Oct 06, 2025

2025 Cat Name Rankings | Latest Edition with Gender, Fur Color, Nicknames, and Origins [Poponeko Survey] ~ Also Featuring Unique Names ~

What are the most popular names for cats? At Poponeko, we conducted a survey of pet owners to create a cat name ranking.

The origins of names, nicknames, and more—we have collected the "real voices" of owners overflowing with love for their cats! Be sure to check them out!

* [Survey Method] From Poponeko Co., Ltd.'s "My Cat's Name Survey" (Survey Period: September 20–26, 2025; Valid Responses: 2,627)

1. 2025 Cat Name Popularity Ranking [Overall]

First, we present the Top 30 overall popularity ranking for cat names.

The #1 overall spot goes to that unshakably popular name...! Names derived from food and Japanese-style names also ranked highly.

Rank	Cat's Name	Count
1	Mugi	35
2	Rin	28
3	Azuki	26
3	Momo	26
5	Suzu	24
5	Ten	24
5	Hana	24
9	Kinako	20
9	Fuku	20
11	Komugi	19
13	Uni	18
13	Coco	18
15	Umi	17
15	Haru	17
15	Moka	17
18	Kohaku	16
19	Nana	15
19	Noa	15
19	Mei	15
22	Ao	14
22	Kuro	14
22	Yuzu	14
25	Jiji	13
25	Maru	13
25	Ruru	13
28	Ohagi	12
28	Kotetsu	12
28	Sakura	12
28	Riku	12
32	Niko	11
32	Beru	11
32	Maron	11
32	Mimi	11
32	Monaka	11

The #1 name for cats is "Mugi". It is most common among brown tabby and brown-and-white tabby cats, and "Mugi" also appears to be popular for brown-white, orange tabby, and calico cats.

Coming in next was "Rin". Many owners seem to have decided on the name based on their intuition when they first met their cat, with reasons for the name including "They had sharp features for a kitten" or "Because of their dignified appearance."

Following these are the Japanese-style "Azuki" and "Kinako", and two-character names such as "Momo," "Suzu," "Ten," "Hana," and "Fuku."

2. Ranking by Gender

Name trends differed significantly between boys and girls.

Top 20 Boy Cat Names

In the boys' category, "Ten" took 1st place! "Reo" and "Sora" followed closely behind.

There is a noticeable polarization among male cats between names with cool or powerful images and names with gentle sounds that evoke nature or food.

Also, note that many male cats have names written in Kanji, such as Kotetsu, Kohaku, and Kotaro.

Rank	Cat's Name	Count
1	Ten	19
2	Reo	18
3	Sora	15
4	Fuku	13
5	Kotetsu	12
5	Mugi	12
5	Riku	12
8	Kohaku	11
10	Uni	10
10	Umi	10
13	Kotaro	9
13	Jiji	9
13	Rin	9
16	Kai	8
16	Komugi	8
16	Chachamaru	8
16	Noa	8
16	Haru	8
16	Ren	8
22	Gin	7
22	Maron	7
22	Yamato	7

Top 20 Girl Cat Names

In the girls' category, "Hana" took 1st place, and "Mugi," "Momo," and "Suzu"—names consisting of two characters that are easy to call and have cute sounds—also gained popularity.

Many female cats have names with a gentle image, and it is clear that many names involve repeated sounds, such as "Coco" and "Mimi."

Rank	Cat's Name	Count
1	Hana	24
2	Mugi	23
2	Momo	23
4	Suzu	22
5	Azuki	21
6	Rin	19
7	Coco	16
9	Mei	13
10	Moka	12
11	Komugi	11
11	Yuzu	11
14	Anzu	10
14	Kinako	10
16	Belle	9
16	Mimi	9
16	Meru	9
16	Luna	9
16	Ruru	9
21	Uni	8
21	Kuro	8
21	Koharu	8
21	Niko	8
21	Haru	8
21	Hina	8
21	Miruku	8

3. Ranking by Cat Breed/Coat Color

When looking at rankings by breed or coat color, names related to the coat color are naturally at the top.

For brown tabby and brown tabby-white cats, "Mugi" and "Azuki" are popular, while brown-white and orange tabby cats favor "Kinako" and "Chachamaru". For black cats, "Kuro" and "Jiji" are popular, and for white cats, "Yuki" and "Koyuki" top the list.

Additionally, "Hachi" is #1 for tuxedo cats, "Rin" for silver/mackerel tabby cats, and "Wasabi" for tortoiseshell cats.

Brown Tabby / Brown Tabby-White TOP 10

Rank	Cat's Name	Count
1	Mugi	11
1	Azuki	11
3	Reo	9
4	Suzu	8
5	Ten	7
6	Riku	6
6	Fuku	6
8	Rin	5
8	Hana	5
8	Sora	5
8	Umi	5
8	Ao	5

Brown-White / Orange Tabby TOP 10

Rank	Cat's Name	Count
1	Kinako	8
2	Mugi	6
2	Chachamaru	6
2	Kohaku	6
5	Ten	5
5	Sora	5
7	Yuzu	4
7	Monaka	4
7	Umi	4
7	Uni	4

Black Cat TOP 10

Rank	Cat's Name	Count
1	Kuro	10
2	Jiji	9
3	Kuromame	6
4	Mei	5
4	Noa	5
6	Rei	4
6	Yamato	4
6	Choko	4
6	Coco	4
6	Azuki	4

White Cat TOP 10

Rank	Cat's Name	Count
1	Yuki	4
1	Maro	4
3	Koyuki	3
4	Leo	2
4	Hana	2
4	Haku	2
4	Daifuku	2
4	Shiro	2
4	Shirasu	2
4	Shio	2
4	Koma	2
4	Koharu	2

Calico Cat Division Top 10

Rank	Cat's Name	Count
1	Yuki	4
1	Maro	4
3	Koyuki	3
4	Leo	2
4	Hana	2
4	Haku	2
4	Daifuku	2
4	Shiro	2
4	Shirasu	2
4	Shio	2
4	Koma	2
4	Koharu	2

When looking at popular names by cat breed, unique and one-of-a-kind names stand out.

For example, Scottish Folds, known for their round bodies and folded ears, tend to have cute names like "Moka," "Mikan," and "Mao."

Energetic American Shorthairs tend to have names that sound stylish or strong, such as "Rin," "Koko," "Kotaro," and "Gin."

4. Nickname/Call Name Ranking

This is the ranking of "call names" or "nicknames" that owners use in daily life. While the overwhelming majority of owners call their cats by their official names, it seems many also add "-chan" to their names.

Some nicknames are longer than the official name, while others are unique and full of affection. It's easy to imagine the cats meowing back when their owners call their names so lovingly.

Rank	Cat's Call Name/Nickname	Count
1	Mi-chan	16
2	Mugi-chan	10
2	Momo	10
2	Momo-chan	10
5	Ao-chan	8
5	Ko-chan	8
5	Chi-chan	8
5	Ten-chan	8
5	Rin-chan	8
10	An-chan	7
10	U-chan	7
10	Gin-chan	7
10	Mu-chan	7
10	Mugi	7
10	Leo	7
16	A-chan	6
16	Azu	6
16	Ku-chan	6
16	Ku-chan	6
16	Koha	6
16	Te-chan	6
16	Hana-chan	6
16	Mame	6
16	Mari-chan	6
16	Mo-chan	6
26	Uni	5
26	Koko-chan	5
26	Koha-chan	5
26	Koma-chan	5
26	Komu-chan	5
26	Sora	5
26	Chacha	5
26	Na-chan	5
26	Hana	5
26	Fuku	5
26	Fuku-chan	5
26	Pon-chan	5
26	Ma-chan	5

5. Ranking of Name Origins

We analyzed the reasons behind how owners decided on their cats' names.

Rank	Inspiration for the Name	Count
1	Intuition	1620
2	Family opinion	968
3	Characters from movies, dramas, anime, or manga	265
4	Name from their time as a rescue cat	54
5	Books	29
6	SNS	28

*Multiple responses allowed

The most common reason was, as expected, choosing a name based on "intuition" inspired by the cat's appearance or personality.

We saw many cases where the first impression of the cat became its name, such as "Mugi" or "Kinako" for light brown fur, or "Ran" because their running style was so cute.

Names derived from movies, dramas, anime, manga, and other character sources are also popular, with "Anya," "Kiki," "Jiji," "Chachamaru," "Teto," "Belle," "Marie," "Mei," and "Leo" leading the list.

Some former rescue cats continue to use their rescue-era names to avoid confusion. Each cat's name is filled with the deep love of its owner.

6. Unique Cat Names Full of Love

While they didn't make the top of the ranking, here are some unique names that show just how much these owners love their cats!

Gon-Mercedes (Nickname: Gon-chan)
My husband was teaching a class on "Gon the Little Fox." Also, the cat was found in the engine bay of the principal's Mercedes-Benz.

Hanpenta (Nickname: Pen-kun)
When he was a scrawny, dirty kitten, his rescuer gave him this name in hopes that he would grow up to be white and plump like a piece of hanpen (fish cake).

Kinakomochio (Nickname: Kina, Kii-chan)
Because his fur was light, like the color of kinako (soybean flour). Since "Kinako" sounded like a girl's name, we added "Mochio" to the end. It’s his middle name.

Tamasaburo (Nickname: O-tama, Tatama, Tama-chon, Ochibi)
As fast as a bullet, and as alluring as a Kabuki actor.

Ninsoir (Nickname: Nin)
"Bonsoir" + "Ninso-warui" (bad physiognomy/looking mean).

Bontenmaru (Nickname: Bon-chan, Bocha, Chama)
He's so bad at fighting that I wanted at least his name to sound strong.

Koshian (Nickname: Kochi)
When I first petted him, his fluffy coat felt softer than black bean paste, more like smooth red bean paste (koshian).

Hijiki, Mozuku, Aosa, Norio
A sea-vegetable theme.

Gyao (Nickname: Gyaopi)
Because his meow sounded like a dinosaur, which was cute.

Hatena (Nickname: Hacchan)
His hooked tail is shaped like a question mark (?).

Summary | The Love Behind a Cat's Name

Our analysis of the 2025 Cat Name Ranking reveals that the most popular names are "easy to call," "food-inspired," and "Japanese-style."

From top-ranked names to unique, one-of-a-kind monikers, the common thread is the deep love of owners who simply want their cat to be happy.

Great for Escapes and Getting Lost! Recommended ID Tags

You can create a cat ID tag featuring the wonderful name you’ve chosen for your cat!

Poponeko's all-metal ID tags are completely waterproof. Because the text is engraved into brass, it won't smudge or fade even if it gets wet.

Plus, they are very lightweight at only about 2g. You can print your cat's name (up to 6 characters in Kanji/Hiragana/Katakana/English letters) and your phone number.

We also offer a double-sided version that protects your privacy by printing the cat's name on the front and your phone number and name on the back.

For cats who don't like standard tags, we recommend our "Non-dangling Waterproof Cat ID Tag" or our "Name Stickers!"

To ensure your cat can be returned safely if they get lost, adding an ID tag to their collar provides peace of mind. To keep your precious cat safe, be sure to take thorough measures against escape and getting lost.

【Products mentioned in this article】

ID Tags & Name Stickers

3 comments

小猫。 Oct 07, 2025

花と虎太郎ランクイン！
お吟(ぎん)は…見当たりませんねえ笑
吟(ぎん)はランクインしてるけど、
やっぱり時代劇シリーズは少数派なのね笑
虹に行った「ラム」「まだら」「獅子丸」「みゃお」「クロ子」はアンケートでは回答しませんでしたが、私のネーミングセンスが駄目なのか笑
楽しく読ませていただきました！
まれ Oct 07, 2025

楽しみに読ませていただきました。我が家の子の名前も毛色も珍しいからやはりランキングにはありませんでしたが、皆さんの猫さんに対する気持ちが伝わってきました！
きなこざわ Oct 07, 2025

楽しく読ませていただきました！
ありがとうございます！