Unique Cat Names

Albertine and Alberta are old-fashioned feminizations ala Geraldine and Roberta: a little bit clunky, a little bit regal, just waiting for a celeb to use them to make them cool again. Familiar in France and the US in the first half of the 20th-century, Albertine has since fallen out of style and hasn't appeared in the US stats since the 80s.
 
With the popularity of Clementine and Alba, however, is Albertine one to reconsider? Nicknames Bertie, Albie, Alba, and Birdie add a fresh twist.

Albertine

A literary word name, now synonymous with Shakespeare, Bard also refers more generally to a poet, particularly one who recited epics and traditional poems out loud. Similar in sound to Bernard, Barnaby, and Ford, and similar in style to Quill and Poet, Bard hasn't appeared in the US stats since the late 70s. With the release of the 2026 movie, The Odyssey however, it may gain more attention, after Travis Scott played the role of "Bard" in the film.

Bard

Bamboo is a plant name that you might want to save for the zoo's name-the-panda contest.  It was used for a starbaby in 2000, though, the rapper Big Boi.

Bamboo

One "bald" name we can get behind, thanks to pioneering African-American author James Baldwin – though the name is now also associated with the Baldwin brothers, particularly Alec.

Baldwin

This herb is also known as cilantro. It's meaning, "bed bug" is on account of its smell, characterized by the ancient Greeks as bed bug-like.

Coriander

Almond may seem like a hippy modern name, but its use for American boys goes right back to the mid-nineteenth century. In these cases, it was either a variation of Almund, meaning "noble strength," or the surname Aleman, meaning "German."

Almond

Fad fruit name or a trendy syllable smash? We aren't certain, but we have noticed a number of babies name Acai on the US charts. Spelled Açai, with a cedilla, it's the name of a Brazilian palm that produces açai berries, known for their use in smoothie bowls. But parents may be using Acai as a variation of Kai or Malachi, pronounced as written.

Acai

Fashion icon and Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland adds an air of glamour to her distinctive Dutch surname. It would make a striking name for the daughter of a parent in the fashion industry.
 
Easy short form Vree is equally charming.

Vreeland

One of the many El- names for boys that boomed in the 1910s and 1920s, but has long been out of fashion. This surname/place name has an aristocratic flavor, and a creative namesake in the artist Ellsworth Kelly. Polar explorer Lincoln Ellsworth also gives it an adventurous connection.

Ellsworth

This snappy nickname may remind some of the 1985 Chevy Chase movie of the same name.
 
Writer and actress Jill Kargman has a son called Fletch.

Fletch

A fresh artistic option with a lively sound.

Fresco

Frisco is a frisky, roguish semi-place-name (San Francisco natives never call it that) that could make a lively, unusual o-ending choice. 
 Frisco is the kind of nickname name sometimes used for cowboy characters in Westerns.

Frisco

Umbra

The name of one of the Furies in Greek mythology, a goddess who avenged crimes of murder. She
is described as wearing a dripping blood-red robe, with a serpent coiled around her waist.

Tisiphone

Gulliver is an obscure Gaelic surname known almost solely through its literary Travels until actor Gary Oldman used it for his son, instantly transforming it into a lively option. British actors Damian Lewis, of Homeland, and Helen McCrory also have a son named Gulliver.

Gulliver

No matter how much you love the novels of Papa H., don't saddle your son with this unwieldy appellation.

Hemingway

Hickory

The name of an area in northern Greece, known in the era of Homer's Odyssey as Aeolia, Thessaly makes a spirited and pretty place name. Reminiscent of Tessa, Rosalie, and Thea, the name likely derives from that of an ancient tribe, though the exact meaning isn't known.
 
Borne by American actress Thessaly Lerner, and a character in the graphic novel Sandman, Thessaly is given to small handful of girls in the US each year.

Thessaly

Theda is most famous as the name of silent film vamp Theda Bara. Today most fashionable little Theodoras and Theodosias are called Thea, but Theda makes an intriguing change.

Theda

A unique New Age possibility with a pleasing sound. 

Tarot

Unique cat names are easy to come by. You can name your cat practically anything! Dog names have syllable limits and understandability factors to consider, while 

 are free to be long or short, ridiculous or traditional, complex or simple.

. Unique names for cats in those categories include Tisiphone and Ragnar, Velvet and Bamboo.

 include Bernadette, Madrigal, Muse, and Saoirse.

 include Bard, Jericho, Pirate, and Willoughby.

If you want a rare, distinctive, or one-of-a-kind name for your cat or kitten, take inspiration from our collection of creative cat names.

Unique cat names including unique girl cat names and unique male cat names, with rare, uncommon, and unusual names for cats, with meanings and popularity. (Page 10)