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Get Inspired on How to Choose Your Cat's Name | Petco

How to Choose Your Cat's Name

Updated on June 21, 2022
Reviewer Profile Photo
Reviewed by Petco’s Animal Care
Education and Compliance (ACE) Team

Most popular names | Female cat names | Male cat names | Unisex cat names | Black cat names | Unique names | Funny names | Cute names | Names with meanings

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Whether you’re adopting an adult cat or you’ve picked out a new kitten, one of the first things you’ll likely to is give them a name. While it’s up for debate if a cat knows their name, many experts believe they will respond to it when trained correctly. Plus, even with leashes and harnesses, your cat can still get lost, and you’ll need a way to identify them.  

You’ll want to get your kitty both a microchip ID and a cat name tag—and what appears on their tag is a big decision to make. You want something that fits their looks and personality perfectly, but what? Let’s dig into the some of the best cat names for different types of felines.  

Most popular cat names

Whether you’re looking for the most popular cat names of all time or just the past few years, browsing popular lists can be a great place to start getting inspiration for naming your feline friend. There are two go-to sources for this info: Rover.com’s database of more than a million pet parents, and Trupanion’s annual survey of more than 650,000 pet parents.  

Combining both lists, the most popular female cat names are: 

  • Luna 
  • Bella 
  • Lucy 
  • Lily 
  • Nala 
  • Willow 

The most popular male cat names are: 

  • Oliver  
  • Leo 
  • Milo 
  • Charlie 
  • Max 
  • Loki 
  • Simba  

The most popular cat names can also vary by where you live. In New England, these names are particularly trendy, thanks to former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and current QB Mac Jones:  

  • Brady 
  • Mac  

Olympic- and celebrity-inspired cat names are also fashionable, including: 

  • Simone, after the famous U.S. gymnast 
  • Kobe 
  • Beckham 
  • Adele 
  • Gaga 

What about all-time popular cat names? They’re easy to pronounce—and they’re just plain appropriate for many cats: 

  • Mittens 
  • Kitty 
  • Fluffy 
  • Whiskers 
  • Muffin 
  • Snowball  

Female cat names

We’ve seen the top six most popular female cat names, but let’s dive deeper. There are plenty of ways to find inspiration for naming your female kitty. The celebrities mentioned above are just the start. Here are some more ideas to consider: 

  • Taylor 
  • Selena 
  • Marilyn 
  • Lucy Liu 

Fictional characters are also a good place to start: 

  • Elsa (From Disney’s Frozen) 
  • Anna (From Disney’s Frozen) 
  • Danaerys (Game of Thrones) 
  • Cersei (Game of Thrones) 
  • Arya (Game of Thrones) 
  • Sansa (Game of Thrones) 
  • Leia (Star Wars) 
  • Rey (Star Wars) 
  • Jyn (Star Wars) 
  • Buttercup (Hunger Games)  

All of these female cat names are strong, independent ladies, but for the ultimate powerful names, look to the ancient past:  

  • Athena 
  • Aphrodite 
  • Artemis 
  • Gaia 
  • Freya 
  • Cleopatra—Cleo for short 

Male cat names

We covered the most popular list of cat names for males, but maybe you’re looking for something a little more personalized. Let’s go back in time for some inspiration: 

  • Einstein 
  • Houdini 
  • Romeo  
  • Lucifer  

If you’re more into pop culture, look to movies and TV for inspiration:  

  • Kylo 
  • Luke 
  • Obi 
  • Chewbacca 
  • Baby Yoda 
  • Harry 
  • Crookshanks  
  • Garfield 
  • Felix 
  • Heathcliff 
  • Hobbes 
  • Sylvester 
  • Stimpy 
  • Tom 
  • Tigger 

Searching for truly unique male cat names? Try looking to literature:  

  • Heathcliff 
  • Dr. Seuss 
  • Oscar 
  • Thompson 
  • Orson  
  • Gatsby—or the cheekier version, Catsby 

And if you’re hoping your kitty will be strong and brave, consider these names for males: 

  • Diesel 
  • Rambo 
  • Tank 
  • Trooper  
  • Thor  

Unisex cat names

Of course, you don’t have to name your cat by gender. There are plenty of unisex cat names out there, including some of the most popular names ever, all taking their inspiration from your cat’s coloring:  

  • Checkers 
  • Freckles 
  • Patches 
  • Oreo 
  • Smokey 
  • Snowflake  

Feisty, adventurous cats often earn cat names that have a nice ring while also being gender neutral, like: 

  • Dash 
  • Rebel 
  • Ninja 
  • Bandit 
  • Blaze 
  • Rocket 
  • Scout  
  • Comet 

If they’re the happy-go-lucky type, go with: 

  • Ace 
  • Chance  
  • Lucky  

How about naming your cat after a cat? Bring out the wild cat in them with names like: 

  • Tiger 
  • Lynx 
  • Bengal 
  • Cheetah  

Your favorite city can also provide some gender-neutral inspiration—you’ll be taken back to your favorite destination whenever you call their name: 

  • Paris 
  • Rio 
  • Dublin 
  • Sydney  
  • Tokyo 
  • Lisbon 
  • Rome 
  • Bali 

Black cat names

They say black cats are often overlooked, but you’d never make that mistake. You know that black cats are good luck, not to mention gorgeous—and you want to give them a name just as fitting. These never go out of style. Classic black cat names include: 

  • Midnight 
  • Phantom 
  • Shadow 
  • Raven  
  • Salem  

The Hocus Pocus cat’s name, Thackery Binx, or just Binx for short, is a popular choice. Or why not look to the holiday that inspired the movie—Halloween. These include: 

  • Boo 
  • Casper 
  • Ghost 
  • Jack 
  • Bones 
  • Moonlight  
  • Gremlin 

Want to get scarier? Make everyone do a double-take when you introduce your kitty with spooky cat names like: 

  • Nightmare 
  • Reaper 
  • Phantom 
  • Vamp 
  • Zombie 
  • Fang 
  • Dagger  
  • Devil  

Taking inspiration from nature can also help you come up with a unique name for your black kitty. Whether from dark-colored flowers that make excellent female cat names, animals or dark gemstones, there’s plenty to ponder: 

  • Panther 
  • Bear  
  • Stallion  
  • Aster 
  • Briar 
  • Iris  
  • Thistle  
  • Topaz 
  • Onyx 
  • Opal  
  • Sapphire 

Unique cat names

We’ll be honest: As weird cat names become trendier, it’s getting harder and harder to name your kitty something unique. According to Rover’s list, names like these are trending: 

  • Fauci 
  • Yeezy 
  • Doja Cat  
  • Oprah 

What’s a pet parent looking for a truly unique cat name to do? Some are looking to the stars—the cat stars, that is. Winners of the Cat Fanciers’ Association annual championship have names like: 

  • Wild Rain Huckleberry 
  • Euphoria’s Bruno Mars 
  • Woodspirit’s Talisman  
  • Mockingjay of Deydream 

And all of these should demonstrate that you really can just make something up! Some of the unique cat names on Rover’s list included: 

  • Skippy Snack 
  • Butterscotch Lazarus 
  • Coco Beans Chanel 
  • Captain Scurvy Purr  
  • Mr. Eddie Trouser Pants 

You can also look to a different type of cat star—the internet star.  

  • Nyan Cat—the famous 2011 YouTube video featuring a cartoon combination of a cat and toaster pastry flying through space 
  • Maru—the viral sensation who once held the Guinness World Record for the animal with the most YouTube views 

Funny cat names

You probably wouldn’t name your first-born child “Pork Chop,” but when it comes to cat names, it’s definitely allowed. Some pet parents think funny cat names are part of the benefits of cat parenthood, and we wouldn’t disagree. In fact, meat-related cat names are trending this year, including: 

  • Beef 
  • Ham 
  • Brisket  
  • Pork Chop  

Still, other types of food are catching up. Fruit-inspired names, gourmet food and breakfast foods are on the rise: 

  • Pear 
  • Plum 
  • Mango  
  • Watermelon  
  • Baguette 
  • Caviar 
  • Wasabi  
  • Miso 
  • Pancake 
  • Waffles  
  • Bacon 

No discussion of funny cat names is complete without puns, and there are plenty to go around: 

  • Cat Sajak 
  • Cat Benatar 
  • Cindy Clawford 
  • Harry Pawter 
  • Hairy Styles 
  • Dolly Purrton 
  • Will Furrell 
  • Kitty Purry 

Or get inspired by timeless literary classics with cat names like: 

  • Jack Kerocat 
  • Herman Mewville 
  • Dorothy Pawker 

Of course, you can always come up with funny cat names based on your cat’s personality. Are they energetic and love to play with toys?  

  • Loco 
  • Catzilla 
  • Gary (SpongeBob’s pet) 
  • YOLO 

Cute cat names

Popular, funny and weird cat names are all good, but sometimes you just want something cute. After all, your cat is adorable—and their name should be, too. Looking for kitten names? Check out our new kitten guide, then start here.  

For cute female cat names, start with flowers:  

  • Poppy 
  • Daisy 
  • Rosie 
  • Buttercup 
  • Blossom 
  • Petunia 
  • Poppy 
  • Violet 
  • Tulip  

Good cat names for males can also be cute, like:  

  • Bubbles 
  • Blue 
  • Twinkles 
  • Sunny 
  • Sprinkles 

Or choose a cat name based on their coat or appearance, with names like: 

  • Dimples 
  • Boots 
  • Cookie 
  • Whiskers 
  • Cocoa 

Another good way to think of cute cat names is by sound—yes, sound! Think about it:  

  • Squeak 
  • Ziggy 
  • Fizz 
  • Boop 
  • Bam Bam 
  • Giggles 
  • Jingles 
  • Thumper 
  • Swish  

You can also get inspiration from candy: Everyone will love a cat named: 

  • Jellybean 
  • Kit-Kat 
  • Snickers 
  • Gumdrop 
  • Taffy 
  • Skittles 
  • Twix 
  • Butterfingers 

Cat names with meanings

Oftentimes the best cat names are the ones that mean something. Whether they’re taken from other languages or ancient Egyptian mythology, cat names with meanings are both beautiful and personal. Here are a few of our favorites, along with their meanings.  

Some of the best cat names with meanings for females are: 

  • Felicity means “intense happiness,” which is surely what your cat brings you
  • Melody means “a sequence musically satisfying notes,” and is perfect for a vocal kitty
  • Duchess is a powerful title fitting for a cat who thinks they are royalty 
  • Pandora was the first woman on earth in Greek mythology—and was very curious, like a cat
  • Andromeda means “ruler of men” in ancient Greek  
  • Aurelia is Latin for “the golden one” 
  • Kiya was a mysterious figure in Egyptian mythology, the perfect name for a cat who is always disappearing
  • Suki means “beloved” in Japanese and makes for an adorable kitten name

The best cat names with meanings for males:  

  • Aslan was “the king of beasts” in the classic books “The Chronicles of Narnia” and is a fitting name for cat who thinks he is king of the jungle
  • Leonidas means “son of a lion” and was the name of a famous Spartan warrior
  • Ares was the god of war in ancient Greek mythology 
  • Hercules was an ancient Roman hero who stands for honor and strength 
  • Hypnos was the Roman personification of sleep and is ideal for a cat who loves a good nap
  • Ramses was the Egyptian god of the sun—and most cats love laying in the sun
  • Maximus means “the greatest” in Latin, and we all know your cat is the greatest
  • Denali means “the great one” in Apache and is another fun name for a great cat

As you can see, the best cat names depend on looks, personality and your own personal preferences. There are tons of unique things you could name your cat, so the real question is: What inspires you? And what cat name fits your kitty the best? Only you know.  

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