Black Cat Names
Black cats wait roughly four days longer than any other cat to get adopted, which means yours probably came home a little harder-won, give it a name with some teeth. Browse every black name if you just want the full list; this is the curated, opinionated version.
The shelter math is real: studies of U.S. adoption data have repeatedly shown black cats sit in cages longest, partly because of a centuries-old smear campaign and partly because they photograph as a smudge under fluorescent light. Pope Gregory IX's 1233 papal bull *Vox in Rama* tied black cats to the devil, medieval Europe ran with it, and we're somehow still apologizing for it on Instagram. None of that is your cat's fault. The right name flips the whole script, lean into the witch's-familiar mystique instead of hiding from it.
A black coat is a blank canvas. It carries a gothic name (Morgana), a one-syllable cool name (Jet), and a deadpan joke (Marmite) equally well. Below, the picks are split by mood. If none land, throw your cat's personality at the cat name generator, or speed-date a few hundred options on Cat Name Tinder, black cats tend to win the swipe wars once you stop fighting the vibe.
Witchy & Spooky
This is the home-field advantage. A black cat in a witchy name is a cliché only because it works, Salem from *Sabrina the Teenage Witch* and Binx from *Hocus Pocus* are the two most recognizable fictional black cats alive, and both names read as charming rather than spooky once a real cat is attached to them. Jinx splits the difference: ostensibly bad luck, actually adorable.
For the familiar who clearly has opinions about the moon:
- Salemthe patron saint of black cats, sarcastic energy included
- BinxThackery Binx, Hocus Pocus, cursed but lovable
- Jinxplayfully unlucky, the friendliest of curses
- Morganathe enchantress, for a cat that bewitches on sight
- Hadeslord of the underworld, ruling from the windowsill
- Vaderdark side, heavy breathing, secretly soft
- Midnatwilight-toned and full of mischief
Sleek & Cool
Black cats look expensive. A glossy melanistic coat catches light like polished stone, so the names that suit them best are the ones you'd find on a luxury car or a gemstone tray. Onyx and Jet are literally black minerals; Shadow is the genre's evergreen for a reason. Keep these short, a sleek cat doesn't need three syllables to make an entrance.
One-word, all-attitude names that match the gloss:
- Shadowthe classic, sleek, quiet, always one room ahead of you
- Onyxglossy black stone, sharp and strong
- Jetfossilized black gem, fast as the name sounds
- Noirpure film-noir cool, trench coat optional
- Pantherall muscle, all silence
- Bladesharp, sleek, dangerously stylish
- Velvetfor the cat whose fur begs to be touched
- Obsidianvolcanic glass, for the dramatic full-name type
Mythology & Night
Black cats and the dark have a long, flattering history once you skip the witch-hunt chapter. Bastet, the Egyptian goddess depicted as a black cat, was worshipped for protection, Egyptians revered cats so much that harming one could carry a death sentence. Nyx is the Greek primordial goddess of night itself, the kind of name that sounds ancient and modern at once. Luna isn't black-coded, but a moon name on a midnight cat is the oldest pairing in the book.
Names that nod to the night sky and the old gods:
- NyxGreek goddess of night, dark, primordial, three letters of cool
- Bastetthe Egyptian cat goddess herself, reclaiming the title
- AnubisEgyptian guardian of the dead, watchful and regal
- Midnightthe literal hour, dramatic and unmistakable
- Ravendark, clever, a little wild
- Crowglossy-feathered and sharp-eyed
- Lunathe moon, a softer counterweight to a dark coat
- Cerberusthe three-headed guardian, for an only cat with big-dog energy
Elegant & Understated
Not every black cat wants to be a Halloween mascot. Some are quiet aristocrats who'd prefer a name with old money in it. Ebony and Sable are the textile-and-wood words for deep black, both genuinely elegant. Then there's the food-name tradition, which is its own quiet joke: Espresso, Licorice, and Guinness are all unmistakably black, and all sound a little like a wine list.
Refined, with a wink for the foodies:
- Ebonydeep, glossy, and effortlessly classy
- Sablelush, dark, luxurious, the fur-trade word for black
- Espressodark, bold, full of energy by 6 a.m.
- Licoricedark, sweet, a little chewy
- Guinnesssmooth, full-bodied, a stout of a cat
- Coalblack as the name, twice as warm
- Inkysplotchy, dark, and unbearably cute
- Jijithe witty black cat from Kiki's Delivery Service
Adopt-don't-shop bonus
Many shelters run discounted or fee-waived 'black cat' adoptions around late October because the myths slow them down year-round. If you've got the room, that's the best time to give a Salem or a Nyx a real win.
Black cats are the unofficial mascot of Halloween, the muse of every witch story since the Dark Ages, and, going by adoption rates, the most slept-on cat in the building. A good name does some quiet rehabilitation work: it tells the world this cat is mysterious, not unlucky. Pick the one that makes you grin, and let the superstition stay in 1233 where it belongs.
Keep reading
- Orange Cat Names for Your Ginger MenaceGinger, marmalade, and fiery names for orange cats, plus the genetics behind why your tabby is almost certainly a boy.
- Cat Names Inspired by Famous CatsName your cat after a famous one, Garfield, Grumpy Cat, Choupette, Larry the Chief Mouser, and more, each with the story behind it.