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Calico and Tortoiseshell Cat Names

March 3, 2020 by Emily Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission if products are purchased through them. All opinions are honest and remain my own.

If you have a calico or tortoiseshell cat, you know how special they are. The unique coloring of these cats is some of the most beautiful around. Having had a calico myself, I decided to compose a list of all my ideas for calico and tortoiseshell cat names, in case I ever find myself with another one in the future.

When my husband and I were picking out a name for the abandoned stray calico cat that wound up being our baby of many years, we were going through an old movie phase. Not knowing at the time that calico cats are almost always female, we settled on the name Bela Lugosi (because of her decidedly creepy tendencies.) Luckily for us, Bela is a name that works well for either gender!

Not that it really matters; names are fluid. That’s why I’ve included a whole spectrum of name ideas in this list. Some are just things that remind me of the white, black, and reddish brown patches on a calico’s fur, or the exquisite marble effect of a tortie’s coat. Others are characters that famously sport similar colors (like Bamm Bamm from the Flintstones!)

For both calicos and tortoiseshells, only one in every 3,000 is born a male. Of these rare males, nearly all are sterile. This is why calicos and torties cannot be bred, and why I decided to include many names that harken to the female spirit.

I also like the idea of names that suggest a hodgepodge or an amalgamation of hues and patterns. Calicos are considered to be lucky or magical in some cultures, so I played on that theme as well. What names do you like for calico or tortoiseshell cats?

A

  • Ali 
  • Agate (Aggie for short)
  • Amaretto
  • Amber
  • Andromeda
  • Annie
  • Arizona
  • Aurora
  • Autumn

B

  • Bambi
  • Bamm Bamm 
  • Beauty
  • Bella
  • Belladonna
  • Birdie
  • Bongo
  • Bouquet
  • Brew
  • Bridle
  • Brunhilde
  • Bruschetta
  • Buckeye
  • Burl
  • Butterfly

C

  • Callie
  • Callista
  • Camo 
  • Caterpillar
  • Chance
  • Chroma
  • Cloudy
  • Coffee
  • Collage
  • Colleen (an Irish term for an unmarried girl)
  • Confetti 
  • Coral
  • Cookie
  • Coquette
  • Countess
  • Cupcake

D

  • Dame
  • Dawn
  • Diva
  • Dowager
  • Duchess
  • Dusky

E

  • Eclair
  • Eclipse
  • Ember
  • Empress

F

  • Flame
  • Freckles
  • Fortune
  • Foxy
  • Freya (the goddess of love and beauty in Norse mythology)
  • Fusion

The coloring of these animals – an African Bongo, a Baltimore Oriole, the majestic Tiger, and a Woolly Bear caterpillar – all sport similar colors to calico and/or tortie cats.

G

  • Galaxy
  • Gem
  • Ginger
  • Gizmo
  • Glory
  • Goulash
  • Grizabella
  • Gumbo

H

  • Hermione
  • Hobbes
  • Hocus Pocus
  • Hodgy (or Hodgepodge)

I – J

  • Ice Cream
  • Intarsia (a form of wood inlaying)
  • Jumble
  • Juno

K

  • Kaleidoscope
  • Kitkat
  • Knotty
  • Koa (a type of wood)
  • Koi

L

  • Lady
  • Ladybug
  • Lentils
  • Lucky

M

  • Madame
  • Magic
  • Mahogany
  • Maize
  • Majesty
  • Maple
  • Marble
  • Marzipan

M…

  • Medley
  • Milkweed
  • Mineral (Minnie for short)
  • Mogwai
  • Monarch
  • Mosy or Mosaic
  • Motley
  • Mottles
  • Myrtle

N – O

  • Nala
  • Nebula
  • Ombre
  • Olio
  • Oriole

P

  • Palette
  • Panda (red pandas are also reddish brown, black, and white)
  • Patches
  • Pebbles
  • Penny
  • Pepper
  • Pixel

P – Q

  • Pizza
  • Polka Dot
  • Poly (polychromatic)
  • Potluck
  • Potpourri 
  • Princess
  • Prisma
  • Pumpkin
  • Puzzle
  • Queen
  • Quinoa

R

  • Rainbow
  • Rarity
  • Reese 
  • Regina
  • Rice
  • Rocky Road
  • Rogue
  • Rooster
  • Rubble
  • Ruddy
  • Rum Tug Tugger
  • Rusty

S

  • S’more
  • Sable
  • Serendipity
  • Shelly
  • Shere Khan
  • Snapper
  • Speckle
  • Spectrum
  • Spices
  • Splendor
  • Spot
  • Sprinkles
  • Stew
  • Storm
  • Sundae
  • Sunset
  • Sushi

T

  • Tamarind
  • Tiger Lily
  • Tigger
  • Tiramisu
  • Toast
  • Tony
  • Toucan Sam
  • Tortie
  • Toto (another play on tortoise shell)
  • Treble
  • Trifle
  • Trilogy
  • Trinity
  • Trio
  • Turtle

U – V

  • Unique
  • Ursula (the name means “little female bear)
  • Vixen
  • Venus

W – Z

  • Woolly Bear
  • Xena
  • Yoshi
  • Zelda

The process of picking out just the right name for your new kitty is such a fun and exciting time. We hope this list helped you think of some ideas! If you’re new to cat parenthood and want to make sure you have everything you need for your sweet kitty, check out our article on 10 Essential Items For Your Cat: My Recommendations!

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Meet Wendy and Emily – just 2 sisters and cat lovers! We each have well over 20 years of experience with cat ownership and are here to share our knowledge with you. You can read our full bio here.

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