Based on the DM pet naming requests I’ve been fielding lately, many of you seem to be just as obsessed with pet names as we are. So today we’re rounding out our series with the last remaining category. We’ve shared posts full of ideas for girl dog names, girl cats names, and boy dog names – so last up we get to cover boy cats names! We’ve never owned a male cat together, but John has had two in his lifetime. His childhood cat Casper (named for his white coat) and his sister’s cat Monty (named for Montague Street in Brooklyn, where she lived at the time). So this list was a fun thought experiment, and who knows… with the way the universal cat distribution system works, we might end up with a male cat someday.
As an aside, most of these names will work for any male pet (or maybe even for a male child!) so you may find this list helpful for more than just felines. And many of them aren’t really gender specific at all. So… lots of ideas here.
How To Name Your Boy Cat
Cats are smart and can adapt to just about any name when used with enough consistency and positive association. But here are some tips to make that process easier & more succuessful.
- Keep it short: 1 or 2 syllable names are the easiest for cats to recognize. If you choose something longer, try pairing it with a shorter nickname.
- Think long term: Cats often live 15 or more years, so pick something you’ll be comfortable using for many years. That might mean avoiding something trendy, topical, or too childish. For example, your toddler might beg for a cutesy name, but will they feel the same as a teenager?
- Take your time: Don’t rush into a decision. Make time to learn your cat’s personality or quirks. You might find unexpected inspiration this way!
- Think outside the box: Pet names don’t have to be as serious or functional as human names (these aren’t going on job applications!) so seize the opportunity to be as wacky, creative, or meaningful as you’d like.
- Test it out: Feel free to try a name out for a few days and change it if it’s not working. Cats can learn a new name in a matter of days, so don’t feel locked in to your first option.
Common Categories of Cat Names
Even though the sky is the limit with pet names, there are some popular categories people often tap for ideas and inspiration. Here are a few of our favorites, which we’ll cover in this post.
- Food Names: Celery, Spinach, Ziti
- Celebrity Names: Bowen Yang, Jon Bon Jovi, Steve Harvey
- Fictional Character Names: Inspector Gadget, Stefan Urquelle, Uncle Jessie
- Human Names: Norman, Sergio, Todd
- Object Names: Bolo, Pinball, Socket
- Animal Names: Gopher, Newt, Possum
- Color-Related Names: Queso (orange cat), Gotham (black cat), Gramps (gray cat)
25 Most Popular Boy Cat Names
Here are the most common names for male cats in 2025. We personally try to avoid something that’s too overused (although we failed at that with our dog!), so knowing what’s trendy can help you avoid that pitfall. Being aware of the most popular names below can also help you pick a solid, trusted name if that’s what you want (just know that there might be two by the same name at the vet or the dog park).
- Charlie
- Milo
- Leo
- Jasper
- Oliver
- Max
- Oscar
- Simba
- Loki
- Tiger
- Smokey
- Sam / Sammy
- Toby
- Shadow
- Rocy
- Gus
- Jack
- Buddy
- Tigger
- Simon
- Merlin
- Oreo
- Gizmo
- Ziggy
- Felix
25 Food Names for Male Cats
Having named our first dog that we got together “Burger,” you can probably guess that this is a favorite category of ours. Food names – whether they’re fruits, spices, pastas, or entrees – are such a rich category for cat names. They’re fun to say and can be surprisingly meaningful to you pet’s coloring, size, or personality.
- Asiago
- Bacon
- Breadstick
- Broccolini
- Calamari
- Celery
- Dill
- Fishstick
- Flatbread
- Gazpacho
- Gnocchi
- Hashbrown
- Macaroni
- Mayo
- McMuffin
- Mushroom
- Quiche
- Ravioli
- Root Beer
- Salad
- Spinach
- Tomato
- Tortilla
- Whiskey
- Ziti
25 Celebrity Names for Male Cats
You can always borrow a name from a famous actor, musician, or even historical figure. It can make a statement about your furry friend, or just to make trips to the vet more fun when they call out his full name.
- Art Garfunkel
- Bad Bunny
- Buddy Holly
- Bowen Yang
- Cedric the Entertainer
- Clark Gable
- Devon Sawa
- Harry Belafonte
- Idris Elba
- Jon Bon Jovi
- Ken Jennings
- Kevin Jonas
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Malcolm Gladwell
- Martin Short
- Patrick Swayze
- Pedro Pascal
- Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Ryan Seacrest
- Sidney Poitier
- Stephen Colbert
- Steve Harvey
- Timothée Chalamet
- Tom Hanks
- Walter Cronkite
25 Fictional Character Names for Boy Cats
Names from a film, tv series, novel, or comic book are another great resource. Just like mining celebrity names for ideas, it can be fun to give your cat a last name or title (you can just use a shortened version around the house).
- Aaron Samuels (Mean Girls)
- Benoit Blanc (Knives Out)
- Bruce Banner (The Hulk alter ego)
- Cap’n Crunch
- Corky St. Clair (Waiting For Guffman)
- Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters)
- Inspector Gadget
- Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius
- Kenneth Parcell (30 Rock)
- Lloyd Christmas (Dumb and Dumber)
- Lord Farquaad (Shrek)
- Marty McFly (Back to the Future)
- McLovin’ (Superbad)
- Mr. Belvedere (Mr. Belvedere)
- Mugatu (Zoolander)
- Phil Dunphy (Modern Family)
- President Business (The Lego Movie)
- Sherlock Holmes
- Sherman Klump (The Nutty Professor)
- Stefan Urquelle (Steve Urkel alter ego)
- Smee (Peter Pan)
- Terminator
- Troy McClure (The Simpsons)
- Uncle Jesse (Full House)
- Warner Huntington III (Legally Blonde)
25 Human Names for Boy Cats
There are still plenty of human boy names to pick that aren’t as common. Here are some of our favorites for felines, but feel free to pop open a baby naming book or check out our list of classic baby boy names for more ideas. Our friend has a cat named Todd and it never fails to make us laugh.
- Allister
- Alvin
- Bradley
- Boris
- Ethan
- Gideon
- Hector
- Harvey
- Jonathan
- Joshua
- Mark
- Michael
- Nickolai
- Norman
- Paul
- Reginald
- Richard
- Scott
- Sergio
- Silas
- Todd
- Tyler
- Ulysses
- Walter
- Zachary
25 Object Names For Boy Cats
If food names aren’t your thing, try other inanimate objects instead. These can be goofy, sweet, or even rugged-sounding. Plus, you can find something that fits your cat’s appearance or demeanor as well.
- Anchor
- Bolo
- Can Opener
- Chopper
- Dart
- Goggles
- Hook
- Hoops
- Kayak
- Kickstand
- Lava
- Mug
- Mustache
- Pants
- Pinball
- Pixel
- Puck
- Qwerty
- Ripcord
- Runway
- Sneaker
- Socket
- Velcro
- Wallet
- Wordle
25 Animal Names for Male Cats
For a touchy of irony, consider naming your cat after another type of animal. You can use this technique to also make reference to your pet’s size, coloring, or unique quirks – like a cat named Puppy that likes to hang out with your dog.
- Ant
- Armadillo
- Cow
- Daddy Long Legs
- Dolphin
- Goat
- Gopher
- Guinea Pig
- Lemming
- Mallard
- Moth
- Newt
- Octopus
- Ostrich
- Parakeet
- Pigeon
- Possum
- Puppy
- Rooster
- Sloth
- Toad
- Turkey
- Walrus
- Wombat
- Zebra
50 Color Names for Boy Cats
Taking inspiration from a cat’s coloring is another popular technique. Here are some ideas for you beyond the usual Shadow for a black cat or Garfield for an orange one.
Orange Cat Names
- Carrot
- Fuzzy Navel
- Johnny Storm (alter ego of The Human Torch)
- Julius
- Juice
- Nickelodeon
- Oriole
- Queso
- Rusty
- Torch
White Cat Names
- Anderson Cooper
- Avalanche
- Cirrus
- Ghost
- Milk
- Paper
- Ski Slope
- Walter White (Breaking Bad)
- Yeti
- Yogurt
Black Cat Names
- Gotham
- Inkwell
- NASA
- Orion
- Ozzy Osborne
- Puglsey (Addams Family)
- Prom King
- Raisin
- The Count
- Void
Gray Cat Names
- Almost
- Colossus (superhero made of metal)
- Dime
- Eeyore
- Gramps
- Nermal (gray cat from Garfield)
- Nimbus
- Robot
- Slate
- Zinc
Brown / Mutlicolor Cat Names
- Basket
- Between
- Blender
- Camo
- Paddington
- Pebble
- Rothko (painter)
- Sandwich
- Tweed
- Walnut
More Naming Resources
You can find more name ideas for your pets (and children!) in the list below. Like please, enjoy these posts and let me know if you choose any of these names. This is me at 43. I just want to name babies and pets. (Ok, and write jingles).