From Tabby to Silver – How to Choose the Very Best Name for Your Grey Cat

Cats come in many colors, patterns, and coat types which can all inspire you in the final name choice for your pet. And while gray may not be the brightest or boldest color for a feline, it can be a good source of naming inspiration.

From charcoal to light gray-blue and every shade in between, a gray-colored cat is pretty special and deserves a name to match.

We’ve put together a guide to choosing a name for your pet and some of the best names for grey cats to help you pick the perfect moniker for your feline friend.

Things to Consider When Choosing Grey Cat Names

Choosing a name for any pet can feel like quite a responsibility. So, a little thought will be needed if you don’t have a name in mind for your gorgeous gray cat.

Before settling on a name for your pet, some key things to consider will make the whole process much easier.

Your cat’s appearance

While the standout for your cat’s new moniker may well be their shade or pattern of gray, there may be other distinguishing features that can be used for naming inspiration.

And, as each cat is unique, its appearance could lead to an equally unique name.

Look at their shape, size of ears, coat type (fluffy, long coated, or super-sleek?), and anything unusual about their face or eye color.

The color of their coat is also a great place to start, as there is no such thing as a uniform gray when it comes to cats.

Grey cats range from silver and blue to darkest charcoal and can present in gorgeous patterns such as tabby, tortoiseshell, and even calico. And this all means your cat itself is a great source of inspiration!

Your cat’s personality

One of the best ways to choose a name for a cat sums up their personality!

While it may be a little harder naming a grey kitten this way as their personality may not yet have shone through, observing the quirks and behavior of a grey cat can be a great source of cute names.

Breed specifics

If you have a breed type for your cat, then the breed name, heritage or even distinguishing breed features can all be the source of awesome grey cat names.

For example, names such as Rasputin, Sasha, or Ivan are all cool names for a Russian Blue.  Or how about Angus for a gray Scottish Fold? You get the idea.

Other Tips for Choosing a Cat’s Name

As well as looking to your cat for inspiration, there are also a few other top tips when choosing a name that will last the distance, including:

Keep it short and sweet

Over-complicated or long names don’t work for pets and tend to get shortened. So, aim to choose a name with no more than two syllables so that it is easy for your cat to learn and recognize.

Think long-term

While crazy, over-long, or funny grey cat names may seem a good idea at the time, remember that this is a name you will call out repeatedly. And often in public.

A funny name can work well. Make sure that whatever name you choose, you are happy to be using it for the rest of your cat’s life!

Does it work with any other cats in your home?

If you are a multi-cat household, matching names such as Salt and Pepper can be a good idea, especially with grey cats. And they can be quick and easy to remember and use without confusion.

Our Guide to the Best Names for Gray Cats

So, now we’ve looked at ways to approach the dilemma of what to name your gray cat, it’s time to put pen to paper and draw up a shortlist.

To help inspire you, we’ve put together what we think are some of the best grey cat names so you can whittle your list down to your favorite one.

Top names for female gray cats

The combination of a female kitty with a stunning gray coat should be a plentiful source of naming inspiration. You may find you are spoilt for choice!

The beauty of naming a female cat is that you can opt for either cute, girly, sophisticated, slightly mysterious, or strong names that bring out the best of your pet, color, and character.

With this in mind, here are what we think are 10 of the best grey female cat names.

• Bella
• Celeste
• Cleo
• Dove
• Elsa
• Opal
• Luna
• Misty
• Nala
• Pandora

More unusual cat name ideas for your female kitten include Indie, Ursula, Titania (a character from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream), Dusty, Sadie, Bastet (after the Egyptian cat goddess), Tabitha, Birdie, and Precious.

Royal can also be a gorgeously regal name for a female grey cat.

Top names for male gray cats

With their strong look, a male gray cat can suit many types of names, from the more masculine to the cute and curious. And that grey coat will be a source of endless inspiration.

To help you carve those male grey cat names down to a manageable list, we’ve compiled 10 of the best.

• Archie
• Harvey
• Jax
• Juno
• Loki
• Milo
• Nero
• Pepper
• Sparky
• Storm

If you are looking for more of a curveball name for your male cat or grey kitten, then why not also consider Carbon (after the element), Dorian Grey (after Oscar Wild’s famous novel), Lloyd (which is Welsh for gray), Winter, Neutro, or Chrome!

Color-inspired gray cat names

The most obvious name inspiration for your gray kitten or cat is its coat color.

Unlike black cats, gray comes in a wide range of shades as well as patterns, you won’t be short of choice. A closer look at your pet’s coat should bring many names to mind.

Here are our eighteen best color-inspired grey cat names.

Solid gray color cat names

• Bluey (great for Russian Blues!)
• Diamond
• Granite
• Minty
• Shimmer (perfect for light grey cats)
• Silver

Grey and white cat names

• Checker
• Domino
• Oreo
• Patches
• Pebble (we think this is one of the best gray and white kitten names)
• Socks (for kits with adorable white markings)

Grey tabby cat names

• Amber (for more subtle grey/brown tabby coats)
• Jewel
• Marble
• Smokey
• Speckles
• Ziggy

Other color-inspired monikers that work well with gray kittens include Indigo, Slate, Sooty, Gunner, Steel, Mouse, Nickel, Wolf, and Ash.

And looking for the word ‘silver’ in other languages can reveal some gems such as Plata or Zilver.

Or try variants of blue, and you also get Indigo, Aqua, Cobalt, and Sapphire.

And for your diva female grey kitten, Cinders (aka, Cinderella) as a cat name will certainly suit a little princess!

Choosing a cute name for a grey cat

The words ‘cat’ and ‘cute’ go hand in hand, so don’t be afraid of giving your kitty an adorable cat name. It will make you smile every time you call their name out and could well sum up your gray kitten to a tee!

 We up the ‘awww’ quota with our awesome list of the cutest gray cat names.

• Bluebell (a lovely name for a bluer shade of grey)
• Gandalf (AKA, Gandalf the Gray from Lord of the Rings)
• Haribo
• Inky
• Jellybean (a sweet name, pardon the pun!)
• Petal
• Pixie
• Smudge
• Tinsel
• Twinkle

Grey cat names inspired by TV and the movies

And finally, if you are struggling for inspiration, look no further than your TV, where you will find many gray cats with famous names.

Cartoons, animations, TV series, and movies are great places to look for grey cat names, especially funny grey cat names – from an actual cat character or another source of inspiration.

Below are some of the best grey cat names inspired by TV and the movies.

• Baloo – Jungle Book’s loveable sloth-bear
• Buttercup – the feisty cat from The Hunger Games (or opt for Katniss!)
• Daenerys – Mother of Dragons from Game of Thrones (a good name for silver grey kits)
• Duchess – the mother cat in Aristocats
• Dumbledore – the gray-bearded wizard from Harry Potter (this is a wonderful name for a longer-haired grey cat breed)
• Olaf – be inspired by Frozen’s adorable snowman!
• Simba – go wild with your inspiration from the Lion King!
• Snowball – feline pet of The Simpsons
• Sylvester – from the Warner Brothers cartoon, Sylvester the Cat
• Tom – from the one and only Tom & Terry cartoons

Is it Necessary to Name Your Cat?

We all know that cats and dogs are very different domestic beasts, with dogs more responsive to commands and more willing to be trained.

And a key element of the canine response to humans is based on them recognizing and responding to their name.

On the other hand, cats are much more independent creatures and often appear aloof, even indifferent to their pet parents and their human chatter.

However, giving your new cat or kitten a name is not only a natural thing to do but has its benefits for both you and your pet.

Naming a cat can create a bond between you and your grey kitty and make your relationship more personal.

With consistent use, many cats recognize the sound of their name and associate it with positive experiences, such as dinner, playtime, or simple moments being stroked and cuddled.

You may even find your grey cat will come to you when they are called.

And, for the cat owner, naming their pet makes them an identifiable part of the family, with a personality and character all of their own.

Making the Final Decision on Your Gray Cat’s Name

For many cat owners, it can feel overwhelming picking the name for a new grey kitten, and you may feel under pressure to find unique grey cat names.

But what matters is choosing a name that works for you and your grey feline friend.

When picking grey kitten names, it may be best to take your time as you want to figure out a little more about their personality before deciding.

Or you can take inspiration from your pet’s grey color or markings – you certainly won’t be short of ideas, especially for grey tabby cat names or grey and white cat names.

This guide is intended to help inspire you to work out the perfect moniker for your cat. And the best place to start is with a pen and piece of paper.

Listing all the names of your top choices, the personality traits, color type, and any breed specifics of your cat can help you whittle it down to a handful of favorites.

You can add names inspired by hobbies, favorite movies, food, or music.

By now, one name may stand out. Or you may have a choice of two or three.

You now need to test out the name or names of your cat for a couple of days to see how they respond.

Does the name feel right as you call it out? And does your pet react or respond positively?

By taking your time, you and your grey cat can work out which fits the best and simply the perfect (or perfect) name for your precious pet!

Source:

1. Basic feline color genetics – Cat Fanciers’ Association
2. Gray cat breeds – Cat Breeds List