200+ Pirate Cat Names Treasure Trove!

Avast ye: it’s time to find a cat name! Your new matey deserves a fun moniker–and we’ve got pirate cat names so fun they’ll make you feel like every day is National Meow Like a Pirate Day. Derived from favorite pirate words, pirates in books and movies, and real-life famous pirates and places, these fun names won’t make you want to walk the plank!

Were Cats on Pirate Ships?

Curious if there were cats on pirate ships? The answer is a hearty aye aye.

Just as they long served on ships for trade, transportation and defense, cats also lived on pirate ships to help keep the ship free of rats! And pirates, like other sailors, believed that black cats meant good luck.

Famous Pirate Phrases that Make Fun Cat Names

Ahoy: Now used as “hello” or to get someone’s attention, ahoy traces its roots to the Middle English Hoy, which came from the Dutch Hoi. (Did you know that Alexander Graham Bell originally wanted everyone to say “Ahoy-hoi” when answering the phone?)

Avast Ye: pay attention

Aye Aye: A term to show you have heard and understand what has been said.

Blimey: an expression of surprise

Bucko: a friend

Bumbo: Bumbo was a type of grog that pirates made that included nutmeg (a Caribbean spice).

Booty: Pirate treasure

Cap’n: Captain

Crossbones: The crossed bones appear on the pirates’ Jolly Roger flag.

Cutlass: The cutlass was the ideal weapon for sailors because its shorter length made it easier to use in the close quarters of ship combat. It was also useful for slashing through thick ropes and is associated with piracy.

Doubloon: Spanish gold coins. A fun pirate name for a gold tinted cat!

Grog: A mix of alcohol, usually rum, and water that was a favorite with pirates.

Hearties: friends

Jolly Roger: The infamous pirate flag. The pirate flag nicknamed the “Jolly Roger” comes from the French “joli rouge” — a hint that the first pirate flags weren’t black but red. A great choice among pirate cat names for a happy four-legged family member.

Kraken: A legendary sea monster (or your own mischievous cat!)

Marauder: A person who roams or goes around in quest of plunder, making raids or invasions for booty

Matey: A friend or a shipmate.

Mutineer: Someone who rebels or refuses to obey orders from a person in authority. Hmm…perhaps a little like our cats?

Some pirates believed that cats had the power to see ghosts and evil spirits, and could protect them from harm.

Poop Deck: the back of the ship above the captain’s quarters.

Ruffian: a person who is tough or aggressive and engages in violence or lawless behavior.

Savvy: used as a question to mean “Do you understand?”

Scallywag: someone new to pirating

Seadog: an old pirate

Shanty (or Chantey): A song sung by pirates as they worked.

Squiffy: intoxicated

Yo Ho Ho: Ever heard the ditty “Sixteen men on a dead man’s ship? Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum”? That little song told the tale of a 16 pirates marooned on the British Virgin Islands’ Dead Chest with a single bottle of grog. The fight which ensued left no survivors.

Everyone’s Favorite Feline Swashbuckler: Puss In Boots

In the Shrek film series and the spin-off movies, Puss in Boots exhibits swashbuckling and roguish qualities, which can be associated with a pirate archetype.

The character, voiced by Antonio Banderas, is portrayed as a legendary outlaw, a master swordsman, and an adventurer with a great deal of charm and wit.

Fictional Pirate Names from Literature, TV and Movies

Barbossa: The pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean who commanded the crew of the undead.

Billy Bones: A fictional pirate from Robert Lewis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.

Black Pearl: Captain Jack Sparrow’s pirate ship in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Bluebeard: Not to be confused with Blackbeard, Bluebeard was a fictional character (and not a very nice one!) He is remembered in St. Thomas, USVI in what is now called Bluebeard’s Castle.

Bootstrap Bill: Will Turner’s father in Pirates of the Caribbean

Calypso: The daughter of Atlas in Greek mythology; a sea nymph and goddess.

Captain Hook: Of Peter Pan fame

Davy Jones: The “sailors’ devil.” Davy Jones Locker was a euphemism for the bottom of the sea. (Find more ocean names in our Beach Cat Names post!)

Flint: Captain Flint appears in the television series Black Sails, which takes place two decades before the events of Treasure Island.

Flying Dutchman: The ship manned by ghost captain Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean. A fun pirate name for a cat who loves to jump!

Hook: Captain Hook of Peter Pan fame.

Pirates often named their cats after famous pirates or pirate-related terms, such as Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and Jolly Roger.

Long John Silver: Treasure Island‘s one-legged pirate.

Neptune: The Roman name for the god of the seas.

One-Eyed Willie: The eyepatch-wearing pirate in The Goonies. (Did you know there’s one theory that some pirates wore eye patches not only because of the loss of an eye but because of the need to constantly go back and forth between above and below deck, thus preserving their night vision?)

Poochie: The prison dog with the keys that Jack Sparrow tries to lure to his cell in Fort Charles in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Poseidon: The god of the seas in Greek mythology.

Sir Turtle: The pegleg swashbuckling turtle who is the mascot of Cayman Airways.

Sparrow: Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Treasure: Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island has become the bedrock on which much of the public’s knowledge of pirates is based. Published in 1883, the novel tells the story of a treasure map found in the belongings of a sea captain, a map that inspires the characters to head out in search of that treasure. Thanks to this classic novel, buried treasure  is often considered synonymous with pirates, but in reality the buccaneers rarely buried their loot (although hurricanes and shipwrecks created many involuntary treasure sites throughout the Caribbean.)

Famous Pirate Names for Cats

As long as there has been sea trade, there have been pirates, by one name or another. Dating back to the days of Greek and Roman excursions by sea, pirates have roamed the waters in search of easy money.

Barbary: The region of North Africa known as the Barbary Coast was a favorite with pirates until the early 1800s.

Blackbeard: A good name for a black cat, this was the name by which pirate Edward Teach was best known. He earned his moniker due to a waist-length beard which he wore braided and tied with ribbons. Across his chest, he strapped numerous pairs of pistols–but he relied on his hat to bring real terror to those he attacked. In true pirate fashion which dictated that the more outrageous a man looked, the more he was feared, Blackbeard tucked hemp fuses beneath his hat, lighting them to produce a cloud of smoke as he approached.

Black Bart: Bartholomew “Black Bart” Roberts was a Welsh pirate, one of the most successful during the “Golden Age of Piracy” with 400 “prizes.”

Bonny: Anne Bonny, part of the crew of the notorious Calico Jack, was said to have fought as vigorously (and lived as wildly) as her male counterparts. Anne had previously been married before meeting the dashing Calico Jack and turning to a life as a pirate. Anne Bonny was also a character on Black Sails–but first she was a real life pirate.

Brandy: King Charles decided to create a royal monopoly on sales of brandy in Jamaica’s Port Royal, using the profits to fortify and enlarge Fort Charles and to construct two smaller forts in the pirate outpost.

Buccaneer: The first pirates that headed to Tortuga smoked the meat on grills of green wood the French called boucans, making them boucaniers or, in English, buccaneers.

Calico: Perfect for the calico cat, Calico Jack was a notorious Caribbean pirate named for his striped pants.

The famous pirate Captain William Kidd, was said to have had a pet cat on board his ship, which he named “Mew”.

Charles: Fort Charles in Port Royal, Jamaica. Its cannons still point to sea, guarding what was once one of the world’s wealthiest ports. A few visitors stroll the ramparts of this fort and tour its Maritime Museum for a look at some of the artifacts which have been recovered.

Corsair: The term for a Mediterranean pirate. Lord Byron penned The Corsair, the story of an Aegean pirate, which proved the public’s interest in the subject: the book became an instant bestseller, selling over 10,000 copies on its first day of publication. Bryon’s romantic portrait of the pirate lives on to this day:

That man of loneliness and mystery,

Scarce seen to smile, and seldome heard to sigh;

Whose name appals the fiercest of his crew

Lord Byron

Dancing Molly: A pirate sloop that was crewed by “petticoated pirates” — the wife and two daughters of the captain.

Drake: No, not the singer but the pirate. Sometimes the line between buccaneer and privateer was blurred, as in the case of Sir Francis Drake. The well-known explorer who circumnavigated the globe raided many Spanish ships, bringing home to loot to his Queen. When England was no longer at war with Spain, however, and Drake returned home with the bounty from a raid, he was disowned and had to go into hiding for two years. Only after his triumph in circumnavigating the globe did he return home a hero and gain his knighthood.

Fancy: The ship of pirate Henry Every.

Fermin: A pirate named Fermin Mundaca made the island of Isla Mujeres, Mexico his home.

Graywolf: Captain John Howard Graysmith was a pirate who commanded the schooner Graywolf and plundered treasure ships along the Spanish Main. He built Graycliff in the Bahamas; the mansion eventually became the headquarters for the American Navy when Nassau was captured by the soldiers. In 1844, Graycliff became Nassau’s first inn and has been a favorite with celebrity visitors.

Havana: Treasure ships headed to Seville would all met in Havana, traveling from there in convoys as protection from pirates.

Jost: Jost (pronounced Yost) Van Dyke is an island in the British Virgin Islands named for a Dutch pirate. Jost Van Dyke is a real getaway, a Robinson Crusoe kind of place with nearly deserted beaches and coral reefs teeming with fish as colorful as neon signs.

Lafitte: Jean Lafitte, the most famous pirate who sailed from Louisiana.

Morgan: The most notorious of all the pirates of the Caribbean was Sir Henry Morgan. Most believe the Welshman came to the West Indies as an indentured servant, eventually becoming a licensed privateer. His raids–including his most famous attack in Panama as retaliation for raids on Jamaica–earned Morgan the favor of King Charles II. Morgan was knighted and became Deputy Governor of Jamaica.

Norman: Robert Louis Stevenson based much of his research on reality, including the setting for much of the action in Treasure Island. Most researchers believe that Norman Island, located in the British Virgin Islands, provided the inspiration for the book.

Privateer: Competing with the buccaneers were the privateers, looting pirates who worked under the sanctioning letter of their government. By maritime law, these crews could not be charged with piracy but they operated like the pirates: capturing vessels and plundering loot from the ships of opposing nations.

Redbeard: Hayreddin Barbarossa, an Ottoman corsair (or Mediterranean pirate).

Royal: Even a pirate had to avoid “all work and no play.” In the Caribbean, that meant a trip to Port Royal, Jamaica, a community of 8000 residents, located just off Kingston Harbour, once called “the wickedest city in Christendom,” a waystation for pirates who returned from their expeditions laden with gold, silver, and jewels–to be greeted by a thriving community of taverns, brothels, and gaming houses.

Rum: An extra strong rum called “kill-devil” was top choice for most pirates. Jamaica’s governor Sir Thomas Modyford wrote that “the Spaniards wondered much at the sickness of our people, until they knew of the strength of their drinks, but then they wondered more that they were not all dead.”

Silver: Silver was used to make Pieces of Eight, the coins minted by the Spanish from the silver they obtained in the New World.

A legend states that a cat with a black spot on its fur was a sign that the pirate who owned it was a successful and experienced sailor.

Singleton: In 1719, Daniel Defoe followed up the publication of his Robinson Crusoe with Captain Singleton, a novel presented as a pirate’s autobiography. Defoe’s research was far more than just academic; in 1683 he himself had been captured by Algerian corsairs. A good pirate name for a rescue puppy found as a singleton.

Tortuga: Many pirates lived on the small island of Tortuga, located off the north coast of Hispaniola (the large island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic). In the early 1600s, drifters and deserters had headed to this island  to hunt wild hogs and cattle that lived on Hispaniola.

Watling: Notorious pirate Captain John Watling decided to set up camp in the Bahamas at San Salvador and proclaim the island his headquarters. The English buccaneer used the island as a hideaway during the 17th century but Watling’s influence long outlived him, and the island took on the name Watling’s Island. Finally in 1925 the name of San Salvador was restored. 

Punny Pirate Names for Your Kitty

Do you enjoy a good cat pun? Here’s a look at some purrfectly punny pirate names:

• Ahoy-meowtey
• A-mew-ral of the Fleet
• Catlass
• Catnip Cutlass
• Fur-st Mate
• Kittybeard
• Long Purr Silver
• Mar-meow-ed Marauder
• Meow-rooned Isle
• Meow-ted Bounty
• Meow-ty Seas
• Mewtiny Meowster
• Mew’d Maiden
• Paws and Crossbones
• Purr-lank Walker
• Purr-tuguese Man O’ War
• Purr-vateer
• Tuna Raider

Multi Word Pirate Cat Names

Throughout history, many infamous pirates had multi-word names. Here’s a fun list of some options combining a pirate-themed word and a fun cat name. May your feline friend sail the seven seas with a name that fits their piratical purrsonality! 🏴‍☠️🐱

• Admiral Abyss
• Admiral Angora
• Ahoy Alley
• Anchor Ash
• Anchorface Alastair
• Barnacle Bandit
• Barnacle Blaine
• Blacktail the Bold
• Blackwater Benedict
• Bluebeard Bubbles
• Booty Bandit Buttons
• Brinebeard Boris
• Buccaneer Boots
• Cannonball Callie
• Cannonfire Callum
• Captain Catnip
• Captain Whiskers
• Corsair Calico
• Crosswind Cedric
• Crow’s Nest Cleo
• Cursed Caden
• Cutlass Kitty
• Daggermouth Damian
• Davy Jone’s Claw
• Deckswabber Dolly
• Deepsea Dominic
• Doubloon Dexter
• Doubloon Dusty
• Dreadbeard Duster
• Dreadwind Derek
• Eelback Elias
• Fathom Felix
• First Mate Fluffington
• Galeforce Garrett
• Goldgrasp Graham
• Goldtooth Grizzle
• Gravetide Gregory
• Gunpowder Gingersnap
• Hookhand Harrison
• Hooktail Hiss
• Ironflank Isaac
• Jettisoned Julian
• Jolly Roger Ragtail
• Keelbreak Kaden
• Kraken Kiki
• Krakenkiller Kyle
• Lagoon Luna
• Lagoon Levi
• Maelstrom Mason
• Mainsail Misty
• Marauder Mittens
• Mariner Mew
• Marooned Malcolm
• Masthead Mitchell
• Mermaid Muffin
• Nautical Nathaniel
• Nautical Nemo
• Oceanscar Oliver
• Parrot Chaser Peaches
• Patchy Paws
• Pillage Pippin
• Plank Pouncer
• Plundering Percival
• Portside Purr
• Privateer Paws
• Quartermaster Quentin
• Quartermaster Quill
• Riptide Rupert
• Rudder Rusty
• Sailripper Samuel
• Saltscar Sebastian
• Sea Dog Stripe
• Sea Spray Sable
• Seaclaw Stephen
• Seawrack Simon
• Shipbreaker Sidney
• Shipwreck Shasta
• Skull & Crossbones Slinky
• Stormbrace Simeon
• Stormy Seas Scout
• Sunken Salem
• Sunscorch Sullivan
• Surgebound Seth
• Swashbuckling Snowball
• Swellsword Sawyer
• Scurvy Paws
• Tempest Travis
• Tidehunter Trevor
• Undertow Ulric
• Vortex Vincent
• Waverunner Wyatt
• Whirlpool Wesley
• Windjammer Whimsy
• Windlass Warren
• Windward Whisker
• Xebec Xavier
• Yarnspinner Yannick

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