Cat Names That Start With H

Possible middle name for devotees of detective Sherlock...or the actress Katie.

Resonant and unusual.

All varieties of Hob are antiquated nicknames for Robert, though this one is saddled with the "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon association.

This name from the ancient Gilgamesh Epic would be a challenging choice; Hamish makes a more user-friendly option.

The "To Be or Not to Be" jokes, via Shakespeare's tortured prince, will get old by Month Two.

Smoky variation of Hayes.

An alternative to the more familiar Aviva.

A softer take on Hunter. Huntley is evenly distributed between girls and boys, coming in at 47% female and 53% male at last count.

Huntley was best known as Brinkley's news partner several decades ago. With the new genre of girls' names that are unusual surnames ending with the lee sound -- think Mosley, Yardley -- Huntley or Huntlea or Huntleigh might rise for girls.

A name used in Germany and Holland as a form of Jerome, it's the unlikely moniker of fictional detective Hieronymous "Harry" Bosch.

Thunderous name with Native American origins.

A worldly and attractive choice for a child of any background. Two early New World explorers were Hernandos — de Soto and Cortés.

Variation of Irune.

Sweet and southern-feeling, maybe thanks to Horton Foote, author of Tender Mercies and The Trip to Bountiful, not to mention the Dr. Seuss connection.

Distinguished actor Hume Cronyn (who shared his father's name) put this unusual choice in the lexicon.

Feels as if it's missing a syllable.

An androgynous alternative to Hazel, an American favorite that continues to rise.

A possibility for fans of the mystery writer, but most parents would prefer Dashiell.