The first step is finding a snake – hopefully from a pet store, but maybe you just found one and he’s your new best friend. Assuming he’s not poisonous, you’re going to want to keep him and give him a cool snake name. Check out this list of 50 snake names for a few ideas.
Mythical Snake Names
Ouroboros – One of the most famous symbols on Earth, the ouroboros is the snake that eats its own tail, the sign of infinity.
Cerastes – A Greek legendary serpent, cerastes was a snake with ram horns.
Alicante – A snake from Mexican folklore, Alicante is a monster that sometimes lives inside of human stomachs.
Bashe – A Chinese snake monster, said to be so large it could an elephant.
Damballah – In Haitian Voodoo, “Damballah†is the flying serpent that created all life.
Apep – Apep is a huge snake god of Egyptian myth who specializes in chaos.
Jaculus – Jaculus, “Jac†for short, is a Latin word for a snake-like dragon with wings.
Yacu-Mama – A huge sea serpent of South American myth, the Yacu-Mama is said to swim the mighty Amazon river.
Naga – “Naga†is a Sanskrit word for any being that takes the shape of a huge snake.
Medusa – Not technically a snake herself, but Medusa’s whole head is covered with snakes in Greek myth.
Leviathan – The name of the ancient sea beast in the Bible, Leviathan is often depicted as a huge serpent.
Charybdis – The Greeks like their sea monsters: Charybdis was an enormous watery snake monster that attacked Odysseus in The Odyssey.
Wyvern – Technically a dragon with no front arms, which does create a snake-like appearance.
Quetzalcoatl – The Aztec snake god of the wind.
Fictional Snake Names
Noodle – In the video game Snake Pass, the player controls a snake named “Noodle.â€
Ju-Ju – A rare non-villainous snake, Ju-Ju is the familiar of Mama Odie, the good voodoo priestess in The Princess and the Frog.
Kaa – In The Jungle Book, Kaa is a hypnotizing snake that almost gets Mowgli.
Ajar – Ajar is the main character of the animated film Sahara.
Ekans – Not only is it the name of a Pokemon, it’s also “snake†spelled backwards.
Nagini – Voldemort has an intelligent pet snake named “Nagini†in the Harry Potter series.
Jafar – Though not a snake in his natural form, Jafar does turn into a huge snake when he becomes a powerful sorcerer in Aladdin.
Sir Hiss – In Disney’s Robin Hood, “Sir Hiss†is the faithful snake companion of King John.
Sammy Snake – The snake from Sesame Street that helps kids learn how to pronounce the letter “S.â€
President Snakes – The name of a group of snakes running for president in the album President Snakes.
Mara – An evil telepathic snake creature from Doctor Who.
Malystryx – The name of a dragon in the Dragonlance books.
Dendar – From the D&D Forgotten Realms universe, Dendar is a night serpent.
Asmodeus – The name of a giant snake in the Redwall books.
Names that Mean Snake
Nathrach – In Scotland, “Nathrach†is a little-known name that means “serpent.â€
Tanith – An old Phoenician word for “snake lady,†this is a great name for a female snake.
Drake – Drake means “dragon,†which were often depicted as snakes in art and literature.
Askook – “Askook†is an Algonquin Native American name for “snake.â€
Lindie – A German name, Lindie (as well as Lind, Lyn, and Lynda) means “snake.â€
Veles – An Eastern-European name for a huge serpent of the underworld.
Uther – King Arthur’s father, “Uther†actually means “king dragon†or “king serpent.â€
Tezcacoatl – A name from Meso-American languages, it means “king of serpents.â€
Chu’mana – In the Hopi language, Chu’mana means “snake maiden.â€
Longwei – A Chinese name, “Longwei†means “the greatness of a dragon,†which is about as bold as snake names get.
Funny Snake Names
Snakey McSnakeface – A classic internet naming convention, named after “Boaty McBoatface.â€
Danger Noodle – Because, if you really look at a snake, they’re pretty much just a really dangerous noodle.
Linguini – Named after the delicious pasta, it also gives your snake an Italian vibe.
Snek – “Snek†is a funny snake name that attempts to take some of the fear out of having a snake around.
The Longest Yard – A great name for a classic movie fan, after the prison-football movie The Longest Yard.
Nope-Rope –A snake is a rope many people want to stay away from.
Mouseslayer – A warrior’s name, any snake named Mouseslayer will have his own legend soon enough.
Hugsy – Snakes love to hug things, after all. Sometimes they hug too hard.
Scale-Scarf – If you’re prone to wearing your snake around your neck, calling him “Scale-Scarf†or “Scarfy†is a nice, fun way to acknowledge his warmth and affection.
Lou – A twisted name for a snake-owner with a good sense of humor, “Lou†can be short for “Lucifer,†the snake from the Bible.
A Snake Name to Make Other Snake Names Jealous
Now you’ve got a cool snake name for your scaly pet pal, and are ready to introduce him or her to your friends and family. Invite them over and tell them all about Hugsy, Leviathan, President Snakes, or whatever awesome snake name you landed on.