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Japanese Cat Names

Cats are deeply tied to Japanese culture (Maneki-neko, anyone?). These names cover food, nature, mythology, and pop culture, with meanings included where confirmed.

Japan has one of the richest cat naming traditions in the world, partly because cats have been part of Japanese culture for over a thousand years. Cats arrived in Japan from China around the 6th century, originally as guards for Buddhist temples (to protect sacred scrolls from mice), and they have been culturally elevated ever since. The Maneki-neko, the beckoning cat figurine you see in shops and restaurants, originated in the Edo period and remains one of the most recognisable symbols of Japanese culture worldwide.

Traditional Japanese cat names tend to be short, end in vowels, and describe something about the cat. Tama (ball, jewel) is the single most common cat name in Japan, used the way "Whiskers" is used in English. Mike (pronounced mee-keh, meaning "three-fur") refers specifically to calico cats. Kuro (black) and Shiro (white) are colour-based names. Chibi (small) is a common name for kittens or smaller cats.

For nature-based names, Sakura (cherry blossom), Hana (flower), Yuki (snow), Tsuki (moon), Hoshi (star), Kawa (river), and Sora (sky) all work and all have verifiable meanings. Haru means "spring" and works for a kitten born in that season.

From pop culture, Jiji (the black cat in Studio Ghibli's Kiki's Delivery Service) is one of the most-borrowed Japanese cat names internationally. Kiki (the witch herself) is also commonly used. Maru is real cat name, made famous by the YouTube cat from Japan whose videos have over 800 million views. From anime more broadly, Doraemon, Totoro (technically a forest spirit, but cat-adjacent), and Pikachu all work as cross-over names.

If you want something with more weight, Akira (bright, clear), Hiro (broad, generous), Ryu (dragon), and Tora (tiger) all suit cats with personality. Samurai, Ninja, and Shogun work for a cat that takes itself seriously, though they read more as English-borrowed words than authentic Japanese cat names.

One important note on accuracy: many Japanese names have multiple possible meanings depending on which kanji characters are used to write them. The meanings shown in this list are only included where the meaning is widely documented and unambiguous. For names with multiple possible kanji readings, no meaning is shown.

56 names
13 female
13 male
30 unisex

Famous cats matching this list

Names from our directory of internet-famous cats that fit this category:

Maru

Maru

The "most famous cat on the internet"
Meowth

Meowth

The talkative Pokémon cat
Suki

Suki

The adventure cat

More theme categories

Other theme values you can browse:

Food 76 Mythology 49 Literary 78 Nature 108 Royal 59 Classic 59 Modern 123 Famous Cats 25

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Categories with strong overlap with this list:

Short (1-4 letters) Length Names 143 Cute Vibe Names 177 Unisex Gender Names 249

Frequently asked questions

How many Japanese cat names are on this list?

There are 56 names on this page, hand-picked and tagged with their origin and meaning where verifiable.

Are these names suitable for both kittens and adult cats?

Yes. None of the names are age-specific. A name that suits a kitten will keep working as the cat grows.

Are the Japanese name meanings accurate?

Meanings are only included where they are widely documented. For names that have multiple possible meanings depending on the kanji used, no meaning is shown.

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