Cat Names That Mean Cat

Overly ambitious choice, recently borne by the hapless hero of cult movie hit Napoleon Dynamite.

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.

A variation of Lionel that has made slow but substantial gains in recent years, perhaps helped by the resurgence of Leo. It is also the Spanish and Portuguese variant.

With the rise of many once-dated leonine names, from Leona to Lionel to Leonora, Leandra is an unusual choice that might be looking at a comeback..

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.

Better than Lenny, not as good as Leo, and tightly tied to Tonight Show host Jay Leno.

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.

A distinctively Welsh name that's feeling more and more usable these days.

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.

This international variation was publicized by Olympic skater Ekaterina Gordeeva.

Lion is a masculine name with straightforward derivation from the powerful animal, symbolizing strength, courage, and nobility across many cultures. With Germanic, French, and English language roots, Lion functions both as a standalone name and as a shortened form of names like Lionel. Though relatively uncommon as a given name in English-speaking countries, it has seen increased interest among parents seeking bold, simple names with powerful associations. In some European countries, particularly Germany and France, Lion has enjoyed more consistent usage. The name's brevity and unmistakable meaning give it a striking quality, while its familiar word-name status makes it accessible despite being unconventional. Lion projects confidence and natural authority.

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.

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

The dramatic-sounding name of a star in the constellation Leo that can be adapted as a unique Arabic name for boys. The similar-sounding Rasselas is the name of an allegorical fable by Samuel Johnson and its lead character.

Old-school nicknames for boys are back, and Lenn is a great candidate for revival. Single-N Len may not be as cool as this Dutch version, originally a nickname for Lennart.

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

Not one of the five hundred names of Muhammad, but that of his uncle.

This biblical name, pronounced ahr yeh, is a not uncommon boys' name in Israel. It can also be spelled Aryeh , the most popular form by far, or Arieh. The feminine equivalent is Levi'a. Possible down side: Its similarity to the hot girl name Arya or Aria.

Concise but versatile, Hafsah is a popular name for girls among Muslims. Also spelled Hafsa, it is a significant name in Islamic tradition, having been borne by the daughter of Umar, the second caliph, who was also the fourth wife of the prophet Muhammad.