Witch Familiar Names: Historical, Fairy Tale, & Nature Inspired

Whether you are naming a magical pet or familiar spirit, this is the ultimate list of witch familiar names. For centuries, witches have had familiars to aid in their magical workings. The traditional familiars came in fairy or human-form, or in animal form like the cat, toad, dog, bird, hare, ferret, rat, goat, sheep, horse, frog, butterfly, fly, wasp, and pig. But the Wiccan familiar comes in all shapes and sizes and can be physical or spiritual. This list will include traditional and historical witch familiar names, as well as mythical, fun, and nature names.

Traditional & Historical Witch Familiar Names

From the Pendle Witch Trials in England, there are witch familiar names and the accused witches’ names to choose from. According to the Discovery of Witches written by Thomas Potts in 1613, each of the Pendle witches had his or her own familiar spirit. Prince Rupert, Isobel Gowdie, and Besse Dunlop all had familiars, as well.

• Ball – Elizabeth Device’s familiar spirit, a brown dog
• Dandy – James Device’s familiar spirit often in the form of a brown dog
• Fancy – the familiar spirit of Anne Chattox
• Tibb (or Tibbs) – the familiar spirit of Elizabeth Demdike
• Bulcock – the last name of an accused witch
• Chattox – last name
• Device – last name
• Hewitt– last name
• Nutter – last name
• Redferne – last name
• Robey – last name
• Boye – Prince Rupert’s “magical dog” that rode into battle with him
• Tom Reid – accused Scottish witch Besse Dunlop’s familiar spirit
• Queen of Elphame – the fairy queen that aided Isobel Gowdie
• Devil – familiars were often called “devils” or were thought to be the devil himself
• Imp – another name for a familiar, fairy, or goblin of some kind

Fairy Tale Names

Name your Wiccan familiar after a beloved fairy tale creature. Many of the fairy tales talk of animals helping the protagonist, which in some scholars’ opinions echoes the concept of a witch familiar. You don’t have to limit your witch familiar names to animal names – there are hundreds of cute fairy tale names to choose from!

• Rumpelstiltskin – from the traditional fairy tale
• Puss In Boots – a cat from the fairy tale who shows up magically when needed (some scholars believe this reflects the concept of a familiar)
• Jiminy Cricket – Disney’s name for Pinocchio’s animal guide, the cricket
• Bill the Lizard – from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• Cheshire Cat – also from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• Bambi
• Grip – the bird’s name from a Swedish fairy tale called The Bird ‘Grip’
• Henny Penny
• Bluebeard
• Hansel and Gretel
• Seven Dwarves – sleepy, grumpy, doc, happy, sneezy, dopey, and bashful
• Hedwig – of Harry Potter fame
• Scabbers – HP fame
• Mrs. Norris – HP fame

Inspired by Gods and Goddesses’ Names

Next we move on to gods and goddesses names. Nearly any deity’s name serves as inspiration for a Witch’s familiar name. Choose your favorite god or goddess or the name that your familiar likes.

• Celtic Gods and Goddesses:  Aine, Angus Og, Artio, Bel, Blodeuwedd, Bran, Branwen, Brighid, Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Cliodhna, Dagda, Danu, Epona, Eostre, Flidais, Lugh, Maeve, Manannan, Morrigan, Nemain, Ogma, Rhiannon, Sequana, Shannon, Taliesin, Teutatis
• Egyptian Gods and Goddesses:  Amun, Anubis (great name for a dog), Bast (name for a cat), Hathor, Heket (for a frog familiar), Horus (bird familiar name), Mehit (cat familiar name), Set, Sobek (a great name for a lizard or reptile familiar), Tefnut (cat), and Thoth
• Norse Gods and Goddesses:  Baldur, Freya, Frigg, Heimdall, Hel, Loki, Odin, Nerthus, Thor, Tyr, Skadi
• Roman and Greek Deity Names: Juno, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Aphrodite, Athena, Hermes, Apollo, Aries, Mars, Neptune, Poseidon, Triton, Siren, Medea, Circe, Jason, Hecate, Diana, Artemis, Bacchus, Dionysus, Pan

Nature Names for the Wiccan Familiar

Anything in nature, such as trees, plants, animals, etc. serves as a great witch familiar name, including:

• Flower Names: Amaryllis, Anemone, Aster, Begonia, Bella Donna, Bellflower, Bluebell, Buttercup, Calla Lily, Cana Lily, Chrysanthemum, Clematis, Clover, Cosmo, Daffodil, Dahlia, Daisy, Daphne, Day Lily, Delphinium, Forsythia, Foxglove, Fuschia, Heather, Hellebore, Hollyhock, Honeysuckle, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Jasmine, Kalmia, Lantana, Lavender, Lilac, Lily, Lupin, Mallow, Marigold, Mayflower, Mimosa, Moonflower, Morning Glory, Narcissus, Orchid, Passion Flower, Penta, Petunia, Phlox, Pointsettia, Poppy, Powder Puff, Queen of the Meadow, Rose, Silene, Snapdragon, Snowdrop, Snowflake, Sundrop, Sunflower, Sweetpea, Tiger Lily, Tulip, Ursinia, Verbena, Vinca, Viola, Violet, Waterlily, Windflower, Winter Berry, Wisteria, Yarrow, Yellowbell, Zenobia, Zinnia
• Tree Names: Alder, Apple, Ash, Aspen, Bay, Beech, Birch, Blackthorn, Camphor, Cinnamon, Cherry, Dogwood, Elder, Fig, Gorse, Hawthorn, Hazel, Holly, Honeylocust, Ivy, Maple, Mistletoe, Oak, Olive, Reed, Rowan, Spruce, Palm, Pine, Willow, Yew
• Landscape Names: Bog, Cliff, Creek, Desert, Field, Forest, Lake, Meadow, Moor, Mountain, River, Sea, Valley, Spring
• Animal names (seems redundant but naming a dog “Wolf” or “Bear” would be cool, right?): wolf, bear, hawk, panther, llama, sloth, lynx, raccoon, coyote, eagle, owl, fox, crow, raven, snake

Examples of Witch Familiar Names

Take your favorite deities and combine them with nature names. Or take two names from nature and put them together to create the perfect Wiccan familiar name. Here are some examples:

• Blackthorn River
• Willow Wisteria
• Elder Fox
• Maple Silene
• River Lily
• Desert Anubis
• Buttercup Briar
• Zinnia of the Meadow
• Branwen of the Valley
• Aspen Ibis
• Yellowbell Creek
• Ivy Moonflower
• Violet Reed
• Ash Meadow
• Oak Wolf
• Poppy Hare
• Black River Fox