Orange Cat Names – 100 Pawesome Names for Your Ginger Kitty

“In my head, the sky is blue, the grass is green and cats are orange.” – Jim Davis, creator of Garfield

Orange, red, ginger, marmalade, and cream – all of these words describe cats with coats ranging in color from a faded apricot hue to a deep blood orange.

Orange cats have a gene that causes them to produce pheomelanin instead of eumelanin, which is brown or black pigment. Because this gene is on the X chromosome, orange male cats can only produce pheomelanin, meaning that their coats will be just white and orange with no brown or black.

Female cats, however, have two X chromosomes and may have both the orange allele and the non-orange allele – that’s why it’s extremely rare to find a male tortoiseshell or calico cat. About 80% of all orange cats are males – and they’re all tabbies. Even orange cats who appear to have a solid coat are, in fact, subtly sporting a low-contrast tabby pattern.

Top 100 Names for Orange Cats

Name inspiration is everywhere – but nowhere is it more abundant than directly on your cat. Your cat’s personality, vibrant ginger coat, and their unique history all give you hints about the perfect name.

The following list of 100 orange cat names is inspired by orange tabbies of pop culture, famous human redheads, orange food, and other orange-related words. Use it as a launchpad for your own namestorming session.

1. Rory

Rory is a name with its origins in medieval Scotland and Ireland, the world’s leaders in natural-born redheads. The word is a form of the Gaelic “red-haired king”, making it perfect for your noble ginger cat.

2. Butters

This sweet name is well-suited to soft, fluffy cats with a cream-colored coat.

3. Nubit

For your female orange cat, try out this name, which is Egyptian for “golden lady”.

4. Sandiego

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? Although this character is usually drawn with dark brown hair, it was described as auburn in early depictions, a color matching her distinctive red trench coat and matching red fedora.

5. Carrot Top

A word of warning: if you’re not a fan of the comedian of the same name, prepare for friends and family to make assumptions about your comedy interests based on your choice of cat name.

6. Loki

This name is already popular among cats of all colors – it’s the name of a Norse trickster god and a Marvel character. For orange cats, the meaning goes deeper – it’s an acronym meaning “little orange kitty”.

7. Scully

X-Files fans will appreciate the reference to the redheaded FBI agent and doctor Dana Scully.

8. Biscuit

Ideal for a cream-colored tabby, this name brings to mind warm, buttered biscuits – soft and tender like your cat.

9. Goldfish

There’s something fun about naming your cat after a different species.

10. Ferris

This name is a quirky, cat-worthy variation on “ferric”. Ferric oxide, or rust, has a deep orange color.

11. Peanut

Especially if your new cat is a small kitten, their cream-colored body might remind you of a peanut.

12. Pekoe

Pekoe, pronounced peck-oh, comes from orange pekoe, as in “orange pekoe tea”. Contrary to what you might believe, orange pekoe tea isn’t a type of tea at all – it’s a classification term referring to a range of high-grade black tea.

13. Vincent Van Gogh

This name is melodious, unusual, and pays tribute to one of history’s great artists – a poetic painter who happened to have red hair.

14. Mimosa

If you’re a fan of this vibrantly orange drink, think about how it might suit your vibrantly orange kitty.

15. Amarillo

Does your cat’s coat have a yellowish color? Think about naming them Amarillo, which is Spanish for “yellow” and a joy to pronounce.

16. Lava

If your cat’s bright orange coat reminds you of molten lava, you might like this short two-syllable name.

17. Colby

The annatto in colby cheese gives it a warm yellow – orange color. Compared to other similar cheeses, it is relatively soft and has a mild flavor. Do those adjectives remind you of a very special orange cat in your life? If so, Colby might be the perfect name.

18. Sunshine

Orange cats make every day a little brighter. Interestingly, the sun does the exact same thing, so Sunshine might be the perfect name for your radiant little beast.

19. Paprika

Made from dried and ground peppers, this spice has a deep orange color. It’s also fun to pronounce. Try it out. Pa-pri-ka.

20. Peachy

If your cat is fuzzy, orange, and as sweet as a fresh, juicy peach on a hot summer day, think about choosing this name.

21. Orange Julius

Do you love a good orange julius drink? Think about giving your cat this name.

22. Tigeroni

Like tigers, pepperoni, and macaroni and cheese, orange cats have a vibrant color that almost never fails to get people excited.

23. Caramel

If your cat’s warm golden color reminds you of caramel, this name might resonate.

24. Autumn

If your cat blends right in with the fall leaves, you might consider this fun seasonally-inspired name.

25. Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a spring vegetable – often considered a fruit – with tart, crisp flesh that’s green on the inside and a blushy red on the outside. It’s also the name of the orange tomcat in the 1951 comedy movie “Rhubarb”.

26. Archie

This name is inspired by Archie Andrews, the charismatic  “typical American teenager” of Archie Comics.

27. Saffron

This highly-valued spice consists of the delicate stamens of a flower commonly known as the Saffron Crocus. These fragile red filaments impart a deep golden color to the dishes that use them.

28. Spot

This name might not initially seem appropriate for a ginger cat, but Star Trek fans will recognize it as the name of Data’s female orange cat.

29. Jonesy

Jonesy or Jones was the name of a ginger tomcat living with the crew of the USCSS Nostromo in the first two movies in the Alien anthology.

30. Morris

Morris is a feline advertising icon who helped to popularize 9Lives cat food.

31. Crookshanks

In Harry Potter, Crookshanks is the name of Hermione Granger’s pet cat. Crookshanks looks like an orange Persian, but he’s also half Kneazle.

32. Ulysses

An orange tabby named Ulysses plays a mysterious and significant role in the 2013 black tragicomedy “Inside Llewyn Davis”.

33. Milo

Do you remember The Adventures of Milo and Otis, the 1986 movie in which an orange kitten and a pug travel across the countryside together?

34. Maple Syrup

If it’s sweet, tawny-colored, and wonderful at breakfast time as well as any other time of day, maybe it’s maple syrup – or maybe it’s your orange cat.

35. Apricot

Small, sweet, and bearing a delicate orange hue, Apricot brings to mind visions of lightly-colored orange kittens.

36. Mango

The world of fruit is full of name inspiration for orange cats. This sweet, juicy tropical fruit has a straightforward two-syllable name perfect for a cat.

37. Cheddar

It’s not cheesy to name your orange cat after a popular orange cheese…right?

38. Tang

Although Tang is available in a rainbow of flavors, most of us probably think of it as a bright orange beverage.

39. Toulouse

In the Disney movie Aristocats, Toulouse is a roly-poly orange kitten with a penchant for play.

40. Tikka Masala

Love tikka masala and its happy orange hue? This might be the perfect name for your vibrantly-colored cat.

41. Marmalade

Marmalade is like sunshine in a jar and has a deep association with orange cats. The Cambridge dictionary defines a marmalade cat as “a cat whose fur is dark orange with small strips of yellow or brown”.

42. Chester

In the children’s book series Bunnicula, Chester is a bookish and slightly neurotic orange tabby.

43. Alani

Looking for a Hawaiian name for your orange cat? You might like Alani, which simply means “orange” in Hawaiian.

44. Dorito

Like an intensely flavorful corn chip, your cat has a lot of personality injected into a small package. Plus they’re orange, like a nacho cheese Dorito.

45. Rusty

Here’s a classic name that’s best suited to cats with a deep, rust-red coat.

46. Pepper

This perky, fun name brings to mind orange-fleshed peppers like orange bell peppers, scotch bonnets, and habaneros.

47. Pebbles

Remember Pebbles, the character on the Flintstones – and her little red ponytail? This redhead-inspired name is cute, quirky, and perfect for an orange cat.

48. Pippi

Like Pippi Longstocking, some cats are happy-go-lucky and adventurous redheads.

49. Rudy

This German name sounds a little bit like a variation of “ruddy”, a reminder of your cat’s red coat.

50. Garfield

As the name of an overweight, lazy ginger tabby in the comic strip Garfield, this name is best suited to orange cats with a similar physique and personality.

Here are 50 more orange cat names to consider…

• Rouge
• Anne
• Sunset
• Nancy
• Pumpkin
• Ed Sheeran
• OJ
• Monarch
• Honey
• Gus
• Tango
• Luigi
• Cinnamon
• Spice Cake
• Amber
• Sunkist
• Rosie
• Copper
• Flame
• Tabasco
• Nectarine
• Ginger
• Spirit
• Poppy
• Thomas
• Witch’s Butter
• Tiger
• Yammy
• Cranberry
• Foxie
• Red
• Phoebe
• Howard Roark
• Ruby
• Salmon
• Goldie
• Nahla
• Rose Red
• Zesty
• Sunrise
• Russet
• Simba
• Coral
• Chianti
• Reba
• Opie
• Raspberry
• Cashew
• Blush
• Ruivo