Japanese Orange Cat Names

Japan has a deep cat culture, from the beckoning maneki-neko figure to a calico who became a real railway stationmaster. Japanese also has a word specifically for an orange tabby cat: chatora. That makes it a rich language for orange cat names.

Below are Japanese names grouped by meaning, with the Japanese script for each so you can see how they are written. Romanized Japanese is usually pronounced as written, with every vowel sounded, so Kohaku is "ko-ha-ku" and Mikan is "mee-kahn."

Japanese words for orange and related colors

Japanese fruit and food names

Japanese nature, fire and sun names

All Japanese orange cat names with notes

Every Japanese name in our database, with a short note on each.

• AkaneGirl: Japanese for deep red, named for the madder plant.
• AkariGirl: Japanese for "light" or "glow," as from a lamp.
• AkiNeutral: Japanese for "autumn."
• BeniGirl: Japanese for "crimson."
• CatbusNeutral: The grinning, many-legged cat bus from My Neighbor Totoro.
• ChatoraNeutral: The Japanese term for an orange tabby cat.
• DaidaiNeutral: Japanese for bitter orange, and also a word for the color orange.
• DaifukuNeutral: A soft round mochi with a sweet filling.
• DangoNeutral: Sweet Japanese rice dumplings on a skewer.
• DorayakiNeutral: Two small pancakes sandwiching sweet bean paste, famously Doraemon's favorite snack.
• EbiNeutral: Japanese for "shrimp."
• FujiNeutral: An apple variety developed in Japan, named after Mount Fuji.
• FuyuNeutral: Japanese for "winter."
• GinNeutral: Japanese for "silver."
• HanaGirl: Japanese for "flower."
• HanabiNeutral: Japanese for "fireworks," literally "fire flowers."
• HaruNeutral: Japanese for "spring."
• HiNeutral: Japanese for "fire."
• HikariGirl: Japanese for "light."
• HinataNeutral: Japanese for "sunny place."
• HomuraNeutral: Japanese for "flame."
• HoshiNeutral: Japanese for "star."
• HotaruGirl: Japanese for "firefly."
• IkuraNeutral: Japanese for salmon roe, the bright orange sushi topping.
• InariNeutral: A Shinto deity of rice whose messengers are said to be foxes.
• JijiBoy: Kiki's talking black cat in Studio Ghibli's Kiki's Delivery Service.
• KabochaNeutral: A sweet Japanese winter squash with orange flesh.
• KaedeGirl: Japanese for "maple."
• KakiNeutral: Japanese for persimmon, a bright orange fruit.
• KinNeutral: Japanese for "gold."
• KinakoNeutral: Japanese roasted soybean flour, a soft golden tan.
• KitsuneNeutral: Japanese for "fox," a clever shape-shifter in folklore.
• KoganeNeutral: Japanese for "gold."
• KohakuNeutral: A Japanese word for amber, and also the name of a classic red-and-white koi variety.
• KumaBoy: Japanese for "bear," great for a big fluffy cat.
• KumoNeutral: Japanese for "cloud."
• KuroNeutral: Japanese for "black," for an orange cat with black patches.
• ManekiNeutral: From maneki-neko, the beckoning cat figure, often shown as a calico.
• MikanNeutral: Japanese for mandarin orange.
• MikenekoNeutral: The Japanese term for a calico cat, from mike, meaning "triple fur."
• MisoNeutral: A savory fermented paste, warm golden-brown in color.
• MochiNeutral: A soft, chewy rice cake, for a soft, squishy cat.
• MomijiGirl: Japanese for maple, and the red and orange leaves of autumn.
• MomoGirl: Japanese for "peach."
• NatsuNeutral: Japanese for "summer."
• NekoNeutral: Japanese for "cat."
• NinjinNeutral: Japanese for "carrot."
• PurinNeutral: The Japanese word for custard pudding.
• RoninBoy: A samurai without a master in feudal Japan.
• SakuraGirl: Japanese for "cherry blossom."
• SatsumaNeutral: A sweet, easy-peel mandarin named after a former Japanese province.
• SenbeiNeutral: Crunchy Japanese rice crackers.
• ShiroNeutral: Japanese for "white."
• ShuNeutral: Japanese for "vermilion."
• SoraNeutral: Japanese for "sky."
• SushiNeutral: For a fish-obsessed orange cat.
• TaiyakiNeutral: A golden, fish-shaped cake filled with sweet bean paste.
• TaiyoBoy: Japanese for "sun."
• TamaGirl: A classic Japanese cat name, and the calico who served as stationmaster at Kishi Station.
• TamagoNeutral: Japanese for "egg," for an orange and white cat.
• TanukiNeutral: The Japanese raccoon dog, a playful trickster in folklore.
• TempuraNeutral: Golden and crispy, like a pale orange coat.
• ToraNeutral: Japanese for "tiger," ideal for a striped orange tabby.
• ToranekoNeutral: Japanese for "tabby cat," literally "tiger cat."
• TsukiNeutral: Japanese for "moon."
• YukiNeutral: Japanese for "snow," lovely for an orange and white cat.
• YuzuNeutral: A fragrant Japanese citrus fruit.

Famous Japanese cats

• Maneki-neko: the beckoning cat figure with one raised paw, often seen at shop entrances. It is traditionally shown as a calico, which is why we list Maneki and Mikeneko as calico names.
• Tama: a calico cat who became famous as the stationmaster of Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture, and is credited with drawing visitors to the rural railway line.
• Jiji: Kiki's sarcastic black cat in Studio Ghibli's Kiki's Delivery Service.
• Catbus: the grinning, many-legged bus from My Neighbor Totoro.
• Calcifer: not a cat, but the fire demon from Howl's Moving Castle, a perfect orange cat name.

Japanese names by coat color

• Orange tabby: Chatora, Toraneko or Tora.
• Orange and white: Yuki (snow), Shiro (white) or Kohaku, which is also the name of a red and white koi.
• Black and orange or calico: Mikeneko, Kuro (black) or Maneki.
• Gray and orange: Gin (silver), paired with Kin (gold) for two cats.
• Light orange or cream: Kinako, Purin or Momo.
• Big and fluffy: Kuma (bear) or Kumo (cloud).

How to pronounce Japanese cat names

Japanese pronunciation is very regular, which makes these names easier to say than they might look.

• Five vowels, always the same: a as in "father," i as in "machine," u as in "flute," e as in "met," o as in "go."
• Every vowel is sounded. Mikan is "mee-kahn" and Momiji is "mo-mee-jee."
• Long vowels: some names have a long vowel, often written with a line over it, such as Taiyō. Just hold that vowel a little longer.
• Even stress: Japanese does not stress syllables the way English does, so say each syllable at roughly the same strength.

Cats in Japanese culture

• Cat Day: Japan celebrates Cat Day on February 22. In Japanese, 2-2-2 can be read as "ni ni ni," which sounds like "nyan nyan nyan," the Japanese version of "meow meow meow."
• Maneki-neko: the beckoning cat is said to invite good fortune. People often say a raised left paw invites customers and a raised right paw invites money.
• Cat islands: several small Japanese islands, such as Tashirojima and Aoshima, became famous because cats outnumber people there.
• Tama the stationmaster: a calico named Tama served as stationmaster at Kishi Station and became a national celebrity.

Japanese sayings about cats

Cats show up in plenty of everyday Japanese expressions. A few favorites:

• Nekojita (cat tongue): someone who cannot handle hot food or drinks, because cats are said to avoid hot food.
• Nekoze (cat back): hunched or slouching posture.
• Neko no te mo karitai (I would even borrow a cat's paws): being so busy that you would take help from anyone, even the cat.
• Neko ni koban (gold coins to a cat): giving something valuable to someone who cannot appreciate it, much like the English "pearls before swine."
• Neko kaburi (wearing a cat): hiding your true nature behind a sweet, gentle act. Many cat owners would say their cat does exactly this with guests.

Any of these could inspire a name. A cat who refuses warm food could be Nekojita, and a cat who acts innocent around visitors could be Kaburi.

Japanese name pairs for two orange cats

• Mikan and Yuzu: two Japanese citrus fruits.
• Kin and Gin: gold and silver, for an orange cat and a gray cat.
• Kuro and Shiro: black and white, for a calico pair or an orange cat's housemates.
• Taiyo and Hoshi: sun and star.
• Natsu and Aki: summer and autumn.
• Mochi and Dango: two sweet rice treats.

Tips for choosing a Japanese name

Many Japanese names can be written in more than one way, and the same sound can have different meanings depending on the characters. If the meaning matters to you, choose the characters as well as the sound, and check with a native speaker or a reliable dictionary.

1. Keep it to one or two syllables for everyday use. A longer formal name is fine, but give it a short call name. "Sir Fluffington" becomes "Fluff" by week two anyway.
2. Say it out loud ten times. If you feel silly yelling it across the yard or at the vet's front desk, keep looking.
3. Avoid names that sound like commands. "Kit" and "sit," or "Bo" and "no," can blur together for a cat who is still learning.
4. Watch your cat for a few days. Personality is often the best tiebreaker. A kitten who climbs the curtains may be a Blaze, not a Biscuit.
5. Use the name often and pair it with good things. Say it at mealtime and during treats. A 2019 study in the journal Scientific Reports found that pet cats can tell their own name apart from similar-sounding words.

More orange cat name lists

• Irish Names for Orange Cats
• Unique Orange Cat Names
• Food Names for Orange Cats
• Orange Tabby Cat Names
• All orange cat names + sorter