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The 100 Most Popular Male and Female Cat Names of 2020
Which names will be crowned top dog this year? The results are in for 2020’s most popular cat names in the US. If you’ve ever named a cat, you know how important it is to find the perfect name—one that matches their unique personality and maybe says a little about you, too.
Much like human baby names and dog names, cat name trends rise and fall each year. They also shine a light on the things that matter most to us. The names we choose for our pets are often a direct reflection of our passions and preoccupations. And they tell a story about the people, places, and stories that defined our year.
That’s why every year at Rover, we take a look at our database of over a million pets to uncover cat name trends and discover what people are naming their cats—and what stories those names can tell us about the state of American pet parenthood.
Our community's cat names can confirm: We've never experienced a year quite like 2020. It's a year when pet adoption rates soared and many people spent more time at home than ever snuggled up with their pets. From old favorites topping the male and female cat name charts to the unique monikers folks are giving to their kitties, some of the names pet parents have chosen for their furry family members this year are as surprising as 2020 itself.
Luna ranked number one as 2020’s top female cat name, followed by Bella, Lucy, Kitty, and Lily. New to the top five, Luna and Lucy are gaining in popularity compared to last year.
Top 5 Male Cat Names
The number one most popular male cat name in 2020 is: Oliver! Leo came in second place, Milo in third, Charlie in fourth, and Simba in fifth. Last year, Max landed the number five spot, but was just edged out this year by Simba.
2020's Biggest Cat Name Trends
Sourdough isn’t the only bread to make waves this year: Cat owners have been loving carb-inspired names for their feline companions in 2020 as well.
The names Croissant and Bread are up 100% in popularity among cat owners compared to last year, followed by Sandwich (up 71%), Tortilla (up 60%), Wheatie (up 51%), and Rye (up 22%). Snack names like Pretzels and Crackers, however, are trending down this year.
In other food-related news:Former Test Kitchen stars Rick and Priya are trending up, and former editor Adam (Rapaport) is trending down. 2020 also put the pet name “Sohla” on the map.
Cats rock the house with music-inspired names
Female musicians have been top of mind for many cat owners this year, as evidenced by trends in music-related cat names in 2020.
The name Lizzo is on the rise, while Drake and Kanye are trending down. However, the name Lady Gaga took the #1 spot as the most popular music-related cat name in 2020, followed by Lizzo, Katy Purry, Catsy Cline, and Beyonce. Special shoutout to the one special cat on our list named Sasha Fierce after Beyonce’s 2008 album.
Music and food aren't the only sources of name inspiration this year
Cat owners might beRuPaul's Drag Race superfans. The cat name Ru is trending up 30% in 2020. Past contestants of the show, Jinkx and Violet are trending up 51% and 10%, respectively. Cat owners have also picked sides between the infamous Drag Race duo Alaska and Sharon Needles: the cat name Alaska is up 10%, while Sharon is trending down 37% in 2020.
2020's beloved season 12 winner Jaida Essence Hall is also influencing cat names: Jaida is up 51% this year! And finally, we spotted cats named Heidi Ho and Trinity K. Bonet. It’s safe to say that cat owners are the biggest Drag Race fans.
Television stars and characters continue to influence cat names in 2020
Cats named Zendaya are trending up this year, in line with Zendaya becoming the youngest person to win the Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Drama for her role in the show Euphoria.
Cats are more likely to be named after the Kardashian/Jenner family than dogs in 2020. Despite the recent announcement that the long-running reality series Keeping up with the Kardashians will air its final season in 2021, cats named Kim, Kylie, Rob, and Stormi are all trending up. The cat names Khloe, Kendall, and Kris, however, are trending down.
Real Housewives of New York characters are influencing cat names. Cats owners are on a roll with reality-TV inspired cat names this year. We found that while RHONY stars' names are inspiring both cat and dog names in abundance, cats are more likely to be named after the cast. The most popular are Ramona, Sonja, Carole, Tinsley, and Dorinda: all are trending up this year except Tinsley and Dorinda. Will this trend continue next year now that Dorinda has left the show?
Betty White can’t be stopped: Once again, pets named Betty White are trending.
Beverage-inspired cat names continue to thrive in 2020.
Rose is the #1 trending alcohol-inspired cat name of 2020, up 17%. Gin is also trending up while Pinot, Whiskey, Mai Tai, Amber, and Sazerac are trending down.
Coffee inspired dog and cat names are trending this year. Coffee (20%), Brew (17%), Espresso (15%), Kona (13%), and Macchiato (9%) are trending up among cats, while Mocha, Cappuccino, and Latte are on the decline.
What about marijuana cat names?
Marijuana-inspired names are alive and well among cat owners in 2020. For cats, Hash (100%), Cheeba (50%), Ganja (50%), Indica (39%), and Mary Jane (11%) are the top trending names.
Cats Are More Likely to Have Vintage Names Than Dogs in 2020
We found that Mamie (151%), Hilda (91%), Randall (62%), Virgil (56%), Lorraine (51%) are on the rise.
Punny Names Are Trending Up: Here Comes Katy Purry
In 2020, cats are most likely to get especially clever names, with punny names trending up. The most popular trending pun-inspired names are: Fuzz Aldrin (251%), Katy Purry (101%), Catzilla (101%), Catsy Cline (51%), and Jennifurr (51%).
Turns Out, Cat People Are Sports Fans Too
Though cat people are overall less likely to name their cat after a sports team or athlete than dog people, there are a few noteworthy highlights this year.
Basketball: Hawk, Piston, Raptor, Rocket, and Magic are trending up in cat names. Football:Ram, Saint, Patriot, Steeler, and Colt are trending among cats. Soccer player Messi is trending up by 33% for cats, whereas Serena and Ronaldo are trending down. Naomi is up in both cats and dogs this year, a potential nod to tennis player Naomi Osaka. Michael Jordan is trending up in cats, perhaps inspired by this year's release of The Last Dance.