Top Cat Names of 2018 [Infographic]

by Kyle Larson

The results are in! We’re excited to announce the top cat names of 2018, as determined by the 2.2 million new cat owners who used our site so far this year.

When the year comes to a close, we like to reflect on the top 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.

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.

Curious to see what names top 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 cat name trends.

Here is an infographic with the results:

2018 Top Cat Names

Top Female Cat Names

Once again, Nala is at the top of the chart. The name of the beloved Lion King character reached number one last year – ending the reign of Bella – and is once again the top choice for new cats.

Speaking of Bella, that name has moved down to the 4th spot on the list, proving that it’s still popular but not the most in-demand name anymore.

The biggest surprise in 2018: Willow skyrocketed in popularity and entered the top 10 for the first time ever. It was the 7th most popular name this year.

Top Male Cat Names

Once again, the Lion King inspired the most popular male cat name of the year. Simba was the top cat for the third year in a row.

The biggest surprise, however, was the addition of the name Binx to the top 10. It exploded in popularity this year and landed in the 5th spot – and we’re pretty sure we know why.

The beloved Halloween movie Hocus Pocus celebrated its 25th anniversary this year with a huge media blitz that included a 90-minute special with the original actors and even a “Hocus Pocus Marathon” on Halloween night.

As you may recall, the film featured an immortal black cat named Thackery Binx, or Binx for short.

Coincidence? We think not. And that’s great because Binx is a short, strong name that is perfect – or should we say purrrr-fect? – for cats.

Top 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 cat parents are drawn to strong-sounding names that reflect their kitten’s tenacious personality.

Here are the top names in those categories in 2018.

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.

Funny cat names are also a popular categories. 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 half of the top 10 list.

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!

Additional Cat Name Categories

And last but name least, here are a few bonus categories.

For international cat names, we gathered names 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.

To find even more great cat names try running a cat name search!

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.