Naming your new pet is a big undertaking. This will be the name your kitty has for the rest of its life and will likely be the inspiration behind the many nicknames 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. Below you’ll find a list of hundreds of cat names organized by sections like names inspired by nature, pop culture, or your cat’s coat color. Read on to start making a shortlist of all the options you like for your new pet.
Click Below to Skip Ahead:
- Cat Names After Places in Asia
- Cat Names After Asian Nature Terms
- Cat Names After Food & Drink
- Cat Names for Personality Traits
- Asian Pop Culture Cat Names
- Cat Names By Colors
How to Name Your Cat
Choosing the perfect name for your kitty is tough, especially when considering using one from another language. Not only will you need to ensure the name you’re 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 character they thought meant “peace” actually means “chicken noodle soup.” Thankfully, we live in the 2020s, and there are plenty of easy and fast ways to determine if the name 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 its name eventually, but only if you say it concisely without stumbling on any of the syllables. We’re sure you can imagine the confusion it would cause your kitty if you said its name differently every time you call for it.
Now that you know what to consider as you search for the perfect name, let’s look at some of 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 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
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 Pokemon
- Eevee – from Pokemon
- 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 Pokemon
- Maki – from Kiki’s Delivery Service
- Pekkle – from Sanrio
- Pompompurin – from Sanrio
- Purrloin – from Pokemon
- Pyroar – from Pokemon
- Satsuki – from My Neighbor Totoro
- Shinx – from Pokemon
- Skitty – from Pokemon
- 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
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’re choosing a name in another language or culture. We hope our blog 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 that means exactly what you intend it to mean.
See also:
- Scientific Cat Names: 180 Great Ideas for Your Smart Cat.
- 73 Adorable Bombay Cat Names – Unique & Fun ideas
Featured Image Credit: FOTOGRIN, Shutterstock
