Shadow
Shadow is an English word used for a dark shape or area produced when light is blocked. The dictionary also records a companion or follower sense. Either can be a reason someone chooses a pet name; neither proves that a particular cat is shy, black-coated or unusually attached to an owner.
- Meaning
- A dark shape or shaded area formed when light is blocked
- Name or word origin
- English word name
Sources and meaning notes
Word senses are distinguished from claims about the behaviour or appearance of a cat.
- Merriam-Webster: shadow The English word and its documented lexical sense; not a claim about every possible personal-name origin
References checked .
Catalog grouping: Female. This is a browsing label and does not restrict which cats can use the name.
Popularity in cited datasets
Each position below belongs to its publisher’s sample and time period. These are not iCatNames registration counts or a combined ranking.
| Dataset scope | Position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. cat names — top 100 | #16 | Rover catalog (checked 2026-10-26; undated) |
An undated catalog checked in 2026 is not a 2025 annual result. Historical reports keep their published period. Source records on this page were checked on 2026-10-26.
Compare the checked ranking snapshotsNames in similar collections to Shadow
These entries have source references and overlap with this name in the site’s editorial collections. The overlap does not measure pet-owner preferences or prove a shared linguistic origin.