Bats occupy an interesting space in fiction: feared in Western tradition but revered in Chinese culture (where "bat" is a homophone for "fortune"). Bat companion names can lean into either tradition, from the Gothic and nocturnal to the surprisingly auspicious.

About bat names

Western bat naming leans heavily on the Gothic: darkness, vampires, night, and caves. But Chinese culture considers bats auspicious because the Chinese word for bat (fu) is a homophone for fortune/blessing. A bat companion in a Chinese-inspired setting would carry a lucky name, not a scary one.

Stellaluna, the children's book bat, demonstrated that bat naming can be warm and celestial (stella + luna = star + moon) rather than dark and threatening. The naming choice reveals whether the story treats bats as creatures of beauty or objects of fear.

Naming tips

Choose your tradition: Gothic or celestial

Western Gothic bat names reference night and shadow. But bats are also creatures of flight and sonar, which can inspire names referencing echo, sound, and the beauty of the night sky. Stellaluna showed the celestial approach.

Echolocation provides unique naming material

No other animal navigates by sound. Names referencing echo, sonar, resonance, or sonic imagery are uniquely appropriate for bat companions and distinguish them from other nocturnal creatures.

Consider the Chinese auspicious tradition

In Chinese culture, bats symbolize good fortune. A bat companion named for luck, prosperity, or blessing draws on this tradition and subverts Western bat-fear expectations.