Black Cat Names: 200+ Spooky, Cute and Classy Ideas

Good black cat names have a little mystery in them, because a black cat walks into a room like it owns the night. Start with our 20 quick favorites, then browse more than 200 ideas, from spooky Halloween picks and names that mean “black” in other languages to sweet, silly and seriously elegant names, most with a short note so you can find the one that fits your shadow.

20 Favorite Black Cat Names at a Glance

• For boys: Onyx, Salem, Nero, Merlin, Corbin, Panther, Hades, Kuro, Bandit, Poe
• For girls: Luna, Ebony, Nyx, Sable, Velvet, Raven, Olive, Hex, Noir, Licorice

Midnight, Shadow, Pepper and Bean work for any black cat, boy or girl. Keep scrolling for the full lists by theme.

Why Black Cats Deserve a Great Name

Black is a coat color, not a breed. It shows up on domestic shorthairs, longhairs, Persians, Maine Coons and many other breeds. One breed is black by definition: the Cat Fanciers’ Association describes the Bombay as having a jet black, gleaming coat with gold to copper eyes.

Black cats also have a reputation problem they don’t deserve. The ASPCA notes that outdated myths and superstitions make it harder for black cats to get adopted, and it marks Black Cat Appreciation Day every August 17 (here’s how to celebrate Black Cat Appreciation Day with your own cat). A great name is a small way to celebrate a cat that beat the odds and landed on your couch.

Spooky Black Cat Names for Halloween

A black cat is the official mascot of October. These names lean witchy, gothic and a little dramatic.

Witchy names

• Hex, Spell, Potion: short, punchy and easy to call
• Cauldron: for a round cat who is always bubbling with plans
• Broomstick: for a long, skinny cat
• Grimoire: a witch’s book of spells, for a clever cat
• Hecate: the Greek goddess of witchcraft and crossroads
• Morgana: the enchantress of old Arthurian legend
• Circe: the sorceress of Greek myth
• Salem: after the Massachusetts town tied to witch-trial history
• Mystic, Omen, Rune: for a cat who seems to know things
• Tarot: for a cat who always predicts dinnertime

Gothic literature names

• Poe, Edgar: for the master of the macabre
• Pluto: the black cat in Poe’s short story “The Black Cat”
• Lenore, Nevermore: straight from Poe’s famous raven poem
• Ichabod: the jumpy schoolteacher of Sleepy Hollow, for a cat who startles at every creak
• Mina, Renfield: borrowed from Bram Stoker’s vampire novel; Renfield suits a cat who eats every bug in the house
• Thornfield, Wuthering: moody manor and moorland names from the Brontë sisters’ novels
• Ophelia: Shakespeare’s tragic beauty, for a dreamy, faraway cat

Things that go bump in the night

• Specter, Phantom, Wraith: for a cat who appears out of nowhere
• Banshee: for a cat with a very loud breakfast opinion
• Goblin, Gremlin, Imp: for a small chaos agent
• Spooky, Boo, Eerie: playful and seasonal
• Jinx, Vex: for the cat who trips you on the stairs
• Raven, Crow, Bat: dark-winged friends
• Midnight: the timeless black cat name

One Halloween note: costumes are for the humans. On trick-or-treat night, keep every cat indoors and away from the busy front door. Our Halloween cat safety tips cover candy, decorations and the doorbell.

Black Cat Names for Boys

These picks for a male black cat run from tough to dapper, and the long ones shorten easily for everyday use.

• Onyx: a glossy black gemstone
• Coal: for a boy who is permanently on Santa’s naughty list
• Cash: for your own little man in black
• Blake: an Old English name linked to the word for black or dark
• Dougal, Duff: Gaelic names built on dubh, “dark”
• Kieran: Irish, often translated as “little dark one”
• Corbin: from the old French word for raven
• Hades: ruler of the underworld, for a cat who lives under the bed
• Panther: sleek and powerful
• Bandit, Ninja, Shade: for a stealthy food thief
• Bear, Diesel, Tank: for a big, solid boy
• Boris, Vincent, Bela: a tip of the hat to the great horror-movie stars
• Merlin: the wizard of old legend
• Miles, Thelonious, Coltrane: cool jazz names for a cool cat
• Moriarty: for the criminal mastermind of the kitchen counter
• Ace, Spade: card names for a sharp cat
• Dante, Virgil: the poets who toured the underworld in old literature
• Nox: Latin for night

Black Cat Names for Girls

For a female black cat, these names range from moonlit to movie star, and several have roots in words for night or darkness.

• Ebony: a dark, polished wood
• Sable: a deep black from old heraldry
• Velvet: as soft as she looks
• Luna, Selene: names of the moon
• Nyx: the Greek goddess of night
• Layla, Leila: often said to mean “night” in Arabic
• Nisha: a Sanskrit word for night
• Melanie: from the Greek word for black
• Ciara: Irish, often translated as “dark”
• Isolde, Guinevere: romantic legend names
• Billie, Ella, Nina: jazz-singer names for a cat with a voice
• Audrey, Greta, Vivien: old-Hollywood glamour
• Olive, Pepper, Poppyseed: tiny and adorable
• Vesper: Latin for evening, for a cat who comes alive at dusk
• Bianca: it means white, which makes it a fun joke for a black cat
• Belladonna: a femme fatale name (the real plant is toxic to pets, so keep it to the name tag)
• Delphine, Esme, Marlowe: a little mysterious, a little literary

Names That Mean Black in Other Languages

A word for “black” from another language makes a short, elegant name, and it’s a nice nod to family heritage.

• Noir: French
• Nero, Nera: Italian, for a boy or a girl
• Kuro: Japanese
• Kara: Turkish, and a pretty girl’s name in English too
• Svart: Swedish and Norwegian
• Musta: Finnish
• Zwart: Dutch
• Schwarz: German, for a cat with serious presence
• Preto, Preta: Portuguese
• Melas: ancient Greek, the root of “melanin”
• Dubh: Irish and Scottish Gaelic, pronounced roughly “doov”
• Du: Welsh, short and sweet

Space and Night-Sky Names

A black cat curled on a dark blanket can look like a small hole in the universe. Lean into it.

• Eclipse: for a cat who blocks your screen
• Cosmo, Galaxy: for a cat with infinite energy
• Orion, Andromeda, Cassiopeia: constellation names
• Nebula, Quasar, Pulsar: for science fans
• Void: for a cat who absorbs all light in photos
• Nightfall, Twilight, Dusk: soft names for a calm evening cat
• Astro: for a kitten who launches off furniture
• Umbra: the darkest part of a shadow
• Erebus: the Greek personification of darkness

Cute Names for Little Shadows

Not every black cat is a mysterious creature of the night. Some are just goofy little beans.

• Bean, Jellybean, Black Bean: for a tiny kitten
• Button, Pip, Pebble: small and round
• Inky, Squid, Octavia: for a cat who could out-ink an octopus
• Beetle, Cricket, Tadpole: little critter names
• Puddle, Smudge, Blot: like a spilled bottle of ink
• Gumdrop, Licorice: candy names for a sweet cat
• Boop: for a nose that demands to be booped
• Pom-Pom, Puff: for a fluffy black longhair
• Mole: for a cat who tunnels under blankets
• Pocket, Peanut, Noodle: for a kitten small enough to fit in one
• Soot, Cinder: for a kitten who looks like it came down the chimney

Classy and Elegant Names

For the cat who poses on the windowsill like a statue in a museum.

• Obsidian, Jet: volcanic glass and a polished black stone
• Countess, Baroness, Duke: for nobility
• Monsieur, Madame: French and very proper
• Caviar, Truffle: luxury in name form
• Opera, Gala: for a cat permanently dressed for a night out
• Bijou: French for jewel, for a small and polished cat
• Calligraphy: for a cat as elegant as handwritten ink

Dark and Delicious Food Names

Some of the best black cat names are already in your pantry.

• Espresso, Java: dark, strong and a little intense
• Kalamata: a glossy black olive
• Blackberry, Elderberry, Currant: dark fruit names
• Nori, Peppercorn, Molasses: pantry names with depth
• Fig: soft, sweet and dark
• Sesame: for a tiny kitten, after the little black seeds

Inky, Arty and Musical Names

For creative households where the cat sits on every notebook, sketchpad and keyboard.

• Quill, Inkwell, Scribble: for a writer’s desk supervisor
• Doodle, Sketch, Charcoal: for an artist’s studio cat
• Kohl, Mascara: for a cat with dramatic eyeliner
• Vinyl, Encore, Bassline: for a music lover’s cat
• Nocturne, Lullaby: soft night music for a calm cat
• Satin, Silk: for a coat that shines like fabric

Wild and Feathered Names

Nature is full of beautiful dark things, from birds to volcanic stone.

• Blackbird, Starling, Rook, Jackdaw, Grackle: dark-feathered birds
• Basalt, Tourmaline, Hematite: dark stones and minerals
• Blackthorn: a dark-barked hedge shrub of old folklore
• Shadow, Silhouette: for a cat who follows you room to room

Lucky Names for a Black Cat

Not every culture sees a black cat as bad luck. In some places, a black cat crossing your path is a good sign; our guide to black cat superstitions around the world explains where and why. These names flip the superstition on its head.

• Lucky, Charm, Clover: the obvious winners
• Fortune, Felicity: both linked to good luck and happiness
• Jackpot, Karma, Wish: for a cat who changed your life
• Thirteen: a cheeky one for a fearless owner
• Horseshoe, Wishbone: classic charms
• Serendipity: for a cat who found you by accident
• Talisman, Amulet: a lucky charm that purrs

How to Choose a Black Cat Name That Sticks

Which names still work after Halloween? The ones you’ll be happy to say in July, at the vet and in a soft voice at 2 a.m. A few tips:

• Test it out loud. Call the name across the room. Short names of one or two syllables tend to be the easiest to call.
• Plan for the nickname. If the family shortens “Cassiopeia” to “Cassie” by Tuesday, make sure you like Cassie too.
• Pair it with good things. Say the name right before meals and treats so it always means something nice.
• Match the cat, not the season. A sweet, cuddly cat may suit “Bean” better than “Banshee.”

Have a cat with a white bib or socks? Our list of cat names for black and white cats is made for tuxedos, and our orange cat names guide covers the gingers. For a caption to go with your cat’s first photo, browse our short cat quotes.

Put Your Black Cat’s Name on Something Cozy

A black coat looks striking on a gift, especially when the design gives it some contrast. Choose a photo taken in bright, indirect daylight so the face and eyes are easy to see; our photo guidelines show what works, and these tips on how to photograph a black cat help you keep the detail in that dark fur.

• The Cat Tarot Card Mug casts your cat as the figure on an ornate celestial tarot card: gold line art, a sun, crescent moons and stars on midnight plum, with a Roman numeral at the top and the card title at the bottom. It practically begs for a witchy name.
• The Personalized Cat Photo Mug keeps it simple: your cat’s photo large on white, a small heart doodle near the ears and the name below.
• Still decorating for Halloween? Our Halloween cat gifts turn your cat’s photo into a witching-hour wall clock, ghost-costume socks, an apothecary doormat and more.

Upload a photo, see a free AI preview (an illustration only), and our designers prepare the final artwork from the original photo and check it by hand before printing. Our multi-cat designs fit two to five cats. For more ideas, see our black cat gifts guide or everything on our Personalized Cat Gifts home page.

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