Black Cyprus Cat Names
The Shillourokambos burial on Cyprus — excavated by Jean Guilaine, reported in Science in 2004 — dates to roughly 9,500 years before present. A Near Eastern wildcat, about eight months old, was buried beside a human in a deliberate Neolithic interment. Cyprus has no native wildcat, so the cat had to have arrived by boat with the humans who buried it. That burial predates Egyptian cat evidence by about four thousand years.
A modern black Cyprus cat — landrace, semi-longhair, mountain-built — descends from that 9,500-year continuity. Black is not a fixed color in the WCF or TICA Cyprus standard; the standard is built around size, semi-long bushy coat, and island provenance. Names from the deep-history axis work: Shillourokambos, Neolithic, Helena (the 4th-century empress who, by legend, imported cats to control snakes near the Saint Nicholas of the Cats Monastery), Aphrodite for a female. Where do you want this one's name to point — the panther shape it shares with every black cat, or the boat that brought it to an island nine millennia ago?
| Name | Meaning | Gender | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowflake | Single flake or crystal of snow. | Unisex | |
| Smokey | A grayish blue colour. Slang for highway patrol officer | Male | |
| Coco | A pet name. | Female | Spanish |
| Opal | Australian gemstone of remarkable colours, usually red, blue or green | Female | Sanskrit |
| Sammy | Hebrew, told by God | Male | English |
| Dusty | Covered with dust, tinged with grey | Unisex | |
| Kiki | From Enriqueta - Pet | Female | |
| Jack | after the Georgetown University mascot, Jack the Bulldog | Male | English |
| Lucy | light: illumination. | Female | English |
| Cutey | Subjective physical trait | Female | |
| Fluffy | Covered with fluff, Soft, light and airy. | Unisex | |
| Tiger | A large, striped, carnivorous mammal from Asia. | Male | Animal |
| Kiki | From Enriqueta - Pet | Female | |
| Cleo | From Cleopatra - Her father's glory | Female | Greek |
| Sparkle | To shine with animation | Unisex | |
| Java | Brewed coffee | Female | Anglicization |
| Checkers | Board game of strategy | Male | |
| Milo | Merciful. | Male | Latinized |
| Cinderella | little ash-girl | Female | |
| Smokey | A grayish blue colour. Slang for highway patrol officer | Male | |
| Pepper | A spice or condiment. | Male | Sanskrit |
| Ashes | Remains of something burned | Female | |
| Simba | lion | Male | Swahili |
| Max | Large spring | Male | English |
| Rosie | From Rose - The most beautiful of flowers | Female | English |
| Ashes | Remains of something burned | Female | |
| Pearl | Precious jewel. A hard, rounded gem, usually white in colour | Female | Latin |
| Chester | fortress, walled town, | Male | Latin |
| Snickers | A brand of candy bar. | Unisex | |
| Coco | A pet name. | Female | Spanish |
Showing 30 of 89 matching names.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are black Cyprus cats common?
Black is not a fixed color in the Cyprus / Aphrodite standard — WCF (2012 recognition as "Aphrodite's Giant Longhair") and TICA (2017 Preliminary as "Aphrodite") both define the breed by size, semi-longhair bushy coat, and documented island provenance rather than by color. Black-coated Cyprus cats exist as part of the landrace, but the breed identity is in the geography, not the coat color.
What's the oldest evidence of black cats on Cyprus?
The Shillourokambos burial — a Neolithic cat-and-human grave dated to roughly 9,500 years before present, excavated by archaeologist Jean Guilaine and reported in Science in 2004. The buried animal was a Near Eastern wildcat about eight months old. Cyprus has no native wildcat, so the cat must have arrived on the island by human boat. The burial predates Egyptian cat evidence by about four thousand years.
What names suit a black Cyprus cat?
Deep-history names tied to Cyprus specifically — Shillourokambos, Neolithic, Helena (the 4th-century empress who, by legend, imported cats to Cyprus to control snakes near the Saint Nicholas of the Cats Monastery). For a female with sun-on-sea provenance, Aphrodite (born from sea foam at Petra tou Romiou) carries the island lineage. Standard black-cat names like Onyx, Pitch, or Bagheera also fit but lose what's distinctive about a Cyprus cat in particular.
Explore the Parent Templates
Other Cyprus Coat Crosses
Other Breeds with Black Coats
All Breed × Color Combinations
Browse the full breed × color cross hub — 86 curated combinations across 23 breeds and 14 coat colors.