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Every parent wants a name that carries a story. Butterflies have been symbols of transformation, hope, and new beginnings across cultures for thousands of years, and somewhere along the way, people started honoring that beauty through names. If you have been searching through list after list only to find the same ten options repeated everywhere, you are in the right place.
This collection pulls from Japanese, Greek, Korean, English, Persian, Welsh, Swahili, Vietnamese, Native American, and dozens of other origins so you get 150 genuinely varied picks, not the same names reshuffled.
Key Takeaways
- Butterfly names exist in nearly every language, from Korean Nabi to Welsh Eilir to Persian Parvana.
- Many names do not directly translate to “butterfly” but are species names, mythological figures connected to butterflies, or words that mean transformation and flight.
- Japanese names offer the most variety for both boys and girls, with characters like 蝶 (cho) forming the root of many unique options.
- Greek and Latin butterfly names tend to carry strong mythological weight, making them meaningful beyond just their sound.
- Several gender-neutral options work beautifully for any child regardless of how you plan to raise them.
Baby Girl Names That Mean Butterfly
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Vanessa | English/Greek | Name of a butterfly genus; coined by Jonathan Swift |
| Mariposa | Spanish | Butterfly; also a wildflower found across the American West |
| Aponi | Blackfoot/Siksika | Butterfly |
| Kimimila | Lakota | Butterfly |
| Yara | Arabic/Brazilian | Small butterfly; also means water lady in Brazilian mythology |
| Nabi | Korean | Butterfly; also used as an endearment meaning “kitty” |
| Parvana | Persian/Azerbaijani | Butterfly; Azerbaijani form of Parvane |
| Faranak | Persian | Butterfly; name of a legendary queen in the Shahnameh epic |
| Psyche | Greek | Soul; in mythology, Psyche is depicted with butterfly wings |
| Cressida | Greek | Connected to the golden butterfly; also a Shakespearean heroine |
| Bindi | Noongar (Australian Aboriginal) | Butterfly |
| Kipepeo | Swahili | Butterfly |
| Papillon | French | Butterfly; also means a dog breed with butterfly-shaped ears |
| Vlinder | Dutch | Butterfly; ranked in top 400 girl names in the Netherlands |
| Flutura | Albanian | Butterfly; means “moving lightly and rapidly” |
| Ageha | Japanese | Swallowtail butterfly; evokes grace and summer |
| Chouchou | Japanese | Butterfly (from 蝶々, chou chou); a soft, lyrical double form |
| Kocho | Japanese | Butterfly; ko means antenna and cho means butterfly |
| Choko | Japanese | Butterfly with an extended vowel; associated with a famous female Japanese pilot |
| Komachi | Japanese | Beautiful child; connected to Heian poetesses whose beauty rivaled butterflies |
| Diep | Vietnamese | Butterfly (from Sino-Vietnamese 蝶, diep) |
| Diexi | Chinese | Butterfly and brightness (蝶熙) |
| Dieyuan | Chinese | Butterfly and garden (蝶园); or butterfly and beautiful woman (蝶媛) |
| Meidie | Chinese | Rose and butterfly (玫蝶) |
| Fandie | Chinese | Butterfly (凡蝶); means “every butterfly” |
| Eilir | Welsh | Butterfly; also means regeneration and spring |
| Panambi | Guarani | Butterfly |
| Maemaengwahn | Ojibwe | Butterfly |
| Kurak | Manipuri | Butterfly in Meitei |
| Fafelina | Italian | Butterfly; a rare and melodic feminine name |
| Farasha | Arabic | Butterfly; in Egyptian belief, butterflies guide souls in the afterlife |
| Iara | Brazilian/Greek | Small butterfly; also refers to a beautiful mermaid goddess in Brazilian mythology |
| Yareli | Spanish (variant) | Likely related to Yara; meaning butterfly |
| Kimimela | Lakota | Butterfly; popular among families with Lakota heritage in South Dakota |
| Psyche | Greek | Soul; depicted with butterfly wings in mythology |
| Aglaia | Greek | Splendid; name of a genus of brush-footed butterflies (Aglais) |
| Euthalia | Greek | Flower or bloom; also the genus name for brush-footed butterflies |
| Chomi | Japanese | Butterfly; a gentle, affectionate name |
| Chrysalis | Greek | Golden; the metallic pupa stage of a butterfly’s life |
| Asha | Arabic | Butterfly; referenced in the Quran (101:4) in the context of scattered butterflies |
| Naledi | South African | Star; also carries the meaning butterfly in some regional uses |
| Samia | Arabic | Elevated; also the name of a butterfly species |
| Kefira | Hebrew | Butterfly |
| Janessa | English (modern) | Likely a blend of Jane and Vanessa; the Vanessa root connects it to butterflies |
| Claudina | Latin American | A butterfly species native to Venezuela and Bolivia |
| Posie | English | A gentle flower name; butterflies and flowers are inseparable in symbolism |
| Aleda | Old English | Small and winged; evokes the lightness of a butterfly |
| Malia | Swahili | Also associated with butterfly in some Swahili usage |
| Kerana | Polynesian/Sanskrit | Rays of light; associated with butterfly imagery in folklore |
| Kimani | Swahili/Native American | Adventurous; also butterfly in Swahili |
| Birabiro | Amharic | Butterfly; from Ethiopian origin, meaning “from heaven” |
| Lina | Arabic | Butterfly; started as a nickname for Paulina and Evangelina |
| Julia | Latin | A butterfly genus found across the Americas; also an ancient Roman imperial name |
| Anthocharis | Greek | Flower grace; the scientific genus of orange-tip butterflies |
| Chouki | Japanese | Butterfly and chronicle (蝶紀); an unusual and literary pick |
Baby Boy Names That Mean Butterfly
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ulysses | Greek/Latin | Name of the spectacular Ulysses butterfly; also the Homeric hero of the Odyssey |
| Danaus | Greek | Great-grandson of Zeus; name of the monarch butterfly genus |
| Adonis | Greek | Beauty; a butterfly species and Greek mythological figure of masculine beauty |
| Choji | Japanese | Butterfly and two (蝶二); also means chief or head in alternate kanji |
| Chojun | Japanese | Butterfly and pure (蝶淳); a refined Japanese boy name |
| Ecapapalotl | Nahuatl | Wind butterfly; from Nahuatl ecatl (wind) and papalotl (butterfly) |
| Papalo | Nahuatl | Butterfly; possibly from papalotl |
| Caligo | Latin | A genus of owl butterflies; also means darkness and mist |
| Apollo | Greek | A striking butterfly species; the name itself means “destroyer” in Greek |
| Argus | Greek | A bluish butterfly genus; in mythology means bright or a hundred-eyed guardian |
| Leander | Greek | Lion man; in Greek mythology also associated with a butterfly and a heroic young man |
| Mycalesis | Greek | A bush-brown Asian butterfly; means “meaning eye” |
| Orion | Greek | A butterfly species and the great hunter constellation |
| Finn | Irish | White or fair; also a variety of rainforest butterfly |
| Admiral | English | Named after butterfly species; from Anglo-French amiral, meaning “commander” |
| Jay | Sanskrit | Victory and healer; also a tropical butterfly with green spots on black wings |
| Duke | Latin | Leader; also a butterfly species name |
| Leptir | Slavic/Russian | Butterfly in Russian dialectal |
| Motyl | Polish | Butterfly; traditionally a surname but works as a given name |
| Mantech | Indigenous/gender-neutral lean | Butterfly; sometimes given to boys because of the “man” prefix |
| Blaise | French | Lives by the stream; associated with butterfly imagery in French folk naming |
| Caiden | Gaelic | Little fighter; connected to butterfly symbolism of rebirth and courage |
| Finley | Scottish | Fair-haired hero; associated with the flight and freedom of butterflies |
| Aglais | Greek | Splendid; a butterfly genus that includes tortoiseshells |
| Skipper | English | A butterfly family name; historically a surname for butterfly catchers |
| Junonia | Latin | A genus of butterflies known as buckeyes; strong and rare for a boy |
| Thecla | Greek | A butterfly species across Eurasia and the Himalayas; also means “God’s glory” |
| Piepel | German/Dutch | A moth and butterfly species name |
| Ekvall | Swedish | Field or oakwood; connected to open meadow butterfly habitats |
| Flutur | Albanian | Butterfly; the masculine form is used for boys across Kosovo and Albania |
| Chojun | Japanese | Butterfly with purity; a composed and meaningful Japanese boy name |
| Parvane | Persian | Butterfly; the root form of Parvana, used for boys in some regions |
| Kamehameha | Hawaiian | Set apart; name of the first ruler of Hawaii and a native butterfly species |
| Hecate | Greek | Butterfly or soul; in Greek mythology, Hecate had wings like a butterfly |
| Jimi | English | New life; symbolizes the burst of transformation when a butterfly emerges |
| Memphis | Greek | Beautiful and established; also a butterfly genus with over 60 species |
| Jamides | Greek/Palearctic | A genus of blue butterflies found across Australia and Asia |
| Caligo | Latin | Owl butterfly genus; rare and bold for a modern boy |
| Chrysalis | Greek | Golden; a poetic name for the transformation stage of a butterfly’s life |
| Ecapapalotl | Nahuatl | Wind butterfly; one of the most literal and powerful butterfly boy names |
| Teter | English | Merry and happy; resonates with the carefree spirit of butterflies |
| Silvanus | Latin | Forest god; guardian of the wild places where butterflies live |
| Leander | Greek | Heroic swimmer from mythology; also a butterfly species |
| Morpho | Greek | Shape or form; name of the brilliant blue tropical butterfly genus |
| Papilio | Latin | Butterfly; the scientific genus name for swallowtail butterflies |
Gender-Neutral Names That Mean Butterfly
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cho | Japanese/Korean | Butterfly in Japanese; beautiful in Korean |
| Chou | Japanese | Butterfly; alternate romanization of Cho (蝶) |
| Bướm | Vietnamese | Butterfly in Vietnamese |
| Kelebak | Turkish | Butterfly; also describes someone with a charming personality |
| Aponi | Blackfoot | Butterfly; used for both girls and boys in some communities |
| Eilir | Welsh | Butterfly, regeneration, spring; listed as both feminine and masculine in Welsh records |
| Panambi | Guarani | Butterfly; used across genders in Guarani-speaking communities |
| Memphis | Greek | Butterfly genus name and city name; increasingly used for any gender |
| Jamides | Greek | Butterfly genus; rare and striking for any child |
| Chrysalis | Greek | Golden transformation; a poetic choice for any gender |
| Iara | Brazilian/Greek | Small butterfly and cheerful; used as unisex in Brazilian families |
| Mariposa | Spanish | Butterfly; primarily feminine but works as a poetic unisex name |
| Motyl | Polish | Butterfly; used as a nickname for all genders |
| Leptir | Slavic | Butterfly; rare and strong, works across genders |
| Kocho | Japanese | Butterfly; the ko element (antenna) gives it a gentle, neutral quality |
| Choka | Japanese | Fragrant butterfly and long poem; used for boys and girls in Japan |
| Atlanta | Greek | A gender-neutral name connected to butterfly habitats; also the Greek warrior Atalanta |
| Alex | Greek | Short for Alexander or Alexandra; connected to butterfly species like Alexis |
| Juno | Latin | Queen of Heaven; a gender-neutral genus of butterflies and an ancient Roman goddess |
| Silvanus | Latin | Forest dwelling; used for both genders in classical naming |
| Caligo | Latin | Darkness and owl butterflies; unusual and atmospheric for any gender |
Korean Names That Mean Butterfly
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Nabi | Korean | Butterfly; the most direct Korean word for butterfly |
| Nabby | Korean (anglicized) | Alternate spelling of Nabi used outside Korea |
| Cho | Korean (and Japanese) | Beautiful in Korean; butterfly in Japanese, making it doubly meaningful |
| Nabi-ya | Korean | “Oh butterfly”; a poetic call name used in Korean poetry |
| Naebi | Korean | Butterfly variant; softer in sound than Nabi |
Japanese Boy and Girl Names That Mean Butterfly
| Name | Origin | Kanji/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ageha | Japanese girl | Flying flower; swallowtail butterfly (揚羽) |
| Chouchou | Japanese girl | Butterfly repeated (蝶々); a lyrical, whimsical name |
| Choko | Japanese girl | Butterfly; associated with the pioneering female pilot Choko Mabuchi |
| Chomi | Japanese girl | Butterfly; sweet and youthful in character |
| Choji | Japanese boy | Butterfly and two or chief (蝶二 or 長二) |
| Chojun | Japanese boy | Butterfly and purity (蝶淳) |
| Chouki | Japanese | Butterfly and chronicle (蝶紀) |
| Choka | Japanese | Fragrant butterfly and long poem; spring and literary associations |
| Kocho | Japanese | Antenna and butterfly (胡蝶); deeply rooted in classical Japanese imagery |
| Komachi | Japanese girl | Beautiful child; connected to the Heian poetess Ono no Komachi |
Greek Names That Mean Butterfly
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Psyche | Greek | Soul; in mythology, Psyche is shown with butterfly wings as a symbol of the human soul |
| Vanessa | Greek (via English) | Butterfly genus coined from Greek roots by Jonathan Swift |
| Cressida | Greek | Gold; associated with butterfly brightness in mythology |
| Aglaia | Greek | Splendid; the root of the butterfly genus Aglais |
| Euthalia | Greek | Flower and bloom; a genus of brush-footed butterflies |
| Argus | Greek | Bright; a butterfly genus and the hundred-eyed guardian of mythology |
| Apollo | Greek | A butterfly species and the sun god; one of the most powerful Greek names |
| Orion | Greek | Hunter and constellation; also a butterfly genus |
| Hecate | Greek | Butterfly or soul; the winged goddess of magic in Greek myth |
| Memphis | Greek | Beautiful and established; a butterfly genus of over 60 species |
| Caligo | Latin/Greek roots | Darkness; the owl butterfly genus with striking eyespot wings |
Unique and Rare Last Names That Mean Butterfly
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Papillon | French | Butterfly; a French surname meaning butterfly |
| Nguyen | Vietnamese | Butterfly; the most common Vietnamese surname traces to butterfly symbolism |
| Skipper | English | Butterfly family name; originally a surname for butterfly catchers |
| Monarque | French | Monarch; refers directly to the monarch butterfly |
| Moth | English | Butterfly and moth family name; sometimes found in English and Vietnamese ancestry |
| Motyl | Polish | Butterfly; a Polish surname sometimes adopted as a first name |
Why Parents Are Searching for Names That Mean Butterfly?
Butterflies carry a meaning that few other symbols in nature can match. In Greek, the word for butterfly is psyche, the same word used for soul. In Japanese, the butterfly appears in haiku, family crests, and classical poetry. In many Native American traditions, butterflies are messengers between the living and the spirit world. When parents search for a butterfly name, they are often drawn to what the creature represents: the idea that something fragile can become extraordinary, that change can be beautiful, and that transformation is not something to fear.
Names with roots in transformation resonate deeply with parents who have experienced difficulty before welcoming their child. Others simply love how butterfly names sound, especially Japanese picks like Ageha and Chouchou or the Spanish warmth of Mariposa. The range across languages also gives parents a way to honor heritage, whether that is a Korean Nabi, a Welsh Eilir, or a Persian Parvana.
How to Choose the Right Butterfly Name for Your Baby?
The most important thing is not which name scores best on a popularity chart. It is which name you can picture yourself saying ten thousand times across every season of that child’s life. A few things worth thinking through:
Sound and syllable count matter more than people expect. Ageha is three syllables with a soft ending, which pairs well with longer surnames. Cho is one syllable, bold and clean, which works against both short and long family names.
Cultural connection is worth thinking about honestly. If you have no Japanese heritage, a name like Chojun may raise questions your child will have to answer their whole life. That is not a reason to avoid it, but it is a reason to research the name fully so you can explain its meaning with confidence.
Nicknames are a bonus, not a requirement. Chrysalis shortens naturally to Chrissy. Mariposa becomes Mari. Vanessa stays Vanessa. Some names stand best on their own.
FAQs
What is the most popular name that means butterfly?
Vanessa is consistently the most popular name tied to butterflies. It was invented by Jonathan Swift and later used by biologist Johan Christian Fabricius as the name of an entire butterfly genus.
Are there any Korean names that mean butterfly?
Yes. Nabi is the most direct Korean name meaning butterfly. Cho is also used in Korea, where it means beautiful, though it comes from a Japanese root where it means butterfly.
What Japanese name means butterfly?
Several Japanese names carry the butterfly meaning. Ageha refers to the swallowtail butterfly, Cho and Chou both mean butterfly directly, and Chouchou doubles the character for a softer, more lyrical sound.
Is there a Greek name that means butterfly?
Psyche is the most famous. In ancient Greek, psyche meant both soul and butterfly, and the goddess Psyche is depicted with butterfly wings in classical art and mythology.
What are some rare and unique names that mean butterfly?
Eilir from Welsh, Panambi from Guarani, Kipepeo from Swahili, Diep from Vietnamese, and Ecapapalotl from Nahuatl are among the rarest and most culturally distinct options on this list.
Can a butterfly name work as a last name?
Yes. Papillon, Nguyen, Skipper, Monarque, and Motyl are all surnames with clear connections to butterflies, and several have been adopted as first names by modern parents.
What does the name Mariposa mean?
Mariposa is the Spanish word for butterfly. It is also the name of a flowering plant found across western North America, and a county in California known for its scenic beauty.
Are there gender-neutral butterfly names?
Many butterfly names work across genders. Cho, Eilir, Chrysalis, Juno, Memphis, and Iara are all used for children of any gender depending on cultural context and parental preference.
What is the butterfly name from Native American culture?
Kimimila comes from the Lakota language and means butterfly. Aponi comes from the Blackfoot/Siksika language and also means butterfly. Both are used as given names for children today.
Does the name Psyche have to feel too dramatic for a child?
Not necessarily. Psyche has a soft, two-syllable sound (SY-kee) and carries enormous depth. Parents who love mythology or psychology often find it feels both grounded and meaningful rather than theatrical.
