Selkirk Rex Cat Names: 37 Ideas from Rex to Fluffy
The Selkirk Rex is a medium, sturdy cat with a naturally curly coat, developed in the United States and traced back to a Montana shelter kitten in the late 1980s. That history matters for naming because it separates two things people often blur: the breed’s origin is American, while the rex in its name is a Latin word meaning king and the coat-mutation label it shares with the Devon and Cornish Rexes. The breed tends to be playful and people-oriented, but that is a tendency, not a guarantee for the individual cat under your table. The Selkirk Rex breed guide covers the coat and the health questions; this page is only about names.
The naming angle here is the look and the build. The Selkirk is not the small, elfin curly; it is the robust one with a plush, medium coat, so the names below lean soft, rounded, and a little playful rather than sleek. Say each one out loud before you commit, because a chunky cat on a duvet can swallow a quiet name.
Quick Picks: Selkirk Rex Cat Names
Rex — king; one syllable, REKS, Latin. It is also the breed’s own suffix, which is fine if you like the sound Fluffy — soft and furry; two syllables, FLUF-ee, unisex, and the most direct coat name there is Pepper — spicy seasoning; two syllables, PEP-er, unisex, playful without turning into a joke Bella — beautiful; two syllables, BEL-ah, Italian, everyday and still a lot of name on a sturdy cat Luna — moon; two syllables, LOO-nah, Latin, short and simple Loki — trickster god; two syllables, LOH-kee, Norse, a good fit for a cat who gets into everything Bear — a large fierce animal; one syllable, BAIR, English, a nod to the breed’s solid build Ziggy — victorious protector; two syllables, ZIG-ee, German, unisex, quirky and bright Milo — merciful; two syllables, MY-loh, Germanic, softer than Loki on a sociable cat Buddy — friend; two syllables, BUD-ee, English, and a reminder not to name the behavior instead of the cat
Selkirk Rex Names for Female Cats
Bella and Luna are in the shortlist. This group leans soft and warm, with a few tree and flower names and one cocoa for a cat whose coat actually runs that color. Coat color is an association, not a rule.
Coco — cocoa bean; two syllables, KOH-koh, Spanish, warm and round. Cleo — glory; two syllables, KLEE-oh, Greek, short and a little regal. Lily — lily flower; two syllables, LIL-ee, English, light and easy to call. Willow — willow tree; two syllables, WIL-oh, English, a soft match for a coat that shifts as she moves. Ivy — climbing plant; two syllables, EYE-vee, English, short and fitting for a cat who follows you room to room. Daisy — day’s eye; two syllables, DAY-zee, English, cheerful without being sugary. Honey — sweet nectar; two syllables, HUN-ee, English, use it if she actually is. Nala — beloved; two syllables, NAH-lah, African, warm and familiar. Angel — divine messenger; two syllables, AYN-jel, English, ironic on a cat who rules the house. Maple — maple tree; two syllables, MAY-pul, nature, warm and grounded.
Selkirk Rex Names for Male Cats
Rex, Loki, Bear, Milo, and Buddy are in the shortlist. The rest are English calls and one outlaw, which is the right register for a cat with a broad chest and a question about your socks.
Oliver — olive tree; three syllables, OL-i-vur, English, friendly and it shortens to Ollie. Felix — happy, lucky; two syllables, FEE-liks, Latin, a classic cat name that never sounds like a costume. Duke — noble title; one syllable, DOOK, English, a little formal next to Rex. Charlie — free man; two syllables, CHAR-lee, English, everyday and easy to holler. Max — greatest; one syllable, MAKS, Latin, about as simple as a name gets. Leo — lion; two syllables, LEE-oh, Latin, a lot of name for a cat, which is the joke and the point. Oscar — god spear, or deer friend; two syllables, OS-kar, Irish, formal enough for a chip form. Jack — God is gracious; one syllable, JAK, English, one beat that carries at six in the morning. Bandit — thief, outlaw; two syllables, BAN-dit, English, playful, but skip it if he is not.
Unique Selkirk Rex Cat Names
The unusual picks lean into the plush coat and the weather it looks built for, plus two small, bouncy options. None of them is a joke at the cat’s expense.
Pippin — traveler; two syllables, PIP-in, Germanic, unisex, for a cat who follows you room to room. Cloud — a visible mass of water vapor; one syllable, KLOWD, English, unisex, a soft nod to the coat. Rain — water from the sky; one syllable, RAYN, English, unisex, one beat and easy to call. Mochi — rice cake; two syllables, MOH-chee, Japanese, unisex, plush and a little sweet. Storm — tempest; one syllable, STORM, English, unisex, for a cat with opinions. Fox — a cunning mammal; one syllable, FOKS, English, unisex, a sleek name on a not-so-sleek cat. Toast — browned bread; one syllable, TOHST, English, unisex, warm, and skip it if you would wince at the vet. Sunny — filled with sunlight; two syllables, SUN-ee, English, unisex, cheerful without printing the mood on a tag.
How to Choose the Right Selkirk Rex Cat Name
Say the name from the next room. A chunky curly cat in a plush coat can disappear into a duvet, and a muffled two-syllable grunt gets lost under a kettle. One beat like Rex, Bear, Duke, Max, Jack, Fox, or Toast cuts through. Two beats like Fluffy, Pepper, Loki, Ziggy, or Buddy still work at breakfast. Three beats like Oliver collapse into Ollie, so pick Oliver only if you actually like the nickname.
Match the cat in front of you rather than the coat photo. A plush curly can carry Fluffy or Cloud; a sturdy one can carry Bear; a busy one can carry Pepper, Loki, Ziggy, or Bandit. Rex works as a standalone name if you will still shout it next to the breed name, and many owners decide one rex is enough for a household. For the smaller, elfin curly, the Devon Rex cat names page is the closer cousin; the wavier one is on the Cornish Rex cat names page. If you want to sort by temperament, browse playful cat names or run the Name Generator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good Selkirk Rex cat names?
Rex, Fluffy, Pepper, and Bella are short, familiar, and easy to call. Loki and Bear sit beside them for an owner who wants a bolder edge, and Pippin and Ziggy add two quick beats. All of them are simple enough to say dozens of times a day, which is what a sociable cat tends to ask of a name.
Should I name a Selkirk Rex Curly or Woolly?
They are real coat words, so both work if you like the sound. The catch is that the coat is the most obvious thing about the breed, which is exactly why some owners avoid a coat name and others enjoy it. Curly and Woolly describe the cat rather than mean something, while Fluffy, Pepper, and Pippin carry a meaning as well as a sound.
Should I name a Selkirk Rex after Montana?
Montana is a fair reference, because the breed began in the United States and traces back to a Montana shelter cat in the late 1980s. It is a place name rather than a person’s name, though, so use it because the story matters to you. If the curly coat is the part you love, Fluffy or Cloud says that more directly.
What name fits a playful Selkirk Rex?
Pepper, Loki, Ziggy, and Bandit all carry a playful edge without turning into a joke. The breed tends to be sociable and interactive, so choose a word you can say in a calm voice at the vet, not just one that gets a laugh at home. A name with a real meaning underneath gives you both.
Are Selkirk Rex names the same as Devon Rex names?
Not quite, because the two breeds look different even though they share the rex coat label. The Devon Rex is the small, elfin curly; the Selkirk is the chunky, medium-coat US curly with a rounder build. Rex and Pepper can suit either cat, but Fluffy, Cloud, and Bear lean toward the Selkirk’s plush, substantial look.
If you are still deciding between the curly breeds, the Devon Rex breed guide and the Cornish Rex breed guide explain the differences. A second US curly is the LaPerm cat names page. For a longer list you can filter by origin or personality, try the Name Generator.