Black Cat Names – 100 Striking Names for Your Black Cat

Typical black cat names revolve around the black cat’s unique cultural background, but black-inspired names go far beyond the spooky mythos.

Although the medieval era was unkind to European cats of all hues, black cats have continually been the most frequently associated with witchcraft, mystery, and black magic.

As a Halloween icon, the names most often associated with black cats include holiday-themed names like Spook, Ghost, Damien, and Boo.

The following list takes a few hints from the magical tradition, but includes names inspired by a large range of sources, including pop culture, food, history, and other objects. While the list is varied and the names have diverse meanings, they all somehow connect to a single shade – the black of your cat’s coat.

Top 100 Black Cat Names

1. Opal

According to Opals Down Under, Australian black opals are the most valuable and best-known type of opal in the world. These opals contain carbon and iron oxide that gives their rainbow colors a striking backdrop. Opal is also a classic female name that saw tremendous popularity in the United States during the early 20th century.

2. Vader

Few characters are so iconic as Darth Vader of the Star Wars series. If you’re a Star Wars fan and see this tragic villain in your black-coated cat, think about naming them Vader, Darth, or even Darth Vader.

3. Wednesday

Love Wednesday Addams, the sometimes sadistic and sometimes sweet black-haired daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams in the Addams Family TV show and movies? Try out this charming name.

4. Cocoa

What’s not to love about the fun bounce of this two-syllable name? The name Cocoa brings to mind dark, chocolatey flavors and the deep, almost-black color of Dutch process cocoa.

5. Kismet

Acknowledge the numerous superstitions about black cats and luck – both the good kind of luck and the less enjoyable variety – by giving yours this name. Kismet means fate or destiny.

6. Bagheera

This is the name of the wise black panther who served as a friend, protector, and mentor to Mowgli in The Jungle Book.

7. Ozzy

Like the famous British musical artist Ozzy Osbourne, your cat is dressed in black and ready to rock.

8. Plum

Fruit-inspired names are always fun for cats. The name Plum sounds sweet, feminine, quirky, and brings to mind the smooth black skin of a ripe plum.

9. Velvet

Acknowledge the luxurious feel of your cat’s coat by naming them after a sheet of sumptuous black velvet. This name might also remind you of Velvet Brown, the protagonist in the 1944 film National Velvet.

10. Inkspot

Black cats are notoriously difficult to capture in photographs. If your new black kitten looks like a black splotch in every picture, think about naming them Inkspot.

11. Olive

When you call the name “Olive”, it rolls from the back of your mouth to the front – a bit like the briny black olives that make it a good match for a black cat.

12. Espresso

Like a dark, powerful espresso, your black cat comes with a rich and dynamic personality – and they’re the perfect energy boost.

13. Tazzy

This fun name is inspired by the black-coated Tasmanian devil.

14. Nori

Sheets of nori or seaweed have a dark green color that’s almost black, making this fun food-inspired name perfect for a black cat.

15. Snape

In Harry Potter, the half-blood wizard Severus Snape has black hair and a signature black outfit. Your cat’s black hair is their signature outfit. Harry Potter fans may want to use the similarity as name inspiration.

16. Licorice

Do you love licorice candy or just like the way this word sounds? Try this sweet name on for size.

17. Salem

Remember Salem Saberhagen, the witty and sarcastic black cat from Sabrina the Teenage Witch? The name Salem gives a nod to the black cat’s cultural history, while also making a reference to a well-loved comic strip and TV show.

18. Chococat

Produced by the same Japanese corporation that created Hello Kitty, Chococat is a black cat character named after its tiny chocolate-colored nose.

19. Elvira

This Spanish name descends from an old Visigothic name, possibly made from a combination of “ala” and “wer”, meaning “all true”. In modern pop culture, the name is perhaps most often associated with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the campy and glamorously ghoulish TV hostess.

20. Selina

This name has Greek origins and means “moon” – that celestial body best viewed when the sky is as black as your cat’s coat.

21. Blackberry

This name brings to mind chunky, squeezable black cats with bodies as plump and wonderful as a wild blackberry in midsummer.

22. Dahlia

The color black has long been associated with the macabre, so perhaps it’s appropriate that this name brings to mind the 1947 cold case of the “Black Dahlia Murder”. Black dahlia flowers have an intoxicating deep burgundy color that might remind you of your cat’s deep-hued coat.

23. Mamba

The animal world is full of color-related name inspiration. The black mamba is widely considered the world’s deadliest snake.

24. Poppyseed

You might think of Poppyseed as an extra-fun and black-centric alternative to Poppy. As a perk, you get Poppyseed Cake and Poppyseed Dressing as adorable nicknames.

25. Tiddles

Tiddles sounds silly to some, but a cat bearing this name is not to be underestimated. A black cat named Tiddles served as a mouser on numerous Royal Navy aircraft carriers and served on the HMS Victorious as the official Captain’s Cat.

26. Malbec

Malbec is a variety of inky-purple grapes used to make wine. Their dark color yields a beverage that looks black in the bottle, making Malbec an appropriate name for the wine lover’s black cat.

27. Ciara

This feminine name is Irish in origin and is derived from ciar, meaning “black”.

28. Sirius Black

The second Harry Potter-inspired name on this list is Sirius Black. This character is the last remaining heir of a wizard family called the House of Black.

29. Skillet

Like a Teflon-coated skillet, your cat is a beautiful shade of black and is the perfect kitchen companion.

30. Pepper

Unlike black pepper, which can only spice up food, your black cat can spice up everything in your life.

31. Betty

Oh Black Betty, bam-ba-lam. Though the origins of the term “Black Betty” are widely debated, the song titled Black Betty dates back to 1933.

32. Mulberry

These berries have a deep, almost black, purple hue.

33. Bing

Again, fruit is always a great cat name inspiration. Bing cherries range from a delicious red to a shadowy burgundy color that’s almost black.

34. Soy Sauce

There’s a certain playful eccentricity to any cat name that involves two words, and the name Soy Sauce makes a deliciously fun splash.

35. Aurora

The aurora or northern lights are an incredible light show best viewed in the black night sky.

36. Luna

Luna is the name of an ancient Roman goddess who existed as the divine embodiment of the Earth’s moon, that cold-hearted orb best viewed when the sky is as black as your cat’s fur.

37. Nutella

This famous chocolate hazelnut spread isn’t black, but guess what? Some black cats also aren’t quite black. Black cats who spend a lot of time in the sun may gradually turn a ruddy brown as their coats lose pigment. This phenomenon is called “rusting”.

38. Black Jack

This name is perfect for card sharks and those who have already have an Orange Jack in the household.

39. Hodge

Hodge was the favorite black cat of the celebrated 19th-century man of letters, Samuel Johnson.

40. Basalt

This igneous rock has a dark grey to black color. If Basalt is too clunky to pronounce, try Basa, Salty, or Basil as nicknames.

41. Pluto

Pluto is the name of the cat in the Edgar Allan Poe short story “The Black Cat”.

42. Binx

In the 1993 Halloween cult classic Hocus Pocus, a young man named Thackery Binx is transformed into a black cat.

43. Bert

If you sometimes feel that your cat resembles a chimney sweep covered in soot, you might like this name – Bert was the chimney sweep in Mary Poppins.

44. Nyeusi

This is a Swahili word meaning “black”.

45. Jiji

In the Studio Ghibli fantasy Kiki’s Delivery Service, the protagonist’s companion is a black cat named Jiji.

46. Clover

This name is a nod to the black cat’s association with luck and fate in numerous cultures.

47. T’Challa

Also known as Black Panther, T’Challa is a Marvel comics superhero who serves as the king and protector of Wakanda, a fictional African nation.

48. Corvus

Corvus is the name of a genus of bird species that includes crows, ravens, rooks, and jackdaws.

49. Vincent

According to the legend, St. Vincent of Saragossa’s body was protected by ravens, birds that are usually as black as your cat’s fur. The name is also associated with Vincent Price, an actor well-known for his work in horror movies.

50. Osito

This Spanish word means “teddy bear” and is appropriate for the little black bear in your life.

50 More Names for Your Black Cat

51. Midnight
52. Blackie
53. Shadow
54. Obsidian
55. Absinthe
56. Onyx
57. Raven
58. Eclipse
59. Ebony
60. Cajun
61. Sylvester
62. Sooty
63. Bear
64. Sharpie
65. Felix
66. Gladstone
67. Shuri
68. Sable
69. Gateau
70. Lambert
71. Grease
72. Granite
73. Jetset
74. Thomas
75. Beans
76. Gotham
77. Asphalt
78. Godiva
79. Coffee
80. Hades
81. Tarantula
82. Java
83. Cola
84. Lovecraft
85. Styxie
86. Thestral
87. Coraline
88. Siyah
89. Char
90. Tarot
91. Asher
92. Neutron
93. Quark
94. Winona
95. Drusy
96. Kettle
97. Jinx
98. Indigo
99. Achro
100. Truffle