Tarantula Names
Tarantulas are the introvert’s perfect pet: quiet, low-maintenance and endlessly fascinating to watch. They’re also in it for the long haul. A female Mexican red-knee or Chilean rose can live 20 to 30 years, while males usually live only a few years after maturing, so it’s worth knowing which one you have before you pick a name.
We’ve rounded up more than 100 tarantula names, from fuzzy-cute picks like Muffin to legendary spiders like Anansi and Arachne, plus names matched to popular species. If you keep other exotic pets, browse our snake names and axolotl names, or go full Halloween with our witchy names.
Cute and fuzzy tarantula names
Tarantulas are covered in fine hairs (setae), which makes them look surprisingly cuddly. These names lean into the fluff.
| Name | Why it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Fuzzy | For the hairy body | Any tarantula |
| Muffin | Round and soft-looking | Plump females |
| Peaches | Peach fuzz | Pale or salmon-colored species |
| Teddy | Like a teddy bear | Extra-hairy species |
| Pom Pom | A fluffy ball | Curly-hair tarantulas |
| Biscuit | Warm and brown | Tan species |
| Fuzzball | Small and fluffy | Slings (baby tarantulas) |
| Velvet | Soft, plush fabric | Dark, velvety species |
| Mittens | Fuzzy paws | Pinktoes and whitetoes |
| Cupcake | Sweet little treat | Small spiders |
| Pippin | Small apple; hobbit name | Tiny slings |
| Button | Small and cute | Dwarf species |
| Snuggles | Ironic cuddliness | Owners with a sense of humor |
| Cocoa | Rich brown | Brown species |
| Tuft | A clump of hair | Species with hairy tufts |
Spooky and creepy tarantula names
For keepers who love the eight-legged-horror aesthetic. Perfect for dark species and October adoptions. See also our dark names.
| Name | Meaning / source | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Morticia | Matriarch of The Addams Family | Elegant black females |
| Wednesday | The Addams Family’s deadpan daughter | Moody spiders |
| Raven | The black bird of Poe’s poem | Black species |
| Salem | Town famous for its 1692 witch trials | Dark tarantulas |
| Vex | To annoy or trouble | Defensive species |
| Hex | A witch’s curse | Spooky season spiders |
| Nyx | Greek goddess of night | Black species |
| Grimm | The Brothers Grimm, collectors of dark fairy tales | Mysterious spiders |
| Phantom | A ghost | Pale or hidden burrowers |
| Onyx | Black gemstone | Glossy black species |
| Widow | Nod to the black widow | Females (tongue in cheek) |
| Dracula | Bram Stoker’s vampire count | Old-world species |
| Lilith | Night demon of Jewish folklore | Dark, fierce females |
| Mortimer | Old French, “still water”; sounds deliciously gloomy | Gothic males |
| Elvira | Spanish; TV’s Mistress of the Dark | Glamorous black spiders |
Mythological spider names
Spiders appear in myths worldwide as weavers, tricksters and creators — a great source of meaningful names.
| Name | Legend | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Arachne | Weaver turned into a spider by Athena; root of “arachnid” | Greek |
| Anansi | Clever spider trickster and keeper of stories | Akan (Ghana) |
| Iktomi | Shape-shifting spider trickster | Lakota |
| Spider Woman | Creator figure who taught weaving | Hopi and Navajo |
| Uttu | Goddess of weaving and clothing | Sumerian |
| Jorōgumo | Spider yōkai who takes the form of a woman | Japanese |
| Tsuchigumo | Giant “earth spider” of legend | Japanese |
| Athena | Goddess of wisdom who challenged Arachne | Greek |
| Neith | Goddess linked to weaving | Egyptian |
| Kumo | Japanese for “spider” | Japanese |
Famous spiders from books, film and music
Fictional spiders are some of literature’s most memorable characters, both heroic and horrifying.
| Name | Where it’s from | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (1952) | The kindest spider in fiction |
| Aragog | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Hagrid’s giant acromantula |
| Mosag | Harry Potter | Aragog’s mate |
| Shelob | Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings | Monstrous spider of Cirith Ungol |
| Ungoliant | Tolkien’s The Silmarillion | Primordial darkness-weaving spider |
| Boris | “Boris the Spider” by The Who (1966) | A classic rock nod |
| Itsy | “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” nursery rhyme | Tiny slings |
| Muffet | Little Miss Muffet nursery rhyme | The spider’s victim, cheekily |
| Miss Spider | David Kirk’s picture books | Sweet and colorful |
| Peter Parker | Spider-Man’s alter ego | Heroic males |
| Miles | Miles Morales, Spider-Man | Energetic spiders |
| Gwen | Gwen Stacy, Spider-Gwen | Pink-and-white species |
| Spinderella | Salt-N-Pepa’s DJ | Fun for females |
Tarantula names by species and color
Popular pet species come in striking colors. Let the species’ look or homeland inspire the name — our Mexican names and blue color names are good places to dig deeper.
| Name | Species it suits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rosie | Chilean rose hair (Grammostola rosea) | Pinkish hairs and a calm temperament |
| Frida | Mexican red-knee (Brachypelma hamorii / smithi) | After Frida Kahlo, for this iconic Mexican species |
| Salsa | Mexican red-knee or flame-knee | Red-orange leg bands |
| Diego | Mexican species | After muralist Diego Rivera |
| Azul | Greenbottle blue (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) | Spanish for “blue”; native to Venezuela |
| Cobalt | Cobalt blue (Cyriopagopus lividus) | Deep metallic blue legs |
| Sapphire | Blue species | Gemstone blue |
| Goliath | Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) | The world’s heaviest spider |
| Pinky | Pinktoe (Avicularia) | Pink-tipped feet |
| Tinkerbell | Antilles pinktoe | Tree-dwelling and bright |
| Curly | Curly hair tarantula (Tliltocatl albopilosus) | Wavy golden hairs |
| Ember | Mexican fireleg or flame-knee | Fiery orange accents |
| Sunny | Brazilian salmon pink or golden species | Warm tones |
| Stripes | Costa Rican zebra (Aphonopelma seemanni) | Striped legs |
| Midnight | Brazilian black (Grammostola pulchra) | Velvety jet black |
| Rio | Brazilian species | After Rio de Janeiro |
| Ginger | Orange baboon tarantula (Pterinochilus murinus) | Bright orange; famously feisty |
| Pixie | Dwarf species | Small and quick |
Funny tarantula names
Eight legs, lots of hair and a web of puns. Find more jokes in our funny pet names.
| Name | The joke | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Webster | A spider’s dictionary | Clever-looking spiders |
| Hairy Potter | Harry Potter pun | Extra-fuzzy tarantulas |
| Hairy Styles | Harry Styles pun | Stylish species |
| Legolas | Tolkien elf… with lots of legs | Leggy spiders |
| Eight Ball | Eight legs, one ball of fuzz | Round black species |
| Sir Legs-a-Lot | Mock knight | Big males |
| Spidey | Spider-Man’s nickname | Any spider |
| Harry | Because it is | Hairy males |
| Chewbacca | Star Wars’ famously hairy Wookiee | Brown shaggy species |
| Cousin Itt | The Addams Family’s all-hair relative | Very hairy spiders |
| Bigfoot | Huge, hairy, elusive | Burrowers you rarely see |
| Octavia | Latin, “eighth” | Eight-legged females |
| Octavius | Latin, “eighth” | Eight-legged males |
| Tickles | What those legs feel like | Handleable species |
| Shaggy | Scooby-Doo’s scruffy friend | Long-haired spiders |
Human names that suit tarantulas
Plain people names on a big hairy spider are funny in the best way, and they age well.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Gerald | Rule of the spear | Germanic |
| Doris | Gift of the ocean | Greek |
| Bernard | Brave as a bear | Germanic |
| Agnes | Pure, holy | Greek |
| Harold | Army ruler | Old English |
| Beatrice | She who brings happiness | Latin |
| Stanley | Stony meadow | Old English |
| Mabel | Lovable | Latin |
| Winston | Joy stone | Old English |
| Opal | The gemstone | Sanskrit via Latin |
| Nigel | Possibly “champion” (from Neil) | English |
| Edna | Pleasure | Hebrew |
| Dolores | Sorrows | Spanish |
| Maurice | Moorish, dark-skinned | Latin |
| Esther | Star | Persian |
How to choose a tarantula name
- Find out the sex first. Females can live 20+ years; mature males often live just a year or two after their final molt. Keepers sex tarantulas by examining a shed skin (the “molt”) for female reproductive structures.
- Look at the species. Color and origin are great prompts: a Mexican red-knee named Frida or a greenbottle blue named Azul just makes sense.
- Match the temperament. Docile species like the Chilean rose suit gentle names; the notoriously defensive orange baboon tarantula earns a feisty one.
- Go spooky or sweet — both work. Half the fun of tarantula names is the contrast: a giant spider named Cupcake gets a laugh every time.
- Have a plan for more spiders. Tarantula collections grow fast. Themed sets (Addams Family, Tolkien, gemstones like our names that mean gold) keep things organized.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good name for a tarantula?
Popular tarantula names include Charlotte, Aragog, Fuzzy, Rosie, Boris, Webster and Morticia. Fuzzy, cute names are fun for a hairy spider, and spooky names suit dark species.
How long do pet tarantulas live?
It depends on sex and species. Female tarantulas of popular species often live 15 to 30 years, while males typically live only a few years, usually dying within a year or two of reaching maturity.
How can I tell if my tarantula is male or female?
The most reliable method is examining a molt (shed exoskeleton) for the spermathecae, female-only structures. Mature males also develop tibial hooks and swollen pedipalps.
What are some mythological spider names?
Arachne (Greek), Anansi (Akan, West Africa), Iktomi (Lakota), Spider Woman (Hopi and Navajo), Uttu (Sumerian) and the Japanese Jorōgumo are all famous spiders of myth and legend.
What’s a funny name for a tarantula?
Hairy Potter, Hairy Styles, Legolas, Cousin Itt, Sir Legs-a-Lot and Chewbacca are all crowd-pleasers.