Lord of the Rings and Tolkien Cat Names: 130+ Picks from Middle-earth

Middle-earth gives a cat owner an unfair advantage. J.R.R. Tolkien spent decades building languages, genealogies, and maps before he let a single hobbit walk out a door, and the result is a name bank deeper than almost any other in fiction — short Shire syllables that sit well on a collar, liquid Elvish vowels for the silent, graceful jumper, and a roster of shadows and kings for the animal who runs your house. “The Hobbit” arrived on 21 September 1937; “The Lord of the Rings” followed in three volumes between 29 July 1954 and 20 October 1955. Nearly a century of readers later, these names still carry weight without sounding fussy.

There is also a genuine reason Tolkien fits cats specifically. In “The Fellowship of the Ring,” Aragorn says he knows the wild as well as Queen Berúthiel’s cats — an offhand line Tolkien later explained in “Unfinished Tales” (published 1980). Berúthiel, queen to a King of Gondor, kept ten cats: nine black and one white, sent prowling through the streets at night to spy out the secrets men most wanted hidden. (That is in-universe legend, not real history, but it is a genuinely scarce canonical cat in a world otherwise crowded with horses and eagles.) Tolkien also wrote a short poem simply titled “Cat,” composed in 1956 and printed in “The Adventures of Tom Bombadil” (1962). Naming a cat from his books is, in a small way, honoring the few he put there himself.

The Fellowship: names for the cat who owns the house

The nine walkers split neatly between the cozy and the regal, which means you can suit the name to the animal instead of the franchise. A bold tabby who appoints himself leader earns a captain’s name; a quiet shadow under the bed earns a hobbit’s.

• Frodo — the ring-bearer who carries a burden quietly; fits a small, serious cat with watchful eyes.
• Aragorn — the hidden king who becomes ruler of Gondor; for the dignified cat who already behaves like royalty.
• Legolas — the Elvish archer with uncanny sight and balance; suits a lean, athletic jumper who lands without a sound.
• Gimli — the stout, loyal dwarf with a big voice; right for a broad, sturdy cat who grumbles and adores you anyway.
• Gandalf — the wizard who shows up exactly when needed; a wise, grey, slightly bossy cat wears it well.
• Sam — Samwise Gamgee, the gardener whose loyalty carries the whole quest; for the devoted cat who shadows your every step.
• Pippin — the youngest hobbit, curious and trouble-prone; ideal for a kitten who knocks things off shelves to learn what they do.
• Merry — Pippin’s partner in mischief and braver than he looks; pairs naturally with a second cat.

Hobbits and the Shire: warm, two-syllable lap-cat names

Shire names are the practical workhorses here. They are short, end on open sounds a cat hears clearly, and feel domestic in the best sense — pulled from a culture obsessed with pantries, gardens, and second breakfast. These are the names you can call across a kitchen without feeling self-conscious.

• Bilbo — the adventuring hobbit of “The Hobbit”; a snug homebody who nonetheless wanders off when a door opens.
• Rosie — Rosie Cotton, Sam’s sweetheart back in the Shire; a soft fit for a friendly, sociable female.
• Pearl — Pearl Took, Pippin’s eldest sister; elegant and pale, suited to a white or cream coat.
• Marigold — one of Sam’s sisters, named in classic Hobbit flower-fashion; for a ginger or golden cat.
• Poppy — a Took family flower-name; bright and brisk for a small, lively cat.
• Daisy — another Gamgee sister; gentle and plain in the good Shire way.
• Goldilocks — Sam and Rosie’s daughter, who later marries a Took; an obvious pick for a long golden coat.
• Mungo — an old Took family name; characterful and slightly comic for a chubby, contented cat.

Elves and Elvish: flowing names for an elegant, soft-footed cat

Elvish is where Tolkien’s ear shows. The names flow because he built the languages to sound that way first and assigned meanings second. They suit the silent, deliberate cat — the one who appears on the counter without you ever seeing the leap. A note on accents: Tolkien’s marks (as in Lúthien) are part of the spelling and look right on paper, though no cat will mind if you drop them.

• Arwen — the half-Elven daughter of Elrond who gives up immortality for love; for a beautiful, self-possessed cat.
• Galadriel — the powerful Lady of Lothlórien with golden hair; a regal name for a long-haired golden or silver female.
• Lúthien — the fairest of the Elves, whose name is read as “enchantress”; not in the collar-name dictionary, but striking for a bewitching cat (use as a plain name).
• Tinúviel — Beren’s name for Lúthien, meaning “daughter of twilight,” a poetic word for nightingale; fitting for a dusk-colored cat (plain name).
• Elrond — the wise lord of Rivendell; dignified for a serious grey cat (not in the dictionary; use plain).
• Glorfindel — the golden-haired Elf-lord who outrode the Nazgûl; for a fast golden cat (plain name).
• Thranduil — the proud Woodland King and Legolas’s father; a haughty cat who looks down from the bookshelf (plain name).
• Eärendil — the mariner whose ship became the Morning Star; for a cat with one vivid fleck of color (plain name).

Rohan and Gondor: noble names for a cat with a soldier’s bearing

The horse-lords of Rohan and the stone city of Gondor supply names with consonant weight — good for a big, square-shouldered cat who patrols the perimeter and supervises the food bowl like a sworn duty. Most of these are not in the collar dictionary, so they read as plain names, which suits their formality.

• Eowyn — the shieldmaiden of Rohan who slays the Witch-king; for a brave female cat who fears nothing.
• Strider — Aragorn’s ranger name from his years in the wild; for a long-legged, far-roaming cat.
• Éomer — Éowyn’s brother, Third Marshal of the Mark; for a fast, restless cat (plain name).
• Théoden — the king of Rohan who rides out one last time; for a grey-muzzled senior with quiet dignity (plain name).
• Faramir — the thoughtful younger Steward’s son who resists the Ring; for a calm, gentle tom (plain name).
• Boromir — the proud warrior who falls defending the hobbits; for a strong, headstrong cat (plain name).
• Denethor — the brooding Steward of Gondor; for a moody, watchful cat who keeps his own counsel (plain name).

Wizards and the wise: names for the cat who thinks she is smarter than you

The Istari were sent to Middle-earth as counselors, which is exactly the role a cat assigns herself the day she arrives. These names work for the deliberate, observant animal who watches a problem before acting on it.

• Gandalf — works twice over: Grey for the wandering years, the White for the cat who returns triumphant from a vet visit.
• Radagast — the brown wizard who befriends birds and beasts; for a scruffy, nature-loving cat who brings you “gifts” (plain name).
• Saruman — the chief wizard who turns to ambition; a knowing name for a cunning cat who opens doors and cupboards (plain name).

Shadows and villains: dark names for black and fierce cats

A black cat or a relentless hunter earns a name from the shadow side of the legendarium — and there is a fitting honesty in it, given Berúthiel’s nine black spies. Lean into the drama; the cat certainly will.

• Smeagol — Gollum’s lost original name, before the Ring twisted him; for a small, big-eyed cat with two clear moods.
• Gollum — the obsessive creature of the caves; for the cat who guards one favorite toy as his “precious.”
• Shadow — not a Tolkien name itself but the essence of Mordor and the Nazgûl; for a silent black cat who appears at your heel.
• Onyx — for the gloss-black coat, in the spirit of Berúthiel’s night-prowlers.
• Raven — jet-dark and watchful, fitting the spying-cat lore.
• Shelob — the monstrous spider of Cirith Ungol; a bold, slightly grim choice for a patient ambush hunter (plain name).
• Sauron — the Dark Lord himself; for the cat who quietly rules everything (plain name).
• Morgoth — the first and greatest dark power, Sauron’s master; for an imposing all-black tom (plain name).

Creatures, companions, and Elvish words for friend and light

Beyond the named people, Middle-earth’s animals and its everyday Elvish vocabulary offer some of the most usable cat names of all — short, meaningful, and free of franchise baggage.

• Shadowfax — Gandalf’s great horse, lord of all horses and swift as the wind; for a fast, pale-grey cat.
• Bill — Bill the pony, the humble companion who carries the load to Moria’s gate; an unpretentious name for a sturdy cat.
• Mellon — Sindarin for “friend,” the password that opens the Doors of Durin; an affectionate, low-key name for any cat.
• Mithril — the precious silver-grey metal of Moria, read as “true-silver”; ideal for a shimmering grey coat.
• Bree — the crossroads village where Frodo first meets Strider; short and friendly for a sociable cat.
• Treebeard — the ancient, unhurried Ent who shepherds the forest; for a large, slow, deliberate cat (plain name).
• Beorn — the man who becomes a bear; for a big, gruff, surprisingly gentle cat (plain name).
• Anor and Ithil — Sindarin for “sun” and “moon”; a paired set for two cats, one warm-toned, one pale (plain names).

By coat color: matching Middle-earth to your cat

If your cat carries one strong, defining color, let it pick the name. Tolkien color-codes his world heavily — white for the redeemed and the swift, black for the shadow, grey for the wandering wise, gold for the river and the light of the Elves.

• Snow, Ivory, Pearl — for white coats, echoing Shadowfax and Gandalf the White.
• Onyx, Raven, Shadow — for black coats, in the line of Morgoth, Sauron, and Berúthiel’s nine.
• Grey, Mithril, Smoke, Misty — for grey coats, after Gandalf the Grey and the silver metal of Moria.
• Goldie, Amber, Marigold, Galadriel — for golden and ginger coats, after Goldberry of the river and the golden Lady of Lórien.
• Ember, Mist, Star — flexible picks for marked or tabby coats with a single point of contrast.

Two cats: pairs that belong together

Bonded pairs deserve names that tell their story. Tolkien is full of duos — faithful partnerships, sibling pairs, and opposites that define each other. Pick a pairing that matches how your two actually behave together.

• Frodo and Sam — the ring-bearer and his unshakeable companion; for two cats where one leads and one never leaves the other’s side.
• Merry and Pippin — the inseparable troublemakers; for two kittens who plot together and confess to nothing.
• Gandalf and Shadowfax — wizard and steed; for a wise older cat paired with a fast young one.
• Smeagol and Gollum — the two sides of one creature; a knowing pick for a single cat of wild mood swings, or for twins.
• Bilbo and Frodo — uncle and heir; for an older cat and the kitten who inherits his favorite chair.
• Aragorn and Arwen — the king and his Elven queen; for a devoted bonded couple.

When you choose, say each name aloud several times and listen for whether it carries across a room — the short Shire names (Frodo, Sam, Bree, Bilbo) win on sheer practicality, while the long Elvish ones (Galadriel, Arwen) shine when you have a cat whose bearing earns the extra syllables. Match the name to the animal you actually have rather than the character you wish you had: a kitten who never holds still is a Pippin, not a Théoden, no matter how noble he looks asleep. And if you want the deep cut, remember that Tolkien did put cats in his world — Berúthiel’s prowling spies and the small poem he wrote for a granddaughter — so any of these names quietly honors a writer who, for all his horses and eagles, found room for the cat too.