It’s Elementary, Mr. Whiskers: The Best Cat Names of 2016
The popular animated Disney film The Aristocats is great for a lot of reasons (the music, the compelling plight against a selfish butler, a charming version of Paris), but the names of the characters are all, quite simply, spot-on. O’Malley, Roquefort, Scat Cat, Frou-Frou, Edgar, and Berlioz are so perfectly named, and they are the inspiration behind our own list of the best cat names of the year.
Signs of the Times
The last few decades showed a remarkable shift from descriptive cat names, like Spot or Stripe, to names that are easily exchanged and compatible with human monikers.
Back in 2012, Bella was one of the most popular cat names after the famed Twilight series. Lucy, Kitty, Chloe, and Sophie rounded out the top 5 for girls, and Max, Oliver, Charlie, Tiger, and Smokey were the top 5 boy cat names in the U.S. Over 50% of all cats were given names appropriate for humans in 2015.
Recent trends for cat names are pulled from celebrity or pop culture, food items, technology, and more.
Hip Destinations
We can draw so much from travelling, and the following round up some of our favorite destination-based cat names:
- Aspen
- Berlin
- Carmel
- Chandler
- Cody
- Diego
- Florence
- Kathmandu
- Kodiak
- Lincoln
- Lodi
- Odessa
- Santiago
- Savannah
- Rio
- Zaria
- Food and Drink
It’s impossible to go wrong when choosing a name for your fluffy, stealthy, or cuddly feline from the following delectable items:
- Almond
- Barley
- Basil
- Bing
- Campari
- Clove
- Mai-Tai
- Mango
- Olive
- Pickles
- Sage
- Schnapps
- Vesper
- Wonton
Historical or Bookish
Depending on your cat’s breed and personality, he or she may take on one of these like a pro:
- Amadeus
- Bilbo
- Charlemagne
- Estrella
- Gatsby
- Godiva
- Gulliver
- Guinevere
- Ichabod
- Lord Byron
- Mr. Darcy
- Prufrock
- Twain
- Vonnegut
Names for the Ages
Mythological cat names seem quite apt for a certain type of feline, and we like:
- Artemis
- Atlas
- Callisto
- Demeter
- Hera
- Loki
- Nyx
Gettin’ Techy
Your cat’s proclivity to nap on your Kindle could easily spur a namesake, or perhaps these might suit him or her:
- Bit
- Cloud
- Data
- Ping
- Pixel
- Gig
- Wysiwyg
Still Hungry?
If none of our favorites are a good fit, check out this list of famous internet cats. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns on cat names, and above all, have fun naming!