Names Categorized "cats" - Behind the Name

Artemis f Greek Mythology, Greek
Meaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning "safe" or ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning "a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was known as Diana to the Romans.

Babür m Turkish
Turkish form of Babur.

Balam m Mayan
Means "jaguar" in Mayan (Yucatec Maya báalam; K'iche' Maya balam).

Bastet f Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian bꜣstt, which was possibly derived from bꜣs meaning "ointment jar" and a feminine t suffix. In Egyptian mythology Bastet was a goddess of cats, fertility and the sun who was considered a protector of Lower Egypt. In early times she was typically depicted with the head of a lioness. By the New Kingdom period she was more associated with domestic cats, while the similar cat goddess Sekhmet took on the fierce lioness aspect.

Cat f & m English
Diminutive of Catherine. It can also be a nickname from the English word for the animal.

Garfield m English
From a surname meaning "triangle field" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president James A. Garfield (1831-1881). It is now associated with the cat in Jim Davis's cartoon strip Garfield.

Ixchel f Mayan Mythology, Mayan
Possibly means "rainbow lady", from Classic Maya ix "lady" and chel "rainbow". Ixchel was a Maya goddess associated with the earth, jaguars, medicine and childbirth. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.

Lucifer m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Means "bringing light", derived from Latin lux "light" and ferre "to bring". In Latin this name originally referred to the morning star, Venus, but later became associated with the chief angel who rebelled against God's rule in heaven (see Isaiah 14:12). In later literature, such as the Divine Comedy (1321) by Dante and Paradise Lost (1667) by John Milton, Lucifer became associated with Satan himself.

Luna f Roman Mythology, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English
Means "the moon" in Latin (as well as Italian, Spanish and other Romance languages). Luna was the Roman goddess of the moon, frequently depicted driving a white chariot through the sky.

Nahuel m Mapuche (Hispanicized)
Variant of Nawel using Spanish spelling conventions.

Nala 2 f Popular Culture
The name of a lion in the animated movie The Lion King (1994). Though many sources claim it means "gift" or "beloved" in Swahili, it does not appear to have a meaning in that language.

Nawel m Mapuche
Means "jaguar" in Mapuche.

Petronius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that was possibly derived from Latin petro, petronis meaning "yokel".

Rover m & f Pet
From an English word, the agent noun of the verb rove meaning "roam, wander". This a stereotypical name for a dog.

Vepkhia m Georgian
Derived from Old Georgian ვეფხი (vepkhi) meaning "tiger".

Wangari f Kikuyu
From Kikuyu ngarĩ meaning "leopard". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi.

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