I thought this would be an interesting question: what do you think about using a very unexpected nature name? Eel is the one I’m thinking about, but others like Lemming, Cicada, Pike, and Fly are springing to mind.
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I don’t think Eel feels usable as a full name, it makes me think of slippery and slimy things. But, I think it could totally be a nickname for [name_u]Eli[/name_u] / [name_u]Elias[/name_u] / [name_m]Elijah[/name_m] / etc.
[name_m]Pike[/name_m] feels usable to me. Lemming and Fly don’t, only because flies are generally viewed as annoying and lemmings have the reputation of following each other off of cliffs/generally not thinking for themselves.
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They’re probably not really usable imo, especially as they’re all pretty tied to the respective animals (and their negative connotations), but I’m not against unexpected nature names in general.
I think a ‘daring’ nature names can work as long as they won’t cause any negative connections. I also agree with the above that they could work as nicknames.
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These all sound like the nicknames a frat would give you. So… yeah, not great.
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Eel, Cicada and Fly are a no for me 
I do love a lot of wild nature names though! [name_u]Falcon[/name_u] is one of my favorites, and I do like [name_m]Pike[/name_m]!
All of them seem unusable to me except [name_m]Pike[/name_m], though admittedly Cicada has a pleasant sound. Maybe [name_m]Elio[/name_m] instead of Eel? You might also like [name_m]Seraphim[/name_m] or [name_u]Hyacinth[/name_u].
I like [name_m]Pike[/name_m] and Cicada but I wouldn’t go with the others. I think that Lemming, Fly, and Eel are all too tied to animals (and Lemming is also used as a human insult, so that’s a double no) that don’t have great reputations. [name_m]Pike[/name_m] doesn’t seem unusual, however, compared to a lot of modern names- something about the sound just makes it sound like something that could become popular in a few years. I think Cicada would make a great name- I love cicadas and the sound of the word is really nice.
Eel feels a bit -I don’t know -icky? And i don’t know why because eels aren’t icky 
sorry, I’m just not sure on it
[name_m]Pike[/name_m] and Cicada are cool though
Okay, I’ll be honest, seeing the title of your post I immediately had heart eyes. I love love love “icky” and I was disappointed when [name_m]Moss[/name_m] got popular before I started having kids. I don’t think it could be wearable for an adult in a professional environment but I’d do whatever I could to make it a nickname. I think it’s great.
As for the others, I think [name_m]Pike[/name_m] is pretty usable but the others might have some negative associations with others that could cause issues for the kid. I don’t think I could use those specific ones.
I did do some googling though, leeches belong to the phylum Annelida (un-ELL-ih-duh) and I would absolutely name a little girl Annelieda (anna-LEE-da) in a sneaky tribute to my brother’s special interest.
For boys (not sure how unusual these are) I love [name_u]Foxglove[/name_u], [name_u]Harvest[/name_u], [name_m]Web[/name_m], [name_u]Cricket[/name_u], [name_m]Lowan[/name_m], [name_u]Minnow[/name_u], [name_u]Solstice[/name_u], [name_u]Alpenglow[/name_u], [name_u]Cirrus[/name_u], and [name_u]Fennel[/name_u].
I feel like this depends on where you live and how out there names can be where you are.
Fly was a nn of a character in [name_u]Blue[/name_u] Water High, she was a really cool surfer and my favourite character.
[name_m]Pike[/name_m] is a surname too and it is being used as a first name.
Cicada is also a name being used as a first and if [name_u]Cricket[/name_u] is usable why not Cicada right? nn [name_f]Ada[/name_f]?
Lemming I haven’t seen being used but Lem/Lemmi would be cute nn options,
Eel, good as a nn. I have actually seen it on a person in Australia.
I can see Cicada working. Not so much the others (Eel especially feels unusable both for the connotation to the animal and as a euphemism for a penis).
But I like to see nature names used and I think you can go beyond [name_u]Fox[/name_u], [name_u]Wolf[/name_u], [name_u]Dove[/name_u] etc in the animal kingdom.
I always thought some of these could work (not for me, but on the right family)
Badger
Elk
Caribou
Wallaby
[name_m]Kea[/name_m]
Hornet
This is exactly how I feel. I really don’t think those three are usable, and I am quite an adventurous nature namer.
I feel neutral about Pike. The sound is fun and lively, but I’m not much of a fish person so I’d probably not name a kid after a fish. But I think it’s totally usable.
Cicada has the most incredible sound! If it was an animal I loved I would use it. I suggested the combo Saskia Cicada awhile ago, and I think it is such a fun name!
I would not name my child after a slippery, slimy thing.
I think they are a bit too out there, I can’t imagine someone at school or a job named Cicada, Fly, eel etc. [name_m]Pike[/name_m] and Lemming sound more like nicknames or pet names
Hmm, not for me. Though I met someone called [name_m]Seal[/name_m] once…and at least there’s a famous singer with that name so it could be more recognizable. Similar sound so sharing in case you like. Admittedly, I kind of like Cicada for a girl…
What’s drawn you to those animals in particular? With the possible exception of [name_m]Pike[/name_m] (I don’t know enough about fish to have an opinion on that one) they’re animals with pretty negative connotations.
I’d probably be inclined to go for something like Elk, over Eel. Similar sounds, and similarly uncommon but a bit less negative.
If you want names that are specifically aquatic animals, insects or small furred mammals, I’d try to find names that are a bit more wearable while still ticking those boxes. Potentially things like Marten instead of Lemming, etc.