The 15 Best Spider Names for Your Creepy Crawly Friend
Pet Spider FAQ
1. Do Spiders Make Good Pets?
Some types of spiders do better than others with a life of captivity. Some breeds that are recommended as pets include tarantulas, wolf spiders, jumping spiders, fishing spiders, and grass spiders.
2. Can Spiders Recognize Their Spider Names When You Talk to Them?
3. Why Should I Give My Spider a Name if It Can’t Recognize It?
You could just call your spider “Spider,” but in general, people just enjoy giving names to pets. Many people even name inanimate objects such as cars. Giving your spider a name helps you gain a sense of ownership of it, and forms a connection. Taking care of a spider is more rewarding if you feel that the spider is a real pet with a personality.
Names We Reviewed
- Arukenimon
- Rosie
- Shelob
- Arachne
- Gohma
- Bruce
- Kumonga
- Anansi
- Boris
- Bruce
- Arianwen
- Kokyangwuti
- Kumo
- Seymour
- Uttu
Arukenimon
Background or Meaning
If you’re a fan of anime, you’ve probably heard of Digimon. If not, here is a quick summary. Digimon is a Japanese franchise that originated as a series of virtual pets, and eventually became an anime and a video game. Digimon stands for Digital Monsters. One character is Arukenimon. Its appearance was inspired by the mythological Queen of Spiders. Arukenimon is a demon who is cunning and intelligent. It can take on the form of a human being when it wants to trick people… and then it eats them. If you’re trying to think of spider names that would bring to mind a scary creature, this would be a good one. It is a little long, but you could call your spider Aruken or Aru for short.
Rosie
Background or Meaning
James Bond fans will love this name, which seems plain but has a secret meaning only other true fans will recognize. It refers to the 1962 movie “Dr. No.” In one scene, a tarantula crawls over James Bond. Actor Sean Connery was terrified of spiders, so originally the scene was filmed by putting a sheet of glass over Connery and having the tarantula walk on it. When it didn’t look realistic enough, they had to use a stunt double who could tolerate the tarantula walking directly on him. The tarantula’s name was Rosie.
Shelob
Background or Meaning
If you like spider names inspired by literature, this is a good one to consider. She’s a spider-like demon in the third book of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series. She’s at least ten feet wide, has a stinger that can paralyze victims, and is too tough to be killed by a sword. “Lob” is an Old English word for “spider,” so the word “Shelob” basically means “She-spider” or “Female spider.”
Arachne
Background or Meaning
Spider names based on mythology are always interesting. In Greek Mythology, Arachne started out as a human woman who had a talent for weaving. She was so confident in her skills that she challenged the goddess Athena to a weaving contest. She weaved a scene that made fun of the deities. Athena became angry and turned her into a spider as a punishment, meaning she would have to weave for eternity. In another version of the myth, the terms of the contest are that whoever loses will never be able to weave again. Zeus judges the contest, and Athena is the winner. Arachne becomes so upset about never being able to weave again, that Athena feels sorry for her and turns her into a spider. In that version, being able to weave for eternity is a kindness instead of a punishment.
Gohma
Background or Meaning
If you’ve ever played the video game The Legend of Zelda, you might remember Gohmas, the “bosses” that appear as giant, one-eyed spiders. They shoot beams and sometimes fireballs from their one eye, which they usually keep closed for protection.
Kumonga
Background or Meaning
If you like spider names that come from old movies, try out this name taken from the 1967 movie, “Son of Godzilla.” He’s a giant, vicious spider that attacks and tries to capture Saeko and Goro. In a later movie, he joins forces with other monsters and eventually gets to live his life in peace on an island with other monsters.
Anansi
Background or Meaning
People who are looking for spider names from other cultures may like this name from a story told by the Ashanti people of Ghana. Anansi is a trickster and a storyteller. His mother is Earth and his father is the Sky. He can take the form of a spider, a man, or a combination with some spider parts and some human parts. In the myth, Anansi’s father kept all of the stories of the world in a box in the sky, and the world is very boring with no stories. Anansi wants to release the stories. His father doesn’t want to say no, so he gives an Anansi the seemingly impossible task of bringing back four vicious creatures. Anansi uses his skills of trickery to bring the creatures to his father, who then has to give him the box of stories to release into the world. In another story, Anansi is safeguarding the wisdom of the world and eventually shares it with the world.
Higanbana
Background or Meaning
If you’re more interested in sweet and gentle spider names, how about Higanbana? This name is simply a baby name that is sometimes given to children in Japan. It means “red spider lily.”
Boris
Background or Meaning
If you’ve been looking for spider names that remind you of rock songs, consider Boris. The name is inspired by “Boris the Spider,” a song by The Who. It was written to be funny, but can also be seen as a horror story. The Boris in the song meets an unpleasant fate, but hopefully your Boris will have better luck.
Bruce
Background or Meaning
This is a common name for human beings, but did you know the story behind it? The literal meaning of the name Bruce is “thick brush.” But the name originally became popular in Scotland in honor of the 14th century King Robert the Bruce. Apparently he was known as a very patient man who liked to sit and watch spiders spin their webs.
Arianwen
Background or Meaning
One of the spider names inspired by fantasy is Arianwen. In the story The Snow Spider, Arianwen is the name of a magical spider who spins webs that gives the children in the story glimpses into other worlds.
Kokyangwuti
Background or Meaning
This name comes from the Hopi creation story. Kokyangwuti is the name of the Spider Grandmother who creates humans out of clay. She sometimes takes the form of a human elderly woman, and other times appears as a spider. She is full of wisdom and advice, and can create cures for illnesses as well.
Kumo
Background or Meaning
This is another Japanese baby name. It literally means “Spider.” In Japan, there are several superstitions about spiders, including one that says it is good luck to see a spider in the morning and bad luck to kill such a spider.
Seymour
Background or Meaning
If you like spider names that come from sources that only a few people will recognize, this may be a good one. In the late sixties and early seventies, there was a children’s TV show called H.R. Pufnstuf, featuring life-sized puppets. One character, Witchiepoo, has three sidekicks: Orson Vulture, Stupid Bat, and Seymour Spider.
Uttu
Background or Meaning
This is another one of the spider names on our list that stems from mythology. Uttu is the name of an ancient Sumerian goddess that was envisioned as a spider weaving a web.
The Verdict
Anyone can come up with an infinite number of spider names that don’t mean anything. However, if you are hoping to name your spider something that will have an interesting story that goes with it, this list is a good place to start. Give your spider a name it can be proud of!
