Cat Names That Mean Cat

  1. Rajah
    • Origin:

      Arabic and Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "hope; ruler"
    • Description:

      Indian princely title, more exciting than Prince or Duke, that is also a widely-used name for both genders. In the US, the names Rajah and Raja are uncommon: Ten baby boys were named Rajah last year and 18 were given the Raja spelling.
  2. Feline
    • Origin:

      Feminine form of Felinus, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "cat-like"
    • Description:

      This Top 100 girls' name in The Netherlands is unlikely to translate to the U.S., where it would undoubtedly pronounced fee-line and mistaken for the adjective that means cat-like. While the name Feline -- and Felina and Felinus -- do have the same root, the considerably more charming pronunciation in modern-day Europe is fee-LEEN-ah. Some websites mistakenly relate it to Felix and give its meaning as happy or fortunate.
  3. Napoleon
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lion of the new city"
    • Description:

      Overly ambitious choice, recently borne by the hapless hero of cult movie hit Napoleon Dynamite.
  4. Coahoma
    • Origin:

      Choctaw, Native American
    • Meaning:

      "red panther"
  5. Quillan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "cub"
    • Description:

      If you like Dylan but find it too popular, Quillan could be a distinctive alternative.
  6. Kat
    • Origin:

      Diminutive for Katherine, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      We're hearing Kat more and more being used by Katherines who are tired of Kathy, Kate and Katie. Katti or Kattie is another possibility.
  7. Jaguar
    • Origin:

      Animal name
    • Description:

      Grrrr.
  8. Figaro
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "barber"
    • Description:

      A literary name coined by the French playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais for the central character in his plays The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro and The Guilty Mother. It is thought that he based the name on his own nickname. In modern French, the word has come to mean "barber", due to the famous character's profession.
  9. Leandre
    • Origin:

      French form of Leander, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lion-man"
    • Description:

      Leandre, the French form of the name of a Greek mythological figure, the doomed lover of Hero, is gaining modern notice in France. Leandre is one of many leonine names, including Leopold, Leo, Leonie, and Leon, that are fashionable now.
  10. Lion
    • Arioch
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "lion-like"
      • Description:

        In the Book of Genesis, Arioch is the King of Ellasar.
    • Leonid
      • Origin:

        Russian, variation of Leonidas "lion"
      • Meaning:

        "lion"
      • Description:

        This form got noticed as the first name of long-reigning Russian president Brezhnev; other bearers include playwright and short-story writer Andreyev, Leonid the Magnificent,a Russian performance artist on America's Got Talent, and Leonid McGill, the protagonist of a Walter Mosley private eye series. All in all, though, Leonid is not the most likely to join the pride of lion-related names here.
    • Ekaterina
      • Origin:

        Russian; Macedonian; Bulgarian, variation of Catherine
      • Meaning:

        "pure"
      • Description:

        This international variation was publicized by Olympic skater Ekaterina Gordeeva.
    • Simba
      • Origin:

        Swahili or Shona
      • Meaning:

        "lion; strength"
      • Description:

        Traditional African name made cartoonish by the Disney character in The Lion King. In Shona it means "strength".
    • Leone
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "lioness"
      • Description:

        With male version Leon taking off all over Europe, the female variations, from Leona to Leonie to Leone, are coming back into style too.
    • Llewelyn
      • Origin:

        Welsh
      • Meaning:

        "lion"
      • Description:

        A distinctively Welsh name that's feeling more and more usable these days.
    • Dandelion
      • Origin:

        Flower name, from French
      • Meaning:

        "lion's tooth"
      • Description:

        The bright yellow weed lends itself to a creative baby name, although we don't recommend the nickname Dandy.
    • Kaplan
      • Origin:

        Turkish
      • Meaning:

        "tiger"
      • Description:

        A Turkish name with a cool animal meaning that would wear well in the English-speaking world too.
    • Dandelion
      • Origin:

        Flower name, from French
      • Meaning:

        "lion's tooth"
      • Description:

        The bright yellow weed lends itself to a creative baby name, although we don't recommend the nickname Dandy.
    • Hobbes
      • Origin:

        English variation of Robert
      • Meaning:

        "bright fame"
      • Description:

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