Cute Cat Names

  1. Boo
    • Origin:

      Word name or nickname
    • Description:

      Boo may have started out as a nickname for the male character Arthur "Boo" Radley in To Kill A Mockingbird and these days may be closely associated with another male Boo, the "world's cutest dog" or with the adorable little girl in Monsters, Inc.
  2. Tippi
    • Origin:

      Invented nickname
    • Description:

      Tippi is best known as the nickname of actress Tippi Hedren, star of Hitchcock's "The Birds" and "Marnie." Hedren's real name was Nathalie Kay; her father dubbed her Tippi. Although the name will inevitably be reminiscent of Hedren, it could make a cute short form for a name such as Tiffany or Philippa.
  3. Cisco
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Spanish Francisco
    • Meaning:

      "Frenchman or free man"
    • Description:

      Shortening Francisco somehow makes it sound even cooler. Cisco is also the name of a digital security company.
  4. Roxie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Roxanne
    • Description:

      Audacious offshoot of Roxanne, the wayward heroine of the musical Chicago.
  5. Howie
    • Boo
      • Origin:

        Word name or nickname
      • Description:

        Boo as a first name first achieved notoriety as the name of the child-man in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Arthur "Boo" Radley was meant to be frightening, but only in a simple, non-threatening way. More recently, Boo has been used as the middle name of one of chef Jamie Oliver's children and the nickname in the middle of television's Honey Boo Boo. Boo is also the name of the world's cutest dog and of the adorable little girl in Monsters Inc. In a more basic way, Boo is a term of endearment.
    • Darling
      • Origin:

        English surname, English word name
      • Meaning:

        "dear"
      • Description:

        Darling has history as an English surname, but it would most likely be read as a quirky and loving word name, a la Sweetheart or Honey.
    • Minty
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Aminta and Araminta, Greek
      • Meaning:

        "defender"
      • Description:

        Minty isn't a fresh word name — it's an old-fashioned nickname for Araminta, the romantic smoosh name coined by playwright William Congreve in 1693.
    • Skipper
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "captain"
      • Description:

        Sure, and we hope he has a good time playing with Buster and Buddy.
    • Lulie
      • Origin:

        Short form of Lula or Louise, German and French
      • Meaning:

        "renowned warrior"
      • Description:

        One of the few Lu- names that you've probably never heard of, Lulie could prove a good alternative for Luna, Lucy, and Lula.
    • Tessie
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of Theresa, Greek
      • Meaning:

        "to reap, gather"
      • Description:

        With Tillie a new favorite of avant-garde parents, the British music-hall Tessie might conceivably follow.
    • Jojo
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of Jo-beginning names
      • Description:

        Sprightly and engaging nickname for human, full name for pet. Author Jojo Moyes and dancer/singer Jojo Sliwa have propelled the name into the public eye.
    • Sammy
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "god has heard"
      • Description:

        Short for Samuel or long for Sam, Sammy is a sweet midcentury nickname name that we can see coming back.
    • Franny
      • Origin:

        Latin, diminutive of Frances
      • Meaning:

        "from France or free man"
      • Description:

        If Frances and Fran are too serious for you, and Fanny too saucy, you might like Franny, still identified by some with J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey stories.
    • Binx
      • Origin:

        American invented name
      • Description:

        Binx is a popular name among black cats thanks to the character Thackery Binx in the cult classic Hocus Pocus. It makes a one-of-a-kind, spirited name for a boy. If it's too bold for the birth certificate, try Binx as a nickname for a B name like Benedict or Baxter.
    • Minnow
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "small fish"
      • Description:

        This adorable fish name debuted on the baby name charts in 2020, inspired by a young girl character in the Netflix movie Love and Monsters. Minnow resembles well-established girl names Minnie, Willow, and Marlowe.
    • Taffy
      • Origin:

        Welsh
      • Meaning:

        "beloved friend"
      • Description:

        A diminutive of the (male) name Dafydd, the Welsh form of David. In the US, it's strongly associated with the candy.
    • Renny
      • Origin:

        Anglicized variation of Irish Raithnait
      • Meaning:

        "little prosperous one"
      • Description:

        Used primarily for girls in Ireland, but sounds unisex to us.
    • Mango
      • Origin:

        Fruit name
      • Description:

        Mango might be cute as a short form of a related name like Manuel, or for a pet name. But we're not feeling it as a full baby name for a child of any gender.
    • Nicky
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Nicholas or Nicole
      • Description:

        Nicky is a forever-cute short form of Nicholas once used as a full name but now relegated to nickname (no pun intended) status.