kitten names: 80+ names your kitten won't outgrow
Here is the trap of naming a kitten, and almost everyone falls into it. The kitten is tiny now. It will not be tiny for long. Name it for what it is today and you commit a seven-kilogram adult cat to a lifetime of being called Tiny, which is either a cruelty or the finest joke you will ever tell, depending on your character. I lean towards joke. But let us give you both the names that age gracefully and the names that do not, so you can choose your crime knowingly.
Before the lists, the practical note: naming can wait a few days. Watch the kitten first. A name given the moment it arrives is a guess about a personality that has not emerged yet. If you want the fuller picture on those early weeks, I have written how to take care of a kitten separately. Now, the names.
names that age well
The safe, wise choice. These suit a kitten and will still suit the dignified adult it becomes, so you never have to explain yourself.
- Juniper
- Felix
- Sage
- Oscar
- Hazel
- Milo
- Iris
- Jasper
- Nova
- Arlo
- Poppy
- Theo
- Willow
- Rey
- Cleo
ironic size names (choose bravely)
The joke that only improves with time. Name the smallest kitten in the litter after something enormous and enjoy the payoff for the next fifteen years.
- Tiny (for the future giant)
- Moose
- Tank
- Hulk
- Bear
- Titan
- Kong
- Biggie
- Colossus
- Mountain
- Goliath
- Bruiser
- Chunk
- Rex
- Atlas
Feed the generator a vibe and let it hand you a shortlist. Kittens are distracting; let something with no attention span do the thinking.
try the name generatorsweet names for a genuinely small creature
If you simply want a soft, warm name for a soft, warm animal and refuse to overthink it, these are the ones.
- Peanut
- Button
- Pip
- Bean
- Mochi
- Biscuit
- Olive
- Wren
- Clover
- Pumpkin
- Dot
- Momo
- Fig
- Suki
- Nutmeg
littermate pairs
Two kittens deserve names that belong together, without being so cute you cannot say them in public. Pick a pair and commit.
- Salt & Pepper
- Yin & Yang
- Gin & Tonic
- Thelma & Louise
- Bonnie & Clyde
- Tom & Jerry
- Ren & Stimpy
- Sun & Moon
- Fred & Ginger
- Bert & Ernie
- Ping & Pong
- Coffee & Cream
- Han & Leia
- Waffle & Syrup
- Chip & Dale
how to choose
Run the name forward in your head. Picture the kitten at four kilos, dignified, staring at you with contempt, and say the name to that animal. If it still works, it is a keeper. If it only works while the cat fits in your palm, either commit to the joke forever or pick again. And remember your kitten will double in size faster than you expect, so if you are curious how the years will stack up later, the cat age calculator will do the maths. Say the shortlist aloud, to the future cat, and keep the one that survives the trip.
Related reading from my desk: how to take care of a kitten for the weeks ahead, the cat names hub for every other list, and cute cat names if the sweetness is the whole point.