A common form of “Theme Naming”. Naming things after animals. This is not surprising since the Animal Kingdom is a rather diverse bunch that serves as an easy source of design ideas. There’s definitely some appeal in naming cool things after our favorite beasts, especially the ones that are universally considered badass like birds of prey or big cats. Bonus points if the stuff in question physically resembles their namesake in some form, even if there’s no practical reason for it. The referenced animals are sometimes all of a particular species, such as snakes (Viper, Python, Cobra, etc.) or dogs (Dachshund, Husky, Rottweiler, etc). They may also follow a theme related to their behavior or environment, like, say, nocturnal animals (Wolf, Bat, Owl, etc.) or cold climate dwellers (Penguin, Walrus, Orca, etc). Most of the time though, they’re unrelated. If a human character adopts an animal name, either as a nickname or “Code Name”, then said name is likely to have meaning behind it, usually by invoking “Animal Stereotypes” into play. For example, a guy named “Bear” will reasonably be assumed as strong, rough and aggressive, with maybe a lazy or gluttonous streak, a dude named “Snake” will probably be sneaky, cunning and deceptive, and a lady named “Cat” is expected to be playful or snobbish (or both). Of course, this doesn’t prevent “Ironic Names” from popping up every now and then. It’s always fun to see a large, scary man refer to himself as “Shrimp” of all things. A Sub-Trope of “Scientific and Technological Theme Naming” as its zoological branch. For superpowered people that adopt this, see “Animal-Themed Superbeing”. If this gets applied to an animal itself, then it’s either a case of “A Dog Named ‘Dog'” (if the name reflects the animal’s species) or “A Dog Named ‘Cat'” (if not). Super-Trope to “Color Animal Codename”, which basically combines this with “Colourful Theme Naming”. Do not confuse with “Animal Naming Conventions” and “Stock Animal Name”, which are about certain recurring patterns in naming animals… ~ Animal Theme Naming – TV Tropes
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