Tabby isn’t a breed of cat but a pattern of the coat. Tabbies can come in various shapes and sizes, and the tabby markings differ from cat to cat. While the striped tabby may be the most common, and brown is the most common color, tabby markings can be swirls, spots, blotches, or stripes. Colors include ginger, silver or gray, and brown.

Below are 235 names, including popular cat names, names based on tabby markings, and celebrity cat names.

Click to Skip Ahead:

• Female Tabby Names
• Male Tabby Names
• Orange Tabby Names
• Gray Tabby Names
• Brown Tabby Names
• Pattern Names
• Striped Names
• M Names

Tips for Naming Your Tabby Cat

Most tabbies have a distinctive M marking on the head, but it can be difficult to make out in some cats. With all of this marking variance, there are plenty of naming opportunities. Tabby markings are distinctive, but that doesn’t mean you have to base your cat’s name on the swirls and colors.

Alternatively, you can pick a suitable name you’re happy calling to get your cat’s attention. Generally, cats respond better to names that end with a vowel sound and contain one or two syllables.

Avoid names that are the same or sound very similar to family members’ names or that might be confused with other pets in the house. For example, if you already have a Millie, it might be best to avoid calling your new tabby cat Billy.

Female Tabby Names

Below are some of the most popular female cat names for tabbies.

Male Tabby Names

Here are some male cat names for your tabby feline.

Orange Tabby Names

All ginger cats are tabbies, and they have distinctive stripes and patterns in their fur. Typically, the stripes or shapes are darker ginger than the base color. Interestingly, over three-quarters of ginger cats are male, and although female cats have ginger in their coats, it is usually combined with other markings, so you would be more likely to see a calico ginger female than a tabby ginger female.

Gray Tabby Names

While all ginger cats are tabbies, not all tabbies are ginger. Gray tabbies are very popular and have a sleek look, thanks to the gray markings. They are also referred to as silver tabbies, and the distinctive color offers an excellent opportunity to create a beautiful name for your cat. Here are some names based on the cat’s gray or silver color.

Brown Tabby Names

Brown tabbies are pretty common, but they’re still beautiful. The dark stripes and blotches bring a rich hue to the brown base coat, which can range slightly in shade but tends to be darker. You can pick a name based purely on the brown color in your cat’s coat or one that represents a combination of brown and black.

Pattern Names

Stripes are perhaps the most common shape in tabby coats but are just one possible marking. Some have blotches, and others have spots. Some even have swirls, and others have chevrons. Mackerel tabbies have thin stripes that run down the body, similar to the markings of a mackerel. You can use the shapes in your tabby’s coat to find the ideal name.

Striped Names

Although there are several pattern variations of tabby coats, stripes are the most common. But even in the striped tabby marking, there are considerable variations. The stripes can be thin or thick. They can run perpendicular to the body or have a more random arrangement. If your tabby has especially prominent stripes, you could pick a name for the marking. Names include some animals that also have similarly striped coats.

M Names

There are various myths and legends regarding why tabbies have an M on their forehead, but they all do. Sometimes, you have to look quite hard, and it can be challenging to discern the M shape from the rest of the stripes on your cat’s head, but it is there. Whether the M came about as a result of Mary stroking the tabby’s head in gratitude for singing baby Jesus to sleep or whether Muhammad gave the M mark for saving his life from a poisonous snake, the marking represents a good naming opportunity.

Famous Tabbies and Other Celebrity Cats

The tabby marking is distinctive and fairly common in the feline world. Because they have always been popular as pets, there have been several celebrity tabbies, both real and fictional. Whether your tabby kind of looks like Garfield or has a purple hue like The Cheshire Cat, you can find naming inspiration from these celebrity tabbies.

Conclusion

Choosing a name for your cat is an important decision. The name needs to be easy to recognize and not be easily confused with other names in the house or words you commonly use. You can call on inspiration from your favorite books, movies, or TV shows. You can also base a name on your favorite era in history, or you can base it on the color, markings, and appearance of your cat.

Above, we have provided 235 possible names for tabby cats to help you find the perfect inspiration for your feline friend.

See also:

• 100+ Tiger Striped Cat Names: Ideas for Unique & Exotic Cats
• 100+ Unique Cat Names: Ideas for Rare & Eclectic Kitties

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Featured Image Credit: komet chusakun, Shutterstock