Cat Names

Inspired by Literary Cats

Ah, cat names... For many cat lovers, naming a cat or kitten is not a simple thing. As T.S. Elliot said, "The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter."

What’s in a name any way? A name tells a lot about the place, person or cat the name belongs to. The name-giver tries to capture some of the essence, the spirit, the nature of the person (or place, or animal) she is naming.

So how do you go about naming a cat? Where do you find the inspiration? Where do you start?

There are funny names, meaningful names, esoteric names, colorful names, magical names, beautiful names…

The first thing to take into account before naming your cat is the cat itself: his personality, his physical appearance, his color, his unique irks and quirks. Beyond these basics, you can find inspiration everywhere: names of cartoon cats, names of famous people, names of other animals (such as lion, tiger, etc.), and so on. If you yearn for more original monikers, maybe even exotic names, consider the names of literary cats.

Indeed, cats have graced the pages of many a book. They’ve been mystery solvers, loyal companions, mischievous creatures, sources of trouble, beloved friends, and much more. Their elegant beauty and mysterious ways have inspired writers and poets throughout history. Cats appear in ancient legends, poems, novels, and plays. Here’s a tiny sample:

This is a partial list of feline names that appear on T.S. Elliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats:

Alonzo

Augustus

Bustopher Jones

Coricopat

Demeter

Gus (AKA Asparagus)

Jellylorum

Mungojerrie

Oopsa Cat

Quaxo

And from the epic poem La Gatomaquia, by the Spanish poet Lope de Vega, we get three unique names: Micifuz (which is a fairly popular name among Spanish-speaking cat lovers), Marramaquiz and Zapaquilda. This poem chronicles a very combative feline love triangle: Micifuz and Marraquiz battle over the love of Zapaquilda.

From the Beatrix Potter’s cats, my favorite names are Moppet and Ginger. Here are other Potter cat names for your consideration:

Simpkin

Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit

Tom Kitten

Mrs. Ribby

An here are other literary cats:

Lady Jane (the not-so-good cat in Charles Dickens’ Bleak House)

Puss (Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault)

Cheshire cat (the colorful cat from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)

Orlando, Grace, and their kittens Pansy, Mable, and Tinkle (Orlando, the Marmalade Cat by Kathleen Hale).

Crookshanks, Hermione Granger’s cat in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling.

Kao K'o-Kung, Koko for short, and Yum-Yum (the Siamese cats from “The Cat Who…” series of mystery novels by Lilian Jackson Braun.

Thomasina – from The Three Lives of Thomasina by Paul Gallico.

Visit our feline names page for more ideas on finding a unique name for your cat.

Hopefully, you’ve found inspiration among these literary cat names. Agreed, some names are not that easy to pronounce. But hey, your kitty will certainly have an out-of-the-ordinary name.


Related Links

Names for kittens

More kitten names

Names for black cats

Disney names for cats

Creative names for cats and kittens

Cat Books - For cat lovers who love reading

Literary cats

The Cat in the Hat

Purr - poems about cats


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