The most popular dog names of 2020
What were the most popular cat names of 2020 for female cats?
So, there you have the most popular dog names of 2020 for both boys and girls. But what about their cat siblings?
Since Rover catalogued the Top 10 cat names of 2020 for both males and females, we’ll rank them as well. Again, human names are all the rage, for some reason…
Cat owners really should have been more creative when it came to naming their pets, especially the female felines out there…ack. But again, unless otherwise stated, the following etymology comes from Bruce Lansky’s book The Very Best Baby Name Book in the Whole Wide World.
No. 10 – Sophie
Sophie is a nickname for Sophia, which comes from Greek for “wisdom.” Since cats certainly possess a certain well of wisdom that they rarely reveal to us silly humans, this seems like a solid choice.
No. 9 – Stella
Again, Stella is literally the Latin word for star, and it makes less sense for a cat to be named after a star than a dog if you think about it. (Unless it’s a house cat who enjoys watching TV through the window, but even that seems like a stretch.)
No. 8 – Cleo
Cleo is a terrific feline name, though it’s also the name of one of Clifford’s best friends in the early 2000s PBS TV series.
It’s much more likely to be a reference to Egyptian queen Cleopatra, however, which makes sense as the ancient Egyptians considered cats to be deities.
No. 7 – Chloe
Chloe seems like more like a cat name than a dog name, possibly because of Lake Bell’s character (an overweight but generally pleasant feline neighbor of Max and Duke) in the Secret Life of Pets movies.
Since Chloe can mean “verdant,” this doesn’t exactly fit with cat personalities, except if you think that it could be referring to their tendency to being green with envy anytime perceived unfairness in the world doesn’t benefit them.
No. 6 – Nala
Nala is Simba’s mate in The Lion King, so it makes sense that this would be a popular cat name over the past two decades or so, especially given the live-action reboot last year that featured Beyonce voicing the role.
No. 5 – Lily
Again, a Lily is a pretty wildflower, the end. Lily cats might also be named after Alyson Hannigan’s character from How I Met Your Mother, too.
No. 4 – Kitty
I (Wesley) would complain about all the cats unimaginatively named Kitty, but that’s the name of my sister’s cat, and we have two porch cats that are just called “(primary marking) Kitty,” so maybe I shouldn’t judge here.
No. 3 – Lucy
Lucy kind of feels timeless for a cat, which could explain why it’s so incredibly popular and never seems to go out of style. And of course, it also brings to mind Lucy Van Pelt, who would make a very good cat, so there’s that as well.
No. 2 – Bella
Bella just sounds elitist and aloof, unlike a lot of other Isabella/Elizabeth cousins like Beth, Izzie, Liz, etc. So it works in that way, while also sounding adorable for tiny kittens and good-natured mama cats. Also, one of my friends has a fuzzy tortoiseshell named Bella.
No. 1 – Luna
As previously mentioned, “Luna” comes from Latin for moon, and it fits the feline nature better than it does for canines; given the natural tendency for cats to be a little more aloof and independent.