Studio Ghibli Cat Names: Jiji, Muta, Baron and Catbus Picks
Few film studios have given the world as many beloved cats as Studio Ghibli, the Tokyo animation house founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Cats are woven through its films as companions, guides, and full-blown heroes. Jiji is the wry black cat who keeps Kiki company in Kiki's Delivery Service, the Catbus is the grinning twelve-legged spirit that ferries the sisters in My Neighbor Totoro, and The Cat Returns hands the whole story to felines, led by the dapper figurine knight Baron Humbert von Gikkingen and the round, gruff street cat Muta. That makes Ghibli a rich well for naming a real cat.
You can draw straight from the cat cast, or borrow from the wider Ghibli world: gentle leads like Sophie, Chihiro, Ponyo, and San, dashing ones like Howl, Haku, and Ashitaka, and woodland spirits like Totoro and Kodama. Soft, two-syllable Japanese names suit a calm lap cat, while a bold explorer might carry Mononoke energy. Many of these names appear in our dictionary and are linked below with their meanings. Match a quiet black cat to Jiji, a hefty tabby to Muta, or a poised, elegant cat to the Baron, then browse the full curated list to find the one that fits the personality curled up on your windowsill.
| Name | Meaning | Gender | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna | Arthur's sister | Female | Greek |
| Ash | Ash tree. | Male | English |
| Baron | A low ranking nobleman. | Male | English |
| Calcifer | Fire demon in Howl's Moving Castle | Unisex | |
| Ember | Small glowing piece of coal or wood in a fire. | Female | |
| Gina | silvery | Female | English |
| Inky | Strong metallic element | Unisex | |
| Jiji | from the animated movie Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no Takkyuubin | Unisex | |
| Kiki | From Enriqueta - Pet | Female | |
| Lily | Lily | Female | English |
| Marco | warlike | Male | Italian |
| Marnie | rejoice | Female | English |
| Midnight | Intense darkness, the middle of the night | Male | English |
| Moon | Moon | Female | American |
| Onyx | A gemstone with bands of different colours. | Male | |
| Porco | Porco Rosso; pig in Italian | Unisex | Italian |
| Shadow | A rough, dark image cast by an object blocking the sun's rays | Female | English |
| Smokey | A grayish blue colour. Slang for highway patrol officer | Male | |
| Sophie | Wisdom. Variant of Sophia | Female | |
| Sosuke | Unisex | ||
| Toto | Wizard of Oz dog | Unisex | English |
| Totoro | after the character in the movie My Neighbor Totoro (Tonari No Totoro | Unisex | |
| Yuki | Means snow | Female | Japanese |
23 names found. Page 1 of 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Studio Ghibli films feature cats?
Cats appear throughout the Ghibli catalogue. Jiji is Kiki companion in Kiki Delivery Service, the Catbus is a spirit in My Neighbor Totoro, and The Cat Returns is built entirely around a feline kingdom led by the Baron and Muta. Cats also turn up in smaller roles across other films, which is why Ghibli is such a natural source for cat names.
Who is Jiji?
Jiji is the small black cat who accompanies the young witch Kiki in Kiki Delivery Service from 1989. He is talkative, sarcastic, and protective, and he is probably the most recognizable Ghibli cat. Jiji is a popular choice for a black cat or any clever, chatty companion, and the name is short and easy to call.
Who are the Baron and Muta?
Both come from The Cat Returns. The Baron, full name Humbert von Gikkingen, is an elegant cat figurine who comes to life as a gentleman adventurer. Muta, also called Renaldo Moon, is a large, grumpy white-and-grey street cat. The Baron suits a poised, refined cat, while Muta fits a big, easygoing tom.
What is a good Ghibli name for a black cat?
Jiji is the obvious pick for a black cat, since the original is solid black and full of personality. If you want an alternative, Kuro means black in Japanese, and spirit-world names like Kodama or No-Face fit a mysterious dark coat. A quiet, watchful black cat carries any of these well.
Can I use non-cat Ghibli names for my cat?
Absolutely. Many owners name cats after Ghibli leads and places rather than the cats themselves. Sophie, Chihiro, Ponyo, Howl, Haku, San, and Totoro all make charming cat names. Choose by sound and personality: gentle names for a calm cat, bold ones for an adventurer. The whole Ghibli world is fair game.
Are Ghibli names easy to call out loud?
Most are. Many Ghibli names are short and vowel-rich, like Jiji, Ponyo, San, and Haku, which makes them simple to say and easy for a cat to learn. Longer ones such as Totoro or Chihiro shorten naturally to Toto or Chi, giving you a built-in nickname for everyday use.
Related Naming Guides
Studio Ghibli Cat Names: Jiji, Muta, Baron, and the Whole Ghibli Menagerie
Studio Ghibli has given us some of the most beloved cats in all of animation, which makes a Ghibli name a natural fit for a real one. This guide leads with the canonical Ghibli cats: Jiji, the wisecracking black cat from Kiki's Delivery Service; the enormous white Muta and the gentleman figurine Baron from The Cat Returns; the grinning twelve-legged Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro; and the white cat Yuki and Prince Lune of the Cat Kingdom. From there it widens to names from the larger Ghibli world that simply suit a cat, sorted by temperament and by coat colour, with a section on the black-cat problem every Jiji owner faces, the soot-sprite alternatives, and a set of Ghibli pairs for a two-cat home. Each pick is tied to the character or scene it comes from, with notes on the short forms that survive being called across a garden, so you can choose a name that carries a real story and still works at dinnertime for the next fifteen years.
Studio Ghibli Cat Names: Jiji, Muta, Baron, and the Whole Ghibli Menagerie
Studio Ghibli has given us some of the most beloved cats in all of animation, which makes a Ghibli name a natural fit for a real one. This guide leads with the canonical Ghibli cats: Jiji, the wisecracking black cat from Kiki's Delivery Service; the enormous white Muta and the gentleman figurine Baron from The Cat Returns; the grinning twelve-legged Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro; and the white cat Yuki and Prince Lune of the Cat Kingdom. From there it widens to names from the larger Ghibli world that simply suit a cat, sorted by temperament and by coat colour, with a section on the black-cat problem every Jiji owner faces, the soot-sprite alternatives, and a set of Ghibli pairs for a two-cat home. Each pick is tied to the character or scene it comes from, with notes on the short forms that survive being called across a garden, so you can choose a name that carries a real story and still works at dinnertime for the next fifteen years.