There are so many beautiful moments when we invite a new feline into the family. There's their first meow, the first time they sleep on your chest and, of course, the first time they say your name. OK, maybe the last one is wishful thinking, but there is one decision early on which will mean a lot: what you are going to name them. It's a great opportunity to match their personality with a name. It's also a big responsibility because if you get it wrong, you're stuck with it. Greek myths are full of interesting names, but, more importantly, their names have come to provide lots of cultural meaning which still extend to today. This is why AnimalWised brings you this list of Greek mythology names for cats. Whether it is the name of a god, Titan or other characters from Greek myths, they are great for newborn kittens as much as they are for adult cats introduced to your home.
Looking for the perfect Greek mythology name for your cat
Before we share with you our list of Greek mythology names for cats, we're going to look into the thought process required for choosing an appropriate name. It includes:
- Choosing your name based on physical or personality characteristics of your cat. For example, if your cat has come from a problematic home, then you can call them Charon based on the ferryman who brings souls across the river Styx or, if they are an all black cat, Fury.
- Some people like to name their cat after a previous cat they have owned, known or even is from the same lineage. For example, if you have a male cat, you can call he, Ares as he was the son of Zeus or Hyperion who was one of the Titans who was the son of Gaia and overthrew Uranus with the other Titans.
- Sometimes a physical characteristic or even impediment can help you name your cat. If your cat has an eye defect, you can call them Cyclops, named after the creature in Greek mythology. If your cat has flame red fur, you can call her Hestia, the Greek goddess of fire.
- It could be something to do with the place where your new cat is from as many current place names derive somewhere from Geek mythology.
- Cats can often have longer names, even if you shorten it to a nickname, E.g. Dionysus might be a little long to call out the garden, so you can call them Dio for short. Contrary to popular belief, cats can remember their names and respond to them.
- If we adopt a new cat with an unknown name, giving them a new name will help give them a fresh start. This is why Helios, the Greek god of the sun may be appropriate as it is the dawning of a new time.
Now that you have given a thought about some of the names for cats in Greek mythology, we'll give you a list to make sure you find the one which fits. There are many options to choose from, some longer, some shorter. You may want to choose one for relatively arbitrary reasons such as liking the sound of it. However, don't forget to look up the meaning and see if it really suits your new furball.
Names from Greek mythology for female cats
If you have a female cat, you will probably want to give them a name of one of the many Greek goddesses, deities or even places from mythology:
- Aphrodite (goddess of love)
- Alcmene
- Amalthea
- Artemis
- Athens
- Athena
- Cadmea
- Cybele
- Crete
- Demeter
- Dione
- Dodona
- Elusis
- Etna
- Europe
- Gaea
- Hebe
- Hera
- Hestia
- Medusa
- Metis
- Olympia
- Ossa
- Pandora
- Pyrrha
- Pythia
- Chimera
- Rhea
- Salamis
- Sicily
- Thebes
- Tethys
- Titania
- Troy
Names from Greek mythology for male cats
Now for our male cat friends, we have some of the Greek gods and characters from Greek mythology which might be suitable for your new cat. They include:
- Apollo
- Achilles
- Ares
- Bellerophon
- Briareos
- Cadmus
- Chaos
- Caucasus
- Cronus
- Delphi
- Deucalion
- Dionysus
- Ephialtes
- Aegean
- Epimetheus
- Hades
- Hephaestus
- heracles
- Hercules
- Hermes
- Ilium
- Iapetus (Japetus)
- Jason
- Oceanus
- Oedipus
- Olympus
- Orpheus
- Otus
- Pan
- Pirithous
- Poseidon
- Prometheus
- Tartarus
- Themistocles
- Theseus
- Typhon
- Titan
- Uranus
- Zeus (god of Olympus)
All of these names can be a source of inspiration, but reading up a little about them might lead you to find one which is even more suitable for your cat. You can modify them, make them into nicknames or simply choose one which sounds cool. Whatever it is, it needs to be something you wan to stick with, so maybe you can decide on one, but live with it for a day or two before making it official. Whatever it is, don't overthink it and enjoy your time together with your new cat worthy of their place in your personal Parthenon.
If you want to read similar articles to Greek Mythology Names for Cats, we recommend you visit our Names category.