Black Cat Names – 100 Striking Names for Your Black Cat
Typical black cat names revolve around the black cat’s unique cultural background, but black-inspired names go far beyond the spooky mythos.
Although the medieval era was unkind to European cats of all hues, black cats have continually been the most frequently associated with witchcraft, mystery, and black magic.
As a Halloween icon, the names most often associated with black cats include holiday-themed names like Spook, Ghost, Damien, and Boo.
The following list takes a few hints from the magical tradition, but includes names inspired by a large range of sources, including pop culture, food, history, and other objects. While the list is varied and the names have diverse meanings, they all somehow connect to a single shade – the black of your cat’s coat.
Top 100 Black Cat Names
1. Opal
According to Opals Down Under, Australian black opals are the most valuable and best-known type of opal in the world. These opals contain carbon and iron oxide that gives their rainbow colors a striking backdrop. Opal is also a classic female name that saw tremendous popularity in the United States during the early 20th century.
2. Vader
Few characters are so iconic as Darth Vader of the Star Wars series. If you’re a Star Wars fan and see this tragic villain in your black-coated cat, think about naming them Vader, Darth, or even Darth Vader.
3. Wednesday
Love Wednesday Addams, the sometimes sadistic and sometimes sweet black-haired daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams in the Addams Family TV show and movies? Try out this charming name.
4. Cocoa
What’s not to love about the fun bounce of this two-syllable name? The name Cocoa brings to mind dark, chocolatey flavors and the deep, almost-black color of Dutch process cocoa.
5. Kismet
Acknowledge the numerous superstitions about black cats and luck – both the good kind of luck and the less enjoyable variety – by giving yours this name. Kismet means fate or destiny.
6. Bagheera
This is the name of the wise black panther who served as a friend, protector, and mentor to Mowgli in The Jungle Book.
7. Ozzy
Like the famous British musical artist Ozzy Osbourne, your cat is dressed in black and ready to rock.
8. Plum
Fruit-inspired names are always fun for cats. The name Plum sounds sweet, feminine, quirky, and brings to mind the smooth black skin of a ripe plum.
9. Velvet
Acknowledge the luxurious feel of your cat’s coat by naming them after a sheet of sumptuous black velvet. This name might also remind you of Velvet Brown, the protagonist in the 1944 film National Velvet.
10. Inkspot
Black cats are notoriously difficult to capture in photographs. If your new black kitten looks like a black splotch in every picture, think about naming them Inkspot.
11. Olive
When you call the name “Olive”, it rolls from the back of your mouth to the front – a bit like the briny black olives that make it a good match for a black cat.
12. Espresso
Like a dark, powerful espresso, your black cat comes with a rich and dynamic personality – and they’re the perfect energy boost.
13. Tazzy
This fun name is inspired by the black-coated Tasmanian devil.
14. Nori
Sheets of nori or seaweed have a dark green color that’s almost black, making this fun food-inspired name perfect for a black cat.
15. Snape
In Harry Potter, the half-blood wizard Severus Snape has black hair and a signature black outfit. Your cat’s black hair is their signature outfit. Harry Potter fans may want to use the similarity as name inspiration.
16. Licorice
Do you love licorice candy or just like the way this word sounds? Try this sweet name on for size.
17. Salem
Remember Salem Saberhagen, the witty and sarcastic black cat from Sabrina the Teenage Witch? The name Salem gives a nod to the black cat’s cultural history, while also making a reference to a well-loved comic strip and TV show.
18. Chococat
Produced by the same Japanese corporation that created Hello Kitty, Chococat is a black cat character named after its tiny chocolate-colored nose.
19. Elvira
This Spanish name descends from an old Visigothic name, possibly made from a combination of “ala” and “wer”, meaning “all true”. In modern pop culture, the name is perhaps most often associated with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the campy and glamorously ghoulish TV hostess.
20. Selina
This name has Greek origins and means “moon” – that celestial body best viewed when the sky is as black as your cat’s coat.
21. Blackberry
This name brings to mind chunky, squeezable black cats with bodies as plump and wonderful as a wild blackberry in midsummer.
22. Dahlia
The color black has long been associated with the macabre, so perhaps it’s appropriate that this name brings to mind the 1947 cold case of the “Black Dahlia Murder”. Black dahlia flowers have an intoxicating deep burgundy color that might remind you of your cat’s deep-hued coat.
23. Mamba
The animal world is full of color-related name inspiration. The black mamba is widely considered the world’s deadliest snake.
24. Poppyseed
You might think of Poppyseed as an extra-fun and black-centric alternative to Poppy. As a perk, you get Poppyseed Cake and Poppyseed Dressing as adorable nicknames.
25. Tiddles
Tiddles sounds silly to some, but a cat bearing this name is not to be underestimated. A black cat named Tiddles served as a mouser on numerous Royal Navy aircraft carriers and served on the HMS Victorious as the official Captain’s Cat.
26. Malbec
Malbec is a variety of inky-purple grapes used to make wine. Their dark color yields a beverage that looks black in the bottle, making Malbec an appropriate name for the wine lover’s black cat.
27. Ciara
This feminine name is Irish in origin and is derived from ciar, meaning “black”.
28. Sirius Black
The second Harry Potter-inspired name on this list is Sirius Black. This character is the last remaining heir of a wizard family called the House of Black.
29. Skillet
Like a Teflon-coated skillet, your cat is a beautiful shade of black and is the perfect kitchen companion.
30. Pepper
Unlike black pepper, which can only spice up food, your black cat can spice up everything in your life.
31. Betty
Oh Black Betty, bam-ba-lam. Though the origins of the term “Black Betty” are widely debated, the song titled Black Betty dates back to 1933.
32. Mulberry
These berries have a deep, almost black, purple hue.
33. Bing
Again, fruit is always a great cat name inspiration. Bing cherries range from a delicious red to a shadowy burgundy color that’s almost black.
34. Soy Sauce
There’s a certain playful eccentricity to any cat name that involves two words, and the name Soy Sauce makes a deliciously fun splash.
35. Aurora
The aurora or northern lights are an incredible light show best viewed in the black night sky.
36. Luna
Luna is the name of an ancient Roman goddess who existed as the divine embodiment of the Earth’s moon, that cold-hearted orb best viewed when the sky is as black as your cat’s fur.
37. Nutella
This famous chocolate hazelnut spread isn’t black, but guess what? Some black cats also aren’t quite black. Black cats who spend a lot of time in the sun may gradually turn a ruddy brown as their coats lose pigment. This phenomenon is called “rusting”.
38. Black Jack
This name is perfect for card sharks and those who have already have an Orange Jack in the household.
39. Hodge
Hodge was the favorite black cat of the celebrated 19th-century man of letters, Samuel Johnson.
40. Basalt
This igneous rock has a dark grey to black color. If Basalt is too clunky to pronounce, try Basa, Salty, or Basil as nicknames.
41. Pluto
Pluto is the name of the cat in the Edgar Allan Poe short story “The Black Cat”.
42. Binx
In the 1993 Halloween cult classic Hocus Pocus, a young man named Thackery Binx is transformed into a black cat.
43. Bert
If you sometimes feel that your cat resembles a chimney sweep covered in soot, you might like this name – Bert was the chimney sweep in Mary Poppins.
44. Nyeusi
This is a Swahili word meaning “black”.
45. Jiji
In the Studio Ghibli fantasy Kiki’s Delivery Service, the protagonist’s companion is a black cat named Jiji.
46. Clover
This name is a nod to the black cat’s association with luck and fate in numerous cultures.
47. T’Challa
Also known as Black Panther, T’Challa is a Marvel comics superhero who serves as the king and protector of Wakanda, a fictional African nation.
48. Corvus
Corvus is the name of a genus of bird species that includes crows, ravens, rooks, and jackdaws.
49. Vincent
According to the legend, St. Vincent of Saragossa’s body was protected by ravens, birds that are usually as black as your cat’s fur. The name is also associated with Vincent Price, an actor well-known for his work in horror movies.
50. Osito
This Spanish word means “teddy bear” and is appropriate for the little black bear in your life.
50 More Names for Your Black Cat
- Midnight
- Blackie
- Shadow
- Obsidian
- Absinthe
- Onyx
- Raven
- Eclipse
- Ebony
- Cajun
- Sylvester
- Sooty
- Bear
- Sharpie
- Felix
- Gladstone
- Shuri
- Sable
- Gateau
- Lambert
- Grease
- Granite
- Jetset
- Thomas
- Beans
- Gotham
- Asphalt
- Godiva
- Coffee
- Hades
- Tarantula
- Java
- Cola
- Lovecraft
- Styxie
- Thestral
- Coraline
- Siyah
- Char
- Tarot
- Asher
- Neutron
- Quark
- Winona
- Drusy
- Kettle
- Jinx
- Indigo
- Achro
- Truffle