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Naming your new pet is a big undertaking. This will be the name that your kitty has for the rest of their life and will likely be the inspiration behind the many nicknames that you will eventually develop for your pet. I have a Juniper, but I call her Junie, June Bug, Bug, Bugaboo, and pretty much anything in between!
If you’d like your cat’s name to have an Asian influence but aren’t sure where to start looking, we can help. Here, you’ll find a list of hundreds of cat names organized into categories, including nature, pop culture, and coat color. Read on to start making a shortlist of all the options that you like for your new pet!
How to Name Your Cat
Choosing the perfect name for your kitty is tough, especially when you’re considering using one from another language. Not only will you need to ensure that the name that you are using 100% means what you intend it to mean, but you’ll also want it to be easy to pronounce and identify.
We’ve all heard horror stories about people getting Asian characters tattooed on their bodies only to realize later that the characters that they thought meant “peace” actually meant “chicken noodle soup.” Thankfully, we live in the 2020s, and there are plenty of easy and fast ways to determine if the name that you’re thinking of for your cat means what you think it does. Google Translate is a great tool to help you double-check the spelling and meaning of your pet’s name.
Pronunciation is another thing to consider. Is the name easy for you to say? Your cat will hopefully learn their name eventually, but only if you say it concisely without stumbling on any of the syllables. We are sure you can imagine the confusion that it would cause your kitty if you said their name differently every time you called for them.
Now that you know what to consider as you search for the perfect name, let’s look at our suggestions.
Cat Names After Places in Asia
Korean Places
- Busan
- Daegu
- Daejeon
- Itaewon
- Hallyeo
- Hanok
- Jeju
- Jeonju
- Jinhae
- Sejong
- Seoraksan
- Seoul
Japanese Places
- Atsuta
- Fuji
- Itsukushima
- Kawasaki
- Koyasan
- Kyoto
- Nara
- Osaka
- Sapporo
- Shinjuku
- Tokyo
Chinese Places
- Beijing
- Chengdu
- Guilin
- Hangzhou
- Lijiang
- Potala
- Shenyang
- Suzhou
- Xi’an
- Yangtze
- Zhangjiajie
Cat Names After Asian Nature Terms
Korean Nature Names
- Bada – ocean
- Bi – rain
- Bingha – glacier
- Byeol – star
- Daeyang – ocean
- Dal – moon
- Gonggi – air
- Haean – coast
- Haneul – sky
- Hae-Won – beautiful garden
- Hosu – lake
- Iseul – morning dew
- Mujigae – rainbow
- Nabi – butterfly
- Pado – waves
- Pokpo – waterfall
- San – mountain
- Seom – island
- Sup – forest
- Taeyang – sun
- Urim – rainforest
Japanese Nature Names
- Cho – butterfly
- Doi – mountain
- Hina – sun
- Hoshi – star
- Iwa – rock
- Kaede – maple leaf
- Kairy – see
- Kasumi – mist
- Kazue – branch
- Mio – cherry blossom
- Miyuki – snow
- Moriko – forest child
- Ren – lotus
- Sango – coral
- Shino – bamboo stalk
- Taura – lakes
- Zen – mountain
Chinese Nature Names
- Chenguang – morning light
- Chun – spring
- Fú – lotus
- Jiang – river
- Mei Lien – beautiful lotus
- Pùbù – waterfall
- Shān – mountain
- Xiao Hong – morning rainbow
- Xue – snow
- Yeong – flower petal
- Ying Tue – reflection of the moon
- Yue – moon
- Yun – cloud
Cat Names After Asian Food & Drink
Korean Food Names
- Anju
- Bibimbap
- Kimchi
- Japchae
- Ganghoe
- Gim
- Guksu
- Mandu
- Oritang
- Pajeon
- Ramyeon
- Sannakji
- Sinseollo
- Soji
- Yakshik
Japanese Food Names
- Adzuki
- Azuki
- Boba
- Kaki
- Kurumi
- Matcha
- Miso
- Momo
- Nattō
- Oshizushi
- Sake
- Soba
- Sushi
- Tetchiri
Chinese Food Names
- Báizhōu
- Chòudòufu
- Congee
- Dan Dan
- Dumpling
- Egg Roll
- Hot Pot
- Huǒguō
- Jiǎozi
- Jianbing
- Kumquat
- Sesame
- Sichuan
- Spring Roll
- Wonton
Asian Cat Names for Personality Traits
Korean Names
- A-Yeong – elegant
- Ah-Yeon – beautiful and wise
- Bo-Bae – precious treasure
- Bong Cha – ultimate girl
- Chung-ha – righteous girl
- Daeshin – greatest mind
- Gi – brave
- Hei – wisdom or intelligence
- Hyun-ki – wise and astute
- Ji-ah – refined wisdom
- Ki – strong
- Kwan – one who is wild
- Minjun – clever
- Ryung – shiny
- Won-Chul – wise
Japanese Names
- Akio – hero
- Akira – intelligent
- Bashira – joyful
- Eiji – cheerful
- Hideaki – bright and shining
- Jin – placid
- Kenzo – wise one
- Kichōna – precious
- Kimi – noble
- Kirei – pretty
- Koro – roly-poly
- Taeko – brave
- Tadao – loyal
- Taidana – lazy
- Yumi – beautiful
Chinese Names
- Bambang – soldier
- De – virtuous
- Hui – wise
- Kai – victorious
- Kuaile – happy
- Lan – elegant
- Liko – blessed
- Manchu – pure
- Mei – beautiful
- Mu – admired
- Qiang – strong
- Shilin – smart
- Yijun – joyful king
- Yong – brave
- Zhenzhen – precious
Asian Pop Culture Cat Names
Korean Pop Culture Names
- Blackpink – girl group
- BoA – K-pop singer
- EXO – K-pop group
- Jungkook – K-pop singer
- Pinkfong – cartoon character
- Pororo – cartoon character
- Psy – K-pop singer
- Suga – rapper
- Taeyeon – singer
- Tayo – cartoon character
Japanese Pop Culture Names
- Barsa – from “Kiki’s Delivery Service”
- Chichiyaku – from “Spirited Away”
- Chococat – from Sanrio
- Cinnamoroll – from Sanrio
- Delcatty – from Pokémon
- Eevee – from Pokémon
- Jiji – from “Kiki’s Delivery Service”
- Kashira – from “Spirited Away”
- Keroppi – from Sanrio
- Kiki – from “Kiki’s Delivery Service”
- Kitty White – from Sanrio
- Kokiri – from “Kiki’s Delivery Service”
- Kuromi – from Sanrio
- Litten – from Pokémon
- Maki – from “Kiki’s Delivery Service”
- Pekkle – from Sanrio
- Pompompurin – from Sanrio
- Purrloin – from Pokémon
- Pyroar – from Pokémon
- Satsuki – from “My Neighbor Totoro”
- Shinx – from Pokémon
- Skitty – from Pokémon
- Tatsuo – from “My Neighbor Totoro”
- Tuxedo Sam – from Sanrio
- Yasuko – from “My Neighbor Totoro”
- Yubaba – from “Spirited Away”
Chinese Pop Culture Names
- Angelababy – model
- Bingbing – Li Bingbing, a Chinese actress and singer
- Bruce – Bruce Lee, actor
- Chan – Jackie Chan, actor
- Confucius – philosopher
- Jet – Jet Li, actor
- Ren – Ren Zhengfei, founder of Huawei
- Vera – Vera Wang, fashion designer
- Yao – Yao Ming, basketball player
- Yip – Yip Man, martial artist
Asian Cat Names by Colors
Korean Color Names
- Bamsaek – dark brown
- Eunsaek – silver
- Galsaek – brown
- Geomjeongsaek – black
- Geumsaek – gold
- Hayansaek – white
- Hoesaek – gray
- Paransaek – blue
- Ppalgansaek – red
Japanese Color Names
- Aka – red
- Chairo – brown
- Gin – silver
- Gurē – grey
- Kin – gold
- Kuro – black
- Shiro – white
Chinese Color Names
- Báisè de – white
- Hēisè de – black
- Hóngsè de – red
- Huīsè de – grey
- Jīnzi – gold
- Lán sè – blue
- Shēn zōngsè – dark brown
- Yin – silver
- Zōngsè de – brown
Final Thoughts
Choosing the perfect name for your pet is hard, but it’s even more challenging if you are choosing a name in another language or culture. We hope that this list focused on Korean, Japanese, and Chinese names has helped you narrow down your options so you can pick a suitable name for your new kitty and that it means exactly what you intend it to mean.
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Featured Image Credit by: FOTOGRIN, Shutterstock
