Korat Cat Names, Names For Thai Korat Kittens
The Korat appears in a Thai manuscript called the Smud Khoi of Cats — the Cat-Book of Poems — produced during the Ayudhya period between 1350 and 1767. Inside, seventeen cats are illustrated as bringers of good fortune. The Korat is one of them. In its native Thailand the breed has been given to brides on their wedding day for centuries, as a wish for harmonious marriage and prosperous household.
The breed reached the West later than its history suggests. Jean Johnson brought the first two Korats to the United States in 1959. Daphne Negus imported nine more in 1969 to widen the American gene pool. The first UK Korats arrived in 1972, and the GCCF granted Championship in 1984.
A Korat looks like nothing else. The head is heart-shaped when viewed from the front, broad between the eyes and tapering down to a strong chin. The coat is silver-tipped blue — never any other colour, and never tabby-marked in adults — single-layered, short, and glossy enough to throw a silver halo in sunlight. The eyes are the surprise: kittens are born with amber or yellow eyes that slowly shift through every shade of green over two to four years until they reach full luminous peridot green. The breed is also a quiet pioneer of feline genetic medicine — the Korat was the first breed to be DNA-screened for two genetic diseases (GM1 and GM2 gangliosidosis), a testing protocol now standard in many breeding programs.
Naming a Korat rewards the cultural side. Si-Sawat is the breed's actual Thai name, meaning 'good fortune.' Sukhothai and Ayutthaya nod to the historical kingdoms of the Cat-Book era. Mali (jasmine) and Mekong tie to landscape. Thailand exported two breeds to the global cat fancy. The other one — louder, paler, more demanding — lives at our Siamese cat names page.
Name Ideas from This Breed Collection
An introductory selection from this editorial collection, ordered by catalog ID. This is not a popularity ranking. Browse the alphabetical list below for all 161 options.
Meanings, origins and pronunciations appear only for records with checked sources. Blank fields have not been verified. Gender and collection labels are browsing choices.
| Name | Meaning | Gender | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aat | Unisex | ||
| Aawut | Unisex | ||
| Alex | Male | ||
| Alisa | Female | ||
| Andy | Male | ||
| Anthony | Male | ||
| Aqua | Female | ||
| Art | Male | ||
| Ava | Female | English, Persian and Germanic name histories | |
| Azul | Unisex | ||
| Azure | Female | ||
| Ball | Unisex | ||
| Bam | Unisex | ||
| Beam | Unisex | ||
| Beer | Unisex | ||
| Benz | Male | ||
| Best | Unisex | ||
| Big | Unisex | ||
| Bleu | Female | ||
| Blue | Male | ||
| Blue Bell | Unisex | ||
| Blueberry | Unisex | ||
| Boom | Unisex | ||
| Boribun | Unisex | ||
| Bow | Unisex | ||
| Buppha | Unisex | ||
| Busaba | Unisex | ||
| Busarakham | Unisex | ||
| Celeste | Female | ||
| Chaiya | Unisex | ||
| Chakan | Unisex | ||
| Charoen | Unisex | ||
| Chatchai | Unisex | ||
| Cherry | Female | ||
| Chet | Male | ||
| Chomechai | Unisex | ||
| Chula | Unisex | ||
| Cobalt | Male | ||
| Dara | Male | ||
| David | Male | ||
| Denim | Male | ||
| Dew | Unisex | ||
| Dusadi | Unisex | ||
| Earth | Unisex | ||
| Eve | Female | ||
| Fai | Unisex | ||
| Fang | Unisex | ||
| Fern | Female | ||
| Flower | Female | ||
| Gift | Unisex |
161 names found. Page 1 of 4.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the Korat breed?
The Korat appears in a Thai manuscript called the Smud Khoi of Cats — the Cat-Book of Poems — produced during the Ayudhya period (1350–1767). The manuscript illustrates seventeen cats considered bringers of good fortune; the Korat is one of them. So the breed has at least a 600-year documented presence in Thailand, far older than most pedigreed breeds in Western registries.
Why are Korats given to Thai brides?
In Thailand the Korat carries a name — Si-Sawat — meaning 'good fortune,' and the silver-blue coat is associated with rain (and therefore plentiful rice harvests). The breed has traditionally been given as a wedding gift on the bride's wedding day as a wish for harmonious marriage and prosperous household. CFA notes this tradition explicitly on its breed page.
Why do Korat kittens have yellow eyes that change colour?
Korat eye colour matures slowly. Kittens are born with amber or yellow eyes; the colour shifts gradually through green over two to four years, eventually settling into the luminous peridot green that defines mature cats. Buying a Korat kitten means waiting for the eyes to finish — early Korat owners often comment that the cat looks like a different animal at four years old than at four months.
What colours does a Korat come in?
Just one. The Korat is recognised only in silver-tipped blue. Single-layered, short, glossy, with a distinctive silver halo when sunlit. Never tabby-marked in adults. This is unusually strict for a breed standard — many other blue breeds (Russian Blue, Nebelung, Chartreux) are similarly restricted, but the Korat's standard is the most absolute.
When did the Korat arrive in Western cat registries?
Jean Johnson brought the first two Korats to the United States in 1959. Daphne Negus imported nine more in 1969 to widen the American gene pool. The first UK imports were in 1972, and the GCCF granted Championship status in 1984. The breed was also the first to be DNA-screened for two genetic diseases (GM1 and GM2 gangliosidosis) — a testing protocol now standard in many breeding programs.
What names suit a Korat?
Lean Thai. Si-Sawat (the breed's actual Thai name, meaning good fortune). Sukhothai and Ayutthaya for the historical kingdoms of the Cat-Book era. Mali (jasmine), Mekong, Chiang Mai for landscape. The bridal-gift tradition makes Lucky, Fortuna, and Felicity equally legitimate. For coat colour, Silver, Mercury, Pewter, Argent. And for the peridot eyes once they settle: Peridot, Jade, Olive, Sage, Verde.