Japanese Cat Names

By the Names.Contact Editorial Team · Updated September 2026 · 102 names

Japan is a nation of cat lovers — home of the beckoning maneki-neko, dozens of cat islands and a stationmaster cat who became a national celebrity. Japanese names suit cats beautifully because most are short, vowel-rich and easy to call. We’ve collected more than 100 Japanese cat names with a simple English pronunciation guide and their meaning.

You’ll find the classic names Japanese families actually give their cats (Tama, Kuro, Mike), words for coat colors, foods, seasons, and personal names for girls and boys. Syllables in Japanese get roughly equal stress, so say them evenly. Looking for people’s names instead? See Japanese names, Japanese girl names and Japanese boy names, or go back to all cat names.

Our top picks: Mochi, Tama, Kuro, Sora, Yuki, Momo, Kinako, Hana, Haru, Maru, Tora, Sakura

Classic cat names used in Japan

These are the names Japanese owners have given cats for generations, plus modern favorites that top pet-insurance surveys in Japan.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Tama	TAH-mah	“Jewel, ball”; the old stereotypical Japanese cat name
Mike	MEE-keh	“Three fur,” the word for a calico cat
Kuro	KOO-roh	“Black”; a go-to for black cats
Shiro	SHEE-roh	“White”
Tora	TOH-rah	“Tiger”; used for tabbies
Chibi	CHEE-bee	“Little one, shorty”
Mugi	MOO-gee	“Wheat, barley”; for golden-brown cats
Maru	MAH-roo	“Circle, round”; for chubby cats
Sora	SOH-rah	“Sky”
Kotetsu	koh-TET-soo	“Small iron”; a popular modern boy cat name
Kurumi	koo-ROO-mee	“Walnut”
Hachi	HAH-chee	“Eight,” a lucky number
Chobi	CHOH-bee	Cute, short pet name with no fixed meaning
Mii	MEE	Imitates a kitten’s mew

Japanese names for coat colors

Japanese has specific words for cat coats — a ginger tabby is a chatora (“tea tiger”) and a tortoiseshell is sabi (“rust”). Pair with our calico cat names or names for orange cats.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Chatora	chah-TOH-rah	“Tea tiger”: a ginger tabby
Kijitora	kee-jee-TOH-rah	“Pheasant tiger”: a brown tabby
Sabi	SAH-bee	“Rust”: a tortoiseshell
Hachiware	hah-chee-WAH-reh	“Split eight”: a cat with a black-and-white face split like the character 八
Gin	GEEN	“Silver”
Kin	KEEN	“Gold”
Haiiro	hai-EE-roh	“Grey” (literally “ash color”)
Aka	AH-kah	“Red”
Ao	AH-oh	“Blue”
Chairo	CHAI-roh	“Brown” (literally “tea color”)
Sumi	SOO-mee	“Ink” — for black or charcoal cats
Kohaku	koh-HAH-koo	“Amber”
Shinju	SHEEN-joo	“Pearl”
Kiiro	KEE-roh	“Yellow”
Midori	mee-DOH-ree	“Green”; for green-eyed cats

Japanese food names

Food names are hugely popular for cats in Japan, and many double as color descriptions. More in food cat names.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Mochi	MOH-chee	Soft pounded rice cake
Daifuku	dai-FOO-koo	“Great luck”; a mochi filled with sweet bean paste
Dango	DAHN-goh	Sweet rice dumplings on a skewer
Kinako	kee-NAH-koh	Roasted soybean flour; for beige cats
Azuki	ah-ZOO-kee	Red bean
Onigiri	oh-nee-GEE-ree	Rice ball wrapped in seaweed; for tuxedo cats
Nori	NOH-ree	Dried seaweed; for black cats
Ume	OO-meh	Japanese plum
Yuzu	YOO-zoo	Fragrant citrus fruit
Matcha	MAHT-chah	Powdered green tea
Soba	SOH-bah	Buckwheat noodles
Udon	oo-DOHN	Thick wheat noodles
Tempura	tem-POO-rah	Light battered fry
Miso	MEE-soh	Fermented soybean paste
Ikura	ee-KOO-rah	Salmon roe
Anko	AHN-koh	Sweet red bean paste
Tamago	tah-MAH-goh	“Egg”; also sweet rolled omelet

Nature and season names

Japanese culture pays close attention to the seasons, which gives cats plenty of poetic names. See nature names for more.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Sakura	sah-KOO-rah	“Cherry blossom”
Yuki	YOO-kee	“Snow”
Tsuki	TSOO-kee	“Moon”
Hoshi	HOH-shee	“Star”
Kumo	KOO-moh	“Cloud”
Kaze	KAH-zeh	“Wind”
Ame	AH-meh	“Rain”
Umi	OO-mee	“Sea”
Kaede	kah-EH-deh	“Maple”
Momiji	moh-MEE-jee	Autumn leaves (Japanese maple)
Hikari	hee-KAH-ree	“Light”
Hotaru	hoh-TAH-roo	“Firefly”
Kiku	KEE-koo	“Chrysanthemum”
Take	TAH-keh	“Bamboo”
Natsu	NAH-tsoo	“Summer”
Fuyu	FOO-yoo	“Winter”
Hanabi	hah-NAH-bee	“Fireworks” (literally “flower fire”)

Japanese girl names for female cats

Personal names in Japan get their meaning from the kanji chosen, so one name can have several meanings; we give a common one. More in Japanese girl names.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Hana	HAH-nah	“Flower”
Momo	MOH-moh	“Peach”
Aiko	AI-koh	“Beloved child”
Emi	EH-mee	“Blessed with beauty” or “smile”
Hina	HEE-nah	“Chick, sunlight”
Mei	MAY	“Sprout” or “bright”
Rin	REEN	“Dignified” or “bell”
Yui	YOO-ee	“Binding, tie”
Nana	NAH-nah	“Seven”
Kiko	KEE-koh	“Chronicle child” or “hope child”
Koharu	koh-HAH-roo	“Little spring”; Indian summer
Mai	MAI	“Dance”
Suzu	SOO-zoo	“Little bell”
Akemi	ah-KEH-mee	“Bright beauty”

Japanese boy names for male cats

Strong, short Japanese names that suit tomcats. See Japanese boy names and samurai names for more.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Haru	HAH-roo	“Spring” or “sunlight”
Ren	REN	“Lotus”
Kenji	KEN-jee	“Strong second son”
Taro	TAH-roh	“Big son,” a classic boy’s name
Kaito	KAI-toh	“Ocean flying”
Riku	REE-koo	“Land”
Hiro	HEE-roh	“Generous” or “widespread”
Kotaro	koh-TAH-roh	“Little big son”
Daichi	DAI-chee	“Great earth”
Jiro	JEE-roh	“Second son”
Ryu	RYOO	“Dragon”
Kai	KAI	“Ocean”
Shin	SHEEN	“True” or “heart”
Yoshi	YOH-shee	“Good, lucky”

Folklore and famous Japanese cats

Japan’s cat legends and pop-culture cats. Explore more characters in anime names.

Name	Pronunciation	Who or what
Maneki	mah-NEH-kee	From maneki-neko, the lucky beckoning cat
Bakeneko	bah-keh-NEH-koh	A shape-shifting cat spirit in folklore
Nekomata	neh-koh-MAH-tah	Folklore cat with a forked tail
Nyanko	NYAHN-koh	“Kitty”; nyan is the Japanese meow
Jiji	JEE-jee	Kiki’s black cat in Kiki’s Delivery Service
Neko	NEH-koh	Simply “cat”
Doraemon	doh-RAH-eh-mohn	The blue robot cat of the manga and anime
Nekobasu	neh-koh-BAH-soo	The Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro
Tama-ekichō	TAH-mah eh-kee-CHOH	“Stationmaster Tama,” the calico who ran Kishi Station in Wakayama
Artemis	AR-teh-mis	The white cat adviser in Sailor Moon
Kuroneko	koo-roh-NEH-koh	“Black cat,” a symbol of good luck in Japan

Tips for choosing a Japanese name for your cat

Say every vowel. Japanese vowels are always pronounced: Kaede is ka-e-de, not “Kayd.” Short vowel-ending names are easy for cats to hear.
Check the kanji if it matters. Names like Rin or Mei have several meanings depending on the characters; pick the one you like and note it for the curious.
Use the coat words. Kuro, Shiro, Chatora and Sabi are exactly what a Japanese owner would say about a cat’s color — authentic and charming.
Avoid confusing combos. Mochi and Momo, or Kuro and Kurumi, are too similar for two cats in one home.
Pair with the breed. A Japanese Bobtail with a Japanese name is a natural fit — see also our Siamese cat names for other Asian-heritage breeds.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “cat” in Japanese?

Cat is neko (猫), pronounced NEH-koh. A kitten is koneko, “small cat,” and a cat’s meow is written nyan or nyaa.

What is the most common cat name in Japan?

Traditional names like Tama, Mike and Kuro are the classic stereotypes, while recent Japanese pet-insurance surveys list names such as Mugi, Sora, Leo, Kotetsu, Momo and Kurumi near the top.

What does Mochi mean?

Mochi is a soft, chewy Japanese cake made from pounded glutinous rice. It’s a hugely popular name for round white or cream cats.

Why are black cats lucky in Japan?

In Japan a black cat (kuroneko) is widely considered good luck, believed to ward off evil and, traditionally, to bring a single woman many suitors.

What is a Japanese name for a boy cat?

Popular picks include Kotetsu, Taro, Haru, Ryu, Kai and Tora. See the boy names section above for more.