>>149027796
I agree with your headcanon, but really it's just down to the Kenner team who Hasbro passed BW off too weren't as familiar with the TF traditions

G1s names were kinda more abstract, or based on personality, or just cool sounding, you had SOME who had on the nose names. With BW, it was mostly on the nose names, cause they just sounded cool I guess

In canon though, sadly, they were just named that before Earth anyway, I mean they were "Maximals and Predacons" before that anyway, so I guess in that reality the future TFs just really liked Earth animal theming