260+ Italian Cat Names {with Meanings}

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Imagine sitting at a quaint little café in the heart of Italy, the vibrant buzz of Italian conversations surrounding you. Now, picture sharing this splendid moment with a graceful feline companion, whose name resonates beautifully with the country’s spirit of romance and artistry. While it may not equal a vacation together, settling on one of the many beautiful Italian cat names can add a touch of culture and grace to your life every time you call out for your bellissima new kitty!

Italian Words that Inspire Cat Names

• Aria (a melody; also means “air” in Italian)
• Arte (art)
• Bacio (kiss)
• Bella (beautiful)
• Brio (vivacity)
• Caffe (coffee)
• Carino (cute)
• Cello (a musical instrument)
• Cielo (sky)
• Ciao (hello and goodbye)
• Diva (a celebrated female opera singer)
• Dolce (sweet)
• Festa (festival/party)
• Fiore (flower)
• Forte (strong)
• Gelato (ice cream)
• Grazia (grace)
• Lido (a popular name for Italian beaches and swimming pools)
• Lira (former Italian currency)
• Luna (moon)
• Mare (sea)
• Melodia (melody)
• Moda (fashion)
• Nettuno (Neptune, the god of the sea)
• Opera (a theatrical work combining drama, music, song, and dance)
• Oro (gold)
• Piazza (public square)
• Piccolo (small)
• Prima (first–a beautiful name for a first cat)
• Roma (Rome, the capital city)
• Rosso (red)
• Serenata (serenade)
• Siena (a city in Tuscany known for its medieval architecture)
• Stella (star)
• Stretto (narrow)
• Terra (land/earth)
• Tesoro (treasure)
• Tosca (an opera by Puccini)
• Tramonto (sunset)
• Veloce (fast)
• Venezia (Venice, a city known for its canals)
• Vino (wine)
• Vita (life)

Male Italian Cat Names

• Alessandro – Defender of the people
• Amore – Love
• Antonio – Beyond praise or highly praiseworthy
• Benedetto – Blessed
• Beniamino – Son of the right hand
• Bernardo – Strong bear
• Bianco – White (male variant of Bianca)
• Carlo – Manly
• Clemente – Mild, gentle
• Dante – Enduring, also a famous Italian poet and writer
• Dario – Wealthy
• Elmo – Protector
• Enzo – Estate ruler
• Ezio – Eagle
• Fabrizio – Craftsman
• Federico – Peaceful ruler
• Ferdinando – Brave journey
• Fiorenzo – Blossoming
• Francesco – Free man
• Giotto – Famous Italian painter and architect
• Giuseppe – He will add
• Guido – Forest
• Leonardo – Lion or inspired by Leonardo da Vinci
• Lorenzo – From Laurentum, a town in ancient Italy
• Luca – Light
• Marcello – Little warrior
• Marco – From Mars or referring to the famous explorer Marco Polo
• Maurizio – Moor
• Nero – Black, a name that can be given to a black cat
• Nicola – Victory of the people
• Orlando – Famous land
• Paolo – Small
• Pietro – Stone
• Raffaello – God has healed
• Riccardo – Brave ruler
• Rocco – Rest
• Romeo – Pilgrim to Rome or famous character in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
• Salvatore – Savior
• Teodoro – Gift of God
• Tino – Small
• Tito – Giant
• Ugo – Mind, heart, spirit
• Umberto – Bright bear
• Vittorio – Conqueror
• Zeno – Gift of Zeus
• Elio – Sun

Female Italian Cat Names

• Adriana – Dark
• Aria – Air or melody
• Arianna – Very holy one
• Aurora – Dawn
• Bella – Beautiful
• Bianca – White, perfect for a white cat
• Beatrice – Bringer of joy
• Carina – Cute
• Caterina – Pure
• Chiara – Clear, bright, famous
• Cinzia – From the family of Cinzius
• Elisa – God is my oath
• Emilia – Rival
• Felicia – Happy, fortunate
• Fiora – Flower
• Gabriella – God is my strength
• Gemma – Gem or jewel
• Gioia – Joy
• Giovanna – God is gracious
• Giada – Jade
• Ilaria – Cheerful
• Isabella – God is my oath
• Lia – Weary
• Loretta – Little laurel
• Lucia – Light
• Luna – Moon
• Maria – Wished-for child
• Matteo (unisex) – Gift of God
• Mia – Mine or my own
• Noemi – Pleasantness
• Patrizia – Noble
• Renata – Reborn
• Rosa – Rose
• Rosetta – Little rose
• Sabrina – River Severn

• Serena – Serene, calm
• Silvia – Wooded or wild
• Sofia – Wisdom
• Stella – Star
• Valentina – Strong, healthy
• Vita – Life
• Viviana – Alive
• Zaira – Princess
• Zita – Little girl

Names Inspired by Italian Food and Drink

Naming your cat after an Italian food or drink can be a fun and unique choice. Here are 30 Italian foods and drinks that might make great names for a feline friend:

Bruschetta (broo-SKEH-tah) – A popular Italian appetizer consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with diced tomato, fresh basil, and sometimes mozzarella.

Cannoli (kan-NOH-lee) – A Sicilian pastry dessert consisting of a crispy tube-shaped shell filled with a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta.

Caprese (kah-PREH-seh) – Inspired by the Caprese salad, which consists of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil.

Espresso (eh-SPREHS-soh) – A type of Italian coffee that might suit a cat with a bold personality or a fun name for a brown cat.

Fettuccine (feht-too-CHEE-neh) – A type of pasta, traditionally eaten with Alfredo sauce.

Focaccia (foh-KAH-chyah) – A type of flat oven-baked Italian bread, similar in style and texture to pizza doughs.

Frangelico (fran-JEH-lee-co) – A brand of hazelnut-flavored liqueur, which might suit a nutty, sweet cat.

Gelato (jeh-LAH-toh) – The Italian word for ice cream, a sweet and cool name for a cat.

Gnocchi (NYOH-kee) – A variety of pasta consisting of various thick, small, and soft dough dumplings.

Lasagna (lah-ZAHN-yah) – A type of pasta dish made with several layers of lasagna sheets alternated with sauces and other ingredients, such as meats and cheeses.

Limoncello (lee-mon-CHEHL-loh) – A lemon-flavored Italian liqueur, representing a cat with a zesty personality.

Marsala (mar-SAH-lah) – A fortified wine from Sicily, which might suit a sophisticated cat.

Mascarpone (mas-kar-POH-neh) – A type of Italian cream cheese, which might suit a soft, creamy-colored cat.

Minestrone (mee-neh-STROH-neh) – A thick soup of Italian origin made with vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice.

Olive – Inspired by olives, a staple in Italian cuisine, potentially fitting for a black or green-eyed cat.

Orzo (OR-tsoh) – A type of pasta shaped like large grains of rice.

Panettone (pan-eh-TOH-neh) – A type of sweet bread loaf originally from Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year in Italy.

Panna (PAHN-nah) – The Italian word for “cream”, a soft and sweet name for a cat.

Parmesan (par-meh-ZAHN) – Named after the famous Italian cheese, a fitting name for a cat with a strong personality.

Pesto (PEHS-toh) – A sauce originating from Genoa, it traditionally consists of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, and hard cheese blended with olive oil.

Polenta (poh-LEHN-tah) – A dish of boiled cornmeal, it can be served as a hot porridge, or allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled.

Prosciutto (proh-SHOO-toh) – An Italian dry-cured ham that is thinly sliced and served uncooked.

Ravioli (rah-VEE-oh-lee) – A type of pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough.

Ricotta (ree-COH-tah) – A soft Italian cheese, which might suit a soft, white cat.

Risotto (ree-SOH-toh) – A northern Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency.

Rosé (roh-ZEH) – A type of wine that incorporates some of the color from the grape skins but not enough to qualify it as a red wine, could be a cute name for a pinkish-colored cat.

Sorbetto (sor-BEH-toh) – A frozen dessert made from sweetened water with flavoring, typically fruit juice or fruit purée.

Tiramisu (tir-ah-mee-SOO) – A popular Italian dessert made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavored with cocoa.

Verdicchio (ver-DEE-kyoh) – A variety of white wine grape grown primarily in the Marche region of Italy, might be a suitable name for a white cat.

Zabaglione (zah-bahl-YOH-neh) – A classic Italian dessert made with egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine, usually Marsala wine.

Cat Themed Words in Italian

Whether you are looking for a cat name that means cat in Italian or a word related to cats, these Italian words might inspire a unique name:

• Gatto/Gatta (GAH-toh/GAH-tah) – Cat (male)/Cat (female)
• Gattino/Gattina (gah-TEE-noh/gah-TEE-nah) – Kitten (male)/Kitten (female)
• Micio/Micia (MEE-choh/MEE-chah) – Kitty (male)/Kitty (female)
• Felino/Felina (feh-LEE-noh/feh-LEE-nah) – Feline (male)/Feline (female)
• Zampa (ZAM-pah) – Paw
• Musetto (moo-SEH-toh) – Little muzzle (referring to a cat’s snout)
• Morso (MOR-soh) – Bite
• Graffio (GRAF-fio) – Scratch
• Fusa (FOO-sah) – Purr
• Pelliccia (pel-LEET-chyah) – Fur
• Vibrissae (vib-REE-sae) – Whiskers
• Artigli (ar-TEEL-yee) – Claws
• Lettiera (let-TYE-rah) – Litter box
• Cibo per gatti (CHEE-bo per GAHT-tee) – Cat food
• Giocattolo (joh-cat-TOH-lo) – Toy (as in a cat toy)
• Ciotola (choh-TOH-lah) – Bowl (for serving cat food or water)
• Trasportino (tras-por-TEE-no) – Cat carrier

Punny Italian Cat Names

Looking to add a little fun twist to your cat’s name? Here are some puns made from famous Italian names:

• Catania (after the city of Catania)
• Catlileo Galilei (after Galileo Galilei)
• Catprio (after the region of Caprio)
• Catuccino (a play on “cappuccino”)
• Clawdizio (after the city of Claudio)
• Felineini (after the director Federico Fellini)
• Furrari (after the luxury car brand Ferrari)
• Gelatoe-bean (after the popular Italian dessert “Gelato”)
• Leocardo da Vinci (after Leonardo da Vinci)
• Meowlan (a play on “Milan”)
• Meowligano (a play on “Merlot”, a type of wine, and “Milano”)
• Meowrano (after the city of Sorano or Murano)
• Meowzartini (a play on “Mozart”, not Italian but could be tied to the musical heritage of Italy)
• Purrmaggio (a play on “formaggio”, which means cheese)
• Purrmo (after the city of Parma)
• Purrlini (after the famous film director Federico Fellini)
• Purrscilla (after the city of Sicilia)
• Tesoro (a play on the Italian word for treasure, used affectionately)
• Veneciano (a combination of “Venice” and “gatto”, which is Italian for cat)
• Verdi-paws (after the composer Giuseppe Verdi)

Italian Pet Names

Amore (ah-MOH-reh) – Love; used for someone you love romantically.

Angioletto (an-jyo-LEH-toh) – Little angel; a sweet term often used for children or loved ones.

Bambino/Bambina (bam-BEE-no/bam-BEE-na) – Baby boy/baby girl; can be used for children or as a tender nickname for a partner–or a cat!

Caro/Cara (KAH-ro/KAH-ra) – Dear; used to express affection for someone.

Cucciolo/Cucciola (koo-CHYOH-lo/koo-CHYOH-la) – Puppy; a cute nickname often used for a loved one or a child.

Dolcezza (dol-CHEH-tza) – Sweetness; a loving nickname to call someone sweet or precious.

Gioia (JOY-ah) – Joy; used for someone who brings joy or happiness to your life.

Piccolo/Piccola (PEEK-koh-lo/PEEK-koh-la) – Small; a term often used for younger people or as a loving nickname for a partner.

Principe/Principessa (PREEN-chee-peh/PREEN-chee-pes-sah) – Prince/Princess; used affectionately for someone you adore or consider royalty in your life.

Stella (STEH-lah) – Star; a poetic term of endearment for someone who shines brightly in your life.

Tesoro (teh-SOH-ro) – Treasure; used for someone you value greatly, like a treasure.

Vita mia (VEE-tah MEE-ah) – My life; a profound term of endearment to signify someone extremely important to you.

Names Inspired by Italian Literature

Beatrice (from Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri) – A symbol of divine and ideal love in the epic poem.

Cavalcanti (from works by Guido Cavalcanti) – A great name, especially for a cat with a regal or knightly demeanor.

Dante (from Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri) – The narrative of the author’s journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise.

Desdemona (from Othello by William Shakespeare) – Although a play by Shakespeare, the setting is in Venice, Italy.

Eligio (from The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa) – A minor yet notable character in the novel.

Fabrizia (from The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa) – A central character in the novel, representing the grace and nobility of a bygone era.

Gelsomina (from La Strada by Federico Fellini) – A character full of innocence and purity, makes a sweet name for a cat.

Guido (from Inferno by Dante Alighieri) – A historical figure who appears in the narrative.

Ines (from Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino) – A character representing the more enchanting aspects of the cities described in the book.

Ludovico (from The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni) – A character who exhibits both heroism and vulnerability, a unique choice for a cat with a noble bearing.

Marcello (from The Conformist by Alberto Moravia) – The main character, whose name might suit a sophisticated, perhaps slightly aloof cat.

Orlando (from Orlando Furioso by Ludovico Ariosto) – A brave knight, perfect for a bold, adventurous cat.

Pantalone (from Commedia dell’arte) – A traditional character representing the Venetian merchant, could be a great name for a dignified, perhaps slightly rotund cat.

Petrarca (from the works of Francesco Petrarca) – A notable Italian scholar and poet, the name would suit a cat with a contemplative nature.

Renzo (from The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni) – The protagonist of the novel, a simple and honest man, a fitting name for a loyal cat.

Silvio (from Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco) – A character connected with mysticism and secrets, a mysterious name for a cat.

Truffaldino (from Commedia dell’arte) – A clever and witty servant character, which would suit an agile, playful cat.

Vitangelo (from The Late Mattia Pascal by Luigi Pirandello) – The protagonist who fakes his death and assumes a new identity, a quirky choice for a cat with a mischievous personality.

Zeno (from Zeno’s Conscience by Italo Svevo) – The main character, whose introspective nature can be a charming name for a thoughtful cat.

Italian Destinations and Attractions

Would one of these Italian destinations make a great Italian cat name?

Amalfi (Amalfi Coast) – A stunning coastal area known for its beautiful seasides and picturesque villages.

Bari – A port city on the Adriatic Sea, with a rich history and beautiful architecture.

Capri – A beautiful island in Italy’s Bay of Naples known for its rugged landscape and upscale hotels.

Como (Lake Como) – A beautiful lake surrounded by mountains and luxury villas, a name fitting for a graceful cat.

Dolomiti (Dolomites) – A majestic mountain range that could suit a cat with a strong, majestic demeanor.

Etna (Mount Etna) – A prominent active volcano, a great name for a fiery, energetic cat.

Firenze (Florence) – A city known for its culture, Renaissance art, and architecture, a name fitting for a cat with a regal presence.

Genova (Genoa) – A port city known for its central role in maritime trade, a name suited for a curious, adventurous cat.

Ischia – A volcanic island in the Bay of Naples known for its mineral-rich thermal waters.

Lecce – A historic city known for its baroque buildings, a beautiful name for a cat with a classy demeanor.

Lucca – A charming city in Tuscany.

Matera – Known for its cave dwellings, Matera might be a charming name for a cat with a rustic charm.

Milano (Milan) – The fashion center of Italy and a good name for a stylish cat.

Napoli (Naples) – A historic city with a rich cultural history, could be a great name for a spirited, vibrant cat.

Orvieto – A city known for its dramatic cliffside setting and Gothic cathedral, a name fitting for a cat with a majestic demeanor.

Pompeii – An ancient city frozen in time due to a volcanic eruption, a dramatic and historic name for a cat.

Ravello – A resort town set 1200 feet above the Tyrrhenian Sea, known for its stunning views and gardens.

Roma (Rome) – The capital city of Italy, steeped in history and home to iconic monuments such as the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. A classic choice for a cat with a regal or historical demeanor. (Don’t miss our post on modern and ancient Roman cat names!)

Siena – A city known for its medieval brick buildings, an elegant name for a cat with a refined character.

Taormina – A chic resort town on the island of Sicily, known for its beautiful beaches and the ancient Teatro Greco.

Urbino – A walled city in the Marche region of Italy, known for its Renaissance culture, a name fitting for a sophisticated cat.

Venezia (Venice) – Known for its beautiful canals and romantic ambiance, a wonderful name for a cat with a serene and graceful demeanor.

Verona – A historic city with a beautiful amphitheater, a romantic name inspired by the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Vesuvio (Mount Vesuvius) – The famous volcano that overlooks the Bay of Naples, a strong and bold name for a cat.

Famous Italians

Would the first or last name of one of these famous Italians inspire a cat name?

• Alessandro Volta (Scientist who invented the electric battery)
• Amerigo Vespucci (Explorer for whom America is named)
• Andrea Bocelli (Opera singer)
• Antonio Vivaldi (Composer)
• Arturo Toscanini (Orchestra conductor)
• Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Baroque painter)
• Carlo Collodi (Writer, author of Pinocchio)
• Christopher Columbus (Explorer)
• Dante Alighieri (Author of the Divine Comedy)
• Enrico Fermi (Physicist and Nobel Prize laureate)
• Federico Fellini (Film director)
• Galileo Galilei (Astronomer and physicist)
• Guglielmo Marconi (Inventor, known for developing the radio)
• Leonardo da Vinci (Artist, scientist, and polymath)
• Luciano Pavarotti (Opera singer–for the cat who loves to “sing”)
• Marco Polo (Explorer and writer)
• Maria Montessori (Physician and educator, developed the Montessori method of education)
• Michelangelo Buonarroti (Sculptor, painter, and architect)
• Niccolò Machiavelli (Political philosopher and author)
• Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, Painter and architect)
• Roberto Rossellini (Film director)
• Salvatore Ferragamo (Fashion designer and founder of luxury goods company, Ferragamo)
• Sofia Loren (Actress)
• Giuseppe Verdi (Composer)
• Vittorio De Sica (Film director)

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