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Calico cat names: 180+ patchwork, lucky and tortie ideas

181 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

The best calico cat names celebrate patches and color, like Quilt, Neapolitan and Collage. Fabric, dessert and art names suit a coat of black, orange and white, and so do lucky names, since calicos are said to bring good fortune.

Below are 180+ names for calico and tortoiseshell cats in eleven groups: classics, fabric and quilts, tortoiseshell names, sweet treats, lucky names, calico lore, artsy names, nature names, girl names, names for a rare male calico, and funny names. Every name has a short note, with the meaning or a pronunciation where it helps.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Long Odds

    For the tom who beat them

  • Turnstone

    A shorebird with a patchwork back that flips stones for food

  • Paint Spill

    For a cat who looks like she knocked over the art supplies

  • Horseshoe

    Hang one over the door for luck, or adopt a calico

  • Jigsaw

    For a cat whose patches fit together like puzzle pieces

  • Fireworks

    Bursts of color against the night sky

Want endless ideas? Try the cat name generator and generate new names in one click.

Classic calico cat names

Cheerful names for a coat stitched together from three colors.

  1. Quilt: For a cozy cat pieced together from three colors
  2. Collage: A work of art made from scraps of color
  3. Medley: A cheerful mix of a little bit of everything
  4. Hodgepodge: A happy jumble, just like her coat
  5. Mishmash: For a cat who cannot settle on one color
  6. Potpourri: A fragrant bowl of dried petals in many colors
  7. Motley: The patchwork costume of a medieval jester
  8. Jigsaw: For a cat whose patches fit together like puzzle pieces
  9. Tricolor: Three colors, one very big personality
  10. Trio: Black, orange and white in perfect harmony
  11. Splotch: For a cat with one perfectly placed patch
  12. Patchy: For a cat dressed in patches from nose to tail
  13. Cali: Short, sunny and easy to call across the yard
  14. Mottle: Soft blotches of color, like a forest floor in fall
  15. Spectrum: For a cat with a little of every shade
  16. Remix: For a cat who puts a new spin on classic colors

Fabric and quilt names

Calico started as a cloth, so these textile names are a perfect fit.

  1. Calicut: The Indian port that gave calico cloth its name
  2. Chintz: A glossy, flowery cotton first made in India
  3. Madras: A bright checked cotton named for the Indian city
  4. Batik: Indonesian cloth dyed in patterns with hot wax
  5. Tie-Dye: Swirls of bright color for a groovy cat
  6. Ikat: Cloth whose threads are dyed before weaving; say EE-kaht
  7. Shibori: The Japanese art of folding and binding cloth to dye it
  8. Boro: Japanese cloth patched and mended again and again
  9. Sashiko: Japanese running-stitch embroidery used for mending
  10. Kantha: Bengali quilting stitched from layers of old saris
  11. Kente: Ghana's famous woven cloth of bright stripes
  12. Toile: A French fabric printed with pretty country scenes; say twahl
  13. Crazy Quilt: A Victorian patchwork of odd-shaped scraps
  14. Fat Quarter: A quilter's favorite precut piece of fabric
  15. Log Cabin: A classic quilt block built from strips around a center
  16. Nine Patch: A simple quilt block of three rows of three squares
  17. Flying Geese: A quilt block of triangles all pointing the same way
  18. Bear Paw: A quilt block shaped like a big paw print
  19. Hexie: A little hexagon, the building block of many quilts
  20. Appliqué: Fabric shapes stitched on top of a background
  21. Rickrack: Zigzag trim for a cat with a zigzag streak

Tortoiseshell cat names

Shell, wood and spice names for a tortie's brindled black and orange coat.

  1. Torbie: A tortie with tabby stripes mixed in
  2. Tortitude: The internet's word for a tortie's sassy attitude
  3. Carey: Spanish for tortoiseshell, from the hawksbill turtle
  4. Bekko: Japanese for tortoiseshell; say BEK-koh
  5. Hawksbill: The sea turtle whose shell was once carved into combs
  6. Tortuga: Spanish for turtle, and an old pirate island
  7. Testudo: Latin for tortoise, and a Roman wall of shields
  8. Terrapin: A small turtle of brackish marshes
  9. Carapace: The domed top shell of a turtle
  10. Scute: One plate of a turtle's patterned shell
  11. Kame: Japanese for turtle, a symbol of long life; say KAH-meh
  12. Horn-Rims: Classic eyeglass frames, for a bookish tortie
  13. Chocolate Orange: Dark brown and bright tangerine, a tortie in candy form
  14. Mookaite: An Australian jasper swirled with red, yellow and brown
  15. Tiger Iron: A banded stone of red jasper, black hematite and gold
  16. Burl: Swirly wood grain prized by furniture makers
  17. Mahogany: A rich red-brown wood for a rich red-brown cat
  18. Rosewood: A dark, reddish wood used for fine guitars
  19. Root Beer: Dark, fizzy and a little bit spicy
  20. Chipotle: A smoky red-brown pepper for a smoky, fiery tortie
  21. Cacao: The bean behind chocolate, dark and rich
  22. Star Anise: An eight-pointed spice pod in warm, dark brown
  23. Blue Cream: A dilute tortie in soft gray and pale buff

Sweet treat names for calico cats

Layered, swirled and speckled foods that look a lot like a calico coat.

  1. Neapolitan: Three flavors in one box, just like her coat
  2. Spumoni: Layered Italian ice cream in three flavors
  3. Marble Cake: Swirled light and dark batter in every slice
  4. Tutti Frutti: Italian for all fruits, bright and cheerful
  5. Rainbow Sherbet: Three fruity colors swirled into one scoop
  6. Macchiato: Italian for stained or spotted, like espresso marked with milk
  7. Mochaccino: Espresso, chocolate and milk swirled together
  8. Affogato: Italian for drowned: espresso poured over gelato
  9. Cortado: Spanish espresso cut with a splash of milk
  10. Trifle: A layered English dessert of cake, fruit and cream
  11. Panettone: A Milanese holiday bread dotted with fruit
  12. Gianduja: Chocolate blended with hazelnut paste, from Turin
  13. Pecan Pie: A Southern classic with a glossy brown top
  14. Brittle: A crunchy candy studded with nuts
  15. Calico Beans: A sweet Midwest potluck dish of mixed legumes and bacon
  16. Succotash: A colorful dish of corn and lima beans
  17. Granola: Oats, nuts and fruit all tumbled together
  18. Fruit Salad: A bowl of every color, for a colorful cat
  19. Jambalaya: A Louisiana pot of rice with a little of everything

Lucky calico cat names

Calicos have a reputation for good fortune in the United States, Germany and Japan.

  1. Mike: Japanese for calico, meaning three furs; say MEE-keh
  2. Money Cat: An old American nickname for a calico
  3. Glückskatze: German for lucky cat, the everyday word for a calico
  4. Lapjeskat: Dutch for calico, literally patches cat
  5. Sanhua: Mandarin for calico, literally three flowers; say sahn-HWAH
  6. Sanshoku: Japanese for three colors, as in tricolor koi
  7. Tricolore: French and Italian for three-colored
  8. Kichi: Japanese for good fortune; say KEE-chee
  9. Fuku: Japanese for luck and blessings; say FOO-koo
  10. Mazel: Yiddish for luck, as in a hearty congratulations
  11. Kismet: Turkish for fate, borrowed from Arabic
  12. Faustina: A Latin name from faustus, lucky
  13. Bonne Chance: French for good luck; say bun SHAHNSS
  14. Buona Fortuna: Italian for good luck, said with a smile
  15. Horseshoe: Hang one over the door for luck, or adopt a calico
  16. Talisman: A charm said to bring good fortune
  17. Good Omen: For a cat who showed up just when you needed her
  18. Wishing Well: For a cat who grants every wish, except quiet mornings

Famous calicos and calico lore

A stationmaster cat, a state symbol and the patchwork heroes of stories and song.

  1. Nitama: Tama's calico successor as stationmaster at a Japanese rail station
  2. Maryland: The state that made the calico its official cat in 2001
  3. Checkerspot: A butterfly in calico colors, and Maryland's state insect
  4. Old Line: Maryland's old nickname, for a proud calico
  5. Patchwork Girl: Baum's lively Oz heroine sewn from a crazy quilt
  6. Ojo: The Munchkin boy who travels with the Patchwork Girl in Baum's tale
  7. Pied Piper: Hamelin's rat-catching musician, named for his two-colored coat
  8. Harlequin: The commedia clown in a suit of colorful diamonds
  9. Columbina: Harlequin's clever sweetheart in Italian comedy
  10. Coat of Many Colors: Dolly Parton's song about the patchwork jacket her mother sewed

Artsy calico names

Painters, paints and patterns for a cat who looks like a work of art.

  1. Pollock: The drip painter, for a cat who looks splattered with paint
  2. Kandinsky: A pioneer of abstract art, all shapes and color
  3. Klimt: The Austrian painter of gold, patterned portraits
  4. Mondrian: The Dutch painter of bold blocks of color
  5. Calder: The sculptor who invented the hanging mobile
  6. Seurat: The French painter who built pictures from tiny dots; say suh-RAH
  7. Chagall: A painter of dreamy, colorful scenes and stained glass
  8. Miró: The Spanish artist of playful shapes; say mee-ROH
  9. Cassatt: The American Impressionist of tender family scenes
  10. Renoir: The Impressionist of sunny, rosy-cheeked scenes
  11. Degas: The Impressionist famous for painting ballet dancers
  12. Rothko: The painter of glowing rectangles of color
  13. Gauguin: The painter of vivid colors and Tahitian scenes
  14. Palette: Every color an artist needs, all in one place
  15. Easel: For an artsy cat who loves to perch up high
  16. Gouache: A rich, opaque watercolor paint; say gwahsh
  17. Fresco: Painting on wet plaster, as in old Italian chapels
  18. Tempera: An old paint made with egg yolk
  19. Stained Glass: Bright panes of color pieced together with lead
  20. Finger Paint: For a cat who looks like a toddler's masterpiece

Butterfly, bird and blossom names

Nature's own calicos, from checkered butterflies to patchwork koi.

  1. Painted Lady: A butterfly splashed with orange, black and white
  2. Fritillary: An orange butterfly checkered with black
  3. Admiral: The red kind has black wings with orange bands and white spots
  4. Swallowtail: A large butterfly with fancy tail streamers
  5. Towhee: A songbird dressed in black, rusty orange and white
  6. Turnstone: A shorebird with a patchwork back that flips stones for food
  7. Harlequin Duck: A sea bird patched with slate blue, chestnut and white
  8. Mandarin Duck: Perhaps the most colorful waterfowl in the world
  9. Koi: Japanese carp bred in patches of red, white and black
  10. Sanke: A white koi with red and black patches; say SAHN-keh
  11. Showa: A black koi with red and white patches; say SHOH-wah
  12. Shubunkin: A calico goldfish with flecks of blue, red and black
  13. Nasturtium: A peppery garden flower in sunset colors
  14. Johnny Jump Up: A tiny wild pansy in three colors
  15. Coleus: A leafy plant splashed in many colors
  16. Croton: A houseplant with leaves of red, orange and yellow
  17. Four O'Clock: A flower that can bloom in several colors on one plant
  18. Autumn Leaves: Orange, gold and brown all falling together
  19. Leaf Pile: For a cat who looks like she rolled in fall leaves
  20. Ornamental Corn: Autumn ears with kernels of every shade

Calico cat names for girls

Nearly every calico is a girl, so here are pretty and playful names for her.

  1. Callista: Greek for most beautiful
  2. Harlequina: A playful feminine twist on the patchwork clown
  3. Parton: After Dolly, who sang about her own patchwork coat
  4. Pattie: A sweet name that sounds just like patchy
  5. Bouquet: A bunch of flowers in every color
  6. Tessa: A sassy, short name for a girl with tortitude
  7. Fiesta: A bright party for a bright, lively girl
  8. Piñata: Colorful outside and full of surprises inside
  9. Carnival: A riot of color, music and fun
  10. Scarecrow: For a patchwork girl who guards the garden
  11. Fireworks: Bursts of color against the night sky
  12. Kaleida: A pretty invented name inspired by the kaleidoscope

Names for a rare male calico

Only about one calico in three thousand is male. A boy this rare deserves a name to match.

  1. One in a Million: Close enough, since male calicos are about one in three thousand
  2. Rare Bird: For a boy as unusual as they come
  3. Oddball: For a tom who breaks the usual rules of genetics
  4. Exception: The boy who proves the rule
  5. Captain Calico: A swashbuckling title for a very rare tom
  6. Sir Patchalot: A knightly name for a patchwork gentleman
  7. Blue Moon: For a boy you meet once in a very long while
  8. Long Odds: For the tom who beat them
  9. Lucky Break: For the family who found the rarest kitten around
  10. Calvert: The family name of the Lords Baltimore, who founded Maryland

Funny calico and tortie names

Silly names for a cat who looks like she was put together from spare parts.

  1. Patchy McPatchface: For a cat who deserves a name voted on by the internet
  2. Fur Salad: A little bit of every color, tossed together
  3. Mood Swing: For a tortie whose temper changes by the minute
  4. Spicy Meatball: For a small cat with a big, fiery attitude
  5. Tortie-llini: A pasta pun for a tortoiseshell with a full belly
  6. Everything Bagel: A bit of every topping, and perfect as is
  7. Paint Spill: For a cat who looks like she knocked over the art supplies
  8. Leftovers: Made from the best bits of every color
  9. Pick and Mix: A British candy counter treat, every color in one bag
  10. Spot Check: For a cat who inspects every corner of the house
  11. Supreme: Like a pizza with every topping piled on
  12. Smorgasbord: A whole buffet of colors on one cat

How to pick the right name

Count the colors

A classic calico shows black, orange and white. A dilute calico shows soft gray, cream and white, which suits gentler names like Mochaccino or Blue Cream.

Calico or tortie?

Lots of white means calico; a brindled mix of black and orange with little white means tortoiseshell. Patchwork names suit the first, and wood, spice and shell names suit the second.

Expect some attitude

Owners swear calicos and torties are sassy, a trait the internet calls tortitude. It is not proven science, but a bold name rarely goes to waste.

Calico cat names: 181 ideas from Nomezo

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Frequently asked questions

What is a good name for a calico cat?

Quilt, Neapolitan, Collage, Mike and Spumoni are fun picks. Patchwork, dessert and art names suit a three-colored coat, and lucky names like Kismet fit a cat with a reputation for good fortune.

Why are calico cats almost always female?

The gene for orange fur sits on the X chromosome. A female has two X chromosomes, so one can carry orange and the other not, and each patch of fur shows one of them. A male usually has one X, so a male calico, about one in three thousand, almost always has an extra X chromosome.

What is the difference between a calico and a tortoiseshell cat?

Both have black and orange fur, or the softer gray and cream versions. A calico also has clear patches of white, while a tortoiseshell has little or no white and a more blended, brindled coat.

Is calico a breed of cat?

No. Calico is a color pattern, not a breed. It shows up in Persians, Maine Coons, Japanese Bobtails, American Shorthairs and many mixed-breed cats.

Are calico cats lucky?

Many people think so. In the United States they are nicknamed money cats, German calls them lucky cats, and Japan's beckoning cat figures are often painted as calicos. Maryland even made the calico its state cat.

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