Tuxedo Cat Names
A tuxedo cat isn’t a breed: it’s a bicolor coat pattern, mostly black with a crisp white chest, white paws and often a white chin or mustache. The look is so formal that the names practically write themselves. Below are more than 100 tuxedo cat names, grouped from black-tie classics to penguins, piano keys and famous tuxedo cats from cartoons and history.
Tuxedos have a reputation (backed mostly by owner stories, not science) for being chatty, bold and a little ridiculous, so don’t be afraid to pick a name with some wit. If your cat is more black than white, our black cat names are worth a look; for patched cats with more white, try white cat names, or go back to the main list of cat names.
Black-tie tuxedo cat names
Names borrowed from formal wear, fancy parties and the people who wear tuxedos for a living.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Tux | Short for tuxedo | The obvious choice, and still one of the best |
| Tuxedo | Named after Tuxedo Park, New York, where the dinner jacket caught on in the 1880s | Full formal version |
| Bowtie | The neckwear | Great if the white bib has a dark notch |
| Cufflinks | Formal shirt fasteners | Fun for cats with white front paws |
| Dapper | Middle Dutch <em>dapper</em>, “brave, quick” | For a cat who always looks sharp |
| Gatsby | Jay Gatsby, host of the most famous parties in fiction | Boys who love attention |
| Maestro | Italian, “master, teacher” | Conductors wear white tie and tails |
| Butler | Old French <em>bouteillier</em>, “cellar servant” | Classic formal-staff joke |
| Jeeves | Wodehouse’s unflappable valet | For a calm, dignified cat |
| Alfred | Old English, “elf counsel”; Batman’s butler | Loyal, gentlemanly boys |
| Cary | After Cary Grant, king of the tuxedo | Suave, charming cats |
| Fred | After Fred Astaire, who danced in white tie | Graceful boys |
| Ginger | After Ginger Rogers, Astaire’s partner | Pair with Fred for two tuxedos |
| Audrey | After Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress | Elegant girls |
| Gala | Formal party; Old French <em>gale</em>, “merrymaking” | Girls with a social streak |
| Tiffany | Greek <em>Theophania</em>, “appearance of God”; the jeweler | Girls with sparkle |
Black and white cat names
Two-tone names that point straight at that high-contrast coat. Many work just as well for spotted dogs and other black-and-white pets.
| Name | Inspiration | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Oreo | The black-and-white sandwich cookie | The most popular tuxedo name for a reason |
| Domino | The black tiles with white dots | Cats with white spots or blaze |
| Checkers | The game on a two-tone board | Playful boys |
| Chess | The black and white pieces | Strategic, clever cats |
| Yin | Chinese dark half of yin-yang | Pair with Yang for two cats |
| Yang | Chinese bright half of yin-yang | The partner name |
| Salt | The white seasoning | Pair with Pepper |
| Pepper | Black pepper | Mostly black tuxedos |
| Inky | Ink, from Greek <em>enkauston</em> | Deep black coats |
| Ivory | Elephant tusk, a warm white | Tuxedos with bright white bibs |
| Magpie | The black-and-white bird | Cats who steal shiny things |
| Panda | The giant panda | Round, fluffy tuxedos |
| Zebra | The striped horse | Unusual pick for a bold cat |
| Skunk | The black-and-white mammal | Cats with a white stripe |
| Cookies ’n’ Cream | The ice-cream flavor | Sweet, speckled cats |
| Orca | The killer whale | Big, powerful boys |
| Barcode | Black and white bars | Tech-lover households |
| Newsprint | Black ink on white paper | Bookish homes |
Penguin names for tuxedo cats
The white shirtfront makes the penguin comparison unavoidable. These are real penguin species and famous fictional penguins.
| Name | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Penguin | The seabird | Cute and literal |
| Pingu | Swiss-British clay-animation penguin | Chatty, noisy cats |
| Mumble | The tap-dancing penguin in <em>Happy Feet</em> | Cats with busy paws |
| Gloria | The singing penguin in <em>Happy Feet</em> | Vocal girls |
| Skipper | Leader of the <em>Madagascar</em> penguins | Bossy boys |
| Kowalski | The brainy <em>Madagascar</em> penguin | Clever, curious cats |
| Rico | The <em>Madagascar</em> penguin who swallows everything | Cats who eat hair ties |
| Private | The youngest <em>Madagascar</em> penguin | Sweet, shy kittens |
| Oswald | Batman villain Oswald Cobblepot, “The Penguin” | Tuxedos with a scheming look |
| Feathers | Feathers McGraw, the penguin villain in <em>Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers</em> | Sneaky, silent cats |
| Adelie | The Adélie penguin, named after Adèle d’Urville | Soft, pretty girls |
| Emperor | The largest penguin species | Big, regal cats |
| Rockhopper | A small crested penguin | Jumpy, athletic cats |
| Waddles | How penguins walk | Chunky tuxedos |
| Tacky | The odd-bird penguin in Helen Lester’s picture books | Quirky cats |
Famous tuxedo cats
Cartoons love a tuxedo because the pattern reads clearly in black-and-white animation. Here are the best-known ones, real and fictional.
| Name | Where it’s from | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Sylvester | Looney Tunes (1945) | The most famous tuxedo cat ever drawn |
| Felix | Felix the Cat (1919) | Mostly black with a white face; Latin for “lucky” |
| Socks | Clinton family cat in the White House | A presidential tuxedo |
| Figaro | Pinocchio (1940) | Small, sassy kittens; the name is from the opera barber |
| Tom Kitten | Beatrix Potter | Mischievous youngsters |
| Mr. Mistoffelees | T. S. Eliot’s <em>Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats</em> and <em>Cats</em> | Magical, mysterious cats |
| Palmerston | Chief Mouser at the UK Foreign Office (2016–2020) | Working cats |
| Humphrey | Chief Mouser at 10 Downing Street (1989–1997) | Distinguished boys |
| Hattie | Nod to Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat, a black-and-white cat | Playful, chaotic girls |
| Sassy | Himalayan in <em>Homeward Bound</em> | For cats with attitude |
| Mittens | Classic storybook name for white-pawed cats | Tuxedos with white feet |
Piano, jazz and music names
Black and white keys, black-tie concerts and jazz clubs: music names suit tuxedos beautifully.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Piano | Italian <em>pianoforte</em>, “soft-loud” | Cats who walk on the keyboard |
| Keys | The piano keys | Short and snappy |
| Mozart | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Classical-music homes |
| Chopin | Frédéric Chopin, Polish composer | Gentle, romantic boys |
| Liszt | Franz Liszt, virtuoso pianist | Dramatic show-offs |
| Ella | Ella Fitzgerald | Singing girls |
| Duke | Duke Ellington, jazz bandleader | Classy boys |
| Count | Count Basie, jazz pianist | Pairs with Duke |
| Miles | Miles Davis | Cool, laid-back cats |
| Coltrane | John Coltrane | Jazz lovers’ tuxedos |
| Sinatra | Frank Sinatra, tuxedo icon | Crooners |
| Dizzy | Dizzy Gillespie | Hyper kittens |
| Nina | Nina Simone | Soulful girls |
| Cadence | Latin <em>cadere</em>, “to fall”; a musical ending | Graceful girls |
Classy and elegant tuxedo cat names
Old-money names for cats who act like they own the place. For more ideas, see our elegant girl names and royal boy names.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Winston | Old English, “joy stone” or “wine’s town” | British gentleman |
| Bentley | Old English, “bent grass meadow” | Luxury car polish |
| Sebastian | Greek, “venerable” | Refined but friendly |
| Archibald | Germanic, “genuine and bold” | Nickname Archie |
| Reginald | Germanic, “counsel, rule” | Monocle-and-cane energy |
| Montgomery | Norman French place name | Nickname Monty |
| Rupert | Germanic, “bright fame” | Old-school charm |
| Oscar | Irish, “deer lover”; Oscar Wilde | Witty, well-dressed boys |
| Bond | After James Bond, the tuxedo spy | Sleek, mysterious boys |
| Vivienne | French from Latin, “alive” | Chic girls |
| Grace | Latin, “grace”; Grace Kelly | Poised girls |
| Coco | After Coco Chanel, queen of black and white | Stylish girls |
| Dahlia | The dahlia flower, after botanist Anders Dahl | Showy girls |
| Pearl | The gemstone | Tuxedos with pearly bibs |
| Contessa | Italian, “countess” | Regal, bossy girls |
Cute and funny tuxedo cat names
Tuxedos are famous clowns. These names match the gap between the formal outfit and the chaotic behavior. For more laughs, see funny cat names.
| Name | The joke | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. Fancy Pants | Always dressed for the occasion | Show-off boys |
| Sir Pounce-a-Lot | A knight in formal fur | Hunters |
| Boots | White feet on black legs | Cats with full white socks |
| Spats | Old-fashioned white shoe covers | Cats with white toes only |
| Moo | Looks like a cow | Patchy tuxedos |
| Jellybean | Sweet and small | Tiny kittens |
| Bingo | The game with black numbers on white | Energetic cats |
| Pickles | No reason at all, just funny | Odd little cats |
| Mustache | For the white or black ’stache marking | Cats with face markings |
| Hitchcock | The director famous for his silhouette | Dramatic cats |
| Waiter | Black jacket, white shirt | Cats who beg at the table |
| Tux Jr. | The sequel | Second tuxedo in the house |
How to choose a tuxedo cat name
- Look at the markings first: a white mustache, a “bowtie” patch or white boots can point you straight to a name like Mustache, Bowtie or Boots.
- Say it out loud across the room. Two syllables ending in a vowel sound (Oreo, Domino, Figaro) carry well and are easy for cats to learn.
- Plan pairs early if you have two cats: Salt and Pepper, Yin and Yang, Fred and Ginger, Duke and Count.
- Match the personality after a week or two. A dignified cat might suit Jeeves; a clown might be better as Pickles.
- If you like pop-culture names, check that the character is one you’d still enjoy saying in 15 years.
Frequently asked questions
Is a tuxedo cat a breed?
No. “Tuxedo” describes a black-and-white bicolor coat pattern, and it shows up in many breeds and in mixed-breed domestic shorthairs and longhairs.
Are tuxedo cats usually male or female?
Both. The bicolor pattern comes from the white-spotting gene, which isn’t sex-linked, so male and female tuxedos are both common.
What is the most popular tuxedo cat name?
Oreo is probably the most common, followed by names like Felix, Sylvester, Domino, Socks and Tux.
What famous cats are tuxedos?
Sylvester from Looney Tunes, Felix the Cat, Figaro from Pinocchio, Socks the Clinton White House cat and Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat are all black-and-white.
Do tuxedo cats have a special personality?
Owners often describe them as bold and talkative, but personality depends on the individual cat and its upbringing, not coat color.