308 Cat Names: Cat Name Ideas
Perfect Cat Names
Figuring out cat names for your Ragdoll cat, or any cat for that matter can be difficult, especially if they live as long as my Rags. But, indeed, their name needs to match their unique personality.
Jaran, pictured below, was Ragdoll of the Week. You might enjoy reading through our Ragdoll of the Week submissions and our Floppycat of the Week submissions to find out how other cat owners determine which cat names they want to use.
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Things To Consider When Naming Your Cat
Naming your new cat should be a fun experience, even if it can sometimes be tricky. Here’s a list of things you can consider to help you make your decision:
- Their personality – you’re not going to have built up a strong understanding of their entire personality by the time you name them, but you may base their name on their first impressions.
- Their color – many cat names are based on your cat’s coat color. With Ragdolls, this might be trickier if you’re buying a kitten since the color won’t fully come through until later, but you might have an idea.
- Physical features – this might be based on the individual cat or the breed. Naming a Ragdoll, you may want to focus on its size or beautiful blue eyes.
- Breed characteristics – if you don’t know enough about your cat’s individual personality, you might base it on the typical characteristics of the breed (like something gentle and floppy for a Ragdoll). Even if the cat ends up being a little different from the typical breed, the name could be ironic and funny.
If you have a creative pet name, please include them in the comments below.
Otherwise, here’s a long list of some great cat names you may want to use for your cat.
Boy Cat Names
While you don’t have to pick a gendered name for your cat, many people prefer to stay traditional or think their cat just looks ‘boyish.’ So if you’re looking for a classic boy name for your kitty, look at this list.
- Alfie
- Angus
- Arne
- Arnie
- Ben
- Boris
- Buddy
- Charlie
- Colin
- Cosmo
- Dexter
- Domino
- Duke
- Duncan
- Dylan
- Eddie
- Finn
- Frankie
- Gus
- Harlow
- Harper
- Harvey
- Hobbs
- Jack
- Lenny
- Leo
- Louis
- Max
- Milo
- Oliver
- Ollie
- Oscar
- Pip
- Reggie
- Rex
- Riley
- Sam
- Simon
- Theo
- Tiger
- Toby
- Tom
- Tucker
- Wyatt
Girl Cat Names
If you’re looking for a more girly name for your cat, there are plenty of classic feminine names to choose from.
- Alice
- Annie
- Ava
- Bailey
- Bebe
- Bella
- Bridget
- Chloe
- Cleo
- Coral
- Daisy
- Ellie
- Espen
- Eve
- Faith
- Fiona
- Gracie
- Holly
- Indi
- Izzy
- Katie
- Lara
- Lily
- Lola
- Lucy
- Macy
- Miley
- Minnie
- Molly
- Penny
- Phoebe
- Pippi
- Piper
- Rosie
- Roxy
- Sarah
- Sasha
- Sian
- Sophie
- Suzy
- Willow
- Zoe
Vintage Cat Names
Some cats just have that old-fashioned look about them. Looking through vintage names can be a great way to find a name that matches your cat’s personality.
- Abraham
- Agnes
- Archibald
- Atticus
- Barnaby
- Basil
- Cecil
- Dorothy
- Felix
- Gilbert
- Gladys
- Grace
- Hazel
- Herman
- Ida
- Iris
- Jasper
- Luther
- Mildred
- Monty
- Percy
- Reginald
- Rupert
- Silas
- Theodore
- Walter
- Wilbur
- Winston
- Vernon
Gray Cat Names
Many cats have some gray in their fur, with many Ragdolls being some variety of gray shade. As it’s such a distinct look, you may want to choose a name that suits you by choosing one of these names for your gray cat.
- Ash
- Ashen
- Clouded
- Dappled
- Dove
- Dusty
- Earl
- Gandalf
- Gris
- Gunmetal
- Heather
- Luna
- Lavender
- Meredith
- Misty
- Pearl
- Pepper
- Peppery
- Silver
- Silvery
- Smoky
- Smudge
- Stella
- Sterling
- Violet
Black Cat Names
Black cats really are beautiful and have often been associated with good luck, magic, and mischief. While black is not an officially recognized breed color for Ragdolls, they exist. So if you’re trying to name a black cat, look through these names inspired by magical characters and the color black.
- Autumn
- Anise
- Boots
- Cinder
- Guinness
- Ink
- Jet
- Loki
- Merlin
- Millie
- Midnight
- Murphy
- Mystique
- Noir
- Olive
- Onyx
- Oreo
- Panther
- Phantom
- Pluto
- Poppy
- Raven
- Sabrina
- Salem
- Shadow
- Smokey
- Sooty
- Ziggy
Disney Cat Names
If you’re a Disney fan, there are loads of excellent and fun names to choose from. So whether you’re looking to name your kitty after a feline character from one of your favorite films or you want to find a quirky name that suits your pet’s personality, check out this list of Disney names for your cat.
- Anna
- Bagheera
- Baloo
- Belle
- Buzz
- Cooper
- Dinah
- Duchess
- Elsa
- Fergus
- Figaro
- Flynn
- Kristoff
- Louie
- Marie
- Maui
- Merida
- Mickey
- Mittens
- Mochi
- Mr. Whiskers
- Nala
- Pumba
- Rajah
- Sassy
- Scar
- Sergeant Tibbs
- Shere Khan
- Simba
- Thackery Binx
- Thalia
- Tigger
- Thomas O’Malley
- Winnie
Nature Cat Names
Nature is a great place to draw inspiration from when naming a pet. If you’re looking for a wholesome, peaceful-sounding name for your furry friend, then one of these names could be a great pick.
- Acorn
- Amber
- Aspen
- Barley
- Barrow
- Bear
- Birch
- Blossom
- Bramble
- Breeze
- Brook
- Buck
- Clay
- Clover
- Copper
- Cove
- Dawn
- Dusk
- Ember
- Fall
- Fern
- Harmony
- Ivy
- Oak
- Ocean
- Peony
- Petal
- Meadow
- Ray
- Ripple
- River
- Sage
- Sky
- Snowflake
- Storm
- Summer
- Thorn
- Winter
- Woody
- Wren
Funny Cat Names
Sometimes it’s nice to be a bit whacky when naming a pet, especially if your kitten is already showing off a quirky personality. These funny names are a little different and worth considering if you’re looking for a cute or silly style.
- Astro
- Blue
- Boo
- Boots
- Boozie
- Bowser
- Bubbles
- Buttons
- Cuddles
- Dinky
- Garfield
- Hershey
- Kitty
- KokoPuff
- Lucky
- Monster
- Mouse
- Nibbles
- Puppy
- Rags
- Rascal
- Rusty
- Socks
- Sparkle
- Sport
- Squeak
- Whiskers
- Yankee
Food Cat Names
Whether you’re really into a particular food or looking for a name that’s a little different, naming your cat after food or drink can make for a cute and unusual name.
- Alfalfa
- Bay
- Berry
- Biscuit
- Brandy
- Candy
- Chili
- Chip
- Cookie
- Cupcake
- Dumpling
- Fudge
- Honey
- Maple
- Margarita
- Marmalade
- Mocha
- Muffin
- Nacho
- Noodle
- Nori
- Nutmeg
- Pancake
- Peaches
- Pickle
- Pretzel
- Pudding
- Pumpkin
- Rue
- Saffron
- Skittles
- Sprout
- Sushi
- Taffy
- Thyme
- Tofu
- Treacle
- Whiskey
Where to Find Inspiration for Cat Names
There are many places where you can find your inspiration for cat names. It’s different for every owner and for every pet.
Some people like to think about their favorite tv shows and movies when deciding on a pet name. It might be an animal from a show or just naming their cat after a human character they love. Remember, though, that you might fall out of love with the show, but if you’ve established the name as your cat’s, then you probably won’t remember where you got the inspiration in the first place.
Often, current events can provide some cat-name ideas. Obviously, these names depend on your own personal experience. Still, some of the more popular pet names since 2020 include Fauci, Covi, and Rona as a quirky way of remembering the pandemic (though if you experienced loss, then you’re unlikely to want to go down this route).
You can find name ideas anywhere – celebrities, music, books, travel locations – but what matters is making sure it’s special to you and that it fits the cat.
Boy Cat Vs Girl Cat Name Ideas
Traditionally there’s been this idea that there are classic male cat names and classic female cat names. Still, in today’s world, you should feel free to not be limited by lists online telling you what a name for a boy kitty is and what’s a name for a girl kitty.
Again, this comes down to personal preference, and there are likely to be some names that you think fit a male or female cat better. But don’t shy away from looking at popular female cat names as inspiration for your male furry friend and vice versa. You might just come up with a name that’s perfect for your cat in an unexpected way.
Name Recognition
Cats don’t just recognize their own name, they can also recognize the names of the cats that they live with too, and associate the name with the correct cat. At least, that’s what a 2022 study from Kyoto University claims.
They carried out tests where they would show cats a picture of a cat they were familiar with, either from a cat café or a home they shared. They would also play an audio recording of the owner saying the cat’s name, although sometimes they would play the wrong name on purpose.
When the wrong name was played, cats tended to stare at the images for longer, showing signs of misunderstanding. When the correct name was played, the cats broadly looked away sooner, satisfied that things were correct.
Isn’t that interesting? It’s impressive to show that cats don’t just know their own names, but they know other cats’ names too, and maybe they know your name as well if they’re used to your family using it around you.
Need More Ideas?
There are fantastic websites out there that are packed with even more cat names than we’ve got listed here.
If you still need a name for your kitty, check out one of these sites:
- Adorable Ragdoll Cat Names
- 100 Cat Names
- Ragdoll Cat Names
- Cat Names – Visit Cat Names Place for male and female cat names, cute cat names, unique cat names, popular cat names, and much more!
- 2,000 Pet Names
- 16927 Pet Names
- Find Cat Names
- Purina Cat Name Generator
Alternatively, e-mail us a photo of your kitten, and we will post it on Floppycats’ Facebook page like this one – and ask for Ragdoll cat name suggestions from our readers:
…or this one:
FAQs
What Is A Good Name For A Kitten?
There’s no single good name for a kitten. It depends on their personality, their looks, and your own personal preferences. If you’re planning on buying a kitten, then get a few name ideas ready to see if one fits but be prepared to throw them out the window if inspiration strikes when you meet them.
What Are Some Exotic Cat Names?
If you’re looking for unusual or exotic cat names, try choosing a country whose culture and language you like the sound of and look up names. For example, a couple of cool Scandinavian names are Arne or Espen.
What Should I Name My Small Cat?
Just because your cat is small doesn’t mean you have to decide on a name based on its size. Remember, they might have quite a bit of growing to do! If you’d like to, consider charming names that express its smallness, such as Dinky or Minni. On the other hand, you could go for an ironic name and call your tiny cat Brutus, Bull, or Monster.
Who Is the Most Famous
It’s hard to say who is the most famous cat. Whether you’re thinking of fictional cats like Garfield or Felix, cats with prestigious jobs like Chief Mouser at 10 Downing Street in the UK, or internet stars like Grumpy Cat… there are undoubtedly many cat celebrities.
What Are Badass Cat Names?
It can be fun to pick a tough-sounding name for a pet. If you want to go traditional, try and think of tough-guy names like Bruno or Tyson. If you want to have a bit more of a sense of humor with your “badass cat name” and you have a bit of a geeky side, you could try naming your cat after your favorite fictional villains, such as Vader, Bowser, or Bane.
Can Cats Recognize Names?
Cats are brilliant animals, and they can recognize their given names. This probably won’t be a shock to those who have lived with cats, as they come running or perk up and purr when their name is called.
Can Cats Say Names?
Cats can’t really speak like people can and can’t say names. However, there’s growing evidence to suggest that some cats can and do at least copy the sound and tone of their owners’ voices, though they can’t mimic the diction and don’t understand what they’re imitating.
Hi, I’m Jenny Dean, creator of Floppycats! Ever since my Aunt got the first Ragdoll cat in our family, I have loved the breed. Inspired by my childhood Ragdoll cat, Rags, I created Floppycats to connect, share and inspire other Ragdoll cat lovers around the world,
My animals have all had 3 letter names or names that could be reduced to 3 letters. My Ragdoll is name Kai. He is a male but I think this name could fit either male or female.
I have Rufus for my boy …since he’s like a puppy…and Jewel for my girl…because of her beautiful eyes…
Super pawesome & fun post, Jenny honey! Great lists and info! 🙂 <3
Big hugs & lots of love & purrs!
Patti & Miss Pink Sugarbelle 🙂 <3
We live in the US, but our family is arguably more Norwegian than some Norwegians who live in Norway… When I got my first Ragdolls, they were a retired breeder named Isobell by the cattery (Linda Kauffman) and one of her kittens I had intended to name “Mouse” but it was my dad that gave her what ended up being her registered name of “Sjokolade Mus Pus” or “Chocolate Mouse Cat” since she was a chocolate mitted baby and “mouse” and “cat” rhyme in Norwegian.
Our next set of Ragdolls was born when we happened to be in Norway, so they ended up with the registered names of “Oslo Multebær Iskrem” and “Bergen Skogbær Blå.” They were called “Oslo” and “Bergen” around the house, but their names were chosen as Oslo had a flame/cream coloring and resembled multebær iskrem, or cloudberry ice cream. Bergen was a blue mitted girl with the deepest blue eyes, so the rest of her name translated into forest berry blue (basically blueberries here in the US). Sadly, we lost both of them to HCM at ages 8 (Oslo) and 11.5 (Bergen).
We’ve been without Ragdolls in our home for about six months now, but all that is about to change as in exactly 1 month from today, we plan to bring home our newest kittens who were born during the 2022 Winter Olympics, where Norway did exceptionally well. Their chosen names will be a nod to Norse mythology as well as the silver-medal winning mixed doubles curling team from Norway. They will be Haakon Magnus and Freyja Kristin. Haakon is a traditional blue point, and Freyja is a traditional blue mitted. They are full siblings and we cannot wait to have them home with us next month. Stay tuned for photos that will be submitted to Floppycats as soon as we bring them home!
How fun – thank you for sharing and I am so sorry for your losses. I look forward to the photos of your new babies.
We adopted two Ragdolls through a rescue organization that was placing 15 Ragdolls. When they got the 15, they named them all after characters from Shakespeare. On their site, Juliette first caught my eye, but she was snapped up fast. We ended up adopting Romeo and Cordelia (King Lear’s younger daughter). When they tried to put Romeo in their database, there was another Romeo currently listed so his foster parent named him Sir Galahad. When we adopted him, he became Sir Romeo Galahad. (And when writing about him, we refer to him as SG.) To everyone’s surprise including ours, we always called him Sir Galahad.
Well, that’s super fun – thanks for sharing – what fun and creative names!
I CALLED MY KITTEN : “PEPONA”.
CAUSE IN SPANISH, “RAGDOLL” MEANS: “PEPONA”
YES, WE CALL: “MUÑECA PEPONA” A LAS “MUÑECAS DE TRAPO”!!!
HAHAHA!!!
KISSES FROM ARGENTINA…
Molly…Lola…Lucy
Our Ragdoll of 15 yrs was named Piper. She was the love of our life. Five months after she passed away we decided we had to get another Ragdoll. So we got TWO!!! Their names are Mischief and Zoe and they are sisters. And yes Mischief lives up to her name!
I have been following and loving your website for years and finally decided to sign up officially! I just couldn’t resist sharing all my crazy cat names.
My first cat I ever had as a young girl was a orange tabby cat I found and named “Tiger” which lasted a day and then he was officially “Cuchie”
Then there was “Bear”who was quickly renamed”Cuda” get it Bear-a-cuda?
We gave our 5 year old son a kitten for Christmas in 2000 Gabriel named her “Cuddles” but she soon became “Dudden”
“Boone” was nicknamed Baboon, or Dog which I believe he was in his prior life.
Along came “Cooper” or “Coopie” he was my first Ragdoll that I got from a shelter and I absolutely fell in love with the breed. I had never heard of a Ragdoll till he came into my life, now I’m pretty much obsessed 🙂
And last but not least theres “Jack” or as we call him Scrappy, Scrappy Jack & Poppy! He is such a great boy who loves to travel around the house slung over my or my husbands shoulder.
I think you all get the picture, all names are subject to change 🙂