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Catgirl Names: 100 Names With Real Meanings (Japanese and Beyond)
By Metavulgar · updated 2026-11-12 · 6 min read
Catgirl names are the names given to a nekomusume or a nekomimi character: a woman with cat ears, a tail and a cat's temperament. The look comes from Japanese anime and manga, where the cat-eared character belongs to a wider family called kemonomimi, "beast ears". The best names have a sound that suits the character and a meaning you can check. Many lists online invent meanings, so this one tells you where every name comes from. All names below are for adult characters.
Terms to know
- Neko (猫): "cat" in Japanese.
- Nekomimi (猫耳): "cat ears". A character with cat ears is said to have nekomimi.
- Nekomusume (猫娘): "cat girl" or "cat woman".
- Kemonomimi (獣耳): "beast ears", the umbrella term for characters with beast ears.
- Bakeneko and nekomata: yokai cats with strange powers. See nekomata names.
A catgirl in this genre is a fantasy being, a humanoid woman with feline traits. The names below are for characters, not for real cats.
Japanese word names
These are everyday Japanese words that work as names. The meanings are standard dictionary meanings.
- Sakura (桜): "cherry blossom".
- Yuki (雪): "snow". A white catgirl's obvious name.
- Mikan (みかん): "mandarin orange", warm and bright.
- Mochi (餅): "rice cake", for a soft and round personality.
- Kuro (黒): "black".
- Yami (闇): "darkness".
- Shiro (白): "white".
- Tsuki (月): "moon".
- Hoshi (星): "star".
- Hana (花): "flower".
- Momo (桃): "peach".
- Ume (梅): "plum".
- Suzu (鈴): "bell". Nearly perfect for a character with a bell on her collar.
- Kira: "sparkle, glitter".
- Aoi (葵): "hollyhock", also "blue-green" in older usage.
- Kaede (楓): "maple".
- Natsume (棗): "jujube".
- Akane (茜): "madder red", a deep red.
- Miko (巫女): "shrine maiden".
- Haru (春): "spring".
- Ran (蘭): "orchid".
- Nagi (凪): "calm sea".
- Rin (凛): "dignified, cold".
- Yoru (夜): "night".
- Koharu (小春): "little spring", used for the mild days of early winter.
Pick by colour of fur, mood, or season. A grey catgirl who sleeps through winter could be Haru, to make the joke work backwards.
Cat deities and folklore names
- Bastet: Egyptian goddess of home, protection and cats, shown as a cat or a cat-headed woman. Treat her as a goddess, not a generic name.
- Sekhmet: Egyptian lioness goddess of war and healing.
- Mafdet: an early Egyptian feline goddess of justice.
- Pakhet: a lioness goddess whose name is often read "she who tears".
- Cait Sìth: a Scottish fairy cat of the Highlands, black with a white spot on the chest.
- Freyja: the Norse goddess whose chariot is drawn by two cats.
- Cheshire: from Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat, a grin without a face.
- Bagheera: from Kipling's Jungle Book, a black panther.
- Cát: Vietnamese and Chinese "cat" words appear in names in many forms.
- Mau: an ancient Egyptian word for "cat", imitating the sound.
- Miu: another Egyptian form of the same word.
- Neith: Egyptian goddess of weaving and war, sometimes depicted with a feline.
Latin, Greek and Western names
- Felicia: Latin, "happy, lucky" (from felix). Also echoes feles, "cat".
- Felina: Latin felinus, "cat-like".
- Leona: "lioness".
- Pantera: from Greek panther, "all-beast".
- Cleo: short for Cleopatra, "glory of her father".
- Tabitha: Aramaic, "gazelle", a classic name with a feline sound.
- Calista: Greek, "most beautiful".
- Selene: Greek, "moon".
- Phoebe: Greek, "bright".
- Luna: Latin, "moon".
- Aurelia: Latin, "golden".
- Sable: black, from the fur and heraldic colour.
- Marlowe, Sienna, Amber: colour names that suit tabby or ginger catgirls.
- Nyx: Greek, "night".
- Isis, Nefer: Egyptian-flavoured, for a desert-born catgirl.
Names by personality
The playful
Mochi, Mikan, Momo, Suzu, Kira, Felicia. Names that bounce.
The aloof
Kuro, Rin, Nagi, Cleo, Sekhmet, Calista. Names that look away.
The sleepy
Haru, Yuki, Luna, Hana, Ume. Soft vowels, slow speech.
The dangerous
Yami, Pakhet, Pantera, Nyx, Akane. Hard consonants, narrow eyes.
The shrine cat
Miko, Tsuki, Aoi, Kaede, Natsume. A cat at a quiet place, watching the door.
Invented catgirl names
These are made up from the same roots and are not attested names.
- Nekora: neko plus a soft ending.
- Suzume-Rei: a bell plus "spirit".
- Mirabel Whisker-Vey: a gothic cat noble.
- Felisha: Felicia with a purr.
- Tamaki-Ro: a made-up two-part name in a Japanese style.
- Chirune: from the sound chiri, a tinkle of bells.
- Kitsuna: a fox-cat blend; do not use if you mean a fox.
- Pelora: from Latin pellis, "skin, fur".
- Mewina: playful and obviously invented.
- Sorrel Ashpaw: a tabby in a fantasy village.
- Velvet Nightstep: for a thief.
- Dusk Mirren: a cat at the edge of evening.
- Aurea Clawson: an aristocratic catgirl.
- Miyuki-Nyan: Miyuki is a real Japanese name, "deep snow"; "nyan" is the Japanese cat sound.
- Shimaneko: "island cat", from Japanese.
How to choose a catgirl name
- Choose your source. Japanese word, deity or invented name. The source decides the tone.
- Match the fur. Black, white, orange, grey and spotted all have natural names.
- Check the meaning. If a list does not say where a meaning comes from, do not trust it.
- Say it out loud. A catgirl name is often short; a good one lets you purr the vowel.
- Do not mix cultures without saying so. A Japanese first name and an Egyptian title can work if the story knows it.
- Keep her an adult. A cat-eared woman is a grown character, whatever her playfulness.
Name pairs and titles
A single name is often not enough for a character. A few patterns:
- Name plus colour: Kuro the Midnight, Shiro of the Snow Steps. The colour words from the Japanese list work directly.
- Name plus role: Suzu the Bell-Keeper, Miko of the Lantern Gate. A catgirl with a duty is more than a pet.
- Name plus family: Akane Nekoyama uses neko as the root of a surname. Japanese surnames are two parts, so Neko- plus a place word (-yama mountain, -gawa river, -mori forest) reads naturally.
- Western-style double names: Calista Ashpaw, Sorrel Moonwhisker. These suit a fantasy setting rather than a Japanese one.
- Nickname pairs: a formal name and a pet name, such as Tsukiko, built on "moon" with the common feminine ending -ko, shortened to Tsuki. Many Japanese women's names end in -ko, -mi or -ka, so adding one to a word from the list gives you a believable full name in seconds: Suzuka, Hanako, Momoka, Yukimi.
Cat-colour and coat names
Cat coats give an easy vocabulary for a catgirl's hair and tail:
- Calico (white, orange, black): Mikan, Sumire ("violet"), Hanabi ("fireworks").
- Tabby (striped): Torako ("tiger"), Tora, Kitsune-iro ("fox-coloured").
- Black: Kuro, Yami, Nyx, Sable, Raven.
- White: Shiro, Yuki, Luna, Blanche, Snow.
- Orange or ginger: Mikan, Momiji ("autumn maple"), Amber, Marmalade.
- Grey and blue: Haiiro ("ash grey"), Sora ("sky"), Misty, Smoke.
- Siamese-style points: Kokoa ("cocoa"), Mocha, Chai.
- Spotted: Hoshi ("star"), Mame ("bean"), Dot.
Mistakes to skip
- Using a name list that never says where meanings come from. Check any Japanese name against a dictionary.
- Giving a catgirl a kanji you cannot read. If you do not know it, use hiragana or romaji.
- Mixing a deity name casually. Bastet and Sekhmet are real religious figures. Fine for a story, but use them knowingly.
- Confusing catgirl and kitsune. A fox spirit is a different creature; see catgirl vs foxgirl.
- Forgetting she is an adult. Name and voice should read as a grown woman.
What a catgirl is in audio
In audio a catgirl is playful, affectionate, a little mercurial, and she sounds close. She is a lighter figure than most of the creatures I voice, so her names are lighter too. If you are exploring the monster side of the genre, the monster girl bestiary collects creatures by type, and the closest relatives to the catgirl in sound are the kitsune shrine sessions and the harpy's cliffside aerie, where the voice is warm and a little proud. For more lists see monster girl names, kitsune names and the catgirl vs foxgirl comparison. Start with Start Here if this is your first night.
Frequently asked questions
What are good catgirl names?
Japanese word names like Sakura, Yuki, Mikan, Mochi, Suzu and Kuro are popular, as are goddess names like Bastet and Sekhmet, and Latin names like Felicia and Leona. Pick by fur colour and personality.
What does nekomimi mean?
Nekomimi means "cat ears" in Japanese. A character with cat ears is said to have nekomimi. It is a subtype of kemonomimi, "beast ears", the term for characters with beast ears.
What are Japanese names that fit a catgirl?
Sakura (cherry blossom), Yuki (snow), Mikan (mandarin orange), Mochi (rice cake), Suzu (bell), Tsuki (moon), Hoshi (star), Kuro (black) and Yami (darkness) are ordinary Japanese words that make good names.
What is the Egyptian cat goddess?
Bastet is the Egyptian goddess of home, protection and cats, shown as a cat or a cat-headed woman. Sekhmet is the lioness goddess of war and healing. Both are real deities, so use them with respect.
Are catgirl names always Japanese?
No. The look comes from Japanese anime, but names come from many sources: Latin (Felicia), Greek (Selene), Egyptian deities and invented fantasy names. State the source if you share a character.
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