Guide to Tabby Cat Names: Background, Breed & Traits

Tabby Cat Background

What is a tabby cat? A tabby cat is a domestic cat that has a coat with either lines, a swirling pattern, dots, or stripes. Most tabby patterns are very noticeable, and you will usually see a mark that resembles a capital M on top of their head. Such a unique cat deserves a unique name.

After finding the best name for your unique kitty, create a custom Petventures storybook featuring your cat, then dedicate the storybook to your tabby cat by adding his or her name to the customizable dedication page. Check out the tabby cat names below for naming your new furry friend.

P.S. If you want to see more pet names, stories of pets, or share your pet's story check out our free Facebook group!

Famous Tabby Cats

Personality Traits

Tabby Cat Breeds

Naming Your Tabby Cat

Boy Tabby Cat Names

Girl Tabby Cat Names

Famous Tabby Cats

There have been several famous tabby cats in history. Here are some of the most well-known:

Morris - Morris has been the orange tabby cat spokesperson for the 9Lives cat food brand since 1968. Known as “the world’s most finicky cat”, he humorously only ate that brand of cat food.
Garfield - Garfield, a popular comic strip character, is the most recognized tabby cat in the world. Garfield has been in print since 1978, has headlined movies and TV shows, and is a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
Algonquin Cat - This hotel cat in Midtown Manhattan is very popular. The current cat is Hamlet VIII. He is named after longtime stage actor and resident John Barrymore.
Orangey - Orangey was the cat that starred in "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" with Audrey Hepburn. He was the only cat to win two PATSY Awards (the Oscar of animal actors).

Personality Traits

The tabby cat personality is known for being friendly. They are said to be highly intelligent as well as very affectionate. However, like any cat, they can also be sassy and quite bossy. Their personality will depend on how they were raised and their general disposition.

Tabby Cat Breeds

The tabby is not a cat breed, but actually a coat pattern. As the most common type of coat pattern, it has six unique and distinct marking types.

Classic Tabby

A classic tabby is one the most common tabbies with broad swirling patterns on its side. The spirals of dark color on a lighter color often resemble a marble cake. The classic tabby is commonly referred to as a blotched tabby.

Mackerel Tabby

A mackerel tabby is also one of the most common tabbies. Unlike the classic tabby with broad swirls, the mackerel tabby has narrow stripes of color down the sides. Some people refer to this as a tiger tabby.

Spotted Tabby

A spotted tabby has spots all over their side that form a pattern. A mackerel tabby can often be mistaken for a spotted tabby when its broken pattern resembles the spots of a spotted tabby.

Ticked Tabby

Ticked tabbies don’t have traditional stripes or spots on the body. Unlike other tabbies with large patterns, this cat’s individual hairs are striped with light and dark bands. This type of hair is known as agouti hairs.

Tortie Tabby

The name tortie is short for tortoiseshell, which comes from the tortoiseshell turtle. This tabby cat has patches of red tabby and brown tabby. The patterns may be more apparent on the heads of this breed.

Torbie Tabby

The name is short for tortoiseshell-tabby. The difference between a tortie and a torbie are the stripes. A torbie has tabby stripes and patches, where a tortie only has patches.

Naming Your Tabby Cat

Many people name their cat based on their pattern alone. We recommend reading through our guide to find a name that captures the personality of your cat.

Boy Tabby Cat Names

Classic names

Morris
Garfield
Tom
Milo
Sammy
Zeke
Tiger

Tough Names

Axe
Blade
Crusher
Dozer
Hercules
Maverick
Mighty Paws
Rampage
Razor
Scar
Zeus

Sweet Names

Button
Mr. Juggles
Nibbles
Pickles
Snickers
Squiggle
Wiggles

Girl Tabby Cat Names

Classic Names

Kitty
Xena
Queen
Marbles
Tilly
Tosha
Raven

Tough Names

Amber
Aphrodite
Athena
Banshee
Brawny Paws
Cleopatra (Cleo)
Electra
Huntress
Juno
Katniss
Khaleesi
Nikita
Ophelia
Siren
Storm
Venus
Zelda

Sweet Names

Cuddles
Dolly
Honey
Lady
Peaches
Bunny
Snowball
Snuggles
Waffles

Recommended Products

Looking for a purrfect gift for that special pet or pet-lover? We’ve put together a list of recommended products below.

Personalized Pet Storybook

Create a custom storybook, starring your pet. Design the look of your dog or cat, write a dedication, and add your name and hometown to create a uniquely personal adventure!

Pet Pop Art Blanket

Looking for a fantastic way to snuggle with your fur-born? Create a custom blanket featuring your pet’s likeness. Perfect for pet beds, your bed, and couches!

Personalized Pet Pop Art Fleece Blanket Dog Cat

Pet Pop Art Canvas

Do you love your pet enough to turn them into a work of art? Design custom canvas prints, featuring your pet, to display in your home. We work with you to capture the look of your dog or cat and select the perfect background from our collection of over 60 options!

Pet Pop Art Phone Case

Is your fur-born always on your mind? Create a custom phone case with your pet’s likeness on a variety of backgrounds. Show off your pet to the world and get tons of compliments on their cute face!

Pet Pop Art Socks

Turn your pet into a fashion statement! Make a pair of socks with your dog or cat’s likeness so you can walk around with their adorable face everywhere you go.

Pet Pop Art Tag

Need the perfect tag for your new furry friend? Make a custom tag with your dog or cat’s name on pop art backgrounds. Create an amazing tag to show off your pet’s personality to the world.