Sheep Names
Sheep are gentler, smarter and more individual than their reputation suggests: studies at the University of Cambridge found they can recognize dozens of individual sheep faces, and even familiar human faces, for years. Anyone with a small flock knows each one has its own personality — the bossy ewe, the lamb who follows you everywhere, the ram who guards the gate. We’ve gathered more than 90 sheep names to match, from famous sheep to woolly, cute and funny ideas.
Keeping a mixed smallholding? Browse our goat names, cow names and donkey names too. Sheep have a long history in Ireland, Wales and Scotland, so our Welsh names are another great source of inspiration.
Famous sheep names
From a scientific milestone to beloved TV characters, these sheep are household names.
| Name | Who they are | Personality |
|---|---|---|
| Dolly | The first mammal cloned from an adult cell (1996, Scotland) | A true pioneer |
| Shaun | <em>Shaun the Sheep</em> by Aardman | Clever ringleader |
| Timmy | Shaun’s little cousin, star of <em>Timmy Time</em> | Mischievous lamb |
| Shirley | The enormous sheep in <em>Shaun the Sheep</em> | Always eating |
| Lamb Chop | Shari Lewis’s famous sock puppet | Sweet and chatty |
| Maa | The kindly old ewe in <em>Babe</em> (1995) | Motherly |
| Lambert | Disney’s <em>Lambert the Sheepish Lion</em> | Brave underdog |
| Mary | “Mary Had a Little Lamb” | Loyal companion |
| Bo Peep | The nursery rhyme shepherdess | Always losing sheep |
| Montauciel | “Climb-to-the-sky,” the sheep on the first hot-air balloon flight (1783) | Adventurous |
| Shrek | The New Zealand merino who dodged shearing for six years | A very woolly ram |
| Chris | The Australian sheep who yielded a record 89 lb (40 kg) fleece in 2015 | Enormous fleece |
Woolly and fluffy sheep names
Fleece is the first thing everyone notices, so let it inspire the name. See also fluffy cat names.
| Name | Why it fits | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Woolly | Obvious and adorable | Thick-fleeced sheep |
| Fleecy | Soft fleece | Merinos |
| Cotton | Soft, white fiber | White lambs |
| Cloud | White and puffy | Freshly grown fleece |
| Fluffy | The classic | Any fluffball |
| Cashmere | Luxury wool (from goats!) | A fancy ewe |
| Angora | Soft wool (from rabbits and goats) | Silky-fleeced sheep |
| Tweed | Woolen fabric from Scotland | A rugged ram |
| Marshmallow | White and squishy | Round lambs |
| Snowball | Round and white | Winter lambs |
| Puffball | Fluffy and round | Babydoll sheep |
| Yarn | Spun wool | A knitter’s sheep |
| Merino | The famous fine-wool breed | Show sheep |
| Shearling | A sheep shorn once | Yearlings |
Cute lamb names
Spring lambs bounce and skip — they need names just as sweet. More ideas on our cute pet names page.
| Name | Why it’s cute | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Clover | Lucky and green | Grazing lambs |
| Buttercup | Yellow meadow flower | Girl lambs |
| Daisy | Simple meadow flower | Gentle ewes-in-training |
| Bluebell | Spring woodland flower | Spring-born lambs |
| Pip | Small and bouncy | Tiny lambs |
| Sprout | Growing fast | Bottle lambs |
| Bean | Tiny | Twin lambs |
| Jellybean | Small and sweet | Playful lambs |
| Poppy | Red flower | Cheerful lambs |
| Pumpkin | Round and cozy | Autumn lambs |
| Blossom | Spring blossom | Spring lambs |
| Pebbles | Small and round | Speckled lambs |
| Honey | Sweet and golden | Tan lambs |
| Biscuit | Tan and cozy | Brown lambs |
| Bumble | Clumsy and sweet | Wobbly newborns |
Funny sheep names
Sheep puns practically write themselves — ewe won’t be able to stop. Our funny pet names have more.
| Name | The pun | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Baa-bara | Barbara | A sensible ewe |
| Baa-rt Simpson | Bart Simpson | A troublemaking lamb |
| Ewe-nice | “Eunice” | A friendly ewe |
| Lamb-borghini | Lamborghini | A fast lamb |
| Ewegene | Eugene | A nerdy ram |
| Wool-fgang | Wolfgang | A musical sheep |
| Ramsay | Gordon Ramsay | A shouty ram |
| Shear-lock | Sherlock | A curious sheep |
| Baa-ck Obama | Barack Obama | A leader of the flock |
| Wooly Nelson | Willie Nelson | A laid-back country sheep |
| Ewe-dora | Eudora | A fancy ewe |
| Lambda | The Greek letter | A math teacher’s sheep |
| Mutton Chops | Big sideburns | A whiskery ram |
| Ewe-tube | YouTube | A camera-loving sheep |
| Sheepy McSheepface | Boaty McBoatface | The flock’s mascot |
| Baaaaa-rry | Barry | A loud ram |
Names for ewes
Old-fashioned and country names suit a steady flock mother. See our country girl names for more.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Mabel | From Amabel, “lovable” | Vintage and sweet |
| Hazel | The hazel tree | Brown-faced ewes |
| Martha | Aramaic, “lady” | Reliable |
| Nellie | Diminutive of Eleanor | Friendly |
| Agnes | Greek, “pure”; linked to Latin agnus, “lamb” | Perfect for a sheep |
| Rachel | Hebrew, “ewe” | Biblical wife of Jacob |
| Clementine | Merciful | Cheerful |
| Winnie | From Winifred | Cuddly |
| Ethel | Old English, “noble” | Grandmotherly |
| Olive | The olive tree | Gentle |
| Tilly | From Matilda | Spunky |
| Lottie | From Charlotte | Petite ewes |
Strong ram names
Rams charge, butt heads and guard the flock. Give them a name with some grit. More in our bull names.
| Name | Meaning / reference | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Rambo | The action hero (and a ram pun) | A tough ram |
| Aries | The ram of the zodiac | Born in spring |
| Chrysomallos | The golden ram of Greek myth (the Golden Fleece) | Golden-fleeced rams |
| Thor | Norse thunder god | Loud and strong |
| Tank | Armored vehicle | Big, solid rams |
| Butch | Tough nickname | A head-butter |
| Bruiser | A tough fighter | Rowdy rams |
| Rocky | The boxer | A scrappy ram |
| Horns | Self-explanatory | Big-horned breeds |
| Duke | A noble leader | The flock boss |
| Angus | Gaelic, “one strength” | Scottish rams |
| Brutus | Latin, “heavy” | Heavy rams |
Celtic names from sheep country
Wales, Scotland and Ireland have more sheep than many countries have people. Browse our Scottish names and Irish names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Rhodri | Wheel ruler | Welsh |
| Dafydd | Beloved (Welsh David) | Welsh |
| Bryn | Hill | Welsh |
| Gwen | White, blessed | Welsh |
| Cerys | Love | Welsh |
| Eira | Snow | Welsh |
| Morag | Great | Scottish Gaelic |
| Hamish | Scottish form of James | Scottish |
| Fergus | Man of strength | Scottish / Irish |
| Niamh | Bright, radiant | Irish |
| Seamus | Irish form of James | Irish |
| Bonnie | Pretty | Scottish |
| Ffion | Foxglove | Welsh |
| Isla | From the island of Islay | Scottish |
| Brigid | Exalted one; Saint Brigid’s day (Imbolc) marks lambing season | Irish |
| Heather | The moorland plant | Scottish / English |
How to name your sheep
- Name them early. Bottle-raised lambs bond quickly and learn to come to their names — handy when you need to catch one.
- Use themes for a flock. Flowers for ewes, weather for rams, or a new letter every lambing season makes records easier.
- Check your ear tags. Many shepherds use registration numbers officially and a name for daily life; keep both in your flock book.
- Think about who will say it. If kids are raising a 4-H lamb, let them pick something fun like Lamb-borghini.
- Share ideas across the farm. Our chicken names and pig names also work for a whole barnyard.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good name for a sheep?
Popular sheep names include Dolly, Shaun, Clover, Woolly, Lamb Chop, Buttercup, Rambo and Baa-bara.
What is a funny name for a sheep?
Ewe-nice, Lamb-borghini, Baa-rt Simpson, Wool-fgang, Mutton Chops and Sheepy McSheepface are favorite funny sheep names.
What name means sheep or lamb?
Rachel means “ewe” in Hebrew, and Agnes is traditionally linked to the Latin agnus, “lamb.” Both are lovely names for a ewe.
What was the name of the cloned sheep?
Dolly the sheep, born in 1996 at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, was the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. She was named after Dolly Parton.
Can sheep recognize their names?
Sheep are more intelligent than often assumed and can learn to respond to a name or call, especially when it’s linked with food.