A recent survey identified the most popular cat name in every U.S. state and one name appeared 21 times.
For a second consecutive year, the name Luna topped the list for the most popular cat names in the country among male and females. This finding comes from TrustedHousesitters, a pet-sitting platform, that dove into the data of 100,000 dogs and cats registered to the community by July 2025.
The platform then broke up their findings based on each state. Luna became the top name in 21 states. This is up from the 14 states in 2023 with Luna as the top cat name, Newsweek previously reported.
Other names earning the title of a state’s most popular cat name include Charlie, Lucy, and Bella, all of which ranked in the top 4 overall. Lily, Loki, Max, Star, Oscar, Zelda, Pepper, Callie, Gus, Kitty, Olive, Olivia, Jack and Chloe, are among the other popular monikers.
Courtesy of TrustedHousesitters
While name ideas can come from anywhere—food, drinks, pop culture—the survey discovered pet parents often drew their name inspiration from cities and states.
The top five city-related names for pets, among both cats and dogs, were Aspen, Rio, Phoenix, Salem and London.
States such as Colorado, New York and Texas inspired owners to make a name decision, with their pet names coming in the top 100.
In the Rocky Mountain state of Colorado, tree-themed names, such as Oakley and Maple, honored the state’s wooded trails. Wildlife references also became popular in the state. This includes Moose, Buck and Bear.
New York City pet names paid homage to its food scene and entertainment, with Biggie, Cannoli, and Brooklyn making the list of most popular names.
Texans also couldn’t resist drawing inspiration to the Lone Star State. Buck, Bandit, Rowdy and Cowboy all captured the state’s western spirit, while the name Ranger likely comes from the Texas Rangers baseball team or the state’s law enforcement agency, the study stated.
But with monikers almost always comes a nickname. Giving a pet a nickname can influence how he or she behaves, especially if it is associated with patterns or rewards, according to an article from PetPlace.
If used enough, a cat can learn and pick up on their nickname, in addition to their full name. However, the article warns that inconsistent names or constantly changing the nickname could confuse your pet.
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