Our cats’ names tell the world how we feel about them in more ways than one. It’s the feeling you get as you call them over for a cuddle, or the happy purrs they give as you call their name. The names we choose for our cats often reflect the things that matter most to us.
Whether they showcase our passions and interests or reflect what’s happening in the world around us, 2022 saw a lot of new cats, and a lot of new cat names.
To better understand the meaning behind these names and what they can tell us about the people, places, and stories that defined the past year, we took a deep dive into our database of over a million pet parents on Rover to reveal the most popular cat names of 2022.
We uncovered everything from tried and true cat names to which names topped the charts, as well as some truly unique names we just can’t get out of our heads. Let’s dig in!
The Top Trending Cat Names of 2022
Trending cat names:
- Hella
- Yoongi
- Crescent
- Finnian
- Haiku
- Hocus Pocus
New to the list this year:
- Dusty Cuddles
- Beano
- Wedgie
- Armageddon
- Cinderblock
- El Fuego
Tastes May Change But One Thing Stays the Same — Food-Inspired Names Are Here To Stay
The top 10 trending food-inspired cat names are:
- Roll (up 182%)
- Green Bean (up 162%)
- Casserole (up 102%)
- S’More (up 102%)
- Tamale (up 102%)
- Morel (up 82%)
- Parsley (up 72%)
- Gravy (up 51%)
- Chili (up 49%)
- Sourdough (up 49%)
Chew On This: These Food-Themed Names Sound Pretty Tasty
The name Sashimi is increasingly popular for both cats and dogs in the US. Meet one of the many Sashimis on Rover:
Funniest cat names often reflect people’s interests, and that includes their favorite foods. For the first time ever, we saw these food-themed names on our list:
- Meaty
- Baked Beans
- Bacon Bits
- Baklava
- Clam Chowder
- Focaccia
- Frittata
- Funnel Cake
- Ham Sandwich
Alcoholic Beverages Inspired Many Trending Cat Names this Year
- Gimlet (up 162%)
- Chardonnay (up 82%)
- Vino (up 43%)
- Scotch (up 32%)
- White Claw (up 32%)
- Espresso (up 22%)
While cats named White Claw are trending up by 32% this year, cats named Truly are trending down 9%. Shout out to 2022 for putting the cat name Beer on the map.
Caffeinated Beverages Provided a Boost in Cat Names
- Tazo (up 132%)
- Pop (up 125%)
- Cappuccino (up 82%)
- Lipton (up 82%)
- Matcha (up 46%)
- Cola (up 35%)
- Soda (up 26%)
- Latte (up 16%)
2022 put the cat names Yerba, Cafe and Red Bull on the map.
Much like favorite foods, colors can be a source of name inspiration. Don’t forget to check out our insights on gray cat names and calico cat names.
Music-Inspired Names Continue to Top the Charts
Eilish (182%), Cardi (82%), Ciara (57%), Donna (20%), Billie (13%), and James (8%) are all trending up this year as cat names.
Among the top trending celebrity-inspired cat names are Doja Cat (315%), Eilish (182%), Miley Cyrus (182%), Adele (120%), and Cardi (82%).
New music cat names in 2022:
- Iggy Pop
- Puff Daddy
- Princess Fiona
- Willow
- Art Garfunkel
- Biggy Small
- Bing Crosby
- Frank Zappa
TV Content Is King For Pet Names This Year
Before we get into it, here are a few 2022 highlights in the TV cat names category:
- Inspired by the late Jeopardy host, the name Alex Trebec appeared on the list for cats in 2022.
- Boy Meets World’s Mr. Feeny was new to the list for cats.
- Game of Thrones may be over, but the name George R.R. Meowtin was new to the list for cats in 2022.
- Seinfeld lives on with the name George Costanza new to the list for cat names in 2022.
- Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power inspired the name Gandalf the Gray.
Cat parents are upside down for these Stranger Things-inspired names
These Stranger Things-inspired cat names are trending up:
- El (up 182%)
- Hopper (up 58%)
- Mike (up 50%)
- Joyce (up 32%)
- Eleven (up 30%)
- Billy (up 26%)
- Jonathan (up 15%)
- Eddie (up 6%)
- Nancy (up 5%)
- Lucas (up 4%)
- Victor (up 3%)
The name Vecna appeared on the list for the first time in 2022.
Meet one of the Vecnas
This Is the Way to Mandalorian-Inspired Cat Names
- The Mandalorian continues to be a huge inspiration for dog names in 2022, but is it as big for cats? Almost. The cat names Baby Yoda, Fennec, and Fett are trending up 582%, 125% and 82% respectively.
- Cara, Grogu, Yoda, and Jabba are all trending down.
- The cat names Migs, Peli, and Rancor are new to the list this year.
Cowboy not required, we’ve rounded up Yellowstone-inspired names for you
The top trending Yellowstone-inspired cat names include:
- Dutton (682%)
- Rip (64%)
- John (61%)
- Monica (52%)
The real cats of Rover love Real Housewives-inspired names
Atlanta: Kandi (132%) is the #1 trending cat name inspired by the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Not to play favorites, but Kim (32%), Cynthia (32%), Claudia (18%), and Marlo (6%) were trending up too.
Beverly Hills: The top trending Real Housewives of Beverly Hills-inspired cat names are Erika (182%), Denise (149%), Yolanda (82%), Camille (66%), Crystal (53%), and Brandi (36%). Sutton, Adrienne and Teddi are trending down 8%, 18%, and 75% respectively.
New Jersey: Cat owners have picked a side, and they would have been invited to Teresa’s wedding. The top trending Real Housewives of New Jersey-inspired cat names are Teresa (482%) and Dolores (46%). Jackie, Margaret and Melissa are trending down 2%, 13%, and 18% respectively.
New York: Cat owners are not feeling Giovanni. There are no cats named Luann and the cat name Countess is trending down 68%.
Potomac: Among the Real Housewives of Potomac-inspired cat names, Gizelle (82%), Ashley (30%), and Wendy (15%) are trending up. Robyn, Juan and Monique are all trending down.
Hey Kitty Girl: here are the top RuPaul’s Drag Race-influenced cat names
The top trending RuPaul’s Drag Race-inspired cat names are Vivienne (132%), Jaida (82%), Ross (47%), Bosco (35%), Jinx (30%), and Monet (8%). Raja, Bob, Ru, Bianca, and Katya are all trending down.
Shout out to 2022 for putting the cat name Aquaria on the map.
Dearest gentle readers, here are this year’s Bridgerton-inspired names for cats
Viscount Anthony Bridgerton’s influence knows no bounds. The name Anthony was trending up 34% for cats. Duke, Duchess, and Daphne were trending down.
Tech is Still an Inspiration for Cat Names
Technology is a cornerstone of our lives, and these cool cat names are no exception: There are more cats named Chip, Apple, and Pixel than any other tech-related cat names in our database. The name Sim is also up 182%, along with Data (up 112%), Zoom (up 71%), Cortana (up 52%), and Sony (up 49%).
Two additional contenders: Elizabeth and Holmes are up 45% and 25% respectively.
No One Is Yelling “Cut” on These Movie-Inspired Cat Names
Top Marvel-inspired names for your viewing pleasure:
- Micro (up 982%)
- Zemo (up 149%)
- Gilmore (up 82%)
- Coulson (up 82%)
- Viper (up 60%)
- Mystique (up 50%)
- Thanos (up 43%)
- Peter Parker (up 39%)
- Spidey (up 35%)
- Bucky (up 17%)
Cat parents “draw” inspiration from Disney and Pixar:
- Mirabel (up 932%)
- Luisa (up 249%)
- Zurg (up 182%)
- Tigrou (up 82%)
- Bruno (up 79%)
- Priya (up 62%)
- Dolores (up 46%)
- Maurice (up 45%)
- Camilo (up 39%)
- Pongo (up 29%)
Five of the top 10 trending Disney-Pixar-inspired names come from Encanto this year: Mirabel, Luisa, Bruno, Dolores, and Camilo are all trending up for cats.
Accio Harry Potter-inspired cat names!
- Bellatrix (up 182%)
- Hermione (up 57%)
- Weasley (up 13%)
- Snape (up 13%)
- Lupin (up 12%)
The love for movie-inspired cat names is always trending, but cartoon loyalists may also be more interested in anime cat names.
Finance-Inspired Cat Names You Can Bet On
The stock market was clearly an inspiration for cats this year, with Money (182%), Bank (82%), and Bull (82%) trending up.
Honoring the Beloved Celebrities We’ve Lost
The top trending cat names inspired by the beloved celebrities who passed away in 2022 include: Judd (319%), Betty (47%), Russell (32%), and Meatloaf (16%).
Extra Points for These Football-Inspired Cat Names
Kansas City’s professional football star Patrick Mahomes inspired cat names this year. For the first time, we saw cats lovingly named Catrick Meowhomes in 2022.
Named after former American football icon Mike Ditka, there are officially cats named Ditka this year.
Unlike Dog Names, The Name Covid Is Still Trending For Cats
The dog name Covid is trending down in 2022, but as a cat name, Covid is still trending up 62%, alongside Dr. Fauci at 82%.
Destination-Inspired Cat Names Go Global
From cities in the US to countries across the world, pet parents take inspiration from places they’ve visited or aspire to travel to.
The top 10 trending destination-inspired cat names are:
- Brazil
- Osaka
- Miami
- Beijing
- Toronto
- Bali
- Bombay
- Paris
- Berlin
- Tokyo
Trends In Cute Cat Names This Year
Are cutesy cat names out? The cat names Sparkle (90%), Bunny (23%), Bird (20%) and Fluffy (6%) are trending up, but Boo, Baby and Princess are trending down 7%, 7%, and 11%, respectively.
Politics-Themed Names Cover Both Parties
We always say that pet names reflect the things people are passionate about, and these cat names are no different. The cat names Trump (382%), Donald Trump (82%), Donald (45%), Warren (25%), Alexandria (7%) and Nancy (5%) are all trending this year. Joe, Mitch, Bernie, and Kamala are all trending down.
Cat Parents Are Feeling the Ongoing Decriminalization of Cannabis
Ganja (up 107%) is the #1 trending cannabis-inspired name for cats. Cats named Doobie, Rasta, and Hash were all trending down in 2022.
New cannabis-inspired cat names added to the list in 2022 include: Kandy, Dank, Canna, Reefer, Chief Keef, Stonie and Stashy.
We’re Not Playing. These Video Game-Inspired Names Are Boss
From classics to recent hits, video games continue to shape cat name trends across the US. Here are some of the highlights.
The top trending video game cat names are:
- Bowser (up 35%)
- Sable (up 27%)
- Kirby (up 26%)
- Tommy (up 23%)
- Brewster (up 18%)
The most popular video game cat names, ranked:
- Daisy
- Zelda
- Tommy
- Tom
- Yoshi
- Link
- Harvey
- Kirby
- Timmy
- Mario
Following rumors and speculation of a Grand Theft Auto VI release, the name Tommy was trending up 23% for cats. The most popular Grand Theft Auto-inspired cat names are Franklin, Steve, and Jimmy.
The 2022 release of Elden Ring put the name Elden on the map for cats.
More On Cats
The Top Pet Names 2022 report was developed by Rover between September and October 2022. Results are based on analysis of millions of user-submitted pet names provided by pet parents on Rover.com. This report is not endorsed or sponsored by any of the brands, celebrities and businesses mentioned within.
