
I think [name_f]Serenity[/name_f] (nn [name_u]Wren[/name_u]) is really pretty.
And I love the previous suggestion of the name [name_m]Colton[/name_m]… nn [name_m]Colt[/name_m]!
I’ve always loved the idea of [name_m]Bartholomew[/name_m] nn [name_m]Bat[/name_m] and [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] nn Bass (bonus points because it’s also an instrument). They’re not the prettiest of animals, but that doesn’t make them any less cool.
Any name starting with J can go with nn [name_u]Jay[/name_u], like the bird. It could be a bit of a stretch, but any [name_u]Finn[/name_u]- name could potentially go by [name_u]Finch[/name_u].
I think the great thing about animals nicknames though, is that they don’t need to make sense with the name (and my favourite nicknames are those that don’t com from the name anyway). A red-haired baby can be [name_m]Fox[/name_m], just like a really mischievous one. A little kid that likes to climb can be Monkey. A kid with innocent eyes can be [name_f]Fawn[/name_f]. I think you can really just go all out and have fun when it comes to animal nicknames!
Have you considered names that are a specific species name, with a nickname that is the broader family/category of animal?
For example, my dream family includes a Tamarin (b) nn Monkey, and a Kestrel (f) or a [name_u]Wren[/name_u] (m) nn [name_u]Bird[/name_u]. If you look up “types of owls/fish/turtles/bears/whatever” it’s often not hard to find individual species’ names (either the common name or the scientific name) that sound very nice imagined as human given names, and some that already are traditional human names. Might be a productive new avenue to explore if you want animal nicknames!
Two other examples of this “species name nn generic term” concept: [name_m]Rufus[/name_m] nn [name_m]Wolf[/name_m], Lutra nn Otter.
@ashthedreamer [name_m]Bartholomew[/name_m] nn [name_m]Bear[/name_m] is cool, but as far as long, ancient B names go I prefer [name_m]Balthazar[/name_m]. That might work with the nickname [name_m]Bear[/name_m] too?!
I like [name_u]Larkin[/name_u] alot. And I think I saw something like [name_m]Leo[/name_m] _____ [name_u]Rory[/name_u] nn [name_m]Lion[/name_m] mentioned by you in a different thread, I thought that was so clever! I like [name_u]Rory[/name_u], but only as a nickname for [name_f]Aurora[/name_f]. Maybe [name_f]Aurora[/name_f]=[name_u]Rory[/name_u]=[name_m]Lion[/name_m]. [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] nn [name_m]Lion[/name_m] ;).
And I do think that whether my (future) children end up getting animal names/names that lend themselves to animal nicknames or not, we will probably call them some kind of animal pet name anyway. My boyfriend some times calls me [name_m]Tiger[/name_m] or [name_m]Little[/name_m] [name_m]Tiger[/name_m] and I call him [name_m]Bear[/name_m]/Big [name_m]Bear[/name_m], so we’re starting with that trend already!
@mother_dragons [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] nn Bass is awesome! I just can’t get enthused about [name_m]Bat[/name_m] tho, I do not like bats! I really like the idea of [name_m]Phineas[/name_m] nn [name_u]Finch[/name_u].
@apodosis I had never thought of that before! I love your choices of Tamarin, Kestrel and [name_u]Wren[/name_u] (b). This is something I definitely will have to explore :). And I love Lutra, it is so beautiful! Thank you for your incredibly helpful suggestion.
[name_u]Kit[/name_u] could be a nickname for [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f], and there’s someone on nameberry who has it as a nn for [name_m]Atticus[/name_m]. [name_f]Kitty[/name_f] could work for [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] (like in Pride and Prejudice), [name_f]Katarina[/name_f], [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f] or basically any [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] variant. [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] means dove so you could use [name_u]Dove[/name_u] as a nickname. [name_f]Myfanwy[/name_f] almost has the word fawn in it, so you could use that for the nn [name_f]Fawn[/name_f]? Roo as in kangaroo could work for a lot of nicknames- [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_m]Rooney[/name_m], etc. Camel for [name_f]Camelia[/name_f] maybe?
I think it’s more of a stretch with [name_m]Balthazar[/name_m]/[name_m]Balthasar[/name_m], but it could still work!
I think it was probably [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] [name_m]Lion[/name_m] “[name_u]Rory[/name_u]” in my “Quintuplets!” thread? I hadn’t really planned to pair [name_m]Lion[/name_m] and [name_u]Rory[/name_u] together–it just sort of slipped out. I’d always envisioned calling my second son (which I tie to [name_u]Everett[/name_u], since he’s my second favorite name) my “brave little lion”, so I always thought I’d call him [name_u]Rory[/name_u] and [name_m]Leo[/name_m] by default, too. 
I kept meaning to reply on this thread again!
@bonfireazalea I love the idea of [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] nn [name_u]Kit[/name_u], since I always wonder what good nickname [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] lends itself to! I really like the nickname Roo/[name_u]Rue[/name_u] too!
@ashthedreamer Yes it was that combo, [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] [name_m]Lion[/name_m]! I just think that is darling.
Thank you once again everyone, I have definitely gotten some inspiration and ideas from this thread!