Pet Names · Cat Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
English
"fine silky thread"
Latin
"luck"
The Roman goddess Fortuna personified luck and ruled over fortune and fate. She is often depicted as blindfolded, and remains an important figure in Italian culture today, where a common saying…
Dutch artist name
The name of the most renowned of the Old Masters is a potential option for families who put an emphasis on the creative. Rembrandt Peale was a member of the Peale family of painters, all named for…
"glowing insect"
Fruit name
Fig was the unlikely name of a beautiful character in Curtis Sittenfeld's Man of My Dreams . It could make a playful middle name or a sparky nickname for the likes of Philippa, Fiona, Felicity, and…
French, Saint Léger
Fervent fans of The Catcher in the Rye might want to consider this as a literary tribute. More mainstream alternative: Holden.
Animal name
"salmon, a fish"
nature names are in, and even fish names like Pike and Salmon are open for consideration.
Didion is an unusual feminine name that likely derives from surnames or place names of Greek or French origin. It may be connected to the Greek name 'Didymus' meaning 'twin,' or possibly from French…
Nature name
Tree is an ultimate nature name, made famous by longtime Taylor Swift publicist Tree Paine, born Trina Snyder. With tree names like Maple and Oak on the rise, not to mention the immense popularity of…
"songbird"
The chickadee gets its distinctive name from its distinctive call: chick-a-dee-dee-dee !
Arabic
"religious rite; lucky charm"
An object thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck.
English word name or variation of Bonita, Latin
"hat; good"
You could see Bonnet as rarely used word name and an unexpected route to nicknames Bonnie and Betty. Or, you could view it as a (masculine) French form of Latin Bonitus, and as a surname-style choice…
Word name, English from Spanish and Portuguese
"banana"
Banana is one fruity name we wouldn't recommend. Pick Plum instead. There is a Japanese novelist whose pen name is Banana Yoshimoto--birth name Mahoko.
"the warmth of the sun in winter"
Part-April, part-Felicity, but with the wonderfully whimsical feel of Serendipity. Apricity debuted in the US charts for the first time in 2022.
Italian
"good luck"
The name of prize-winning American architect Robert Venturi would make a somewhat awkward first.
Word name, English
"ruler who represents the king"
A new one for the ever-growing collection of royal baby names.
"to flash"
Vulcan was the Roman god of fire (from which, volcano) and metalworking, but this name is now more familiar as the pointy-eared humanoids on "Star Trek," represented by Mr. Spock.
"farm near the willows; willow town"
Energetic Willoughby is a familiar last name, but, as yet, makes for a unique choice in the first spot. An unexpected way to get to popular short forms Will and Billy, Willoughby could make an…
Literary name, Greek
"angel"
If you want to move beyond Maya, you might consider this distinctive last name of poet Maya Angelou. Born Marguerite Annie Johnson, Angelou was given the nickname Maya by her brother and adopted…
Word name
Wildly optimistic -- and unrealistic -- choice.
