Skip To Section
Finding the name of a horse can be as challenging as taming a wild horse. You want to form a close bond with your horse to build trust and understand each other’s secret languages. Yet, first, you need to decide on the most fitting name.
We’ve gathered a collection of the best spirit horse names and their meanings, divided by category. Each was inspired by the 2002 family adventure movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.
Let them serve as the ultimate guide to finding out the name of your horse that captures the character of its mannerisms and beauty of its own spirit riding free.
Best Spirit Horse Names
The symbolism and meanings link to horses are vast. They include beauty, majesty, determination, endurance, valor, freedom, and, most importantly, spirit.
Each spirit horse name below can reflect each of these whilst giving your mare or stallion a reason to stand that bit taller in their stall:
- Arabella – Lovely, elegant
- Kenneth – Handsome
- Zane – God is gracious
- Brady – Broad spirited
- Faye – Loyalty, confidence, trust, belief
- Conan – Respected, brilliant, special
- Beau – Handsome
- Majesta – Majestic
- Bella – Beautiful
- Austin – Majestic, magnificent, or regal
- Willow – Graceful and free
- Vivian – Full of life
- Owen – Young warrior, well-born, noble
- Haldis – Stone spirit
- Rosalind – Soft or tender horse
- Callista – Most beautiful
- Amell – Power of an eagle
- Keefe – Noble and handsome
- Adonis – Lord
- Hania – Spirit warrior
- Aiden – The sun god, fiery
- Kaitlyn – Pure
- Cimarron – Wild, untamed
- Luana – Graceful battle maiden
- Sequoia – Free thinking
- Mei – Beautiful
- Eljin – Freedom provider
- Carrie – Free man
- Alessia – Defending warrior
- Audrey – Noble strength
- Millie – Free-born, strength, determination
- Ella – Light, beautiful fairy woman
- Alphonsus – Noble, ready
- Hernando – Free-spirited explorer
- Edward – Wealthy guardian
- Feronia – The patron of freedom
- Liborio – The feeling of complete freedom
- Brian – High and noble
- Venus – Roman goddess of beauty and love
- Zayn – Beauty and grace
- Augustine – Great, magnificent
- Bonnie – Fair, good and beautiful girl
- Conlan – Hero, wise
- Spirit Jr – To honour Spirit the horse himself!
- Nefertari – Beautiful companion
- Kano – One’s masculine power, capability
- Nolan – A descendant of a chariot fighter or champion, famous, noble
- Arlys – Honorable
- Anwen – Fair and beautiful
- Spirit Jr – To honour Spirit the horse himself!
Female Spirit Horse Names
The horse in the movie named Little Creek is a chocolate-coated mare with a striking white blaze. From the moment she meets Spirit, they begin their journey to regaining their freedom together.
Whether a western stock horse or paint mare, this series of names and meanings can help you show the world how much your equine companion means to you:
- Imara – Firm
- Elda – Warrior
- Sharmaine – A woman whose charm lies in her freedom
- Iowa – Beautiful land
- Alika – Most beautiful
- Jaeda – Goodness, beauty with a long neck
- Bellezza – Beauty
- Matilda – Power, battle, might
- Nina – Strong
- Brianna – Strength, survivor
- Aine – Mythical queen, radiance
- Ellon – Passionate and loves freedom
- Marcella – Strong, warlike
- Alana – Beauty
- Adhamh – Of the earth
- Beauregard – Beautiful gaze
- Bonita – Pretty, cute
- Duze – Freedom-loving beings
- Lam – Forest, woods
- Abrial – Open and protected
- Jaffa – Beautiful
- Frances – Free one
- Sheridan – Untamed
- Ingrid – Beauty
- Bedelia – Exalted one
- Keren – Powerful, strength
- Irie – Positive, powerful
- Bali – Strength
- Elira – To be free, freedom
- Sorcha – Radiance, brightness, splendour
- Alcie – Strong-willed
- Valentina – Vigorous, strong
- Shakti – Powerful
- Bree – Strength
- Cara – A beloved friend, a kindred spirit
- Carol – A free person, a song
- Fannie – She who is free
- Annabelle – Grace and beauty
- Dawn – First appearance of light
- Scheherazade – A freer of the world
- Ani – Beautiful
- Baldred – Leadership and freedom-loving
- Philomena – Lover of strength
- Hura – A free woman
- Shannon – Wise river
- Amidala – Beautiful as a flower
- Alzena – Analytical woman longing for freedom
- Aziza – Beloved, powerful
- Britta – Strength
- Kalera – A Basque freedom movement
- Lyndzei – A freedom-loving, quick-witted person
- Trudi – Universal strength
- Dorothy – Freedom-loving
- Cyrene – Supreme
- Karla/Carla – Strong
- Anwen – Fair and beautiful
- Lorcan – Little wild one
- Lucky – Fortunate – a gender-neutral name as gutsy as Lucky Prescott herself!
Male Spirit Horse Names
Although Spirit the wild mustang was voiced by Matt Damon in the movie, he was based on a real-life horse from Oregon, selected by Dreamworks when he was a young colt.
The Kiger Mustang stallion inspired the native American horse that captured our hearts in the movie many years later.
- Liber – Free
- Calixto – Most beautiful
- Aziz – Beloved, strong
- Karlos – Free man
- Lisandre – Liberator
- Chaz – Free
- Emeric – Power
- Allen – Bright and beautiful
- Andres – Strong and manly
- Caden – Spirit of battle
- Neron – Strength
- Ekon – Strong
- Bello – Handsome, beautiful
- Coal – Hill or quite literally the word coal. Quite a fitting name for a black horse, don’t you think?
- Denzel – From a protected place
- Adira – Strong, noble
- Dror – Freedom
- Aaron – Strong mountain
- Chuckie – A commoner who is free
- Ferenc – Free
- Liam – Strong-willed
- Amzi – Strong
- Cralton – Free man’s town
- Cisco – Free-man
- Charlton – Free settlement of men
- Hussein – Small and handsome one
- Alward – Freedom-loving
- Beale – Handsome man
- Kenneth – Born of fire and beautiful
- Alfred – Wise counsellor
- Moksh – Salvation
- Griffin – Strong lord
- Francis – Liberated
- Fran – A free man
- Lefteris – Free
- Abir – Mighty, courageous, strong
- Alexander – Defender of mankind
- Jimbo – Dynamic and exciting people who aspire towards freedom
- Chiru – Freedom-loving man
- Angus – Strength
- Shaquille – Well developed and handsome one”.
- Egon – Strong with the sword
- Irvin – Fair and handsome
- Ethan: Firm, strong
- Adonis – Most handsome, beautiful
- Dermot – Free from envy
- Amare – Handsome
- Kavanaugh – Born beautiful, handsome
- Eder – Handsome
- Karle – Man with freedom
- Belvedere – Beautiful view
- Alsie – Strong-willed
- Nohea – Handsome
- Kamilo – Born to freedom
- Argider – Beautiful as light
- Cosmo/Cosmos – Beauty in order
- Barrett – Bear strength
- Lirim – Freedom to be
- Kwan – Strong
- Seattle – Man of high status
Horse Name Inspiration
The movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron takes place in a fictional frontier town in Oregon called Miradero in the late 19th century.
It’s easy to become inspired by the alluring wonders of the natural world that surrounds the Native American tribes and the nobility of a Cimmaron herd.
Here are some examples of names and their meanings to help your creative ideas flow like water in a stream:
Native American Names and Meanings:
- Opa – Owl (Choctaw), Grandfather (German), Moonfish (Hawaiian)
- Kai – Willow tree (Navajo), Ocean (Hawaiian)
- Cherokee – A tribe name (Cherokee)
- Dyani – Deer (possibly Shioux)
- Hialeah – A pretty prairie or prairie on the hill (Miccosukee)
- Lúta – Red (Sioux)
- Elan – Friendly (Apache)
- Tyee – Chief, leader, or big and superior (Chinook Jargon)
- Kaya – She who arranges rocks (variation from Nez Perce)
- Cochise – Oak or hardwood (Apache)
- Chenoa – A place name (variation of Cherokee)
- Cheyenne – A city in Wyoming, a tribe name, or difficult to understand (Algonquin or Sioux)
- Aponi – Butterfly (Algonquin)
- Shawnee – A tribe name (Algonquin)
- Yuma – A tribe name, a chief’s son (Quechan)
- Tahoma – Giver of water (Salish)
- Nashoba – Wolf (Choctaw)
- Kele – Sparrow (Hope)
- Dakota – Friend and ally (Sioux)
- Tokala – Fox (Sioux)
- Moana – Deep sea, wide ocean (Hawaiian, Mauri)
- Powhatan – A tribe name/place name (Algonquin)
Indigenous Native American Animals:
- Bear
- Deer
- Wolf
- Bison
- Prairie Dog
- Otter
- Fox
- Ox
- Jackrabbit
- Eagle
- Elk
- Rattlesnake
- Owl
- Opossum
- Gazelle
- Quail
- Hawk
- Eagle
- Horse (of course)
Native American Words and Objects
- Hunt
- Smoke
- Kayak
- Scout
- Medicine
- Tribe
- Arrow
- Tent
- Dreamcatcher
- Colony
- Herbs
- Saddle
- Campfire
- Cowboy
- Chief
- Bow
- Axe
- Headdress
- Feather
- Stirrup
- Knife
- Totem
- Pipe
- Shrine
- Rope
Weather, Elements and Seasons
- Sun
- Rain
- Storm
- Hail
- Heatwave
- Snow
- Day
- Night
- Moon
- Stars
- Fire
- Earth
- Air
- Water
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
Objects in Nature
- Seed
- Wood
- Hill
- Burn
- Pebble
- Cliff
- Mountain
- Rock
- Meadow
- Cloud
- Fountain
- Lake
- Stem
- Sky
- Leaves
- Ground
- Pond
- Shoot
- Sprout
- Plant
- Sea
- Forest
- Roots
- Ocean
- Waterfall
- Stream
- Valley
- Bank
- Trench
- Moat
- Stone
- River
- Reed
- Dam
- Soil
- Flower
Help Choosing The Right Name
You’re not alone if you feel that you need a little help when naming an animal so close to your heart.
Usually, friends and family are more than happy to tell you what they think of your name choices, good or bad.
You should also bounce ideas off other horse lovers and other people who can become familiar with your horse’s personality.
Joining online fan clubs and discussion groups are another great way to arrive at the best horse name. Just describe your horse’s qualities and see what comes into view.
For instance, if your horse just so happens to be a young Kiger Mustang breed, or similarly, a buckskin mustang stallion, your new online friends might suggest one of the following names of characters from the movie:
- Chica Linda
- Rain
- Smoke
- Little Creek
- And, probably the most obvious, the mustang named Spirit
Conclusion
Perhaps you’re a lover of Native American culture, the beauty of nature, or even are a die-hard fan of the movie.
This guide of spirit horse names will imbue you with the confidence to discover the right one for you, just as Breyer is proud. Whatever your motivation for seeking one, keep your determination as strong-willed as Jim Prescott’s desire for adventure.
Now, go forth and let your spirit soar!