Baby Animal Names Shared by Multiple Species

Some baby names are unique — you'd never call a baby dog a "joey." But others are shared across very different animals. Here's why.

"Calf" — The Most Shared Name

Calf is used for: cows, elephants, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, whales, dolphins, camels, and manatees.

Why? "Calf" originally referred to young cattle in Old English. Over time, it was extended to any large, hoofed mammal (ungulate) or marine mammal — basically any big, slow-moving young animal.

"Foal" — Equines

Foal covers: horses, donkeys, zebras, and mules.

These are all equines (horse family). Male foals are colts, females are fillies.

"Cub" — The Predator Baby

Cub is used for: lions, tigers, bears, wolves (sometimes), foxes (sometimes), and pandas.

Cub tends to be used for young of predatory mammals, especially those in dens.

"Pup" — The Universal Baby

Pup covers: dogs, seals, walruses, otters, beavers, mice, rats, and even sharks!

"Pup" is the most versatile baby animal name, used across at least 8 different animal families.

"Kit" — Small and Quick

Kit is used for: foxes, ferrets, beavers, and rabbits (also called kittens).

"Joey" — Marsupials Only

Joey is unique to marsupials: kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, wombats, and opossums.