Home / Japanese Cat Names with Meanings (Male and Female)
Japanese Cat Names with Meanings (Male and Female)
Japanese cat names are playful and often come from food, color or nature. Mochi (rice cake), Kuro (black) and Tora (tiger) are classics, and one famous cat, Tama, became the honorary stationmaster of Kishi Station in Wakayama. Every name below includes its meaning, and the filter shows which suit male or female cats.
How to choose a cat name
Pick a name of two or three syllables, say it aloud, and watch how your cat reacts. Cats tend to respond to high, soft sounds, so names ending in -i or -o, such as Momo, Kuro and Mochi, work well. If you have a pair, choose names that sound different.
Names by coat color
Black: Kuro. White: Shiro. Orange or golden: Kinako or Mikan. Tabby: Tora. Calico: Mike or Tama. Gray: Hai (ash), Nezumi (mouse) or Goma (sesame).
Names
| Name | Kana | Meaning | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mochi | ใใก | rice cake | Any |
| Kuro | ใใ | black | Any |
| Shiro | ใใ | white | Any |
| Tora | ใจใ | tiger | Male |
| Mike | ใฟใ | calico (ไธๆฏ), a cat with three colors, nearly always female | Female |
| Tama | ใใพ | ball or jewel, a classic cat name | Any |
| Kinako | ใใชใ | roasted soybean flour | Female |
| Azuki | ใใใ | sweet red bean | Any |
| Daifuku | ใ ใใตใ | rice cake filled with bean paste | Any |
| Anko | ใใใ | sweet bean paste | Any |
| Goma | ใใพ | sesame | Any |
| Nori | ใฎใ | seaweed | Any |
| Miso | ใฟใ | fermented soybean paste | Any |
| Mame | ใพใ | bean, for a small cat | Any |
| Mikan | ใฟใใ | mandarin orange | Female |
| Yuzu | ใใ | citron | Female |
| Matcha | ใพใฃใกใ | powdered green tea | Any |
| Chibi | ใกใณ | tiny one | Any |
| Maru | ใพใ | round | Any |
| Sora | ใใ | sky | Any |
| Momo | ใใ | peach | Female |
| Hana | ใฏใช | flower | Female |
| Suzu | ใใ | bell | Female |
| Sakura | ใใใ | cherry blossom | Female |
| Kotetsu | ใใฆใค | a famous sword name, ่ๅพน, meaning tiger iron | Male |
| Ryu | ใใ ใ | dragon | Male |
| Taro | ใใใ | a classic boy's name, big son | Male |
| Ren | ใใ | lotus | Male |
| Kaito | ใใใจ | sea and the Big Dipper | Male |
| Hiro | ใฒใ | broad or generous | Male |
Questions
What are good Japanese names for male cats?
Tora (tiger), Kuro (black), Kotetsu (a famous sword name), Ryu (dragon) and Taro (a classic boy's name) are popular.
What are good Japanese names for female cats?
Mike (calico), Kinako, Momo, Hana, Suzu, Yuzu and Sakura suit female cats well.
Why are many Japanese cat names food names?
A soft, round cat resembles a rice cake or a bean, so names like Mochi and Azuki are both a joke and a compliment.
Related pages
More: girl names ยท boy names ยท unisex names ยท names by meaning