The 20 Most Popular Cat Names In The US
Thinking of adopting a new kitty? Bringing a new cat into the family is exciting in itself, one of the best parts is getting to pick a name! Our pets’ names can say a lot about us—for instance, if you meet someone with a cat named Luke Skywhisker, there’s a good chance that they are a fan of a certain space saga.
So if you’re looking to find a new best feline friend, we’ve gathered 20 of the most popular—and some of the funniest—cat names in the US for some inspurration. This list was compiled by Healthy Paws Pet and Insurance Foundation and includes the 10 male and 10 female cat names that were most popular in 2017.
Scroll down for some name ideas that will be purr-fect for any feline!
Top 10 Male Cat Names
Oliver.
Thanks to the Disney classic Oliver and Company, which is derived from Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, Oliver is ideal for ginger cats. It has a Latin origin and means "olive tree."
Loki.
Loki is known as the god of mischief in Norse mythology, and thanks to the Avengers, he's more popular than ever. If you name a cat Loki, though, be prepared: it might be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Milo.
Milo is of German origin and means "soldier" or "merciful."
Simba.
The Lion King pretty much instituted Simba as a classic cat name. It is originally of Swahili origin, and fittingly means "lion." You can give your kitty their very own mane and crown them the king of your living room!
Jack.
Jack is a durable, cheery everyman form of John. How did John get to Jack? It went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack. Language is strange!
Charlie.
Charlie has dozens of pop cultural references, from Charlie Chaplin to "Charlie's Angels." It derives from Charles, which means "free man." It became popular in France in the Middle Ages thanks to Charles the Great (aka Charlemagne).
Finn.
Finn is of Irish origin and means "fair or white." Popular characters featuring the name are Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and more recently, Finn from Star Wars: The Force Awakens!
Leo.
Leo is the purrfect name for any tiny house lion, especially as it literally translates to lion in Latin.
Max.
Max traces its origins back to Ancient Rome, from the Roman family name "Maximus," meaning "greatest."
Oscar.
Oscar is of Irish and English origins, and has multiple meanings, from "God spear," "deer-lover," and "champion warrior." Notable bearers of the name are writer Oscar Wilde and, of course, Oscar-Mayer (of the Oscar Mayer Wieners).
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Top 10 Female Cat Names:
Luna.
Luna is of Italian origin and translates to, you guessed it, "moon." Luna was also the Roman goddess of the moon, frequently depicted driving a white chariot through the sky.
Bella.
Bella is of Italian origin and means "beautiful."
Lucy.
Lucy is predominately English in origin, and is derived from the Latin "lux" which means "light." The purrfect name for a feline who lights up your life!
Lily.
Floral names are coming back into style, with Lily at the head of the parade! Slightly ironic in name as lilies are highly toxic to cats if ingested - so if you have a Lily, keep her well away from the lilies.
Daisy.
Another lovely floral name that is as bright and energetic as a sweet kitten. Daisy comes from the phrase "day's eye," because it opens its petals at daybreak.
Nala.
As with the name Simba, Nala became a popular cat name thanks to The Lion King. Nala is a name with an African origin, meaning "successful." In Sanskrit it means stem.
Mia.
In its simplest form, the name Mia means "mine" or "my beloved," as it does in Italian.
Chloe.
Means "green shoot" in Greek, referring to new plant growth in the spring.
Stella.
Stella means "star" in Latin and also provides endless amounts of fun each and everytime you reenact that famous line from A Streetcar Named Desire. You know the one.
Need some more ideas? Check out our collection of unique historical names for your cat!
I have had four cats in my lifetime. the oldest was named Julius Caesar (after the Julius Caesar) but we called him Ceasar. he was an American Shorthair and he was a black and white tom who was the man of the house, even though my dad was still there… he passed away 2 years ago, he was 13.
the next is Isabella, named after Queen Isabella. we call her Bella, and she is a calico. she is an American Shorthair too she is the alpha kitty and the kitty mama. she has looked over me and my siblings since we were babies. she is 15 now.
the next is Octavio, named after the Roman general Gaius Octavius. he is a black cat, a Bombay and my tubby tub tubs, which means he’s a fat cat, at a whopping 25 pounds. he is a softie and is the baby of the family. loves to cuddle. he is 5.
the last one is fiesty Victoria, named after Queen Victoria. she is a little Chartreux, with bluish gray hair, and she is a mean cat, like she trys to bully Octavio, but kitty mama Bella saves the day. she is also 5.
my cats names are Chance,Baby,Pebbles,Calie and Marven
Have named over 30 cats, but two favorites are Tortellini, a tortiseshell of course, and Sahara, the palest ginger I had even see that reminded me of desert sand.
My orange tabby is part bobcat and is named after Alien (1979 movie) herocat and one of only two survivors, Jones (aka Jonesy.)
Had a simees who piper put a litter.
Notorious- he is the white plump of the group, thug life was his motto.
Luna- she is timid and a loner. (Renamed Muffin by new owners, personally think it’s a downgrade name)
Screech- he was the scrawny runt who has wired and liked to sing. (New owners renamed him Sherlock, it sorta fits his personality)
And my last two favs popped out black for some reason. (No clue who the father was) we decided to keep these ones:
Zoe – the princess she was
Galaxia- has a little white galaxy shape on her tummy and some shooting stars on her lower backside.
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