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Naming a pet is a deeply personal experience and reflects both the owner’s taste and the cat’s individual personality. Whether you have an exotic breed or your cat just thinks it’s a wild jungle beast, here are our picks for the best 109 exotic and wild cat names for your fierce feline.

Exotic Cat Names Inspired by Africa

Africa is home to some of the most famous big cat species, including the lion, leopard, and cheetah. Several unique names are inspired by African words or mythology, channeling a bit of the wild cats native to the continent.

• Adroa: Sky god and supreme creator of the Lugbara people
• Anansi: Trickster spider in West African lure
• Annipe: Daughter of the Nile in Egypt
• Anubis: Egyptian god of the afterlife
• Azizi: Swahili word for “precious treasure”
• Bumba: Creator god of the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Kaang: Creator god of the San people
• Lencho: Spirit of the lion in Ethiopian
• Mami Wata: Water deity in Nigerian folklore
• Siri: Tiger in Nigerian
• Takhar: Demi-god and protector in the Serer religion in Senegal
• Uma: Second daughter in Nigerian

Exotic Cat Names Inspired by Europe

From Greco-Roman mythology to beautiful names in Latin or Slavic languages, European heritage is a treasure trove of exotic and wild cat names.

• Aengus: God of youth and love in Celtic mythology
• Amara: Italian word for “everlasting”
• Ambrossio: Divine in Spanish
• Amorita: Latin word for “little loved”
• Apollo: Olympian god of sun and light in Greco-Roman mythology
• Aries: Greek god of war and the spirit of battle
• Badb: Goddess of enlightenment and wisdom in Celtic mythology
• Baldr: God of light and radiance in Norse mythology; son of Odin and Frigg
• Bragi: Wise bard of Valhalla in Norse mythology; god of poetry and music
• Brigid: Celtic goddess of poetry, healing, and fire
• Cailleach: Hag of Beara in Celtic mythology
• Ceres: Goddess of the harvest and agriculture in Roman mythology
• Cernunnos: Horned god of nature, grain, and horned animals in Celtic mythology
• Cu Chulainn: Hero of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology
• Dagda: Leader of the mighty gods in Celtic mythology
• Danu: Divine mother in Celtic mythology
• Demetria: Goddess of harvest in Greek mythology
• Diana: Goddess of the hunt in Roman mythology
• Dionysus: Greco-Roman god of wine and ecstasy
• Eros: Greek god of love
• Forseti: God of justice and law in Norse mythology
• Frigg: Goddess of marriage and motherhood in Norse mythology; Odin’s wife
• Hades: Greek god of the underworld
• Hans: German for “gift from God”
• Heimdallr: Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge in Norse mythology
• Hel: Goddess of the underworld in Norse mythology
• Hephaestus: Greek god of fire
• Hera: Greek goddess of women, marriage, and family
• Hermes: Greek messenger of the gods
• Hermod: Messenger of the gods in Norse mythology
• Höðr: God of darkness in Norse mythology; son of Odin and Frigg
• Iðunn: Goddess of youth in Norse mythology
• Juno: Queens of all deities in Roman mythology
• Jupiter: King of the gods and god of the sky, lightning, and thunder in Roman mythology
• Lilja: Finnish word for “lily”
• Loki: God of trickery and mischief in Norse mythology
• Lugh: Sun god of crafts and arts in Celtic mythology
• Mars: God of war in Roman mythology
• Mercury: God of trade, profit, travel, trickery, and communication in Roman mythology
• Minerva: Goddess of thousands of works (wisdom, poetry, crafts) in Roman mythology
• Morrigan: Queen of the demons in Celtic mythology
• Neptune: God of the sea in Roman mythology
• Njord: God of the wind and seafarers in Norse mythology
• Odin: Father of all gods in Norse mythology
• Poseidon: Greek god of the sea
• Svetlana: Slavic name meaning “little shiny star” or “light”
• Thor: God of thunder in Norse mythology
• Týr: God of war in Norse mythology
• Ullr: God of winter and the hunt in Norse mythology
• Venus: Goddess of love and desire in Roman mythology
• Vesta: Goddess of hearth and home in Roman mythology
• Vulcan: God of fire in Roman mythology
• Zeus: God of the sky and father of all gods in Greek mythology

Exotic Cat Names Inspired by Indigenous Mythology

Though you may need to learn how to pronounce them, the indigenous groups of the Americas and the Pacific Islands lend some unique and exotic names for your cat.

• Ao: Personification of light in Māori mythology
• Buluc Chabtan: Maya god of war and death
• Chalchiuhtlicue: Aztec goddess of running water and all elements
• Coatlicue: Mother of gods and mortals in Aztec mythology
• Haere: Personification of the rainbow in Māori mythology
• Huitzilopochtli: Father of the Aztecs and supreme god
• Ikatere: Fish god in Māori mythology
• Illapa: God of climate in Incan mythology
• Inti: Sun god of Incan mythology
• Itzamná: God of the sky and founder of Maya culture
• Ix Chel: Maya moon goddess
• Kahukura: War god in Māori mythology
• Kamapua’a: God of wild boars in Hawaiian mythology
• Kane: God of forests and wild food in Hawaiian mythology
• Kiwa: Divine guardian of the ocean in Māori mythology
• Ku: God of war in Hawaiian mythology
• Kukulcán: Feathered serpent deity in Maya mythology
• Laka: Goddess of beauty and love in Hawaiian mythology
• Lilinoe: Goddess of mist in Hawaiian mythology
• Lono: God of peace, music, and learning in Hawaiian mythology
• Mama Coca: Goddess of health and happiness in Incan mythology
• Mama Quilla: Goddess of the moon in Incan mythology
• Mama Sara: Goddess of corn and food in Incan mythology
• Maru: God of freshwater in Māori mythology
• Na-maka-o-Kaha’i: Goddess of water and the sea in Hawaiian mythology
• Pacha Mama: God of sustenance and nature in Incan mythology
• Pele: Goddess of fire and volcanoes in Hawaiian mythology
• Poli’ahu: Goddess of snow in Hawaiian mythology
• Quetzalcoatl: God of wins and rain, self-reflection, and intelligence in Aztec mythology
• Ranginui: Primordial sky father in Māori mythology
• Rehua: Star god with the power of healing in Māori mythology
• Rongo: God of crops and peace in Māori mythology
• Rongomātāne: God of cultivated foods in Māori mythology
• Tangaroa: God of the ocean and aquatic creatures in Māori mythology
• Te Uira: Personification of lightning in Māori mythology
• Tezcatlipoca: God of nocturnal sky and ancestral memory in Aztec mythology
• Tlaloc: God of rain in Aztec mythology
• Tonatiuh: Sun god in Aztec mythology
• Uenuku: God of war and the rainbow in Māori mythology
• Urutengangana: God of the light in Māori mythology
• Viracocha: Creator god of Incan mythology
• Whiro: Lord of darkness and evil in Māori mythology
• Xipe Totec: Aztec god of agriculture

Get Inspiration for a Name as Exotic and Unique as Your Cat

Names like “Fluffy” and “Mittens” won’t cut it when you have an exotic cat breed—or a unique cat that defies tradition. Let these exotic names derived from a foreign language and an enduring myth inspire you to come up with a truly one-of-a-kind name for your special companion.

Featured Image Credit: Amerigo_images, Shutterstock

Written by

Nicole Cosgrove

Lead Pet Expert & Pet-ditor in Chief

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