Anime has quite a long history, but in the Western hemisphere, it got popularized only in the eighties. Its particular aesthetics, symbolic and references to Japanese culture stood out among the cartoons made by Warner Bros or Disney, attracting an increasingly wider audience. Today, anime is a broad category, covering children’s animations, teenage series, and feature films with captivating storytelling and graphics targeted at adult audiences. 

If you’re a fan of anime, choosing an anime cat name inspired by your favorite film or series will be a great idea. Most of them sound really kawaii! And if it was never really your thing, but you like Japanese cat names, you may still find our list inspiring.

Doraemon – the most famous anime cat

For many kids raised in the nineties, Doraemon was a beloved character. It’s a robot cat that came from the future. Doraemon is a fan of dorayaki cookies, but actually, he’s very fit! When running, he can actually reach a velocity of almost 130 km/h, unlike any other feline! Looking closely, you may notice that Doraemon doesn’t have ears. The rats have eaten them – and because of that, he doesn’t like them very much!

In the series, Doraemon becomes the best friend of Nobita Nobi – a little boy who struggles at school with bad marks and issues with other kids. The cat gets sent to the past from the future by one of Nobita’s descendants. He helps the boy with solving his issues. Doraemon impresses Nobita’s friends with his magical purse that contains basically everything they can imagine!

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Anime cats – name your kitten after them!

Aside from Doraemon, you may also name your cat after other, less known anime cats such as:

  • Blair (Soul Eater)
  • Luna and Artemis (Sailor Moon)
  • Chi (Chi’s Sweet Home)

If you’re searching for a name for your black cat, you may go for Jiji (Kiki’s delivery service) or Kuroneko (Trigun)

Sailor Moon characters – cat name ideas

The Sailor Moon used to be incredibly popular, particularly among young girls. It’s a flag example of a magical girl genre, but actually, it broke its main principle. Contrary to the previous series representing this genre, the Sailor girls use their powers to fight evil. 

If you’re looking for a name for the female kitten, Sailor Moon may serve you as an inspiration. The main characters in the series include:

  • Minako Aino (Sailor Venus, a dreamer that aims for a singer career)
  • Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon, main protagonist of the series, compassionate and loving girl)
  • Makoto Kino (Sailor Jupiter, strong and independent girl with down to earth dreams)
  • Ami Mizuno (Sailor Mercury – quiet, intelligent, and shy)

Studio Ghibli anime characters – cat name ideas

When speaking about anime, we have to mention Studio Ghibli. This legendary production company, led by Hayao Miyazaki, has popularized Japanese animation all over the world. Studio Ghibli’s films stand out with their unique, polished aesthetics. But their narrative side is also refined to the smallest detail. Even though they draw a lot from Japanese history and symbolic, they’re actually quite universal, underlining such values as friendship and trust.

You’re not sure where to start? Here are the examples of the famous Studio Ghibli’s animations together with the description of the characters.

Spirited Away:

  • Chihiro – the main protagonist, a brave girl trying to save her parents by entering the alternative universe of gods and spirits
  • Haku – a friend of Chihiro that helps her navigate through the mysterious land
  • Kaonashi – a silent gloomy spirit that follows Chihiro like a shadow
  • Yubaba – the main antagonist, a mean and bossy woman
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Princess Mononoke:

  • San – a brave princess, raised by the wolves. She protects the territory of the forest against the destructive plans of the kingdom;
  • Ashitaka – the last prince of the Emishi tribe that gets saved by San and starts helping her with her fight.

Aside from these two most famous Studio Ghibli’s animations, there are others that didn’t achieve such a big success in the West but remain iconic. They featured characters like:

  • Totoro – a friendly, big forest spirit that befriends a little girl visiting their grandparents in the countryside
  • Ponyo – a little fish that dreams to become a human

As you may notice, a friendship between children and otherworldly creatures or animals is quite a common motive in Miyazaki’s films. That’s a great reason to get inspired by them when choosing a name for your kitty.

Pokemon inspired cat names

There are numerous Pokemons, but the most memorable ones come from the first season. You may remember some of them from your childhood! Maybe you name your cat after one of these?

  • Picachu
  • Mewtwo
  • Snorlax
  • Blastoise
  • Gyarados
  • Bulbasaur
  • Squirtle
  • Charizard
  • Dragonite
  • Charmander

Dragon Ball cat names

Dragon Ball series started as a manga published in Japan in the eighties and nineties. Soon, it was adapted into anime. The main protagonist of the series – Son Goku – starts a journey to find all the seven Dragon Balls. According to the legend, once he gets them all, the dragon will appear and make his wish come true. With his friends, he faces different challenges while chasing his goal.

Whether you’re searching for a Japanese name or more westernized one, Dragon Ball is a great source of inspiration:

  • Son Goku
  • Vegeta
  • Son Gohan
  • Frizer
  • Cell
  • Trunks
  • Zamasu
  • Chichi
  • Jiren
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Bey Blade cat names

Do you remember the spinning toys the kids would play with, organizing battles? Bey Blade is another iconic series that followed the success of Pokemon. It popularized the bey blades as toys. However, it was also a series with many well-written characters. Let’s check if you recall any of those:

  • Tyson
  • Ray Kon
  • Aiger Akabane
  • Shu Kurenai
  • Valt Aoi
  • Fubuki Sumiye
  • Wakiya Murasaki
  • Daichi Sumeragi

Saint Seya cat names

Saint Seya stands out among other anime with its unique narrative that draws from Greek and Nordic mythology. It focuses on the adventures of Zodiac warriors. Their names will be perfect for your male cat:

  • Seiya
  • Shiryu
  • Ikki
  • Hyoga
  • Shun
  • Saga
  • Mu

Naruto-inspired cat names

And last but not least – the legendary Naruto. The series can compete with Dragon Ball when it comes to popularity. It’s based on the mythological stories in which the spirit world blends with the real one.

  • Naruto
  • Jiraiya
  • Sasuke
  • Kakashi
  • Itachi
  • Sakura
  • Hinata
  • Obito 
  • Minato
  • Tsunade

Summing up

Anime is a great source of beautiful names for cats inspired by complex characters. If you haven’t found your match among the suggestions, how about rewatching your favorite series? You’ll end up inspired for sure!


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