Black cats deserve names as mysterious and magical as they are. From shadowy picks like Shadow and Midnight to elegant choices like Onyx and Nyx, we’ve curated 100 black cat names with meanings and origins. Whether you want a name inspired by mythology, pop culture, or nature, this list has the perfect fit for your dark feline. Try our Name Generator to filter by personality and origin, or explore individual name pages for deeper meanings.

Quick Picks: Our Top 10 Black Cat Names

Nyx — Greek goddess of night, the ultimate name for mysterious black cats
Shadow — Classic name for a cat who follows you everywhere
Midnight — Perfect for cats as dark as the night sky
Onyx — Black gemstone, elegant and precious
Luna — Latin for moon, perfect for black cats with moon-like eyes
Salem — Famous witch’s cat from Sabrina, perfect for spooky cats
Bagheera — The black panther from The Jungle Book
Raven — Dark bird associated with mystery and intelligence
Echo — Greek nymph, perfect for vocal black cats
Zorro — Spanish for fox, the masked hero for adventurous cats

Mythology-Inspired Black Cat Names

Anubis — Egyptian god of the dead with a jackal head, perfect for guardian cats
Bastet — Egyptian cat goddess, the ultimate black cat name
Freyja — Norse goddess whose chariot was pulled by black cats
Hades — Greek god of the underworld, for dark and mysterious cats
Hecate — Greek goddess of magic and crossroads, associated with black cats
Lilith — Hebrew mythological figure, for independent black cats
Loki — Norse trickster god, for mischievous black cats
Morrigan — Celtic goddess of war often appearing as a crow
Nyx — Greek goddess of night, mother of sleep and death
Osiris — Egyptian god of the afterlife, for regal black cats
Persephone — Greek queen of the underworld, for elegant black females
Raven — Norse god Odin’s companion bird
Selene — Greek goddess of the moon
Thanatos — Greek personification of death
Umbra — Latin for shadow, the darkest part of a shadow

Pop Culture Black Cat Names

Bagheera — The wise black panther from The Jungle Book
Binx — The immortal black cat from Hocus Pocus
Boo — Friendly ghost name for spooky season babies
Catwoman — Selina Kyle’s alter ego, for fierce females
Damien — The omen child, for spooky males
Dracula — The ultimate vampire name
Elvira — Mistress of the dark, for glamorous females
Grimm — Like the Brothers Grimm fairy tales
Hedwig — Harry Potter’s owl, but works for black cats too
Jiji — Kiki’s black cat from Kiki’s Delivery Service
Luna — Sailor Moon’s black cat guardian
Maleficent — The dark fairy from Sleeping Beauty
Morticia — The elegant matriarch from The Addams Family
Salem — The sarcastic cat from Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Shadow — The cat from Homeward Bound
Thackery — One of the Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus
Vincent — Tim Burton’s vampire name
Wednesday — The gothic daughter from The Addams Family
Zatanna — DC Comics magician, for magical females
Zorro — The masked hero, for adventurous males

Food-Inspired Black Cat Names

Bean — Like coffee beans, small and dark
Berry — Like blackberries or blueberries
Chai — Dark spiced tea
Charcoal — Dark gray-black color
Cocoa — Rich brown-black color
Coffee — Dark energizing beverage
Cola — Dark fizzy drink
Espresso — Strong dark coffee
Licorice — Black candy with distinctive flavor
Olive — Dark fruit, peaceful symbolism
Pepper — Black spice, spicy personality
Poppy — Like poppy seeds, small and dark
Sesame — Like black sesame seeds
Truffle — Expensive dark delicacy
Vanilla — Ironic name for a black cat

Elegant Black Cat Names

Count — Noble title, perfect for distinguished males
Duchess — Noble title for elegant females
Ebony — Dark precious wood
Graphite — Dark gray mineral used in pencils
Ink — Dark writing fluid, for artistic cats
Jet — Black gemstone, also means precious stone
Noir — French for black, sophisticated
Obsidian — Volcanic glass, dark and sharp
Onyx — Black gemstone, elegant and precious
Pearl — Ironic name for black cats
Phantom — Mysterious ghost-like figure
Silhouette — Dark outline against light
Slate — Dark gray rock
Velvet — Soft dark fabric
Vantablack — The darkest known substance

Cute Black Cat Names

Boo — Cute ghost name
Button — Small and cute like a button
Cookie — Sweet treat name
Cuddles — For affectionate black cats
Dot — Small dark spot
Dotty — Cute variation of Dot
Inky — Like ink, cute diminutive
Littlefoot — Ironic for black cats
Niblet — Small cute name
Pebble — Small dark stone
Pip — Small seed name
Shadow — Classic cute name
Smudge — Small dark mark
Speck — Tiny dark spot
Spot — Classic name for marked cats

Male Black Cat Names

Ace — Top card, for number one cats
Bandit — For cats with mask-like markings
Bear — For large black cats
Blaze — For cats with white markings
Cole — Means coal, dark and cool
Crow — Dark intelligent bird
Dexter — Lucky name for black cats
Felix — Latin for lucky, ironic for black cats
Ghost — For stealthy black cats
Hunter — For cats who hunt at night
Jack — Classic name, also jack-o-lantern
Knight — Dark knight for brave cats
Magic — For mysterious black cats
Nero — Latin for black, Roman emperor name
Orion — The hunter constellation
Panther — Large black cat
Pirate — For adventurous cats
Rocco — Strong dark name
Smokey — Gray-black color
Titan — For large powerful cats
Vader — Darth Vader, dark side name
Wolf — Wild dark name
Zane — Modern dark name
Zeus — King of Greek gods
Zorro — The masked hero

Female Black Cat Names

Arya — Game of Thrones heroine, fierce and independent
Bella — Italian for beautiful
Cleo — Short for Cleopatra, Egyptian queen
Dahlia — Dark flower name
Ebony — Dark precious wood
Hazel — Dark eye color
Ivy — Dark green climbing plant
Jade — Dark green gemstone
Kira — Means dark-haired in some origins
Layla — Means night in Arabic
Luna — Latin for moon
Lyra — A constellation
Mystic — Mysterious name
Nova — New star in space
Opal — Gemstone with dark varieties
Piper — Musical name
Raven — Dark bird name
Ruby — Ironic name for black cats
Stella — Latin for star
Veda — Sacred knowledge
Willow — Dark graceful tree
Wren — Small dark bird
Xena — Warrior princess
Zara — Means princess in some origins
Zoe — Greek for life

Unique Black Cat Names

Abyss — Deep dark space
Banshee — Irish death spirit
Cipher — Code or mystery
Cosmos — The universe
Crypt — Underground chamber
Dusk — Twilight time
Eclipse — Celestial darkening
Fable — A story or legend
Grim — Like the Grim Reaper
Hex — Magical spell
Hollow — Empty dark space
Jinx — Bad luck charm
Labyrinth — Complex maze
Nebula — Dark space cloud
Omen — Sign of things to come
Paradox — Contradiction
Phantom — Ghost-like figure
Puzzle — Mystery to solve
Riddle — Mystery to solve
Specter — Ghostly figure
Spirit — Ethereal being
Void — Empty dark space
Whisper — Quiet sound
Wisp — Faint light in darkness
Wraith — Ghostly figure

How to Choose the Right Black Cat Name

Consider your cat’s personality when choosing a name. A mysterious cat might suit Nyx or Shadow while a playful cat might prefer Binx or Boo. Match the name energy to your cat’s actual personality.

Think about the meaning behind names. Names like Felix (lucky) can be ironic for black cats who are sometimes considered unlucky. Names like Bastet connect to the rich history of black cats in ancient Egypt.

Say the name out loud. Names with 2-3 syllables are easiest for cats to recognize. Try calling the name across a room to see if it rolls off the tongue.

Consider your cat’s appearance. Solid black cats suit names like Onyx and Midnight. Cats with white markings might suit Bandit or Blaze. Let appearance guide your choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are black cats bad luck?

No. This is a superstition with no basis in fact. In many cultures, black cats are considered good luck. In Japan, black cats attract suitors. In England, black cats bring good luck to brides.

Do black cats have different personalities?

No scientific evidence suggests coat color affects personality. Black cats have the same range of personalities as cats of any color. Individual personality varies more than color-based trends.

What are the most popular black cat names?

Shadow, Luna, Midnight, Onyx, and Salem are among the most popular black cat names. These names reflect the mysterious, elegant nature of black cats.

Should I name my black cat after its color?

Not necessarily. While color-inspired names are popular, consider personality, meaning, and sound. Some black cats suit unexpected names like Snow or Pearl for irony.

Can black cats be named after their eyes?

Absolutely. Black cats often have striking gold, green, or copper eyes. Names like Goldie, Emerald, or Copper celebrate this feature.

Looking for more name inspiration? Try our Cat Name Generator to filter by personality and origin, or explore our Halloween Cat Names for more spooky picks.