Unique Cat Names
Walk into any vet’s waiting room and you’ll meet a Luna, a Milo and at least two Olivers. If you want your cat to be the only one who answers to its name, this list of more than 100 unique cat names is for you. Every name here is real, with a short meaning or origin, and none of them are on the usual most-popular lists.
We’ve sorted them by where the inspiration comes from: myth, books, science, forgotten human names and words from other languages. For even more options, browse Japanese cat names, badass cat names or our general list of cat names. Unusual doesn’t have to mean hard to say: most of these still have two syllables or a handy nickname.
Unique cat names from mythology
Gods, heroes and monsters from world myth, many with a feline connection. Our pages on Norse god names and Egyptian god names have many more.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Why it suits a cat |
|---|---|---|
| Bastet | Egyptian cat-headed goddess of home and protection | The original cat deity |
| Sekhmet | Egyptian lioness goddess of war | Fierce hunters |
| Mafdet | Early Egyptian feline goddess of justice | Very rare, very cool |
| Pandora | Greek, “all-gifted” | Curious cats who open everything |
| Persephone | Greek queen of the underworld | Dark, elegant girls |
| Hecate | Greek goddess of magic and crossroads | Black cats |
| Nyx | Greek goddess of night | Short and mysterious |
| Eos | Greek goddess of dawn | Pale ginger or cream cats |
| Odin | Norse chief of the gods | Cats missing an eye |
| Heimdall | Norse watchman of the gods | Window-sitters |
| Skadi | Norse goddess of winter and skiing | White or snow-colored cats |
| Anansi | West African trickster spider | Clever troublemakers |
| Maneki | From Japan’s <em>maneki-neko</em>, “beckoning cat” | Lucky charms |
| Cernunnos | Celtic horned god of the wild | Wild, woodland cats |
| Morrigan | Irish goddess of fate and war | Moody black cats |
| Kitsune | Japanese for “fox”, a shape-shifting spirit | Orange, foxy cats |
Literary cat names
Bookish names from classic novels, poetry and authors. Great for readers, and you’ll rarely meet a second cat called Bartleby.
| Name | Source | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Bartleby | Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener” | Cats who “would prefer not to” |
| Heathcliff | <em>Wuthering Heights</em> | Brooding, dramatic boys |
| Atticus | <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em>; Latin, “from Attica” | Wise, calm boys |
| Ishmael | <em>Moby-Dick</em>; Hebrew, “God hears” | Wanderers |
| Gatsby | <em>The Great Gatsby</em> | Show-offs |
| Dorian | <em>The Picture of Dorian Gray</em>; Greek, “of the Dorians” | Ageless beauties |
| Ophelia | <em>Hamlet</em>; Greek, “help” | Gentle, dreamy girls |
| Portia | <em>The Merchant of Venice</em> | Clever girls |
| Jo | <em>Little Women</em> | Tomboyish girls |
| Scout | <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em> | Adventurous girls |
| Tolstoy | Leo Tolstoy, Russian novelist | Big, fluffy cats |
| Poe | Edgar Allan Poe, author of “The Black Cat” | Black cats, obviously |
| Brontë | The Brontë sisters | Literary girls |
| Bilbo | Tolkien’s <em>The Hobbit</em> | Small, cozy boys |
| Mustrum | Ridcully’s first name in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld | Discworld fans |
| Behemoth | The giant talking cat in <em>The Master and Margarita</em> | Huge black cats |
Science and space cat names
Scientists, stars and elements for nerdy households. See our constellation names and table of elements for more.
| Name | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Kepler | Johannes Kepler, planetary-motion astronomer | Stargazers |
| Tesla | Nikola Tesla, electrical engineer | Hyper, zappy cats |
| Curie | Marie Curie, twice Nobel-winning physicist and chemist | Brilliant girls |
| Hubble | Edwin Hubble and the space telescope | Big-eyed cats |
| Ptolemy | Ancient Greek astronomer of Alexandria | Serious scholars |
| Hypatia | Alexandrian mathematician and philosopher | Clever girls |
| Darwin | Charles Darwin, naturalist | Explorers |
| Schrödinger | Physicist famous for the cat-in-a-box thought experiment | The only possible physics cat name |
| Quark | A fundamental particle | Tiny kittens |
| Neutrino | A nearly massless particle | Cats you can’t catch |
| Cobalt | The blue-producing metal | Blue-grey cats |
| Bismuth | A metal with rainbow crystals | Unusual, colorful cats |
| Vega | Bright star in Lyra; Arabic, “swooping” | Pale, bright cats |
| Rigel | Bright star in Orion; Arabic, “foot” | Handsome boys |
| Nebula | Latin, “mist, cloud” | Smoky coats |
| Io | A volcanic moon of Jupiter | Short and sweet |
Old-fashioned people names for cats
Human names that dropped out of fashion decades ago sound delightful on a cat. For more, see old names and vintage girl names.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Why we like it |
|---|---|---|
| Mortimer | Norman French place name, “still water” | Sounds like a butler with whiskers |
| Horace | Roman family name Horatius | Grumpy old men cats |
| Cornelius | Latin, possibly “horn” | Distinguished boys |
| Barnaby | Aramaic via Greek, “son of consolation” | Friendly and jolly |
| Percival | Arthurian knight; possibly “pierce the valley” | Noble boys |
| Ignatius | Latin, possibly from <em>ignis</em>, “fire” | Fiery cats |
| Quincy | French place name, “estate of the fifth son” | Upbeat boys |
| Ottoline | Germanic, “wealth” | Aristocratic girls |
| Winifred | Welsh, “blessed peacemaking” | Nickname Winnie |
| Mildred | Old English, “gentle strength” | Kind but tough |
| Agatha | Greek, “good” | Mystery-loving girls |
| Philippa | Greek, “lover of horses” | Nickname Pippa |
| Gertrude | Germanic, “spear strength” | Nickname Gertie |
| Eudora | Greek, “good gift” | Southern-literary charm |
| Clementine | Latin, “merciful” | Sunny, orange girls |
International and foreign-word cat names
Short words from other languages that sound lovely and carry a meaning. Our Spanish dog names work for cats too.
| Name | Meaning | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Bijou | Jewel | French |
| Mignon | Cute, dainty | French |
| Minou | Kitty (affectionate) | French |
| Gato | Cat | Spanish |
| Canela | Cinnamon | Spanish |
| Estrella | Star | Spanish |
| Neko | Cat | Japanese |
| Sora | Sky | Japanese |
| Hoshi | Star | Japanese |
| Mishka | Little bear | Russian |
| Koshka | Cat | Russian |
| Tesoro | Treasure | Italian |
| Pisica | Cat | Romanian |
| Kaveh | Hero-blacksmith of Persian epic | Persian |
| Anela | Angel | Hawaiian |
| Hygge | Coziness | Danish |
| Mau | Cat (imitative of meowing) | Ancient Egyptian |
| Tahini | Sesame paste | Arabic via Turkish |
Uncommon nature names
Birds, plants and weather that rarely end up as pet names.
| Name | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Wren | A tiny songbird | Small, quick cats |
| Kestrel | A small falcon | Hunters |
| Starling | An iridescent songbird | Shiny black cats |
| Heron | Tall wading bird | Long-legged cats |
| Juniper | Evergreen shrub | Calm girls |
| Yarrow | A wildflower used in herbal medicine | Gentle cats |
| Sorrel | A sour herb; also a reddish-brown color | Red or brown cats |
| Lichen | Crusty fungus-algae partnership | Speckled cats |
| Moss | Soft green plant | Sleepy cats |
| Tempest | A violent storm | Chaotic kittens |
| Zephyr | Greek god of the west wind | Fast, gentle cats |
| Monsoon | Seasonal wind; Arabic <em>mawsim</em>, “season” | Wild ones |
| Obsidian | Black volcanic glass | Glossy black cats |
| Opal | A gemstone with flashes of color | Calicos |
Quirky and unexpected cat names
Odd, funny names that make everyone ask “why?”. If these make you smile, see funny cat names.
| Name | The idea | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Mothra | The giant moth kaiju | Cats who hunt moths |
| Pikachu | Pokémon electric mouse | Yellow or orange cats |
| Waffles | Breakfast food | Round, fluffy cats |
| Spreadsheet | Office software | Cats who sit on laptops |
| Admiral | Naval rank | Bossy boys |
| Nugget | Small lump of gold or chicken | Chunky kittens |
| Dumpling | Soft filled dough | Round, sweet cats |
| Kevin | A very ordinary human name | Cats with human energy |
| Gary | Another deadpan human name | Tabbies with a middle-manager look |
| Toaster | Kitchen appliance | Cats who love warm spots |
| Sprocket | Small toothed wheel | Mechanical-minded cats |
| Pistachio | The green nut | Quirky, colorful cats |
| Moxie | American slang for nerve, from a soda brand | Bold girls |
| Gumbo | Louisiana stew | Mixed-color coats |
How to choose a unique cat name
- Check it’s truly unusual: if it’s on a top-100 list, or your friends have a pet with it, look further.
- Make sure there’s a short nickname. Bartholomew is fun, but you’ll be calling “Bart!” at dinnertime.
- Avoid names that sound like everyday commands, such as “Kit” (sit) or “No-no”.
- Try it with a vet’s receptionist voice: “Ptolemy Johnson?” If you laugh, that’s a good sign.
- Tie it to something personal, like a favorite book, place or scientist. It makes the name a story.
Frequently asked questions
What is a rare name for a cat?
Names like Bastet, Mafdet, Ptolemy, Ottoline, Hypatia or Bartleby are rarely used for pets but still easy to say and meaningful.
What is a cool unique name for a boy cat?
Try Kepler, Heathcliff, Odin, Cornelius, Kestrel or Behemoth, all real names with strong meanings.
What is a unique girl cat name?
Persephone, Hypatia, Wren, Ottoline, Bijou and Skadi are unusual but pretty picks.
Can a cat learn a long, unusual name?
Cats respond mostly to sound and routine, so a long name works fine as long as you use a consistent short form, like Percy for Percival.
What was the cat god’s name in ancient Egypt?
Bastet (also Bast) was the cat-headed goddess of home, fertility and protection; Mafdet and Sekhmet were other feline deities.