Names That Mean Peacock: Boy, Girl and Pet Ideas

The best-known names that mean peacock are Mayur (boy) and Mayuri (girl), both from the Sanskrit mayūra, followed by Pavo (Latin), Tavus (Persian and Turkish), Mayil (Tamil) and Kalapi (Sanskrit, poetic). If you want a name with peacock symbolism rather than the literal meaning, Juno, Hera and Argus come from the Greek and Roman myths that made the peacock famous.

Below you’ll find peacock names for boys, girls and pets, a table of the word “peacock” in other languages, female peacock names (the peahen), and names meaning “beautiful bird” if you want a softer link to the idea. Meanings are given as commonly recorded in name dictionaries; spellings and usage vary by region and family.

Names That Mean Peacock: Quick List

Peacock Names for Boys

• Mayur: the classic choice. Short, easy to say in English, and widely used across India.
• Mayuresh: “lord of peacocks,” associated with a form of Ganesha worshipped as Mayureshwar in Maharashtra.
• Mayuran: a Tamil form built on the same root, used in Sri Lanka and South India.
• Mayilvahanan: Tamil for “one who rides the peacock,” an epithet of Murugan (Kartikeya), the Hindu deity whose mount is a peacock. Long, but meaningful in Tamil families.
• Chandrak: the moon-like eye on a peacock feather; a subtle choice that feels modern.
• Shikhin: a Sanskrit word for peacock, literally “one with a crest.”
• Pavo: Latin for peacock and the name of a constellation in the southern sky. In Croatian, Pavo is also a short form of Paul, so it reads as a familiar name there.
• Tavus: peacock in Persian and Turkish (tavus kuşu in Turkish). Distinctive in English-speaking countries.
• Argus: in Greek myth, the hundred-eyed giant whose eyes Hera placed on the peacock’s tail after his death. Strong and unusual.

Female Peacock Name Ideas (Girl Names)

A female peacock is called a peahen. Several names translate directly as peahen, while others carry the peacock’s associations with beauty and grace.

• Mayuri: the most common girl’s name meaning peahen or “of the peacock.”
• Mayura: a softer, flowing form that also works for boys in some regions.
• Morni: Hindi and Punjabi for peahen, familiar from folk songs.
• Mayil: Tamil for peacock; related names include Mayilarasi, “queen with the grace of a peacock.”
• Kalapi / Kalapini: poetic Sanskrit words for peacock; Kalapi was also the pen name of the 19th-century Gujarati poet Sursinhji Gohil.
• Mayurika: “adorned with peacock feathers.”
• Shikhi: short, bright and easy to spell.
• Juno: the Roman queen of the gods, whose sacred bird was the peacock; poets describe her chariot as drawn by peacocks.
• Hera: Juno’s Greek counterpart and the source of the Argus story.
• Tavusi: listed in some sources as a feminine form of Tavus; rare, so check usage in the family’s language.

The Word “Peacock” in Other Languages

Many parents look at how a word sounds across languages before choosing. Not every word below is used as a given name; some are better as middle names, pet names or inspiration.

A caution on Spanish: pavo on its own means turkey, so Pavo can raise a smile with Spanish speakers. If that matters, choose Pavon or another option.

Peacock Names for Pets and Birds

If you keep peafowl, or want a showy name for a cat, dog or parrot with blue or green coloring, you have more freedom. Pet names can play on color, the tail display and famous peacocks in culture.

Paravani is the name of Murugan’s peacock in Hindu tradition, which makes it a fitting name for a pet peacock in a family that knows the story.

Names Meaning Beautiful Bird (and Other Bird Names)

True names that literally mean “beautiful bird” are rare, but these bird-related names carry a similar feeling:

• Aderyn: Welsh for “bird.”
• Avis: Latin for “bird”; vintage and short.
• Faigel (Feige): Yiddish, “little bird.”
• Paloma: Spanish, “dove.”
• Jemima: Hebrew, often glossed as “dove.”
• Jonah: Hebrew, “dove,” for boys.
• Columba: Latin, “dove,” the name of an Irish saint.
• Wren, Lark, Robin, Starling, Phoenix: English bird names used as given names.

Peacock Symbolism Behind the Names

Understanding the symbolism helps you explain the name later, and it can tip the balance between options.

• India: the Indian peafowl is India’s national bird. It is linked with Krishna, who wears a peacock feather in his crown, and with Murugan, who rides one. Peacock names here suggest beauty, grace and protection.
• Greece and Rome: the peacock belonged to Hera and Juno. The “eyes” in the tail were said to be those of Argus, so the bird stands for watchfulness.
• Early Christian art: peacocks often appear as a symbol of immortality and renewal, because their feathers regrow each year.
• Persia: the peacock is a royal emblem; Mughal and Persian rulers sat on “peacock thrones.”

Pairing a Peacock Name: Middle Names and Nicknames

Peacock names range from very short (Pavo, Mor) to long and formal (Mayilvahanan, Mayurika). Pairing them with the right middle name and nickname makes them easier to live with day to day, especially in schools where the name may be new to teachers.

Using a peacock name as a middle name

If a full peacock name feels bold, use it in the middle spot. Mayur, Pavo, Juno and Mayuri all sit comfortably between a familiar first name and a surname, for example Anna Mayuri Shah or Leo Pavo Martin. This is a common way to honor a grandparent’s language or a family connection to India, Iran or Turkey without asking a child to spell an unusual first name every day.

Peacock names in fiction and storytelling

Writers often reach for peacock names to signal a character’s vanity, beauty or watchfulness. A character named Argus will feel observant; one named Juno or Hera feels regal and perhaps proud. If you are naming a fictional character, think about which side of the symbolism you want: the peacock’s beauty and renewal, or the old proverb “proud as a peacock.” Readers who know the myths will pick up the hint, and those who do not will still enjoy the sound.

How to Choose a Peacock Name in 5 Steps

1. Decide literal or symbolic. Mayur and Pavo mean peacock outright; Juno and Argus point to the bird through story.
2. Say it with your surname. Two-syllable first names (Mayur, Pavo, Juno) pair well with long surnames; longer ones (Mayuresh, Mayurika) suit short surnames.
3. Check meanings in other languages. Pavo means turkey in Spanish; Tavus is unfamiliar in English. Decide whether that matters.
4. Try out the spelling. Write it on a coffee cup or a form. If people will misspell it every time, consider a simpler variant.
5. Ask a native speaker. For names from Sanskrit, Tamil, Persian or Turkish, a quick check with a speaker confirms pronunciation, gender usage and any religious associations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a girl’s name that means peacock?

Mayuri is the most common, meaning peahen or “of the peacock.” Other options include Mayura, Morni, Mayil, Kalapi and Mayurika.

What is a boy’s name that means peacock?

Mayur is the classic choice. Mayuresh (“lord of peacocks”), Shikhin, Pavo and Tavus also mean peacock or relate to it directly.

What is a female peacock called?

A female peacock is a peahen. Males are peacocks, the species as a whole are peafowl, and the young are peachicks.

Which goddess is associated with the peacock?

Hera in Greek myth and Juno in Roman myth. In Hindu tradition, the god Murugan rides a peacock, and Saraswati is often shown with one.

Is Pavo a real name?

Yes. It is Latin for peacock and the name of a southern constellation. In Croatia it is used as a short form of Paul.

What is a good name for a pet peacock?

Popular picks include Juno, Argus, Mayur, Indigo and Sapphire. For a peahen, try Mayuri, Morni or Hera.