Where DID You Get That Name?

September 9, 2025

compiled by Krista Schmitt and Kate Preston

Names are powerful and our associations with them are individual and personal. How many times have you heard a name and thought, “Wow, that’s beautiful!” or “How did they ever come up with that?” Names evoke complex emotional responses and their sources are sometimes puzzling: “Empire State Building” = a famous New York City structure (easy guess); “X” = child (hmmm…why would someone name a baby THAT?); “Samantha Snuffleupalot Importunata” = Labrador Retriever (REALLY?!!)

Dear reader, the fun continues below…

 

Full Dress Feet

Our “tuxedo cat,” Spats, was named (of course) for his gorgeous white forepaws. However, he also goes by “Le Comte de Chatitude” because he has a strong personality and makes his wishes and demands known!

Owner – Susan Rostand

The Disney Kname

As you may know, in North America, Birmans are named according to the alphabet letter of the year. This year, the letter is “W,” and next year it will be “X.” A challenge, you say? Well, it can be, but no more so, perhaps, than “Q.”

My baby’s cattery is called Pixydust, and the owners/breeders were die-hard Disney fans, so I wanted to choose a Disney-related name for my baby. Well, not so easy when it is the “K” year. There may be “K” names now in the world of Disney, but 12 years ago this was not the case.

I enlisted the help of my niece (also a Disney aficionado) for assistance. She finally landed on “Neverland” and said: “Put a silent ‘K’ in front of it” — and that is how Kneverland came to be. He is a wonderful example of the breed, a Grand Premier, and a best friend for life.

Owner – Joann Lamb

 

Kitty Karma

A silver tabby with white, she was named Karma because, as her owner explained, “It just seemed to fit her.”

Owner – Jan Warner

 

Your kitty has a special name, and Cat Talk would like to know how YOU chose his or her name, or if your kitty chose his or her OWN name (we understand how independent cats are). It may be an unusual name for a brave feral survivor, or an old reliable name that fits a shelter kitty you could not resist. Or something altogether different! Drop us a quick line and let us know how their name came to be.

Please email CatTalk@cfa.org and stay tuned while we gather your inputs and share later this year.