Cat Name Maker

Free · no sign-up · 981 names

Cat name generator

One tap, six names, each with a short meaning and a Seattle license count. 981 names are in the generator. Category lists overlap, and 14 names appear only here. Filters are optional.

981 names in the hat

  • Milo

    Boy

    An old Germanic name with a sunny, modern feel; made for a nosy kitten.

    German42 of 12,782 Seattle cats

    Rank 7 of 5,870 · percentile 99.8

  • Max

    Boy

    Short for Maximilian, "greatest"; a no-nonsense name for a big personality.

    Latin37 of 12,782 Seattle cats

    Rank 14 of 5,870 · percentile 99.8

  • Loki

    Boy

    The Norse shape-shifting trickster; ideal for a cat who knocks things off tables on purpose.

    Norse40 of 12,782 Seattle cats

    Rank 11 of 5,870 · percentile 99.8

  • Sophie

    Girl

    From Sophia, "wisdom", for the cat who watches everything and judges quietly.

    Greek27 of 12,782 Seattle cats

    Rank 24 of 5,870 · percentile 99.6

  • Willow

    Girl

    The graceful, bending tree; suits a slender, calm cat who drapes over furniture.

    English39 of 12,782 Seattle cats

    Rank 12 of 5,870 · percentile 99.8

    Famous namesake: Willow, cat belonging to Joe and Jill Biden

  • Shadow

    Any

    For the cat who follows you from room to room and vanishes the moment you look.

    English41 of 12,782 Seattle cats

    Rank 10 of 5,870 · percentile 99.8

Browse by type

Cat name ideas for every kind of cat

Each list has its own generator, a hand-picked list with meanings, and naming tips.

How it works

From “hmm” to “that’s the one” in three taps

  1. 1

    Tap generate

    Six names appear instantly. No forms, no sign-up. Tap again for six more.

  2. 2

    Refine if you like

    Filter by coat, length, first letter, or how many Seattle cats share the name. Or name two or three cats at once.

  3. 3

    Save and share

    Build a shortlist, copy a link to it, or compare the names you kept.

Real cats, real names

What people actually name their cats

Most name lists online are copied from other name lists. Ours starts with public records: the City of Seattle publishes its pet licenses as open data, including 12,782 cats sharing 5,870 different names. We cleaned that list, kept the best names, tagged each one and wrote its meaning from scratch.

Here are the ten most common names in those records. If you want a name your cat will share with plenty of neighbors, start here. If you'd rather stand out, try the unique cat names list. The generator’s 981 names are not 981 separate cats: category pages share names, and14 names are only in the generator.

Source: Seattle Pet Licenses, City of Seattle Open Data (public domain), retrieved 2026-10-23. How we built the list

Most common cat names in Seattle's license records
  1. Luna111
  2. Lucy59
  3. Lily51
  4. Charlie43
  5. Leo43
  6. Oliver43
  7. Bella42
  8. Milo42
  9. Pepper42
  10. Shadow41

Naming tips

How to choose a name your cat will actually respond to

Keep it short and bright

Cats seem to pick out one- and two-syllable names with crisp sounds most easily. "Kiki", "Milo" and "Pip" cut through household noise. You can always give a grand name like Bartholomew and call him "Bart".

Say it out loud, a lot

Before you commit, use the name for a day. Call it across the room, say it in a silly voice, imagine saying it at the vet. If it feels awkward on day one, it will feel awkward in year ten.

Watch the cat, not the list

Personality usually shows up within a week. A name like "Goose" or "Ninja" that fits how your cat behaves tends to stick better than one picked before you met.

Avoid sound-alikes

Skip names that rhyme with other pets' names or with words you say all day ("Joe" vs "No"). Clear, distinct names make life easier for everyone with whiskers.

Cat name generator FAQ

How does the cat name generator work?

Tap "Generate names" and you get six names from our list of 981. You don't need to fill anything in. Optional filters cover gender, coat, personality, vibe, origin, length (short is 1–4 letters, medium 5–7, long 8 or more), first letter, and commonness. Common means 20 or more Seattle cats, uncommon means 3–19, and rare means 0–2. You can also ask for names for 2 cats (three pairs) or 3 cats (two sets). A set prefers the same first letter when the list allows it. That is a sound match, not a studied pairing.

Where do the names come from?

Most of them are real names of real cats, taken from the City of Seattle's public pet license records (12,782 cats, released into the public domain). We filtered out junk and anything rude, then added tags and wrote every meaning ourselves. Names that were not in the records still show 0 of 12,782 Seattle cats, and they are also labelled "Editor's pick".

What does the Seattle count on a name mean?

It is how many of the 12,782 cat licenses in this Seattle snapshot use that exact spelling, plus the spelling's rank among the 5,870 recorded names. Percentile is the share of those recorded names with a lower count, capped at 99.9. A zero is shown as 0, not hidden.

How do I save, share, or compare names?

Tap Save to add a name to the shortlist on this device. Copy link makes a URL with those names. Opening the link shows the shared shortlist and does not replace the one already saved. Check two or more saved names and tap Compare to see gender, letter count, origin, Seattle count, rank, and meaning side by side. Share on a single name still sends a link to that name.

How do I pick the right name for my cat?

Try names out loud for a day or two before you commit. Short names with one or two syllables and a clear vowel sound (think "Milo" or "Luna") are easiest for cats to pick out. Avoid names that sound like everyday commands or the names of other pets in your home.

Can you suggest a name from a photo of my cat?

Not yet. Naming from a photo is on our list for a future version. For now, the Coat filter gets you surprisingly close: pick your cat's color and hit generate.