If you’re like us, you dote on your Pothos, showering it with care and affection. And after a while, just calling it “my Pothos” can start to feel too impersonal. You want to give it a title that reflects its unique qualities, making it feel more like part of the family. What should you name your Pothos? We’ll give you our 66 favorite ideas (with a few bonus ones thrown in), hopefully sparking some inspiration and helping you find the perfect name for your plant.
You can name your Pothos anything that sounds good to you, but we’re fans of names that express something about its appearance or “personality”. We also like dopey puns; we’re only human, after all. Lots of specific Pothos cultivars also have evocative names you can build on.
In the end, only you can decide what name feels right for your Pothos. The suggestions we’ll give here are only prompts to get your creative juices flowing. (But please feel free to use any of them if you like them enough!) Let’s look at some fun things you could name your Pothos, broken down by theme.
Names For a Big Green Pothos
One of the most defining characteristics of Pothos is their tendency to grow fast and take over their surroundings. The lower light levels indoors can slow them down a bit, but a healthy plant can still grow into a sprawling mass of vines in just a few years. If your Pothos is a beefy green monstrosity, consider giving it a name to match!
1. Godzilla. What could be a more appropriate name for your huge plant than the original giant green monster? Extra-appropriate if you have a rare Teruno Shangri-La Pothos – you can see an example in this article.
2. Shrek: The internet’s favorite ogre is an excellent namesake for a Pothos. We give it a week and a half before you start imagining your plant asking for water in a fake Scottish accent.
3. Hulk. Hopefully your Pothos isn’t always angry, even if it is big, strong, and green.
4. Groot. Works for almost any plant, honestly, but we’ve definitely seen some Pothos pots with a serious Groot vibe.
Names For a Climbing, Trailing, or Creeping Pothos
Pothos plants grow very long stems. Depending on how you grow them, they can trail down from hanging baskets, crawl up walls and trellises, or simply creep over everything in their path. This trait suggests a lot of possible names.
Climbing Pothos Names
5. Tarzan: The literary hero of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ books loved to climb up trees almost as much as your Pothos does. He could make a good namesake for your Pothos. Or, if you’re a Brendan Frasier fan, go with George of the Jungle.
6. Edmund or Tenzing: If your plant is a climber, encourage its ambitions by naming it for one of the first two people ever to reach the world’s highest point (Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hilary, the team that first summited Mount Everest).
7. Stretch: This is a classic old-timey nickname for somebody tall, which makes it a good fit for a Pothos that’s reaching for the sky.
8. Jack: For a little inspiration from fairy tales, you can name your Pothos after the famous beanstalk climber, giant slayer, and golden goose retriever.
Trailing Pothos Names
9. Rapunzel. Pro: it’s a perfect name for a plant with long, twining stems like the hair of a fairy-tale princess. Con: since you’re the one who put it in its “tower”, that kind of makes you the witch in this scenario.
10. Houdini. Is your plant bursting out of its pot like it’s trying to escape? Name it after the greatest escape artist of all time.
11. Vinny the Vine. We adore alliteration here at the Healthy Houseplant, and we’re not going to apologize for it. Other options: Victor, Vera, Veronica…the possibilities are endless.
12. Cthulhu. Fans of cosmic horror will appreciate the reference to the world’s most famous tentacled monstrosity. Other ideas (listed in increasing order of goofiness): Azathothos, Yog-Pothos, and Nyarlathotepipremnum.
13. Medusa. Your plant’s tendrils may not look exactly like snakes, but they’re close enough to invite comparisons with the serpentine locks of the legendary Gorgon.
Creeping Pothos Names
14. Jeepers the Creeper. Kind of says it all, right? Feel free to shorten it to just “Jeepers” when you’re in a hurry.
15. Twister. It’s not just a fun party game – it’s also a great moniker for your twining Pothos. We would also accept Mister Twister, if you’re inclined towards rhymes.
16. Lord Shrubsly. Who says your Pothos can’t have a fancy-pants name just because it’s a mass of tangled vines?
17. Snake Gyllenhaal. Arguably more appropriate for a Snake Plant, but your Pothos can also look very serpentine as it winds its way across a shelf.
18. Sneaky Pete. A fun name for a plant that seems to be trying to creep its way stealthily over everything around it.
Golden Pothos Names
Almost all Pothos houseplants are variants of one species: Epipremnum aureum, which means “Golden Pothos”. The plant lives up to its name with beautiful yellow variegation. Let’s come up with some gold-themed names:
19. Goldie. Okay, it’s a little obvious, but we’re just getting warmed up.
20. Gilda. “Gilded” means “golden”, so this is a lot like naming your plant Goldie, but your friends will be more impressed with your cleverness.
21. Midas. The mythical king who turned everything he touched into gold.
22. Sunny/Sunshine/Sunbeam/etc. All of these would fit well with the cheerful coloring of the Golden Pothos.
23. Solomon. One of the most famous kings of ancient Israel in the Bible, whose immense wealth was almost as legendary as his wisdom. Bonus: if you ever propagate your Pothos from stem sections, you can say you’re “cutting the baby in half”.
24. Scrooge. Could be Dickens’ Ebenezar, but Scrooge McDuck might be a better fit since he’s known for swimming around in a big pile of gold.
25. Aurora. From the same root as “Aureum”, this is the name of the Roman goddess of the golden light of dawn. It’s also used to refer to the brilliant colors that appear in the Arctic skies at night, so it could be a good name for a colorful variegated Pothos.
26. Goldfinger. Those who like a touch of the villainous could name their Golden Pothos after this gold-obsessed foe of James Bond.
27. Goldilocks: Another fairytale name, great for a trailing Potthos with a large amount of yellow variegation.
Names For Other Pothos Varieties
The Golden Pothos is the classic version of the Epipremnum plant (the “gold standard”, if you will). There are quite a few other interesting cultivars, though, many of them with names and/or appearances that fire up the imagination. Here are some possible names for non-Golden Pothos plants:
Snow Queen Pothos Names
28. Elsa. If you or your kids love Frozen, then this name is a no-brainer for your Snow Queen. If it has a Golden Pothos “sister”, you can name that one Anna!
29. Queen Frostine. Does anyone still play Candyland anymore? Even if they don’t, the ruler of the Ice Cream Sea has another amazing name, not to mention a pretty iconic look.
30. Jadis. The White Witch of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books reigns over a hundred-year winter, making her a classic Snow Queen. This is another good option for people who think the villains are usually more fun.
Marble Queen Pothos Names
31. Pygmalion. The living statue from Greek myth – perfect for a Marble Queen Pothos.
32. Your Majesty. Works for either of the “royal” Pothos varieties, especially if your plant is a bit fussy and dramatic.
33. Carrara. This is the name of a town in Tuscany famous for its gorgeous marble deposits. Renaissance art fans: Michaelangelo’s David was carved from Carrara marble.
Neon Pothos Names
34. Neo. Do your friends all say “Woah” when they see your big, bright Neon Pothos? If so, this name may be for you. For a sneakier reference, go with Mr. Anderson.
35. Hollywood. Your Neon Pothos craves the spotlight, so you could always name it after the Dream Factory itself.
36. Vegas. Is there any place in the world more identified with Neon than Sin City?
Jessenia Pothos Names
37. Jessie (or Jessie’s Girl). If you managed to find a rare Jessenia Pothos, this is a great name for it.
Global Green Pothos Names
38. Mr. Worldwide. Well-suited to another rare cultivar, the Global Green Pothos.
39. Carmen San Diego. Where in the world is she? The globetrotting super-criminal is a logical inspiration when it’s time to name your Global Green.
Sinister Names For Your Devil’s Ivy
One of the most common names for Pothos plants is Devil’s Ivy. This is supposedly because they survive and grow without much light (though it needs more than you might think). Plant owners who appreciate a touch of the macabre may like these devilishly clever Pothos names:
40 Damien. This is the name of the spooky kid from The Omen who (!! SPOILER ALERT !!) turns out to be the Antichrist.
41. Lucy. Short for Lucifer, naturally.
42. A Plant of Wealth and Taste. A bit of a mouthful, but it’s a tribute to one of the Rollling Stones’ best songs. You don’t need to have sympathy for the Devil himself, but you definitely should for your Devil’s Ivy.
43. Aleister Crawly. This punny title for your creeping Devil’s Ivy refers to “the Wickedest Man in the World”, the famous occultist and self-proclaimed Antichrist Aleister Crowley.
44. Persephone. The Queen of the Underworld in Greek myth – a great name for any Devil’s Ivy, but especially a Snow Queen or Marble Queen.
45. Rosemary. Yes, it’s the name of a different plant, but it’s also a nod to Rosemary’s Baby, one of the best horror films about Satanism ever made.
46. Pothostopheles. This one might take a little practice before you can pronounce it reliably. But it’s worth it for the literary cred you’ll get from naming your Pothos after Goethe’s tempting devil.
P Is For Pothos
Remember how we said we love alliteration? Most of these names don’t have much of a deeper meaning – they’re just fun to say. So we’ll spare you the descriptions and just rattle off a few of our favorites:
47. Peggy
48. Peter
49. Percy
50. Polly
51. Penelope
All-Purpose Plant Names
You don’t necessarily have to define your plant’s identity by its species. Here are a few names we love for plants of any kind, Pothos included:
52. Emerald. Let your plant know how precious it is to you by naming it after one of the world’s most valuable gemstones.
53. Jade. Another brilliant, precious green stone. Bonus points if you actually have a Jade Pothos.
54. Zoe. This lovely name means “life”, making it a good fit for anything green and growing.
55. Mr. Green Jeans. Here’s one for the Boomers out there who remember this character from Captain Kangaroo.
56. Chloro-Phillip. Name your Pothos for the pigment that makes photosynthesis possible.
57. Leaf Erickson. A punny homage to the Viking who discovered North America nearly 500 years before Columbus.
58. Amy Vinehouse. Dopey puns + one of the most talented performers in recent memory = a great name for your Pothos.
59. Stemma Watson. Seriously, the well of jokey celebrity plant names is basically bottomless. Here are a few more, lighting-round style:
60. Root Bader Ginsburg
61. Edgar Allan Pothos
62. Russell Growe
63. Angelina Joleaf
64. Seedris Elba
65. Keanu Leaves
And, of course:
66. Robert Plant
We’re sure you can come up with lots more.
Final Thoughts
Whatever you name your Pothos, it should be a reflection of your plant’s unique style. And if it makes you giggle a little bit too, that’s even better. After all, at the end of the day, you’re giving a name to a houseplant. Have some fun with it! We hope this post gave you some ideas, and that you find a name for your Pothos that brings you joy.
