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 like the pictures chosen for each cat, and that you explained how John got to Jack. Never knew that!
My cats have had human names or food names. None of these cat name sites mention the most likely reason why Luna is a common cat name—Luna is the black cat in Sailor Moon!
Our first cat was a gray tabby named Gus, who hit 22.5 lbs and lived to 16 years old. We now have 3 brothers- black with a touch of white named Rumbletummy, 2 ginger tabbys named Princess and Flick. Princess likes to preen, while Flick flicks his tail.
My mother in law named a stray cat Hemmingway because it was a Hemmingway cat with polydactyl paws. When she realized the kitten was pregnant, she shortened her name to Hemmy. We recently had to euthanize 19 year old Hemmy due to cancer. 😿
My cat ( sadly in catty heaven) was named Wedgewood after Tony Benn. Know he wasn’t perfect but probably one of the only good guys in politics:… The Wedge ( as known by everyone he came into contact with) was a real character and loved by all.
I named my boy Loki because it’s both cute and mischievous, just like he is!
Our family cat was called Whisky after the whiskey brand “Black and White”. Our neighbours who found him named him, and we kept it.
They are both black and white cats, and incidentally came from the same human family. Since they looked so much alike, they even called one of the kittens Whisky. The kitten who ended up picking me! But I changed the name this time, to Loki :)
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