Peterbald Cat Names, Names For Russian Hairless Peterbald Kittens
The Peterbald was created in St. Petersburg in 1994 by Russian breeder Olga S. Mironova, who crossed a Don Sphynx (Donskoy) named Afinoguen Myth with an Oriental Shorthair named Radma Vom Jagerhof. Their offspring Nocturne Iz Murino became the foundation stud — every modern Peterbald pedigree traces back to him. The breed name combines *Peter* (St. Petersburg) and *bald*. TICA granted full Championship status in 2005; CFA and GCCF do not recognize the breed.
The genetic detail that matters most is the inheritance mode. The Peterbald hairless gene is **dominant**, inherited from the Donskoy parent — different from the Canadian Sphynx, where the same baldness phenotype is produced by a recessive gene. The practical consequence is that a Peterbald paired with a fully-coated cat can produce hairless kittens in a single generation. Sphynx outcrosses cannot.
A Peterbald can be born showing any of five coat types: bald (true hairless), flock (peach-fuzz suede), velour (slightly longer fuzz), brush (wiry kinked hair, the most common), and straight (full coat that still carries the gene). The same individual cat can shift coat type during the first one to two years of life, which is unusual among breeds.
Under the coat (or absence of one), the Peterbald is built like its Oriental Shorthair parent — long, slim, tubular body, large flared ears, almond eyes, whippy tail. Webbed paws are written into the breed standard. They are loyal, vocal, social cats who follow humans through the house in the Oriental tradition.
The Peterbald's coat or skin tone shapes its naming register more than most breeds. Browse our gray cat names and white cat names — Peterbalds in those tones are particularly common, and the names there suit the breed's slim Oriental silhouette.
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 170 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander | Male | ||
| Alpine | Unisex | ||
| Amata | Female | ||
| Amber | Female | ||
| Ambrosio | Male | ||
| Amethyst | Female | ||
| Amos | Male | ||
| Amun | Unisex | ||
| Anastasia | Female | ||
| Anatoly | Unisex | ||
| Andre | Male | ||
| Andreas | Male | ||
| Anna | Female | ||
| Anton | Male | ||
| Anya | Female | ||
| Bacchus | Male | ||
| Bailey | A surname originally referring to a bailiff | Female | English occupational surname |
| Balbina | Unisex | ||
| Balder | Unisex | ||
| Balderdash | Unisex | ||
| Baldrick | Male | ||
| Baldur | Unisex | ||
| Baldwin | Male | ||
| Baldy | Unisex | ||
| Bali | Female | ||
| Balin | Male | ||
| Ballard | Unisex | ||
| Bikini | Unisex | ||
| Boris | Male | ||
| Brillo | Unisex | ||
| Buck | Male | ||
| Buffy | Female | ||
| Cal | Male | ||
| Calandria | Female | ||
| Cali | Female | ||
| Calvin | Male | ||
| Calvina | Female | ||
| Calvino | Male | ||
| Cameo | Female | ||
| Cameron | Male | ||
| Chalky | Male | ||
| Champ | Male | ||
| Champion | Male | ||
| Chang | Male | ||
| Charleen | Unisex | ||
| Charley | Unisex | ||
| Charlie | Short or feminine form of Charles | Male | English |
| Charlie Brown | Unisex | ||
| Charlotte | Female | ||
| Chekov | Unisex |
170 names found. Page 1 of 4.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a Peterbald different from a Sphynx?
The hairless gene is inherited differently. The Peterbald gene, inherited from its Donskoy parent, is **dominant** — pairing a Peterbald with a fully-coated cat can still produce hairless kittens in a single generation. The Sphynx gene is **recessive** and requires both parents to carry it. The Peterbald also descends from Oriental Shorthair stock, so its body is longer, slimmer, and more tubular than a Sphynx, with a longer wedge-shaped head and larger ears.
Where and when did the Peterbald start?
St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1994. Russian breeder Olga S. Mironova crossed a Don Sphynx named Afinoguen Myth with an Oriental Shorthair named Radma Vom Jagerhof. The resulting foundation stud, Nocturne Iz Murino, appears in every Peterbald pedigree. TICA accepted the Peterbald into Championship competition in 2005. CFA and GCCF do not recognize the breed.
Are all Peterbalds bald?
No. A Peterbald can be born in any of five recognized coat types: bald (true hairless), flock (peach-fuzz suede), velour (slightly longer fuzz around 1mm), brush (wiry kinked hair, the most common), and straight (full coat that still carries the gene). The same kitten may also shift coat type during the first one to two years of life, which most other breeds do not do.
Are Peterbalds hypoallergenic?
No. Like all hairless and near-hairless cats, Peterbalds still produce the Fel d 1 protein responsible for most cat allergies. The lack of an absorbent coat actually means skin oils build up faster, and Peterbalds need regular bathing — typically every one to two weeks — to manage skin oil rather than allergen output. Bathing does not reduce Fel d 1 production.
What names suit a Peterbald?
Russian and St. Petersburg references read well: Anastasia, Boris, Mikhail, Sergei, Nadia, Volga, Neva (the river through St. Petersburg), Hermitage, Pushkin, Tolstoy. Russian endearments work for softer cats: Mishka (little bear), Solnyshko (little sun), Lapochka. Founding-cat wink: Nocturne, Murino. Coat-type names — Flock, Velour, Brush — work as affectionate references to the actual texture of an individual cat.