Mystical Cat Names

Conor's more popular brother name Connor has been in the Top 100 for long enough that both are ready to make way for a new generation of Irish boys' names.

Conor

A multicultural choice steeped in mythology, Tara was popular in the US back in the 70s and 80s, likely owing to its appearance in the novel and subsequent movie, Gone with the Wind, in which it's the name of the O'Hara plantation. It was kept in the spotlight by the 1960s British series, The Avengers, and by the American soap, All My Children, both of which featured characters called Tara.
 
But don't dismiss it as a too-recently-retro option just yet. There's much more to the name than that, linked as it is to the stars and to sacred hills. 
 
From its Irish roots, Tara is an Anglicized form of Teamhair, connected to the Irish place, the Hill of Tara in Country Meath. A sacred burial place and a ceremonial site, it is said to be the place where the Irish High Kings were crowed. The exact meaning of the name is contested, with "elevated place, a height with a view" being one theory and "sanctuary, sacred place" being another. 
 
From its Sanskrit roots, Tara means "star" and is the name of a Hindu goddess who is kidnapped by the moon god Chandra, leading to a great war that Brahma had to stop. Additionally, it is the name of a female Buddha, who saves and protects beings for spiritual and worldly dangers.
 
Occasionally used as a feminine form of Taras, a Russian and Ukrainian name referring to an ancient Italian city, it is also the name of a river and hill in Serbia, a Japanese name meaning "many orchid", and the Māori word the white-fronted tern (a seabird). It is, very occasionally, used as a masculine name too.
 
Out of style in the US until very recently, it re-entered the Top 1000 in 2025, having doubled in popularity since 2023. Also familiar across India, Nepal, Iran, Ireland, Serbia, Australia, England and Wales, the Netherlands, Croatia, and Slovenia, it is a truly versatile choice.
 
As with many multicultural names, the pronunciation of Tara varies depending on language and location. In the UK, it would be TAH-ruh (AH like the sound in father) while in the US, it might be TA-ruh or TEHR-uh. As a Sanskrit name, it has a slightly softer sound, and could be pronounced as tah-rah, tar-uh, or thah-rah, depending on region, language, and dialect.

Tara

Liv combines the succinct charm of a nickname—people might assume it's short for Olivia—with the solidity of being a classic stand-alone Scandinavian name with a life-force meaning. It was brought into the public eye (in the English speaking world that is) due to the fame of actress and Aerosmith daughter Liv Tyler.
 
Following its Scandinavian origins, Liv derives from either the Old Norse Hlíf meaning "protection", or the modern Scandinavian word liv meaning "life". In this case, it would be pronounced LEEV. As an English name, it is a diminutive form of Olivia, pronounced LIHV, with the peaceful meaning "olive tree."
 Its notable bearer Liv Tyler was given the name after her mother, Bebe Buell, saw an image of Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann on the cover of TV Guide shortly before her daughter's birth. The name was later chosen by actress Julianne Moore for her daughter in 2022.

 Far less popular in the US than Olivia, it nevertheless entered the Top 1000 back in 2011. In a recent year, it ranked just outside the Top 700, and was given to around 400 girls, meaning for every one Liv born, there were 37 Olivias. Liv is also a Top 100 girls' name in a range of international places, from Scandinavia to Switzerland to Israel.

With many British names invading the Yankee name pool, the sophisticated Alistair could and should be part of the next wave. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016. You have a triple choice with this name--the British spell it Alistair or Alastair, while the Scots prefer Alasdair--but they're all suave Gaelic versions of Alexander. Adopted by the lowland Scots by the seventeenth century, the name didn't become popular outside Scotland and Ireland until the twentieth century.
 Both Andrew Lloyd-Weber and Rod Stewart chose the Alastair spelling for their sons' names.

Alistair

Guinevere was the name of the beautiful but ill-fated queen of Camelot, for so many years eclipsed by its modern Cornish form Jennifer. Today, Guinevere could be a cool possibility for adventurous parents intrigued by this richly evocative and romantic choice.
 Guinevere shares the attractive short form Gwyn with Gwyneth. Other cousin ideas: Gwendolen, Genevieve, Jenna, or Gwen.

Guinevere

This beautiful girl name is a popular choice in India. It is connected to Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of luck and prosperity. Lakshmi is composed of the elements sā, referring to Lakshmi, and anvi, meaning "follow."

Saanvi

Marcella is a name of Latin origin, which has been neglected for decades now. Depicted as the world's most beautiful woman in Don Quixote (where it's spelled Marcela), it has plenty of flair and elegance to revive it again.Derived from Marcellus, it is connected to Mars, the Roman god of war, but for a less warlike association, there is Saint Marcella, a Roman matron of strength and intellect who organized a religious sisterhood at her mansion, which St. Jerome guided in religion and learning.
 
Originally in Latin, it would have been pronounced with a hard C sound (like Marcus), while in Italian, it is pronounced with a CH sound (like in Francesca) and in English it might be said with a soft C sound (as in Marcy).

Marcella

This beautiful Hindi name made the US Top 1000 in 2016 and has been hopping on and off the bottom of that list since then. Aadhya is one of the many names for the Goddess Durga in Hinduism. Other forms are Aadya and Adya.

Aadhya

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both style and substance along with its Shakespearean pedigree.
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Cordelia is a Nameberry favorite—Number 106 on the site—and it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 60+ year absence. By 2016 it sank below that line again, must to the relief of many Cordelia fans who feared the name would get too popular.
 
If you're torn between Cordelia and the equally lovely Cora, you can always choose Cordelia for long and then call her Cora for short—or Delia, Lia, Del, or even the extremely different Cordie.
 Cordelia also appeared in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, as detective Cordelia Gray in P.D. James's mystery novels, and was promoted by a character on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.
 And then there's that quote from the heroine of Anne of Green Gables: "I would love to be called Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant name."

Cordelia

Sleek and serious, yet bright and energetic at the same time, Cynthia appears in classic mythology as an epithet for Artemis or Diana. While it is now a more neglected choice, it was once hugely popular in the middle of the 20th-century, peaking at #7 in the US, and in the Top 20 by diminutive Cindy.
 
The more literal meaning of the name is "woman from Kynthos", though a figurative interpretation is "moon goddess" due to its link to Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon and the hunt, who was born on the mountain of Cynthus. Diana is her Roman equivalent. 
 
A favorite of Elizabethan poets, Cynthia was first used in the English-speaking world during the Renaissance period, but didn't become a common given name until the 19th-century. Some English writers used the name to denote Queen Elizabeth I as a virgin moon goddess, such as in Ben Jonson's allegorical comedy Cynthia's Revels.
 Cynthia also qualifies as a nature name: the two-flowered cynthia is a yellow wildflower in the aster family. 
 The name appears in Elizabeth Gaskell's final novel, Wives and Daughters, along with the film Cynthia, in which Elizabeth Taylor had one of her first grown up roles. There are also Cynthias in the popular show Call the Midwife and the game franchise, Pokemon.
 Notable namesakes include ballerina Cynthia Gregory, writer Cynthia Ozick, actress Cynthia Nixon, and designer Cynthia Rowley. Both Cyndi Lauper and Cindy Crawford were born Cynthia. A contemporary bearer is Cynthia Eviro, the actress and singer who plays Elphaba in the Wicked movies. 
 A more modern, Cindy-avoiding nickname is Thea, and an attractive Italian form is Cinzia (CHIN-zia).

Cynthia

Agnes is the Latin variation of the name Hagne, which itself derived from the Greek word hagnos, meaning "chaste." In medieval times, St. Agnes was a very popular saint, leading to its popularity as a girl's name. Agnes Grey is the title of one of the two novels written by Anne Brontë.
 
Agnes, though it was the third most common English girls' name for four hundred years, has long been stuck in the attic. But now it looks like Agnes was so far out it's just about ready to come back in. It did look cute on a little girl in Despicable Me, and nickname Aggie has lots of retro appeal. 
 Agnes has also been making inroads in the celebrisphere—first actress Elisabeth Shue chose Agnes for her third child, while Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany named their daughter Agnes Lark. More recently in 2025, actress Amber Heard named one of her twins Agnes.
 The French pronunciation—ahn-YEZ—could make it more attractive, but few Americans would comply. Other interesting variations: the Welsh Nesta, the Latin/Scandinavian Agneta, the Spanish Inez/Ines/Ynez, and the Scottish Senga—which happens to be Agnes spelled backwards.

Agnes

Artemis, one of the key figures of the female Greek pantheon, is the ancient virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, childbirth, and a protector of young girls, later associated with the moon. Artemis is the equivalent to the Roman Diana, but a fresher and more distinctive choice.
 Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo, one of the twelve deities who lived on Mount Olympus, and has, in more recent years, been associated with the Artemis Lunar program. As such, it may appeal to fans of both mythology and space exploration.
 
 The meaning of the name is largely unknown, but it's related to two Greek words meaning safe or butcher.
 Artemas, on the other hand, is a male name, though some gender confusion could arise from the Artemis Fowl novels, making Artemis one of those rarer feminine names that has also switched into a unisex choice (rather than the other way round). 
 
Appearing in the US charts (briefly) in the 2020s, it has been consistently in the England and Wales Top 1000 since 2018, given to around 40 girls a year. Nicknames Ari, Artie, Emmie, Issy, and Missy may further its appeal.

Artemis

Waverly, with its literary resonance and lilting three-syllable sound, could well become the next generation's successor to Kimberly. Its upper-crusty surname feel places it among the new stylish <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/501/english-names-for-girls">English names for girls</a>, successors to Ashley and Whitney.
 Spelled Waverley, this is the title of Sir Walter Scott's popular 1814 novel, whose hero is a young English soldier named Edward Waverley (it's believed that Scott named the novel after the model of pen he used to write it). Spelled the more streamlined way, Waverly is the name of the daughter of Buttercup and Wesley in The Princess Bride and a memorable character in The Joy Luck Club, who was named by her Chinese mother for the San Francisco street on which the family lived.
 Waverly Place in Greenwich Village was named for the Scott novel in 1833--dropping the second 'e', and was the setting of the teen show The Wizards of Waverly Place, as well as Don Draper's bachelor pad in Mad Men, as well as a character on Friday Night Lights.

Waverly

As modern as it sounds, Blaise is an ancient Christian martyr name. In Arthurian legend, Blaise is the name of Merlin the Magician's secretary. Its relation to the word and name Blaze gives it a fiery feel. Amanda Beard named her baby boy Blaise Ray.
 Saint Blaise, an Armenian bishop, is the patron saint of wild animals and those with sore throats. Blaise Pascal was the seventeenth century French mathematician-physicist-inventor-writer-philosopher among whose many accomplishments was the invention of the calculator. And in the modern world, Blaise Zambini is a minor character in the Harry Potter franchise.

Blaise

A soft and interesting Hebrew name long popular in France, where it has ranked in the Top 400 since 1986 (as Salomé). Ex-ER star Alex Kingston named her daughter Salome Violetta.

Despite seeing small but steady use during the latter part of the 19th century, Salome has never really caught on in the US – no doubt due to the historical association with the Biblical dancer who asked for John the Baptist's head on a platter. In fact, the dancer is not mentioned by name in the Bible, but the name Salome was attached to this figure by the 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian Josephus. There is, however, another Salome who is specifically mentioned in the Bible: a female follower of Jesus, wife of Zebedee and mother of the disciples James and John.

 Oscar Wilde wrote a play called Salome in 1893 and Richard Strauss based an opera on it twelve years later. In pop culture, the name was given to a seductive vampire character in the HBO series True Blood.

 Salome has been quietly rising since the turn of the 21st century, and entered the US Top 1000 in 2024, as parents seek fresh biblical names and peaceful meanings.

Salome

Osiris is the name of Egyptian mythology god-king who died and was reborn every year. Emerging from centuries of obscurity, Osiris has several ingredients for success in the modern world: Roots in ancient myth, an uplifting meaning, an s ending and the cute nickname Os or Oz.  

Osiris

Justice, one of the rare virtue names for boys, entered the popularity ranks in 1992, and remained in the charts until the 2020s. While it has fallen out of favor in more recent years, it remains a fresh but solid feeling option.
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Suggestive of fairness, equality, and wisdom, Justice appeals as a secular virtue choice and as a word option that sounds as name-y as Justin or Justus. Actor Steven Seagal was ahead of the curve when he used it back in 1976.
 Another plus: Justice is one of the truest gender neutral names out there, given to nearly equal numbers of girls and boys in the US.
 With the Justus spelling, it was the name of several saints and noted scholars and scientists.

Justice

Strong and outdoorsy, yet pretty and queenly, Rhiannon was a once obscure Welsh name, brought into the mainstream in 1976, following Fleetwood Mac's flash hit song of the same title. It stormed into the US charts, climbing straight to #593 — and to give a better sense of just how influential the song was on the name, Rhiannon had only started appearing in the US stats in 1974, when it was given to 5 girls. By 1976, it was used 50 times more often: chosen for 272 babies.
 
Possibly derived from the Celtic name Rīgantonā, Rhiannon could mean "great queen" or "divine queen". In Welsh mythology, she is a strong, forthright leader, possessed of magic, intelligence, beauty, political strategy, and generosity. She faces trials and challenges after choosing her own consort, including an uncatchable horse, being accused of infanticide, and vengeance from a friend of her spurned lover. 
 
The Welsh Rhiannon may be related to earlier Celtic goddesses, potentially Epona, a goddess of horses. Additionally, in she is considered a moon goddess in Celtic mythology, associated with rebirth, poetry, and beauty, and the owner of singing birds, who supposed wake spirits or grant sleep. 
 
Popular in the UK and Australia in the 90s and 2000s, Rhiannon is currently more quietly used, making it a distinctive but familiar choice, similar in feel or style to Rhys, Arwen, and Ffion. Director Robert Rodriguez bestowed this sweet name on his first daughter while Jenna Dewan also hose it for her baby girl.
 
The Arabic Rihanna looks similar but is unrelated, deriving from Rayhana to mean "basil".

Rhiannon

Lucius is an old Roman clan name that has lots of religious and literary resonance, yet is still vital today. It was the name of three popes, appears in several Shakespeare plays, and, like all the names beginning with 'luc' relates to the Latin word for light.It was one of a limited number of forenames used in ancient Rome, and because of its meaning was often given to boys born at dawn.
 In the Bible, Lucius is the name of three people; Shakespeare used it for the son of Titus in Titus Andronicus, a young servant of Brutus in Julius Caesar, a lord in Timon of Athens and a Roman general in Cymbeline.
 Other fictional bearers of the name can be found in Le Morte d'Arthur, The Golden Ass, Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, Faulkner's The Reivers, Batman, Talladega Nights, and The Incredibles. Lucius Malfoy, the father of Draco, is a Harry Potter villain, and other Luciuses have been portrayed on screen by Morgan Freeman, Joaquin Phoenix and Luke Wilson.
 Real-life namesakes include renowned World War II General Lucius B. Clay, and writer, photographer, and bon vivant Lucius Beebe.

Lucius

Biblical name Cain was, until recently, seldom heard outside of the Old Testament and soap operas. Although Cain's murderous actions will always make this name difficult for some, Cain, Eve and Adam's firstborn, was a farmer - making this a good choice for those with farming connections. Long outshone by Abel, Cain is starting to find a broader audience, helped along by homophones Kane or Caine.

Cain

Mystical magical names for cats can come in many forms. There are mythological names and names of powerful demons.

Witch names are perfect magic names for cats, as are wizard names. Names from the zodiac and from the stars make mystical cat names.

Cats are often imbued with magical powers, making a magic-related name perfect for your new kitty. Cats can be familiars of otherworldly spirits and might be agents of luck, good or bad, which makes a mystical name powerful for a cat.

If you're looking for a mystical, magical, spooky, otherworldly name for your kitten or cat, here is a comprehensive list.

Mystical magical names for cats and kittens, including mythological names, witch names, demon names, magic cat names for female cats and males cats (Page 7)

Mystical Magical Cat Names