Tabby Cat Names: 90+ Best Name Ideas for Your New Feline Friend

Tabbies come in all colors and 5 distinct patterns, but they share one common trait – the M-shaped mark on their forehead. Every cat carries the tabby gene, but in solid-colored cats, it’s masked by other genes. Whether your cat is a brown tabby, gray tabby, or orange tabby, you’re sure to find the perfect tabby cat name below.

Female Tabby Cat Names

Do you have a little girl with tabby fur, big eyes and an even bigger personality? She needs a name that’s just as pretty as she is. Here are our top 15 tabby cat names for female cats.

• Auburn;
• Bee;
• Checkers;
• Dotty;
• Freckle;
• Harley;
• Hershey;
• Inky;
• Jelly;
• Mackerel;
• Marble;
• Quinn;
• Swirly;
• Tiggy;
• Zebra.

Do any of these names strike your fancy? We believe Bee, Swirly and Tiggy are exceptionally cute for a striped female tabby. Harley and Quinn, on the other hand, will work for a spunky tabby girl. If you want more ideas, keep reading!

Our Reader’s Story 🪶

I had been trying to decide on a name for my new tabby cat for days. I had a list of possibilities, but nothing seemed to fit. Then one day, I noticed something – my cat had stolen a piece of mackerel from the kitchen counter and was happily munching away! That’s when I knew I had found the perfect name for her – Mackerel.

Since then, Mackerel has been a part of our family. She loves to play with her toys and curl up in my lap for a nap. She also loves fish and will often beg for a piece from the kitchen counter. I can’t help but smile!

Male Tabby Cat Names

Is your tabby boy a mischief-maker, or a little more on the laid-back side? No matter his personality, we have the perfect tabby cat name for him.

• Badger;
• Bumblebee;
• Band;
• Charcoal;
• Chevron (a V-shaped line or stripe);
• Chipmunk;
• Gneiss (a type of rock with a banded structure);
• Jasper;
• Kudu (a species of antelope with vertical stripes);
• Leprechaun;
• Marker;
• Meerkat;
• Pinstripe (a pattern with very narrow stripes);
• Streak;
• Stripes;
• Tiger.

If you’re looking for a male tabby name that’s a little more unique, try Gneiss, Kudu or Marker. For a tabby with lots of personality, we recommend Bumblebee, Chipmunk or Leprechaun. And if you’re just looking for a simple, classic name for your tabby boy, Stripes and Tiger are always good options!

Names for Brown Tabby Cats

Brown tabby cats are some of the most common, and they come in a variety of shades – from light brown to almost black. If you have a brown tabby cat, here are some perfect names for him or her.

• Bear;
• Brindle;
• Cappuccino;
• Chestnut;
• Espresso;
• Fudge;
• Kahlua (a coffee-flavored liquor);
• Okapi (a giraffe-like animal with stripes);
• Teddy;
• Walnut.

As you can see, there are plenty of potential brown tabby cat names. If your tabby has a light brown coat, try Cappuccino, Brindle or Teddy. For a tabby with a darker brown coat, we recommend Espresso or Walnut.

Did You Know… 🔍

Brown tabbies are the most common cats in the world! It’s also believed that they bring good luck, so if your brown tabby is a lucky charm in your life, why not consider naming them Lucky or Clover? Even though they have a common coloring, each brown tabby is unique – just like their name should be!

Names for Orange Tabby Cats

Orange tabbies are also sometimes called ginger cats or marmalade cats. In fact, there are no solid-colored orange cats – all of them are tabbies! If you have an orange tabby, here are some perfect names for him or her.

• Apricot;
• Blaze;
• Butterscotch;
• Carrot;
• Creamsicle;
• Ginger;
• Marmalade;
• Nacho;
• Sherbet;
• Tango.

Does any of these orange tabby cat names sound like the perfect fit for your feline friend? We think Creamsicle, Marmalade and Sherbet are especially adorable for an orange tabby. If you’re looking for something more sophisticated, Blaze or Tango will do the trick.

Names for Gray (or Silver) Tabby Cats

Are you a lucky owner of a gray tabby cat? These cats are sometimes also called blue tabbies or silver tabbies. They’re some of the most common cat coats around, but that doesn’t mean they’re boring. Here are some names you can try on your gray tabby.

• Ash;
• Cinder;
• Dove;
• Granite;
• Grigio (Italian for gray);
• Lloyd (Welsh for gray-haired);
• Misty;
• Nebula;
• Silver;
• Stormy.

These are all beautiful gray tabby cat names. If your tabby has a lighter gray coat, we recommend Dove or Silver. For a tabby with a darker gray coat, you can try Ash, Cinder or Granite. And an energetic gray tabby would suit a name like Nebula or Stormy.

Famous Tabbies You Can Name Your Kitten After

If you’re struggling to find the perfect tabby cat name, why not try naming your kitten after a famous feline? Here are some of the most popular tabby cats in pop culture. One could say anything about them, but not that they’re boring!

• All Ball (the pet kitten of Koko the gorilla);
• Cheshire (Alice in Wonderland);
• Dixie (one of Abraham Lincoln’s pet cats);
• Freya (the pet cat of George Osborne);
• Garfield (Garfield);
• Heathcliff (Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats);
• Maru (a feline YouTube star);
• Milo (Milo and Otis);
• Nermal (Garfield);
• Thomasina (The Three Lives of Thomasina).

Do any of these tabby cats sound like the perfect namesake for your kitten? We think Freya, Maru and Thomasina are especially lovely names for a tabby cat. Of course, you won’t be the first person to name your tabby after Garfield or Heathcliff – but that only makes these names more iconic!

Tabby Cat Names Inspired by Striped Animals

If you’re looking for name ideas that are a little bit different, why not try naming your kitten after another striped animal? We already mentioned popular names like Tiger and Okapi, but there are plenty more to choose from. Here are some of our favorites.

• Aardwolf (a species of hyena);
• Bongo (a species of antelope);
• Chevrotain (also known as mouse-deer);
• Cinnabar (moth);
• Civet (an animal related to the mongoose);
• Coati (an animal related to the raccoon);
• Ferret;
• Hyena;
• Lemur;
• Nyala (another species of antelope).

Which of these tabby cat names is your favorite? We think Civet, Coati and Nyala are particularly lovely – but Ferret and Lemur would also make great names for a tabby kitten. And if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind name, then Chevrotain is the one to go for!

Tabby Cat Names Inspired by Striped Things

If you’re still struggling to find the perfect name for your new kitten, then try looking for inspiration in striped objects. From clothes to furnishings, there are plenty of things to inspire you. Here are some of our favorites.

• Awning;
• Bandana;
• Barcode;
• Candy Cane;
• Gingham (a cotton fabric with a checkered pattern);
• Ikat (an Indonesian fabric dyeing technique);
• Kilt;
• Serpentine;
• Tartan (the pattern of a Scottish kilt);
• Tie-Dye.

These tabby cat names are sure to make your kitten stand out from the crowd! We think Bandana and Ikat are especially adorable, but Tartan and Tie-Dye are also great names for a tabby cat. And if you’re looking for something truly unique, then try Serpentine.

Have You Found a Cute Name for Your Ticked or Mackerel Tabby?

Regardless of your tabby’s exact markings, we hope you’ve found some inspiration for tabby cat names in this article. Whether you’re looking for something traditional or unique, we’re sure you’ll find the perfect name for your feline friend.

Do you have any other ideas? Share them with us in the comments below!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Tabby Cat a Rare Cat?

No, tabby cats are not rare. In fact, tabby cats make up the majority of domestic cats in the world. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, making them some of the most interesting and unique cats out there!

Do All Tabbies Have an M?

Yes, all tabby cats have the M-shaped marking on their forehead. This is due to a gene that manifests in tabbies and causes the distinctive “M” pattern to appear on their face. This is a good reason to give your tabby a name that starts with M, like Mocha or Midnight!

What Does Tabby Stand For?

The word “tabby” used for cats comes from a fabric known as tabby – the striped silk taffeta. The English language borrowed the word from French tabis, which in turn originates from the Arabic al-‘Attābiyya, the name of the quarter of Baghdad where the fabric was produced. Taffeta sounds like a good cat name, now that I think about it!

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