Top Cat Names of 2019 [Infographic]
by Kyle Larson
The results are in, and it’s been quite the year for names from The Lion King! Nala is the number one pick for female cat names, and Simba ranked at the top for male cat names.
The results are determined by the 2.8 million new cat owners who used our site so far this year.
At this time every year, we like to reflect on the most popular cat names here at Find Cat Names and identify any key trends from the past 12 months. It’s always interesting to see which names are moving up the charts and why that may be.
Curious to see what other names topped the charts? Check out the lists below.
And if you’re more of a visual person, our top cat names infographic is a fun way to take in the name trends.
Top Female Cat Names
- Nala
- Luna
- Bella
- Daisy
- Willow
- Cleo
- Hazel
- Addie
- Kiki
- Rose
- Angel
- Coco
- Bambi
- Oreo
- Ava
- Biscuit
- Kiki
- Cookie
- Bean
- Belle
- Alice
- Buttercup
- Jinx
- Pixie
- Autumn
- Cora
- Roxy
- Olive
- Dixie
- Kit Kat
- Lola
- Amber
- Honey
- Gracie
- Violet
- Zoey
- Kiwi
- Piper
- Chloe
- Moon
- Bailey
- Harper
- Millie
- Ellie
- Lulu
- Mia
- Clover
- April
- Ella
- Skittles
Top Male Cat Names
- Simba
- Milo
- Alfie
- Felix
- Archie
- Binx
- Bear
- Jasper
- Finn
- Charlie
- Biscuit
- Oreo
- Arlo
- Blue
- Gizmo
- Tiger
- Casper
- Bailey
- Caesar
- Coco
- Yoshi
- Meeko
- Otis
- Nugget
- Bacon
- Waffles
- Oscar
- Ziggy
- Tigger
- Chewie
- Cookie
- Louie
- Angel
- Banjo
- Whiskers
- Bingo
- Buddy
- Teddy
- Figaro
- Mr. Bigglesworth
- Angus
- Barney
- Boots
- Moon
- Axel
- Ali
- Percy
- Bowie
- Brownie
- Amos
2019 Top Cat Names
Top Female Cat Names
Once again, Nala is at the top of the chart. The name has ranked number the past few years, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down, especially with the release of the new version of The Lion King this summer.
Bella was once the most popular cat name – and to this day is still the most popular dog name – but has moved down to the number three position.
The biggest surprise in 2019: The names Kiki and Rose both made the top 10 list for the first time ever. Kiki moves up from the number 15 spot last year, and Rose skyrocketed from number 25 in 2019.
Top Male Cat Names
Simba reigned supreme for male names in 2019. This is the fourth year in a row that the name topped the chart.
Although the top name was uneventful, there were quite a few surprises in the top 10.
For the first time in years, Tiger has dropped out of the top names. The same goes for the name Oreo. This made room for a number of newcomers.
Most notably, Archie shot up to the number five position, up from the 12th spot last year. This corresponds with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of the British royal family selecting the name for their son born in May.
Finn also cracked the top 10 for the first time and is becoming a popular name for dogs and babies as well.
The name Binx also shows no sign of stopping. As you may recall, the film Hocus Pocus featured an immortal black cat named Thackery Binx, or Binx for short. The classic movie surged in popularity last year thanks to a 25th anniversary blitz, and Binx has become a go-to cat name as a result.
Predictions for the Top Cat Names of 2020
We expect films and TV to drive the popularity of some new and classic names. While we’re pretty sure many of our current top names will remain in the top 10, we think these names have a chance to move up the list.
- Charlie – Already a very popular cat name, this name will continue growth because of the new Charlie’s Angels movie
- Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Ryder – All great names that are boosted by the new Frozen movie
- Rey, Kylo, Lando, Rose, Leia, Maz – Some great options from the new entry into the Star Wars series
- Harley, Huntress – Harley Quinn and Huntress are featured heroes in the DC comics film Birds of Prey
- Sonic – A sporty name that’ll get a boost from the Sonic the Hedgehog movie featuring Jim Carrey
- Elle – A cute name that is also the main character in Legally Blonde 3
- Maverick – Top Cruise brings his classic role back in a new Top Gun film
Popular Cat Names by Category
What sets Find Cat Names apart from other cat naming websites is that it sorts names by categories that are relevant to you and your cat. We feel like this is a great way to find names without having to sort through endless A-Z lists.
Year after year, our most popular category is “Cute.” After all, cute cats deserve cute names!
“Tough” is also a popular category, especially for boy cats. Many new kitten parents are drawn to strong-sounding names that reflect their kitten’s tenacious personality.
Here are the top names in those categories in 2019.
Top Cute Cat Names
- Addison
- Buttercup
- Jinx
- Pixie
- Autumn
- Cora
- Dixie
- Arlo
- Lola
- Gracie
Top Tough Cat Names
- Bear
- Roxy
- Caesar
- Coco
- Axel
- Sassy
- Atlas
- Lucky
- Jojo
- Bandit
The top sports cat names come from great athletes (Tiger from golf, Ali from boxing, Babe and Dotty from baseball) as well as general sports-related terms like Archer.
Once again, it looks like cat owners love the idea of naming their furry pals after foods. Food names like Bacon, Buttercup, Biscuit, Kiwi, Waffles and Skittles composed much of the top names list.
Top Sports Cat Names
- Moon
- Tiger
- Ali
- Scout
- Archer
- Kirby
- Babe
- Fuzzy
- Dottie
- Blaze
Top Food Cat Names
- Oreo
- Biscuit
- Cookie
- Bean
- Olive
- Kit Kat
- Honey
- Skittles
- Peaches
- Cinamon
Movies and TV shows always provide great inspiration for cat names, and Disney is usually top of mind, hence the reason why Simba and Nala are the most popular names once again.
Those names aside, here are more top cat names inspired by TV shows and movies. As you’ll see below, the list included popular cartoon names like Bambi, Casper, Tigger and Barney.
Our geeky cat names are taken from technology and from media that is considered ‘geeky’. Geeks are awesome and so are these names!
Top TV/Movie Cat Names
- Bambi
- Belle
- Alice
- Jinx
- Casper
- Oscar
- Minnie
- Tigger
- Ariel
- Amelie
Top Geeky Cat Names
- Finn
- Gizmo
- Buffy
- Princess
- Chewie
- Ruby
- Mouse
- Ash
- Xena
- Bucky
Additional Cat Name Categories
And last but name least, here are a few bonus categories.
For international cat names, we gathered ideas typically not found in the United States. This includes popular foreign names as well as names of people with international fame.
Another great category is books and literature. These books names are taken from some of our favorite books and include both classic literature and modern tales.
Top International Cat Names
- Babushka
- Zuzu
- Amelie
- Chi Chi
- Carmen
- Anika
- Suki
- Caesar
- Yuki
- Thea
Top Books Cat Names
- Alice
- Harper
- Charlotte
- Gigi
- Emma
- Boots
- Primrose (Prim)
- Annie
- Winnie
- Scout
To find even more great cat names try running a cat name search!
How are the results determined?
Our site allows users to save their favorite names as they search, so to determine the most popular names of the year, we pulled this data and compiled the results.
Can I share this infographic?
If you would like to share our Top Cat Names infographic on your website or social sites, go for it! We just ask that you credit it to Find Cat Names with a link to our site.
About Find Cat Names
Founded in March 2014, Find Cat Names provides a fun, interactive experience for new cat owners looking for just the right pet name. The site allows users to sort names by preferred style and interests. More than 2 million people use Find Cat Names each year when picking a name for their cat.
17 Comments
Teddi Begley
Nobody has the name JETT! that is the best name for my black cat!
Anika Wagner
Good idea! Jett is a good name!
DJ
Kitty Kitty Bang Bang
Whiskers Meowington the 3rd
Shari
Our cats names are Tyra and Misty! <3
Jerry
We call our newest addition Gabby, because she talks constantly even while eating.
Birgit Hanson
MrCotton, Himself, Shadow, Handsome, Hunter, Brian, Diva, Mooch, Popeye, Gidget, Fluffer, Radar, Pebbles, Bonnie and Clyde, OJ (Orange juice), Peanut, QB (Queen Bee), Jingles, BG (Big Guy), Pepper, Scarlett to name some we have and had.
Hawk
Our two black cats were Onyx and Cinders. I’ve also had a Penny Royal (nicknamed Peewee) and Mugwort (nicknamed Mugsy), just to name a few. :)
J.R.
Spider & Willis (our past 2 black cats), Calli Mae, Baby, Shelly, Odie, Kiki, Dexy, Trixie and currently we have Cat-a-Lina & Pushy
Nadinetabakman
I just got a all white cat need a good name help
Christy Pace
Snow, whitey, cotton, gingi, vanilla kitty, princess, fluffy, lizzy. I can’t think of another. Look at white paint swatches and see if you can find a cute name that way. All white is a hard name to find. Look at baby names as sometimes you can find something good, good luck
Oasis the SandWing
we named our two cats mouse and catcher so when you put them together it says mouse catcher
i love my girls
Jinifer Lambert
I’m wanting names for my baby kittens, two males and two females! One male is black and the other three are gray striped!
Jinifer Ranae
I’m thinking of naming the two boys Bagheera and Raja! The two girls Megara and Moana! Any other name ideas, please help!
Brandi
hello
cat power foreva yaya!!!!!!!
hi meow nice to meet you meow rah! mouse what the heck (eats mouse because i am a cat) ryar meow (glass shatters) aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! my owners . . . they are here (owner walks in) hey kitty (in head cat says) don’t call me that
cat power foreva yaya!!!!!!!
by the wayyy sorry misss ssssssspeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllledddddddddddddd it sssssssssssooooooooooorrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyy by the way iiii am a cccccccccccccat soooooooooooooooo iiiiiiiiiff youn vgyuiwkmsnbvdgwhqjshdcgbv don’t beleive me come and get me rawr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! bye peace out ya’ll hsgdbngjyAUsdghvbehgydscuxzijbn sgychjsbd can someone help me press the send bbbbbbbbbbbhuttttttttttttttttonookmmmnuihjwbevgduftvsyhjq ebdwcj xdbj n wasxzhjv befdhcu hjbvd hvc z vsdzxh j
cat power foreva yaya!!!!!!!
got it whew!