These are the top cat names in the US

These are the top cat names in the US

Americans spend considerable time naming their babies—from months before the due date to a year after childbirth, sometimes even hiring an outside expert to help them. Some parents agonize over the choice, worrying whatever they name their offspring might impact their future or success. Some scientific studies have supported this parental intuition. Psychology Today reports that names can affect first impressions, academic performance, and even career choices, which is why naming can feel like such a monumental task.

Since pets don't have to compete in school or at work, the process should be far less complicated with fur babies, right? Not necessarily.

Nearly 9 in 10 (88%) adults who responded to a 2024 Talker Research survey conducted for Newsweek considered pets an equal member of their family. Gen Zers, particularly, are spending significant time, effort, and money—with about 1 in 4 shelling out between $151 and $200 per month—raising their "children."

Selecting the right name for that pet, especially a cat, is no exception.

Naming a feline friend after Grandma or Grandpa isn't necessarily the obvious choice, so people use many other approaches to ensure they call them by just the right moniker. For instance, maybe your cat's coloration or general appearance might provide inspiration (like Mittens, Boots, or Shadow for a black cat or Smokey for a gray cat). Their personality or backstory might give rise to names like Baby, Tigger, or even Princess.

From a more scientific approach, experts recommend coming up with sounds that cats are most likely to respond to and are short enough for them to learn easily. Time spent thinking about these names does yield dividends. A study of over 100 cats published in 2019 found that felines could recognize their names, even if they eventually choose to ignore the caller. A subsequent study of 48 cats found that they even knew the names of their cat friends.

Meowtel compiled a list of the most popular cat names in the United States using information from nearly 165,000 users. What they found may reveal more about cat owners than Fluffy or Felix.

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Meowtel

People names preferred

Like uncommon baby names, which are becoming increasingly common, certain left-of-center cat names have gone viral in recent years. Meowtel’s list includes fun names such as: The Professor, Pablo Picatso, and Aaron Purr Sir. Social media has exploded with posts of unconventional names discovered on the animal adoption website Petfinder, but Big Baby Pudding Snatcher and Sad Boi are the exception, not the rule.

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According to a review of Meowtel's user database, most owners gravitate toward more traditional names. The most popular one comes from the ancient Latin language: Luna, which means moon, evoking mystery, romance, and maybe even a bit of magic. Leo, the second-most popular name, has ancient roots as the Latin word for lion. It lends itself to the astrological sign Leo, the lion-shaped constellation named after the big cat defeated by Hercules in Greek mythology. Since Leo conjures a sense of strength and maybe even a bit of ferocity, pet owners may gravitate to it if their cat is king of the household—or just has a particularly loud "roar."

Pop culture references likely inspired the third-popular choice, Milo, the name of the orange tabby in the 1986 family film "The Adventures of Milo and Otis." But it could also play into the trend of giving cats human names—like Oliver, an old-fashioned classic.

Long gone are the days when there were "people names" and "cat names," and never the twain shall meet. Today, owners might name their kitty cats after their favorite comedian (like Lucy, after Lucille Ball) or leading actor (like "Leo"-nardo DiCaprio?). They might even pay tribute to one of their favorite fictional characters (like Loki from the Marvel Universe, a name that appears farther down the list at #11).

As U.S. birth rates decline, an increasing number of pet parents are simply giving their cats the same love and care as they would children. So why call them anything different?

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Story editing by Cynthia Rebolledo. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.