Falling in love with an orange cat is easy. Choosing its name, though? That can take a little bit of imagination, although some of the most popular names for orange, or ginger, cats reflect their vibrant color: Marmalade, Flame, Pumpkin, Cheeto, and Nacho are all top contenders. There are also fun options inspired by famous cats in pop culture such as Garfield, Hobbes, and Tigger.

Orange cats, also called reds or gingers, are often exceptionally friendly, affectionate, vocal, and active, making these eye-catching felines very popular pets. The majority of ginger cats have tabby markings, meaning they are striped like little tigers, adding even more allure to their beautiful coloring. When deciding on a name for your new male ginger cat or kitten, you want a name as striking as he is.

If you’re at a loss for a name, we’re here to help. We’ve rounded up 225 orange male cat names that could be a perfect fit for the kitty in your life.

Tips For Naming Your Cat

There are no definitive rules when it comes to what name you choose for your cat—or any pet for that matter. And when it comes to your little orange guy, it’s totally up to you whether you go for a name that speaks to his coat, his personality, or just your own preferences.

Unlike with naming dogs, you won’t generally be doing quite as much direct training with your cat, so you don’t need to worry about choosing a name that doesn’t sound too similar to a common command (i.e. “May”/”stay” or “Kit”/”sit”). You should still be wary, however, of picking a name that you’ll be embarrassed to say out loud. While it may seem like a fun choice in the moment, keep in mind that whatever name you choose is one that you’ll have to call out regularly, including in public places like the vet’s office. 

And remember, it’s perfectly okay to change your cat’s name if you don’t like it after a couple of days! Pick a name, try it out, and see how it works out for you—as well as how well it fits with your cat’s personality. If the name seems off, it’s better to switch it than stick with it and to do so sooner rather than later.

Top Orange Cat Names for Boys

The first thing that you notice about an orange feline is the color of his fur, so it’s probably not a big surprise to learn that many of the most popular orange boy cat names are based around color. Of course, there’s more to these kitties than just their coats, and orange cats are also known for being bold, friendly, and boisterous, with a special affection for their humans that makes them an all-around pretty perfect pal.

Here are some names that speak to these characteristics, and that are a great choice for any orange male cat.

• Archie
• Blaze
• Butternut
• Butters
• Caramel
• Cheddar
• Cheetah
• Cheeto
• Ember
• Flame
• Fox
• Garfield
• Ginger
• Marmalade
• Nacho
• Phoenix
• Pumpkin
• Rusty
• Saffron
• Sunny
• Tang
• Tiger

Food-Inspired Orange Cat Names for Boys

You probably noticed that there were quite a few food-inspired names in the list of the most popular orange boy cat names. If you’ve got your heart set on a food-based name for your orange boy cat but didn’t see it listed above, here are some other ideas that you might want to consider. After all, your kitty is so adorable, you could just eat him up.

• Amaretto
• Apricot
• Beans
• Butterscotch
• Candy Corn
• Cantaloupe
• Carrot
• Chili
• Cinnamon
• Citrus
• Colby
• Creamsicle
• Curry
• Dorito
• Fanta
• Guava
• Jellybean
• Julius (short for Orange Julius)
• Macaroni
• Mango
• Maple
• Mimosa
• Nectarine
• Orange
• Papaya
• Paprika
• Peach
• Queso
• Satsuma
• Skittles
• Squash
• Sunkist
• Sweet Potato
• Tabasco
• Taco
• Tangerine
• Turmeric
• Yam

Pop Culture-Inspired Orange Cat Names for Boys

There have been a lot of famous orange cats in show business and literature, and many of them provide excellent inspiration. Try out one of these famous orange boy cat names for size, and see if it’s a good fit.

• Aslan ("The Chronicles of Narnia")
• Azrael ("The Smurfs")
• Crookshanks ("Harry Potter")
• Garfield ("Garfield")
• Goose ("Captain Marvel")
• Heathcliff ("Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats")
• Hobbes ("Calvin and Hobbes")
• Milo ("Milo and Otis")
• Morris (from the 9Lives cat food commercials)
• Mufasa ("The Lion King")
• Rajah ("Aladdin")
• Riff-Raff ("Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats")
• Simba ("The Lion King")
• Thomas O'Malley ("The Aristocats")
• Tigger ("Winnie the Pooh")
• Toulouse ("The Aristocats")
• Ulysses ("Inside Llewyn Davis")

Orange Cat Names for Boys

Your ginger kitty's red coat can bring to mind a warm location or element of nature. Consider one of these nature-inspired name for your orange boy cat.

• Arizona
• Athens
• Austin
• Baghdad
• Bonfire
• Copper
• Dallas
• Flare
• Houston
• Inferno
• Lava
• Mali
• Mars
• Mojave
• Nevada
• Phoenix
• Sahara
• Sonora
• Sunset
• Sunspot
• Texas
• Vegas

More Orange Cat Names for Boys

Still searching for the perfect name for your new ginger tabby? Here are more ideas to inspire you.

• Ace
• Admiral
• Ajax
• Alpha
• Archibald
• Atari
• Atlas
• Axel
• Beast
• Beckham
• Bender
• Benz
• Bond
• Boss
• Brady
• Bruiser
• Brutus
• Butch
• Captain
• Cheech
• Chester
• Claws
• Cowboy
• Crypto
• Dagger
• Data
• Dexter
• DiCaprio
• Diesel
• Dobby
• Dodge
• Drake
• Einstein
• Elton
• Ewan
• Ezra
• Fiesty
• Felix
• Flash
• Frankie
• Frodo
• Gatsby
• George
• Georgie
• Gerard
• Glitch
• Godzilla
• Goliath
• Hamilton
• Hamlet
• Hannibal
• Harry
• Hercules
• Holden
• Homer
• Hulk
• Hunter
• Ivan
• Jackson
• Jagger
• Jameson
• Java
• Jess
• Jiggy
• King
• Kobe
• Kramer
• LeBron
• Legend
• Leo
• Lennon
• Lincoln
• Linux
• Loki
• Malfoy
• Marvelo
• Maverick
• McGregor
• Merlin
• Miller
• Mothra
• Mr. Darcy
• Mr. Kitty
• Napolean
• Neo
• Nick
• Niles
• Noodle
• Orion
• Ozzy
• Padfoot
• Pancho
• Pixel
• Prince
• Radley
• Rebel
• Rex
• Riddle
• Ringo
• Rocket
• Rogue
• Romeo
• Sargeant
• Sawyer
• Schmidt
• Scrapper
• Sebastian
• Sheldon
• Sherlock
• Soldier
• Sparky
• Spirit
• Spud
• Stark
• Tesla
• Thor
• Tigger
• Tonka
• Turbo
• Tyson
• Vader
• Weasley
• Westley
• Winston
• Zephyr
• Zion

Other Cat Name Ideas

Looking for even more cat naming inspiration? Take a look at these helpful roundups:

• Cute Names for Male Cats
• Unisex Cat Names
• Unique Male Cat Names