Justice For Black Cats — They Deserve Cute Names, Too

Black cats have arguably the best naming potential. With the lure of mystery, superstition, and magic around black cats, there’s an endless abyss of name inspiration to pull from. You’ve probably heard that black cats are bad luck, which is certainly a route you could take when naming your furry little void. But just because there’s a stigma, don’t feel like you have to go with something dark and creepy — unless you want to.

Many traditions across different cultures actually deem black cats to be good luck, positive omens, and symbols of prosperity. Black cats have been linked to witchcraft as far back as ancient Greece, particularly to the Hecate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, and the moon. They were similarly revered in ancient Egypt with the goddess Bastet.

The unfair reputation of the black cat goes back to the Middle Ages when the Catholic Church drew a connection between the innocent creatures and the devil. Albeit a ludicrous leap, the declaration is unsurprising as paganism was perceived by some as a threat to the church. The prejudice then found solid footing in the West during the Salem Witch Trials, where they were believed to be either witches in disguise or to have had the ability to transform into witches. As a lingering consequence, black cats have the lowest adoption rates at shelters.

On a more triumphant note, black cats are now seen as a symbol of defiance and perseverance, given their ominous history. Outside of the West, ancient folklore detailing the positive connotations of black cats still survives. For instance, parts of Japan, England, Scotland, Ireland, and other areas in Europe have traditions and lore around the good fortune of black cats.

It’s why there are so many sources of inspiration to draw from when it comes to unique cat names. Whether you’re going majestic or witchy, spooky or literary, or taking cues from mystical TV shows, what’s important is that you’re naming your fur baby with the love they deserve. Get started on your brainstorming with these black cat names inspired by gods and goddesses, astrology, witches, pop culture, literature, and more, below.

Name Ideas For Black Cats

Noir

Grimoire

Alchemy

Smoky

Midnight

Misty

Tenebris

Secret

Nimbus

Enigma

Shaman

Nightfall

Salem

Mage

Aura

Wizard

Abracadabra

Sphinx

Jinx

Fortune

Coven

Bruxo

Oracle

Tarot

Voodoo

Wicca

Wicca

Karma

Sphinx

Morpheus

Hex

Whisper

Twilight

Myth

Kuro (meaning “mysterious” or “black” in Japan, where black cats are seen as good luck)

Rune

Phantom

Mystique

Bones

Nightmare

Shadow

Venom

Morningstar

Omen

Dragon

Widow

Beelzebub

Black Magic

Conjur

Crypt

Diablo

Necromancer

Sinister

Maleficent, from Sleeping Beauty

Sabrina, Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Ambrose, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Prudence, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Dorcus, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Blair, The Blair Witch Project

Gillian, Practical Magic

Sally, Practical Magic

Winnie, Winnie The Witch

Samantha, Bewitched

Endora, Bewitched

Prue, Charmed

Piper, Charmed

Phoebe, Charmed

Cordelia, American Horror Story: Coven

Fiona, American Horror Story: Coven

Zelda, Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Hilda, Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Glinda, The Wizard of Oz

Tia Dalma, Pirates of the Caribbean

Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins

Sanderson, Hocus Pocus

Jadis, The Chronicles of Narnia

Bonnie, The Vampire Diaries

Lafayette, True Blood

Morgana, Merlin

Davina, The Originals

Freya, The Originals

Kai, The Vampire Diaries

Jett

Obsidian

Onyx

Esmeralda

Galena

Jade

Opal

Tourmaline

Black Pearl

Spinel

Ilvaite

Anatase

Jasper

Garnet

Hematite

Basalt

Cassiterite

Rutile

Kyanite

Shungite

Charcoal

Graphite

Eclipse

Juno

Venus

Jupiter

Neptune

Chiron

Leo

Phase

Mercury

Aries

Orion

Libra

Andromeda

Taurus

Archer

Gemma

Lilith

Lynx

Pisces

Lyra

Scorpio

Carina

Cassiopeia

Aquila

Antila

Luna

Night

Cookie

Draco

Bellatrix

Cosmo

Cygnus

Celeste

Selene

Serene

Vortex

Nova

Moon

Comet

Stella

Dusk

Crescent

Galaxy

Estelle

Esther

Pollux

Regulus

Rigel

Serene

Sirius

Vega

Calypso

Felix, from Felix The Cat

Sylvester, Looney Tunes

Thackery, Hocus Pocus

Binx, Hocus Pocus

Cat, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Lucifer, Cinderella

DC (Darn Cat), That Darn Cat!

Winkie, Escape to Witch Mountain

Berlioz, The Aristocats

Jiji, Kiki's Delivery Service

Sebastian, Josie and the Pussycats

Kitty Softpaws, Puss in Boots

Cobweb, Hocus Pocus 2

Figaro, Pinocchio

Jonas, We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Sir Purrcival, The Ex Hex

Crucible, The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Elizabeth Proctor, The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Tituba, The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Circe, Circe by Madeline Miller

Thetis, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Achilles, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Pluto, The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe

Church, Pet Semetary by Stephen King

Montague, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Eleanor, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Gifford, The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Kipps, The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Jennet, The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Drablow, The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Raoul, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Buquet, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Jane, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Bagheera, The Jungle Book

Batman, Batman

Elvira, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark

Rajah, Aladdin

Gotham, Batman

Selina, Catwoman

Coraline, Coraline

Black Panther, Black Panther

Natasha, Black Widow

Harvey, Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Marnie, Halloweentown

Kalabar, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge

Jasper, Twilight

Edward, Twilight

Klaus, A Series of Unfortunate Events

Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Percy, Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Violet, A Series of Unfortunate Events

Elvis

Ozzy

Java

Olive

Licorice

Boba

Blackberry

Espresso

Pepper

Pudding

Molasses

Merlot

Sesame

Cookies and Cream

Toast

Hershey

Fudge

Tootsie

Truffle

Peppercorn

Waffle

Menace

Ninja

Goth

Spooky

Bean

Dusty

Eightball

Soot

Stormageddon

Void

Ball of Darkness

Child of Darkness

Storm Cloud

Storm Drain

Dingy

Gloomy

Murky

Ace

Cinder

Asher

Chase

Spike

Steel

Spade

Ziggy

Ember

Harley

Coal

Gray

Atlas

Phoenix

Pandora

Paris

Umbra

Quill

Kona

Batgirl

Sophia

Velvet

Satin

Ebony

Panthera

Cleopatra

Sailor Moon

Agnes

Margot

Silhouette

Medusa

Layla

Sombra

Iron

Macho

Percy

Poe

Edgar Allen

Alacazam

Black Jack

Zane

Walter

Frank

Kalo (Bengali for “black”)

Styx

Stygian

Umbrous

Diesel

Finn

Manon, from Throne of Glass

Velaris, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Asterin, Throne of Glass

Abraxos, Throne of Glass

Nuala, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Cerridwen, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Titus, Throne of Glass

Azriel, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Rysand, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Cassian, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Lysandra, Throne of Glass

Nehemia, Throne of Glass

Nesryn, Throne of Glass

Nesta, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Feyre, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Elain, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Emerie, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Gwyn, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Dorian, Throne of Glass

Hermione

Myrtle

Potter

Salazar

Lovegood

Polyjuice

Crookshanks

Hagrid

Albus

Dumbledore

Severus

Tom

Nymphadora

Tonks

Ginny

Sybill

Trelawney

Pomona

Melisandre

Stark

Drogo

Brienne

Arya

Sansa

Viserion

Grey Wind

Ghost

Gilly

Hodor

Rhaegal

Samwell

Eddard

Aegon

Daemon

Jacaerys

Moondancer

Seasmoke

Aemond

Alicent

Syrax

Vhagar

Arrax

Rhaenyra

Rhaenys

Corlys

Velaryon

Meleys

Ragnar

Siggy

Ivar

Ironside

Lagertha

Bjorn

Floki

Ubbe

Rollo

Torvi

Athlestan

Ecbert

Margrethe

Aethelwulf

Hvitserk

Casper

Gato

Boo

Puck

Inky

Blot

Lucky

Ciaran, Celtic name meaning “little dark-haired one” (Irish and Scottish traditions see black cats as a sign of good luck)

Lulu

Goose

Sooty

Stormi

Moody

Lucie

Poet

Panther

Raven

Crow

Stallion

Spider

Black Widow

Puma

Black Bear

Zebra

Panda

Jaguar

Friesian (a black horse breed)

Bobolink

Cobra

Rat

Angus

Rhino

Tux

Oreo

Boots

Speckles

Patches

Sneakers

Checkers

Penguin

Barcode

Piano

Pixel

Pinstripe

Patch

Paisley

Marble

Mickey

Minnie

Groom

Butler

Barcode

Dice

Blackbeard

Nostradamus

Caesar

Nefertiti

Morgan le Fay

Nicolas Flamel

Perenelle

Geber

Marie Laveau

Galileo

Ostanes

Newton

Fritz

Zwicky

Vera

Rubin

Oppenheimer

Einstein

Storm

Ivy

Jasmine

Nightshade

Poppy

Pebble

Flint

Thunder

Echo

Melanite

Starling

Terra

Caspian

Silas

Aurora

Reiki

Blossom

Gabi, Filipino

Nat, Danish

Abali, Igbo

Ekiro, Ganda

Po, Hawaiian

Gece, Turkish

Butu, Lingala

Kecha, Uzbek

Malam, Malay

Zan, Mizo

Nacht, German

Natt, Norwegian

Malam, Indonesian

Halkan, Oromo

Noche, Spanish

Noctis

Nox

Noite, Portuguese

Notte, Italian

Wengi, Javanese

Noc, Polish

Tuta, Quechua

Ophelia (“Ophelia” by The Lumineers)

Romeo (“Love Story” by Taylor Swift)

Juliet (“Check Yes Juliet” by We the Kings)

Helena (“Helena” by My Chemical Romance)

Konstantine (“Konstantine” by Something Corporate)

Maria (“Dear Maria, Count Me In” by All Time Low)

Paramore

Evanescence

Lyric

Sonnet

Cadence

Riff

Chord

Melody

Demi

Adagio

Viola

Staccato

Stave

Bracket

Clef

Trill

Alto

Tenor

Tenuto

Fermata

Marcato

Tremolo

Octavia

Breve

Quaver

Caesura

Forte

Mezzo

Crescendo

Hades (Greek god of the underworld)

Odin (powerful and wise Norse all-father god)

Apollo (Greek god of the sun)

Zeus (Greek god of the sky)

Thor (Norse god of thunder and lightning)

Loki (Norse god of mischief and trickery)

Anubis (Egyptian god of funerary rites and protector of graves)

Freyr (Norse god of peace, prosperity, and fertility)

Ra (Egyptian god of the sun and father or king of all Egyptian gods)

Niskus (Romano-British water god)

Poseidon (Greek sea god)

Hermes (Greek god of messengers and travel)

Hephaestus (Greek god of fire, blacksmiths, and craft)

Janus (Roman god of beginnings)

Bacchus (Roman god of wine, fruit trees, and fertility)

Marzana (Slavic goddess of winter)

Nyx (Greek goddess of the night)

Hecate (Greek goddess of magic and witchcraft)

Morrigan (Celtic goddess)

Anat (Egyptian goddess of hunting and fertility)

Freyja (Norse goddess of love, fertility, beauty, and magic)

Persephone (Greek goddess of spring and agriculture)

Isis (Egyptian goddess of magic, healing, childbirth, and queen of Egypt)

Durga (powerful Hindu mother goddess of protection)

Bastet (Egyptian goddess of home, protection, and cats, often depicted as a black cat)

Kali (Hindu goddess of time, change, and creation)

Diana (Roman goddess of childbirth, fertility, and the moon)

Athena (Greek goddess of wisdom and crafts)

Hera (Greek goddess of women, marriage, childbirth, and family)

Branwen (Welsh goddess of beauty and love)

Minerva (Roman goddess of wisdom and justice)

Autumn

Eve (All Hallows)

Azrael

Candy

Samhain

Bat

Damion

Dracula

Freddy

Gargamel

Harlow

Ichabod

Igor

Jack (o'lantern)

October

Wednesday

Addams

Morticia

Gomez

Thing

Friday

Sith

Beatrix

Mona Lisa

Cordelia

Lucien

Evander

Benedict

Bellamy

Alaric

Enzo

Ezra

Bastian

Merrit

Fallon

Agnes

Francis

Elspeth

Evangeline

Ambrose

Delphine

Emrys

Vincent

Lysander

Margo

Milton

Edison

Snowball

Angel

Vanilla

Sugar

Powder

Salt

Igloo

Dove

Frosty

Blizzard

Blanco

Birch

Winter

Snow

Cloud

Coconut

Arctic

Coconut

Ice Cube

Ivory

Yang