Cat Names: 120 Boy, Girl and Unusual Kitten Ideas

Start your cat-name search with a few styles, then choose a small shortlist. The 120 ideas here cover boy cat names, girl names, unusual cat names and playful kitten names. Your cat does not need to match a stereotype to earn a name you love.

These lists are for browsing by hand. Our Dog & Cat Name Generator offers generated suggestions. For a more specific theme, visit black cat names or grey and gray cat names.

Boy cat names and male kitten names

For cute boy cat names, compare a formal name with a nickname. Alfred can become Alfie, and Humphrey can become Humph. Think about the name you will enjoy using every day, not only the one that looks good on a tag.

• Albie
• Alfred
• Barney
• Basil
• Bertie
• Boris
• Casper
• Charlie
• Claude
• Cosmo
• Edgar
• Elliot
• Ernie
• Franklin
• George
• Gus
• Hamish
• Hector
• Henry
• Humphrey

More male cat names with a different sound

If the first boy kitten names did not fit, try a different rhythm. Short names such as Kit and Ned feel different from Stanley or Vincent. These are editorial suggestions, not claims about which names cats prefer.

• Iggy
• Irving
• Jeeves
• Jonah
• Kit
• Lenny
• Linus
• Loki
• Monty
• Ned
• Neville
• Ollie
• Oscar
• Percy
• Quincy
• Rufus
• Stanley
• Theo
• Vincent
• Winston

Girl cat names and adorable kitten names

A human-style name can give an ordinary moment its own character: “Agnes has claimed the chair again.” Names here are flexible suggestions and can be used for cats of any sex.

• Agnes
• Alice
• Beatrice
• Birdie
• Bridget
• Cora
• Daphne
• Dolly
• Edie
• Effie
• Esme
• Etta
• Florence
• Frida
• Greta
• Hazel
• Imogen
• Josie
• Kitty
• Lottie

Unusual cat names inspired by objects and places

For cat names that are unique in your own household, look at a favourite hobby or place. Quill might fit a family of writers; Pixel could recall the first photo you took. These are associations, not historical meanings.

• Atlas
• Bookmark
• Cameo
• Compass
• Domino
• Echo
• Finch
• Glacier
• Halo
• Ink
• Islet
• Jigsaw
• Keeper
• Locket
• Marble
• Orbit
• Pixel
• Quill
• Riddle
• Trinket

Funny kitten names and delightfully ridiculous cat names

Try a funny name in a full introduction before deciding. Choose a joke you will enjoy for years and that treats your cat kindly. Food names are wordplay, not a feeding list.

• Admiral
• Bagel
• Banoffee
• Beans
• Chairman
• Chutney
• Custard
• Dipstick
• Doughnut
• Fidget
• Flapjack
• Goblin
• Lasagne
• Napkin
• Nibbles
• Pickles
• Sir Pounce
• Spaghetti
• Teacup
• Turnip

Gentle, unisex and cute cat names

A softer name can be a useful contrast to a mischievous kitten. You can also use one as a nickname alongside a formal name. Keep whichever version feels natural to your household.

• Apricot
• Bloom
• Breeze
• Cloud
• Dew
• Feather
• Honey
• Leaf
• Little
• Lumen
• Mallow
• Moonbeam
• Petal
• Pollen
• Ripple
• Silk
• Solstice
• Starling
• Thistle
• Wisp

A cat-name shortlist you can actually finish

Instead of saving hundreds of disconnected screenshots, make a three-column note: name, reason and likely nickname. For example: “Orbit—our space-loving family—Orbie.” Ask each person to pick one favourite from three different styles, then compare the small lists.

Leave room for personality. You might arrive with “Sir Pounce” in mind and discover that “Percy” feels right. The worksheet is a way to organise your choice, not a rule about what a cat must be called.

Record the name’s first chapter

Save the first photo, who suggested the name and the small moment that settled it. Your Pet Memory provides photo and story spaces in an interactive HTML file plus a separate printable PDF. For a free starting point, use our pet journal prompts.

Cat name questions

What are the best cat names?

The best choice is personal. Start with names you enjoy saying, and check that the whole household is comfortable using them.

How can I find unique male cat names?

Mix the human-name and object-inspired lists. Irving, Compass and Quill give three very different directions without claiming that any name is globally unique.

Are cute male cat names only for kittens?

No. Consider how the name will feel when your kitten becomes an adult; a playful name can remain part of their story at every age.

Name lists are original editorial suggestions, not a popularity survey or a promise that a name is unique worldwide. Names can suit pets of any sex. Word associations describe our inspiration, not verified name etymologies.

Photo by Łukasz Rawa on Unsplash.