Word for a female bear

Englishmypassion


  • #1

Hello Teachers,
Namaste!
What do you call a female bear? I wonder whether there is a specific word for that. Some sites show it to be ‘sow’, but I think ‘sow’ is used for a female pig only.

Thanks.

    • #2

    Sow is correct. You could probably use «she-bear» if you think sow is confusing.

    entangledbank


    • #3

    It’s not in common use. It’s not a term that we’d all agree on, like vixen, bitch, mare, or ewe.

    Englishmypassion


    • #4

    Sow is correct. You could probably use «she-bear» if you think sow is confusing.

    But both Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries categorically say a sow is a female pig.

    Thank you both.

    ewie


    • #5

    I’ve never heard sow used of a female bear. I prefer she-bear. With a hyphen:cool:

    Englishmypassion


    • #6

    Thank you, ewie. Neither have I.
    I won’t take away your hyphen.;)

    entangledbank


    • #7

    I don’t know how a dictionary can say something categorically. The OED does not list the independent word ‘sow’ for a female anything except a pig. This entry hasn’t been revised for a hundred years, so we can’t be sure from that what people say now. It lists various uses of ‘sow’ prefixed to another animal name, to mean a female of that kind: sow beaver, sow-cat, sow-child, sow grizzly bear, sow-hog, sow-swine, sow-wasp. Most of those only have a single quotation, so aren’t common. Interestingly, the one for ‘sow grizzly bear’ is an addition from a 1976 Canadian newspaper, so here we see a sign of it being used for bears.

    There is no doubt (by a quick google) that ‘sow’ is now sometimes used, by some people, for she-bears. The question is what most people mostly call she-bears. And I’m pretty sure the answer is she-bear or female bear, not sow.

    Englishmypassion


    • #8

    Thank you, eb. By categorically saying, I meant the same thing that you have observed: it says a sow is a female pig, not a female pig,etc. or the female of an animal like a pig (and beaver).

    • #9

    But both Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries categorically say a sow is a female pig.

    Thank you both.

    Per Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary:

    Definition of sow
    (Entry 1 of 2)
    1: an adult female swine
    also : the adult female of various other animals (such as a bear)

    Myridon


    • #10

    The fact that a word is in the dictionary doesn’t mean that modern people actually use it in conversation. She-bear is one possibility. The most likely reason for a «normal» person to distinguish between a male and female bear is when she is protecting her cubs and many people would say «mama bear.» Not scientific, but 100% Goldilocks approved. :)

    sdgraham


    • #11

    I suspect the use of «sow» in AE depends upon whether:
    1. One hunts bear.
    2. One lives in an area where you are likely to encounter them.

    See this from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife:
    The general statewide fall hunting season

    • Open Season — Statewide: Aug. 1 — Dec. 31.
    • Bag Limit: One black bear per tag, except that it is unlawful to take cubs less than one year old or sows with cubs less than one year old.

    (Hunting bear in Oregon | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife)

    dojibear


    • #12

    Hello, Barry Hirsch. Welcome to the forum!

    I think we all agree that «sow» can be used to mean a female bear.
    But many people don’t know that.
    Almost everybody knows that a «sow» is a female pig.

    So when you use the word «sow» to mean a female bear,
    make sure that the listener know you mean a female bear,
    not a female pig or a female porcupine or something else.

    kentix


    • #13

    I thought of sow as soon as I read the question. I don’t hunt. So it’s definitely a word in circulation in my life. I have no idea where I learned it.

    Smudge 9000/CC-BY-SA 2.0

    A female bear is called a sow. Male bears are called boars, and a group of bears is called a sloth. There are eight species of bears living throughout the world: Asiatic black, black, brown, polar, panda, sloth, sun and spectacled.

    The most common bear in the world is the North American black bear. This bear species can be found in forested areas from northern Mexico to subarctic Canada. The largest species of bear is the polar bear, which can be found in the Arctic Circle. The smallest bear is the sun bear, which lives in the tropical climates of Southeast Asia. Little is known about this species of bear, which is also referred to as the “honey bear.”

    MORE FROM REFERENCE.COM

    Home / Name Ideas

    Name for a Female Bear

    It’s not very difficult ― we can either go the funny way or the simple and cute way when coming up with pet Name for a Female Bear

    Name Ideas

    Name for a Female Bear list for your new friend!

    • Precious
    • Rocky
    • Ours
    • Sun
    • Betsy
    • Leigh
    • Winnie
    • Millie
    • Alanna Banana
    • Samantha
    • Edwina
    • Nita
    • Winona
    • K’eyush
    • Bernadette
    • Nadine
    • Audrey
    • Chyanne
    • Vorsila
    • Glacier
    • Maggie
    • Polly
    • Abby
    • Tureti
    • Orsola
    • Winnipeg
    • Maddie
    • Strawberry
    • Panda
    • Gobi
    • Lovely
    • Petals
    • Sky
    • Lucky
    • Bernou
    • Yona
    • Taqukaq
    • Iomair
    • Bera
    • Hope
    • Pet Pet Bear
    • Celeste
    • Cinnamon
    • Wilma
    • Kisses
    • Hannah
    • Ursula
    • Penelope
    • Kuma
    • Bella
    • Davina
    • Ibatu
    • Peggy
    • Bitsy
    • Garcia
    • Taffy
    • Frostina
    • Urola
    • Ellie
    • Turi
    • Candy
    • Princess
    • Sapata
    • Shaz
    • Lusela

    Bear Names

    Bears are often overlooked as animals, viewed as savage and scary, and unable to interact with humans.

    However, the reality is there are many different species, some of which live with people!

    We are here to help you find the best Bear Names for a cub you have sponsored, a teddy bear, or even a dog that looks like a cuddly teddy and has all the amazing qualities of a grizzly!

    Some of our ideas are fierce to reflect their personalities, but others’ titles are soft and gentle, making them perfect for loveable teddies.

    We hope the perfect choice for your brilliant pet is somewhere in the list below…

    My Pet's Name Book

    Many of our favorite bear names take inspiration from famous characters from comics, TV shows, and films, especially cartoons like: ‘Yogi Bear’ and ‘Paddington Bear’.

    Naming your cub after one of these renowned grizzlies will generate a lot of recognition when you tell other people!

    Some of the ideas used for fictional grizzlies are funny and clever to make the audience laugh and to make the monikers memorable.

    Many of these choices are adorable and would suit the cuddliest teddies on earth!

    We love a bit of alliteration, therefore many of the best bear names, in our opinion, begin with ‘B’, making them very catchy.

    Our Favorite

    Pet Name Trophy Goes to Barnaby Bear

    Barnaby Bear
    after the adorable and friendly bear from the children’s TV show ‘Becky and Barnaby Bear’

    Discover some more inspiration for great bear names below:

    1. Akakabuto
    2. Andy Panda
    3. Archie
    4. Baloo
    5. Bamboo
    6. Barnacles
    7. Barney Bear
    8. Barry Bear
    9. Basil
    10. Bear
    11. Bernard
    12. Biffo
    13. Big Mikey
    14. Blossom
    15. Blubber Bear
    16. Bobby
    17. Bobo
    18. Bojan
    19. Bongo
    20. Boo Boo
    21. Boog
    22. Boris
    23. Breezly
    24. Bungle
    25. Burble
    26. Buttons
    27. Choko
    28. Cindy Bear
    29. Cornelius
    30. Corporal
    31. Cub
    32. Disco Bear
    33. Eddy
    34. Flippy
    35. Fluffy
    36. Freddy Fazbear
    37. Fuzz
    38. George
    39. Ginko
    40. Gordon
    41. Grizzly
    42. Gummi
    43. Harvey
    44. Hei Bai
    45. Humphrey
    46. Ice Bear
    47. Jack Bear
    48. Jasper
    49. Jelly
    50. Junior
    51. Keenai
    52. Kevin
    53. Kissyfur
    54. Kit Cloudkicker
    55. Koda
    56. Kumajiro
    57. Little John
    58. Luk
    59. Lulu
    60. Lumpjaw
    61. Malloy
    62. Master Po
    63. Master Yo
    64. Maxie
    65. Mor’du
    66. Mouk
    67. Muk
    68. Natsu
    69. Nestor
    70. Oso
    71. Oxsana
    72. Panda
    73. Panny
    74. Penny Ling
    75. Pepper
    76. Peter
    77. Ping
    78. Pop
    79. Punch
    80. Queen Elinor
    81. Roro
    82. Rupert
    83. Sebastian Star
    84. Smolder
    85. Sonya
    86. Sooty
    87. SuperTed
    88. Ted
    89. Teri
    90. The Buddy Bears
    91. Tim
    92. Tobby
    93. Tottles
    94. Uranus
    95. Victor
    96. Vincent
    97. Waldo
    98. Winnie the Pooh
    99. Yogi
    100. Zozi

    Funny Bear Names

    Funny Bear

    If your pet has a hilarious and fun-loving personality, a funny name is exactly what they need to show them off.

    When looking for funny bear names, the possibilities are simply endless, so spend as much time as possible researching to find the best one.

    You could try giving your teddy a cringe and mushy title, as these are often very funny and ironic (e.g. ‘Bear’ to give it some humorous relevancy)?

    The best way to find a funny grizzly title is to come up with a pun, like a play on the word teddy.

    Whatever you choose, we hope it makes you chuckle…

    1. Barbearian
    2. Bear Degidio
    3. Bear Foot
    4. Bear Hugz
    5. Bear Minimum
    6. Bear Pascoe
    7. Bear Rinehart
    8. Bear With Me
    9. Bearobics
    10. Bearoness
    11. Bear-o-plane
    12. Beary Christmas
    13. Beary Potter
    14. Beware Bear
    15. Big Hair Bear
    16. Boots
    17. Bowzer
    18. Bubbles
    19. Bubsy Bear
    20. Caramel
    21. Cher Bear
    22. Chocolate
    23. Chubs
    24. Clare Bear
    25. Claws
    26. Coco Koala
    27. Cuddle Buddy
    28. Cuddlebug
    29. Dopey
    30. Dusty
    31. Eddy the Teddy
    32. Fair and Square Bear
    33. Flair Bear
    34. Frosty
    35. Fur Real
    36. Fuzzball
    37. Fuzzy Wuzzy
    38. Giggles
    39. Good Koalaty
    40. Goosbeary
    41. Grizzly
    42. Gummy Bear
    43. Hairy McLairy
    44. Happy
    45. Knight Night
    46. Koala-fied
    47. Lovebug
    48. Mr Hugglesworth
    49. Cuddlesworth
    50. Mrs Kisses
    51. Neddy the Teddy
    52. Nibbs
    53. Paddington
    54. Padfoot
    55. Panda-monium
    56. Paws
    57. Peter Panda
    58. Pocket Rocket
    59. Polar Opposite
    60. Rasbeary
    61. Rawr
    62. Ronnie
    63. Sargent Teddy
    64. Shorty
    65. Shreddy the Teddy
    66. Skittle
    67. Snuggabear
    68. Snuggles
    69. Squishface
    70. Squishy
    71. Strawbeary
    72. Stuffing
    73. Theodore
    74. Tickles
    75. Tubby
    76. Unbearable
    77. Wadsworth
    78. Waffles
    79. Worse for Wear Bear
    80. Yoga Bear

    Cute Bear Names

    Brown Bear

    There really is nothing quite as cute as a teddy bear!

    Not only do they look absolutely adorable with their soft, fluffy fur, their big eyes, and the adorable clothes you can dress them in, they also make brilliant and adorable companions that are always there to hug you!

    It is not just teddies that are adorable either, loads of real-life bears are incredibly cute too, such as:

    • Beautiful Koalas, with their adorable ears
    • Polars, with their soft white fur and tiny, black eyes

    We hope there’s a moniker in this list below that is just as cute as your pet.

    Our Favorite

    Pet Name Trophy Goes to Lucky

    Lucky
    an adorable choice which is perfect for a teddy that is your lucky charm!

    1. Adele
    2. Ali
    3. Alvin
    4. Andy
    5. Apricot
    6. Archie
    7. Baby Bear
    8. Beau
    9. Beauty
    10. Bertie
    11. Bessy
    12. Biff
    13. Binky
    14. Bitsy
    15. Blue
    16. Boo
    17. Casper
    18. Celine
    19. Champ
    20. Charlie
    21. Clancy
    22. Coby
    23. Cole
    24. Dancer
    25. Dazzler
    26. Dexter
    27. Diego
    28. Dina
    29. Duffy
    30. Duke
    31. Eli
    32. Emmie
    33. Esme
    34. Eva
    35. Fifi
    36. Flubber
    37. Fluffster
    38. Fozzie
    39. Frannie
    40. Gabriel
    41. George
    42. Gizmo
    43. Glitter
    44. Gracie
    45. Harvey
    46. Herbie
    47. Iggy
    48. Jasper
    49. Jimmy
    50. Joey
    51. Jonnie
    52. Kirby
    53. Kisses
    54. Lenny
    55. Lillie
    56. Loki
    57. Maxi
    58. Miffy
    59. Milky
    60. Millie
    61. Mindy
    62. Mochi
    63. Monty
    64. Nemo
    65. Ostin
    66. Pal
    67. Parker
    68. Pea
    69. Pepper
    70. Petey
    71. Pink
    72. Poe
    73. Pooh
    74. Prince
    75. Princess
    76. Racer
    77. Rainbow
    78. Reggie
    79. Rio
    80. Rocky
    81. Rolo
    82. Ron
    83. Ronnie
    84. Sasha
    85. Scooter
    86. Shellie
    87. Skylar
    88. Soar
    89. Sparkle
    90. Spots
    91. Sprite
    92. Tilly
    93. Tiny
    94. Tubs
    95. Viva
    96. Waldo
    97. Wally
    98. Winona
    99. Wispa
    100. Zoe

    Male Bear Names

    Male Bear

    The best kind of male bear names reflect the power and strength of these magnificent beasts!

    Did you know, black bears can run up to 35mph?!

    With strong skills like that, these furry friends need powerful titles to match.

    Our list below contains loads of tough names for your pet that is unafraid to take on any challenge.

    Many of our monikers begin with ‘B’, like ‘Barret Bear’, as we love alliteration and making our ideas sound great!

    Our Favorite

    Pet Name Trophy Goes to Hercules

    Hercules
    after the Roman hero and God, as this powerful choice will suit the toughest grizzly around!

    1. Ace
    2. Andrew
    3. Aubrey
    4. Baker
    5. Balthazar
    6. Baron
    7. Barret
    8. Baxter
    9. BB
    10. Belarmino
    11. Belmont
    12. Benjamin
    13. Benji
    14. Benning
    15. Benny
    16. Bernardo
    17. Billy
    18. Bjorn
    19. Blade
    20. Blast
    21. Bodie
    22. Boniface
    23. Boomer
    24. Boston
    25. Bowden
    26. Bowen
    27. Bowie
    28. Bradford
    29. Bransen
    30. Brave
    31. Brennon
    32. Brentley
    33. Brodey
    34. Brody
    35. Bronko
    36. Bruce
    37. Bruce
    38. Bruno
    39. Bryson
    40. Buddy
    41. Bugsy
    42. Burton
    43. Byron
    44. Camo
    45. Cargo
    46. Defender
    47. Dexter
    48. Diego
    49. Diego
    50. Dirk
    51. Dominator
    52. Domino
    53. Duke
    54. Duncan
    55. Dusty
    56. Dusty
    57. Eddie
    58. Ernie
    59. Flash
    60. Freddie
    61. Fritz
    62. Gatsby
    63. George
    64. Georgie
    65. Gizmo
    66. Glory
    67. Guerrilla
    68. Gus
    69. Henry
    70. Hero
    71. Hijack
    72. Honcho
    73. Hulk
    74. Humvee
    75. Iago
    76. Ignatius
    77. Jackson
    78. Jasper
    79. Jerry
    80. Joey
    81. Johnny
    82. Jungle
    83. Keith
    84. Lancelot
    85. Leo
    86. Maximus
    87. Maxwell
    88. Micky
    89. Napoleon
    90. Othello
    91. Ralph
    92. Ravage
    93. Rival
    94. Stealth
    95. Survivor
    96. Tommy
    97. Valiant
    98. Victory
    99. War
    100. Wolverine

    Female Bear Names

    Female Bear with Cubs

    Our favorite types of female titles for grizzlies are traditional and classic choices.

    We believe that classic names span from cute and beautiful titles over generations of pet owners.

    On the other hand, you could try a really unique and modern moniker (that’s if your bear is more up-to-date and down with the kids)!

    You could even put a modern twist on a classic choice (e.g. ‘Agnez’) – these kinds of names are great for really cool females!

    Some traditional names are also coming back into fashion and are viewed as modern, so take a look down the list, and see if any classics jump out at you.

    Our Favorite

    Pet Name Trophy Goes to Jozie

    Jozie
    a modern spin on the traditional ‘Josephine’, making it a cool and modern choice!

    1. Ada
    2. Agatha
    3. Agnes
    4. Anastasia
    5. Ariane
    6. Augusta
    7. Avery
    8. Barbara Bear
    9. Bea
    10. Beatrice
    11. Beatrix Bear
    12. Becca Bear
    13. Becky Bear
    14. Bella Bear
    15. Bernadette Bear
    16. Bethany Bear
    17. Betty Bear
    18. Bianca Bear
    19. Bina Bear
    20. Birdie Bear
    21. Blanche
    22. Bonnie Bear
    23. Brandi Bear
    24. Britney Bear
    25. Bronte Bear
    26. Bronwyn Bear
    27. Buttercup
    28. Callie
    29. Carlotta
    30. Clara
    31. Clemency
    32. Constance
    33. Dandelion
    34. Dora
    35. Eden
    36. Elsa
    37. Elsie
    38. Emmy
    39. Fay
    40. Flora
    41. Frances
    42. Geraldine
    43. Hattie
    44. Hazel
    45. Helena
    46. Henrietta
    47. Hermione
    48. Ida
    49. Iris
    50. Isabel
    51. Ivy
    52. Jazzy
    53. Jewel
    54. Josephine
    55. Koa
    56. Leonora
    57. Liza
    58. Lottie
    59. Lou
    60. Lucinda
    61. Mabel
    62. Maggie
    63. Marshmallow
    64. Martha
    65. Matilda
    66. May
    67. Mildred
    68. Millie
    69. Olivia
    70. Opal
    71. Ottilie
    72. Patsy
    73. Pearl
    74. Penelope
    75. Polly
    76. Queenie
    77. Rosie
    78. Roxie
    79. Ruthie
    80. Sandy
    81. Scarlett
    82. Sunshine
    83. Susie
    84. Tabby Teddy
    85. Taffy
    86. Tatiana Teddy
    87. Tatty Teddy
    88. Taylor Teddy
    89. Terri Teddy
    90. Tiffany Teddy
    91. Tina Teddy
    92. Toffy
    93. Toni Teddy
    94. Trudy Teddy
    95. Ursella
    96. Valerie
    97. Viola
    98. Violet
    99. Winnie
    100. Winona

    Popular Bear Names

    Two Bear Cubs

    We love all species of ursidae, so we have compiled 100 of the most popular names for bears!

    The list contains warm and cuddly choices to reflect the softness and incredibly friendly personalities of grizzlies!

    We also included titles which will specifically suit certain types of bears:

    • Sleepy names for a sloth
    • Names meaning ‘brown’ for a brown bear

    Many of our titles originate in other languages and have cub-related meanings, such as ‘Arthur’ which means ‘bear-man’ in Celtic.

    1. Arcadius
    2. Arto
    3. Artorius
    4. Aspen
    5. Autumn
    6. Ava
    7. Bamboo
    8. Banjo
    9. Barnaby
    10. Barney
    11. Bean
    12. Bearnard
    13. Beowulf
    14. Bernardine
    15. Bernie
    16. Brownie
    17. Bubbles
    18. Buddy
    19. Buttons
    20. Cashew
    21. Cedar
    22. Cenela
    23. Chai
    24. Chance
    25. Charcoal
    26. Charly
    27. Cheeky
    28. Chesnut
    29. Chocolate Chip
    30. Coco
    31. Coffee
    32. Cookie
    33. Copper
    34. Crash
    35. Cuddles
    36. Domino
    37. Dormire
    38. Dozer
    39. Droopy
    40. Echo
    41. Eeyore
    42. Elmar
    43. Espresso
    44. Fluffles
    45. Fudge
    46. Georgy
    47. Goldie
    48. Gretel
    49. Gus
    50. Hershey
    51. Honey
    52. Mahon
    53. Maple
    54. Marmaduke
    55. Mellow
    56. Melody
    57. Midnight
    58. Mitch
    59. Moa
    60. Mocha
    61. Monarch
    62. Moose
    63. Nadine
    64. Night
    65. Oakley
    66. Oliver
    67. Oreo
    68. Otto
    69. Pancake
    70. Paws
    71. Peanut
    72. Poe
    73. Pooh
    74. Roar
    75. Rolo
    76. Ruby
    77. Sage
    78. Seren
    79. Shimmer
    80. Shine
    81. Shiver
    82. Sidney
    83. Sierra
    84. Skittle
    85. Sleepy
    86. Snugglebug
    87. Snuggles
    88. Softy
    89. Soporific
    90. Stretcher
    91. Sugar
    92. Sunny
    93. Tawny
    94. Theo
    95. Toast
    96. Toffee
    97. Trixie
    98. Truffle
    99. Velvet
    100. Whiskey

    Summary

    There we have it, over 600 of our favorite bear names all in the same place!

    We really hope you have had a great time perusing our ideas, researching names that interest you, and getting to know your bear even more on the way.

    Whether it was the adorable ‘Gobi’, the powerful ‘Napoleon’ or the hilarious ‘Beary Potter’ that stood out for you, we hope your grizzly loves it as much as you do.

    Let us know your favorites in the comments below as we’d love to hear them.

    My Pet's Name Book

    Subjects>Animals & Plants>Mammals

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    A female bear is called a sow.
    A sow.
    It is a sow
    Sow
    A female bear is a ‘sow’
    A sow

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    Zack Hosein

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    ∙ 9y ago

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    A female bear is a ‘sow’

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    A sow.

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