275+ Calico Cat Names: Cute, Unique & Colorful Ideas

There is something wonderfully impossible-looking about a calico cat.

Orange lands beside black. White cuts through both. One side of the face may look completely different from the other. A single paw can appear as though it belongs to another cat entirely.

And no two seem to have received quite the same paint job.

That gives you an enormous amount of inspiration when choosing a name.

You can look at her colors, patches, personality or the way one tiny orange mark happens to sit above her eye. You can choose something elegant, ridiculous, sweet, artistic or completely unexpected.

We’ve gathered more than 275 calico cat names to help you find one that looks — and sounds — like it belongs to your cat.

Best Calico Cat Names

Not sure where to begin? These are some of our favorite names for cats with those unmistakable orange, black and white coats.

• Autumn — An obvious favorite for a cat wearing the colors of fall.
• Callie — A sweet little nod to “calico” without being too obvious.
• Maple — Warm, golden and particularly lovely for an orange-rich coat.
• Patches — A classic that still fits a beautifully mismatched cat.
• Clementine — Bright, cheerful and perfect for a cat with vivid orange markings.
• Mosaic — For a coat that looks assembled from dozens of colorful pieces.
• Marigold — A sunny floral name with rich orange tones.
• Pepper — Especially good for a cat sprinkled with little dark markings.
• Ember — For fiery orange patches among darker fur.
• Confetti — A fun choice for a cat who seems to have color scattered everywhere.
• Hazel — Warm and understated, with an autumn feel.
• Domino — Particularly fitting when black and white dominate the pattern.
• Pumpkin — Cute, familiar and hard to resist on an orange-patched cat.
• Freckles — Wonderful for a face dotted with tiny spots.
• Saffron — Rich, warm and just unusual enough.
• Trixie — Playful and energetic for a cat with personality.
• Truffle — A deliciously sophisticated choice for a darker calico.
• Dapple — Inspired by irregular splashes of color.
• Honey — Sweet and especially suited to creamy golden markings.
• Picasso — For a cat whose face looks like a particularly successful work of modern art.
• Tawny — Warm, earthy and elegant.
• Clover — A cheerful nature-inspired choice.
• Marmalade — Perfect when orange steals most of the attention.
• Maisie — Soft, friendly and full of charm.
• Kaleidoscope — A rather magnificent name for a cat who seems to contain every color at once.

Female Calico Cat Names

Almost every calico you’ll meet is female, which gives us plenty of reason to indulge in a particularly good collection of girls’ names.

• Abigail — Traditional, warm and easily shortened to Abby.
• Alice — Simple and timeless.
• Amelia — An elegant name with plenty of personality.
• Annie — Friendly and perfect for an affectionate cat.
• Beatrice — Distinguished enough for a cat who expects standards to be maintained.
• Bella — A beautiful choice for a beautiful coat.
• Bonnie — Cheerful and affectionate.
• Chloe — Stylish without being overly formal.
• Clara — Gentle, classic and refined.
• Daisy — Bright and sunny for a happy little cat.
• Delilah — A slightly dramatic name for a cat who knows how to make an entrance.
• Edie — Short, vintage and charming.
• Elsie — Sweet without being overly cute.
• Emma — Familiar, simple and easy to call.
• Evie — A lovely choice for a lively kitten.
• Fiona — Strong, feminine and full of character.
• Flora — Especially pretty for a cat with warm natural colors.
• Georgia — A wonderfully substantial name for a confident cat.
• Gigi — Tiny, fashionable and fun.
• Gracie — A natural fit for a gentle cat.
• Harriet — For a calico with the personality of a tiny eccentric aunt.
• Ivy — Short, elegant and nature inspired.
• Josie — Cheerful and easygoing.
• Lola — A little glamorous and a little mischievous.
• Lucy — One of those names that seems to fit almost any lovable cat.
• Mabel — Vintage charm for a cat with an old soul.
• Maggie — Friendly, familiar and affectionate.
• Millie — Particularly cute for a kitten.
• Nellie — Soft and old-fashioned in the best way.
• Olive — Quirky, warm and increasingly irresistible.
• Penelope — Perfect for a sophisticated lady, with Penny available when she isn’t being sophisticated.
• Phoebe — Bright and playful.
• Pippa — Bouncy and full of personality.
• Rosie — Sweet and timeless.
• Ruby — Rich and colorful.
• Sadie — A wonderful everyday name with plenty of character.
• Sophie — Gentle and elegant.
• Stella — Meaning “star,” and appropriate for a cat who already believes she is one.
• Winnie — Warm, cheerful and charming.
• Zoe — Short, energetic and modern.

Male Calico Cat Names

Male calico cats really do exist — they’re simply extremely uncommon.

The orange-versus-black coat color involved in the calico pattern is associated with the X chromosome. Typical male cats have only one X chromosome, while females have two. Rare chromosomal variations can give a male cat the genetic combination necessary to display both orange and black.

So if you have a male calico, you’ve already got something unusual on your hands.

He deserves a good name.

• Ace — Appropriate for a genuine rarity.
• Archie — Friendly and slightly mischievous.
• Bandit — Excellent for a cat with a dark patch across his face.
• Benny — Warm and lovable.
• Bowie — A cool name for a cat who looks unlike everyone else.
• Cosmo — Colorful and just a little strange.
• Dexter — Smart and full of character.
• Felix — A classic cat name that literally feels made for the job.
• Finn — Short, bright and adventurous.
• Gus — Particularly good for a sturdy, easygoing cat.
• Jasper — Handsome and earthy.
• Leo — Short and confident.
• Milo — Friendly and playful.
• Monty — For a gentleman with questionable intentions.
• Murphy — A great name for an entertaining troublemaker.
• Oliver — Classic and endlessly likable.
• Oscar — Distinguished without taking itself too seriously.
• Remy — Stylish and compact.
• Theo — Soft and handsome.
• Walter — Because sometimes a rare male calico looks exactly like a Walter.

Cute Calico Cat Names

Calicos can look like someone took three perfectly good cats, shook the colors together and somehow produced something even cuter.

These names lean into that side of things.

• Bambi — Sweet and wide-eyed.
• Bean — Ideal for something tiny and ridiculous.
• Biscuit — Warm, comforting and very cat-like.
• Bitsy — Perfect for a little kitten.
• Bubbles — For a happy, energetic personality.
• Button — As in cute as one.
• Cookie — Especially good for a mottled coat.
• Cupcake — Unashamedly adorable.
• Doodle — A fun match for a scribbly pattern.
• Dot — Simple and perfect for a spotted face.
• Dottie — Dot’s slightly more enthusiastic cousin.
• Fifi — Tiny and fancy.
• Gingersnap — Particularly good for a spicy orange-patched cat.
• Jellybean — Colorful, sweet and a little silly.
• KitKat — Almost too obvious, which is part of the appeal.
• Mimi — Small, soft and easy to call.
• Minnie — A natural fit for a petite cat.
• Mittens — Especially appropriate when the paws change color.
• Mochi — Soft, round and sweet.
• Muffin — Comfort food in cat-name form.
• Nibbles — For a kitten who insists everything needs to be tasted.
• Noodle — Excellent for a cat who can somehow occupy every possible sleeping position.
• Peaches — Sweet and warm-toned.
• Pebbles — Cute for a coat scattered with little patches.
• Pickles — For the calico whose personality is considerably stranger than her appearance.
• Pip — Tiny and energetic.
• Poppy — Bright, cheerful and colorful.
• Pudding — Ridiculously cute, particularly on a round kitten.
• Sprinkles — Made for a coat dotted with color.
• Taffy — Sweet and colorful.
• Tinker — For a curious little explorer.
• Toffee — Lovely for caramel-colored patches.
• Tutu — Silly, tiny and memorable.
• Waffles — Because cats don’t always require serious names.
• Wiggles — For the kitten who refuses to remain still.

Unique Calico Cat Names

A cat with a one-of-a-kind coat can handle a name that isn’t heard at every veterinary clinic.

• Alchemy — For the strange magic that turned three colors into one remarkable coat.
• Aster — A colorful flower name with a crisp sound.
• Bijou — French for “jewel.”
• Calypso — Colorful, musical and adventurous.
• Cameo — Small, artistic and elegant.
• Cinder — A smoky choice for darker markings.
• Cirrus — Inspired by wispy clouds.
• Coda — A musical term that makes a short, distinctive name.
• Echo — Mysterious and easy to call.
• Fable — Lovely for a cat who seems to come with her own story.
• Fresco — Inspired by painted walls and colorful artwork.
• Indie — Independent in both name and attitude.
• Juno — Strong, compact and memorable.
• Kismet — Meaning fate or destiny.
• Lumen — A bright, modern choice.
• Marble — For swirling, irregular colors.
• Matisse — An artistic name for an extraordinarily colorful cat.
• Moxie — Perfect for confidence and attitude.
• Muse — For the cat who inspires you.
• Nova — Bright and dramatic.
• Opal — A gemstone known for flashes of different colors.
• Pixel — Great for tiny blocks of contrasting color.
• Prism — A natural choice for a multicolored cat.
• Quill — Short, unusual and literary.
• Rhapsody — Elaborate, musical and wonderfully dramatic.
• Sable — Elegant and dark.
• Sonnet — A literary choice with a soft sound.
• Tango — Energetic and colorful.
• Vesper — Dark, elegant and unusual.
• Zinnia — A brightly colored flower that makes a beautiful cat name.

Names Inspired by Orange, Black and White

Sometimes the best inspiration is sitting right in front of you.

Traditional calicos combine areas of orange and black with white spotting, while dilute calicos can soften those darker colors toward gray and cream.

Look carefully at which color dominates your cat’s coat and you may already have her name.

• Amber — Warm golden-orange.
• Apricot — Lovely for soft orange markings.
• Ash — Ideal for gray areas on a dilute calico.
• Blaze — For a brilliant streak of orange.
• Butterscotch — Rich, golden and sweet.
• Caramel — A warm choice for brownish-orange patches.
• Charcoal — Excellent for deep gray or black markings.
• Chestnut — Rich and earthy.
• Cinnamon — Warm and spicy.
• Coal — Simple and bold for strong black markings.
• Copper — Metallic warmth for reddish-orange fur.
• Cream — Particularly fitting for a dilute calico.
• Ebony — Elegant inspiration from the darkest part of the coat.
• Flame — For an unmistakable streak of fiery orange.
• Ginger — A classic orange-cat name that works beautifully for calicos.
• Goldie — Cheerful for golden patches.
• Ivory — An elegant nod to creamy white fur.
• Licorice — Sweet inspiration from those black patches.
• Onyx — A polished black gemstone name.
• Paprika — Warm, reddish and a little spicy.
• Pearl — Beautiful for a cat with plenty of white.
• Russet — A deep reddish-brown autumn color.
• Shadow — For a cat whose dark patches dominate.
• Snow — Simple and pretty when white is the main color.
• Sorrel — A rich reddish-brown shade.
• Sunny — For bright golden-orange markings.
• Tangerine — Bold and cheerful.
• Toast — A wonderfully understated name for warm brown and cream.
• Vanilla — Sweet inspiration from creamy white fur.
• Whiskey — Warm amber color with a little attitude.

Patch and Pattern Inspired Names

Calico coats are particularly interesting because their markings aren’t neatly standardized.

Some cats have enormous blocks of color. Others look splattered, speckled or painted. Even genetically identical cats can develop different calico patterns because of the random process involved in X-chromosome inactivation.

In other words, your cat really is wearing her own design.

• Blotch — Not elegant, perhaps, but wonderfully accurate.
• Brushstroke — For broad sweeps of color.
• Checkers — Fun for sharply contrasting markings.
• Collage — Different pieces coming together into one picture.
• Dapple — For scattered spots and patches.
• Dash — Perfect for a quick streak of color.
• Fleck — A tiny spot or marking.
• Freckle — Particularly good for a spotted nose.
• Inkblot — For irregular dark patches.
• Marbles — Inspired by swirling colors.
• Motley — A mixture of colors and patterns.
• Patchwork — One of the most natural descriptions of a calico coat.
• Pebble — For small rounded patches.
• Picasso — Especially good when the face seems assembled from several different cats.
• Puzzle — For markings that fit together like pieces.
• Rorschach — For a symmetrical face marking that everyone interprets differently.
• Scribble — Excellent for chaotic little markings.
• Smudge — For a dark patch that looks accidentally applied.
• Speck — Tiny and simple.
• Speckles — Great for scattered markings.
• Splash — For a dramatic burst of color.
• Spot — A classic for a reason.
• Stipple — An artistic name for lots of tiny marks.
• Swatch — Like little samples of different colors.
• Tessera — A single piece of a mosaic.

Food-Inspired Calico Cat Names

Orange, cream, brown and black also happen to be extremely useful colors if you’re naming cats after food.

Fortunately, cats are blissfully unaware that being named after breakfast is supposed to be undignified.

• Biscotti — Creamy, golden and sophisticated.
• Brownie — Good for a darker calico.
• Brûlée — Inspired by caramelized crème brûlée.
• Chai — Warm and spicy.
• Churro — Sweet, cinnamon-colored and fun.
• Cocoa — Soft and warm.
• Cookie — Particularly fitting for a spotted coat.
• Espresso — For rich, nearly black patches.
• Fudge — Dark and sweet.
• Gingersnap — Perfect for orange with a little spice.
• Hazelnut — A warm, earthy choice.
• Latte — Lovely for a dilute calico.
• Macchiato — Coffee marked with a splash of milk — wonderfully appropriate for a multicolored coat.
• Mango — Bright and sunny.
• Maple — Warm and Canadian, naturally.
• Mocha — Brown, cream and coffee-dark all at once.
• Muffin — Cozy and cute.
• Nacho — Ridiculous enough to work.
• Nutmeg — Warm and subtly spicy.
• Oreo — Best for a cat with particularly obvious black and white markings.
• Peanut — Cute for a small cat.
• Praline — Rich and elegant.
• Pumpkin — An autumn classic.
• S’more — Chocolate, toasted marshmallow and graham cracker colors all in one.
• Snickers — Caramel, chocolate and plenty of personality.
• Tiramisu — Layered cream and dark coffee colors.
• Toffee — Golden brown and sweet.
• Truffle — Sophisticated and delicious.
• Waffle — Golden and impossible to take too seriously.
• Wasabi — Absolutely nothing to do with her coloring, but excellent for a cat with some kick.

Flower and Nature Names

Calico colors are full of autumn leaves, warm earth, flowers, stones and sunlight.

Nature gives us some particularly beautiful choices.

• Acorn — Tiny and autumnal.
• Aspen — Inspired by trees and golden fall leaves.
• Aster — A bright and colorful flower.
• Briar — Pretty with a slightly wild edge.
• Clover — Cheerful and lucky.
• Dahlia — Dramatic and richly colored.
• Daisy — Fresh, simple and sweet.
• Fern — Quiet and natural.
• Hazel — Both a tree and a beautiful warm color.
• Holly — Bright and traditional.
• Iris — A colorful flower with an elegant name.
• Juniper — Outdoorsy and distinctive.
• Laurel — Classic and leafy.
• Marigold — Perhaps one of the most naturally calico-colored flowers.
• Meadow — Soft and peaceful.
• Petal — Delicate and sweet.
• Poppy — Bright and energetic.
• Rowan — Inspired by the tree with brilliant berries.
• Sage — Calm and earthy.
• Willow — Graceful and gentle.

Autumn-Inspired Calico Cat Names

If any cat arrives dressed for October, it’s the calico.

Orange, black, cream, brown and gold make autumn names particularly hard to resist.

• Apple — Crisp and cheerful.
• Autumn — The season practically designed the calico palette.
• Bonfire — For glowing orange surrounded by smoky black.
• Bramble — Wild and woodsy.
• Cider — Warm and golden.
• Ember — A glowing fragment from the fire.
• Harvest — Unusual but beautifully seasonal.
• Maple — Inspired by brilliant fall leaves.
• October — A fabulous name for a dramatic calico.
• Orchard — Soft, natural and unexpected.
• Pumpkin — The obvious choice sometimes really is the right one.
• Russet — Deep reddish brown.
• Scarlet — Rich and dramatic.
• Spice — A perfect little autumn name.
• Squash — Not remotely dignified. We rather like it anyway.
• Toasty — For a warm-colored cat who occupies the warmest place in the house.
• Twilight — For autumn evenings and darker coats.
• Wheat — Soft and golden.
• Woodland — An unusual choice for an earthy-colored cat.
• Yam — There is almost certainly a calico somewhere who can pull this off.

Elegant Calico Cat Names

Of course, not every calico looks like a Pumpkin, Pickles or Squash.

Some walk into a room looking as though the house has always belonged to them.

For those cats, we need something with a little more polish.

• Arabella — Elaborate and unmistakably elegant.
• Audrey — Classic sophistication.
• Bianca — Graceful and timeless.
• Camille — Soft and refined.
• Celeste — A celestial name with an elegant sound.
• Coco — Chic, compact and memorable.
• Daphne — Classical and beautiful.
• Eleanor — Distinguished and strong.
• Eloise — Playful sophistication.
• Estelle — Meaning “star.”
• Florence — Artistic and grand.
• Genevieve — Perfect for a cat requiring a full formal name.
• Grace — Simple elegance.
• Isadora — Dramatic in exactly the right way.
• Josephine — Regal without being stuffy.
• Margot — Stylish and understated.
• Odette — Delicate and refined.
• Ophelia — Literary and dramatic.
• Portia — Strong and sophisticated.
• Simone — Cool and confident.
• Theodora — Grand enough for a particularly commanding cat.
• Valentina — Romantic and dramatic.
• Violet — A classic floral name.
• Vivienne — Elegant with just enough attitude.
• Zelda — Vintage, artistic and impossible to overlook.

Funny Calico Cat Names

A beautifully patterned cat does not necessarily require a beautiful name.

Sometimes the contrast is better.

• Barcode — For a cat with suspiciously organized stripes among her patches.
• Camo — Short for camouflage, despite the fact that calicos are terrible at blending into most furniture.
• Crayola — For the cat who appears to have discovered the entire box.
• Doodles — For markings that seem randomly drawn on.
• Glitch — As though the printer malfunctioned halfway through.
• Jackson Paw-lock — For the abstract-expressionist cat.
• Jigsaw — Every patch is another piece.
• Leftovers — When it appears the cat factory used whatever colors remained.
• Miss Match — Especially good for four completely different paws.
• Oops — The paint department had an incident.
• Paintball — Fairly self-explanatory.
• Paw-casso — Terrible pun. Excellent cat name.
• Printer — Particularly appropriate if she appears to have run out of ink in several places.
• Reese — For orange and dark chocolate colors.
• Scraps — As though assembled from the fabric bin.
• Spare Parts — Better as a nickname than something to yell across the veterinary waiting room.
• Splatter — For a particularly chaotic coat.
• Threefer — Three colors for the price of one.
• Traffic Cone — Reserved for an exceptionally orange cat.
• Trouble — Because sometimes the markings aren’t actually the most distinctive thing about her.

Japanese-Inspired Calico Cat Names

Calico cats have a particularly interesting connection with Japan.

The famous maneki-neko, or beckoning cat, has traditionally been depicted in several colors, with the tricolor version strongly associated with the Japanese Bobtail and good fortune. Tricolored cats have also historically been known as mi-ke in Japan.

That makes Japanese-inspired names a particularly fitting direction for a calico.

• Aki — A short, attractive name often associated with autumn.
• Hana — Flower.
• Haru — Spring.
• Hikari — Light.
• Hoshi — Star.
• Kiku — Chrysanthemum.
• Mikan — Mandarin orange, particularly fun for an orange-patched cat.
• Momo — Peach.
• Nami — Wave.
• Rin — Short and elegant.
• Sakura — Cherry blossom.
• Sora — Sky.
• Yuki — Snow, lovely for a white-heavy calico.
• Yuzu — The fragrant Japanese citrus fruit.
• Maneki — A playful nod to the famous beckoning cat.

Artistic Names for Calico Cats

Some calicos really do look painted.

A face split almost perfectly between orange and black can seem deliberately composed. A white body with isolated splashes of color can look like a canvas.

If yours resembles a tiny piece of modern art, lean into it.

• Canvas — The surface on which all those colors landed.
• Chagall — For a dreamy, colorful cat.
• Dali — Particularly suitable for a slightly surreal-looking feline.
• Frida — Inspired by Frida Kahlo and her unforgettable visual style.
• Georgia — A nod to Georgia O’Keeffe.
• Klimt — For rich, decorative color.
• Matisse — One of our favorites for a boldly colored calico.
• Monet — Soft and beautiful for a dilute coat.
• Mosaic — Tiny pieces of color forming a complete picture.
• Palette — Almost too appropriate.
• Picasso — Especially irresistible for an asymmetrically marked face.
• Pollock — For splashes and drips of seemingly random color.
• Rembrandt — Better for a dark, dramatic calico.
• Sketch — Cute and understated.
• Warhol — For a cat whose coloring deserves to be repeated across an entire wall.

Names for Dilute Calico Cats

Not every calico arrives in bold orange, black and white.

Dilute pigmentation can soften black toward gray or “blue” and red/orange toward cream, creating cats with beautiful muted coats.

These softer names suit that watercolor-like palette.

• Bluebell — Delicate and floral.
• Cashmere — Soft, luxurious and pale.
• Cloud — Perfect for soft gray and white.
• Dove — Gentle and gray.
• Dusty — A charming fit for muted coloring.
• Earl Grey — Sophisticated tea inspiration with a sense of humor.
• Foggy — Soft and atmospheric.
• Lavender — A beautiful name for cool gray tones.
• Lilac — Delicate and elegant.
• Misty — Perfect for a blurred-looking pattern.
• Moonstone — A pale gemstone with subtle flashes of color.
• Pastel — Straightforward but wonderfully fitting.
• Powder — For an exceptionally soft-colored coat.
• Silver — Elegant for cool gray patches.
• Smokey — A classic choice for gray.
• Suede — Soft and warm.
• Thistle — Muted, natural and distinctive.
• Whisper — For an exceptionally pale calico.
• Willow — Gentle and graceful.
• Wisp — Tiny, soft and almost weightless.

Lucky Names for a Calico Cat

Because of the calico’s association with good fortune in Japanese tradition, a lucky name feels especially appropriate.

Perhaps adopting the cat was lucky enough.

• Charm — Your own four-legged lucky charm.
• Clover — Four leaves would be ideal, but four paws will do.
• Destiny — For the cat you somehow knew was coming home with you.
• Fortuna — Inspired by fortune itself.
• Goldie — Gold has long symbolized prosperity.
• Hope — Simple and optimistic.
• Kismet — Fate or destiny.
• Lucky — Sometimes there’s no reason to complicate things.
• Penny — Find a penny, pick it up.
• Serendipity — A fortunate discovery made unexpectedly.
• Seven — Perhaps the world’s most famous lucky number.
• Shamrock — A traditional symbol of luck.
• Star — For wishing upon.
• Treasure — Something valuable you were fortunate enough to find.
• Wish — Short, sweet and hopeful.

How to Choose a Name for Your Calico Cat

The easiest approach is to stop looking at lists for a moment and look at your cat.

What do you notice first?

Perhaps she has one brilliant orange ear. Maybe her nose is divided perfectly between two colors. Perhaps she has four white paws, a black tail and a single orange spot that looks as though someone added it at the last minute.

Those details can lead to a name you’ll never find on somebody else’s list.

Personality matters too.

A dignified, quiet cat might grow naturally into Audrey, Simone or Margot. The kitten currently hanging upside down from the back of your sofa may be more accurately represented by Noodle, Glitch or Trouble.

Try saying your favorites aloud.

You’ll probably use your cat’s name thousands of times over her lifetime, so the best names tend to be ones that are easy and enjoyable to say.

And don’t worry too much about choosing something that sounds sufficiently “cat-like.”

Your cat doesn’t know that Clementine is a fruit, Monet was a painter or Waffles is breakfast.

She’ll simply learn that the sound means you’re talking to her.

Are All Calico Cats Female?

No — but almost all of them are.

Calico isn’t a breed. It’s a coat-color pattern involving genes carried on the X chromosome.

Female cats typically have two X chromosomes. This allows one X chromosome to carry the genetic information associated with orange fur while the other carries the alternative associated with black fur. Early in development, cells randomly deactivate one of those X chromosomes, helping produce the distinctive patches.

Typical male cats have one X and one Y chromosome, so they don’t normally have the two X chromosomes necessary to produce that same orange-and-black mosaic.

Rare male calicos generally have an unusual chromosomal arrangement involving two X chromosomes and a Y chromosome. These males are often sterile.

So a male calico isn’t impossible.

He’s just genuinely unusual.

Is Calico a Cat Breed?

No.

The word calico describes a coat pattern, not a breed.

That means calico coloring can appear in cats from different breed backgrounds as well as in mixed-breed domestic cats.

It’s a little like describing a cat as tabby: you’re talking about what the coat looks like rather than identifying the cat’s breed.

What Colors Are Calico Cats?

The classic combination is orange, black and white.

But genetics can soften those colors.

A dilute calico may have cream instead of bright orange and gray or “blue” instead of black. The result is a much softer, almost pastel version of the traditional calico appearance.

The amount of white can vary considerably too.

Some cats are predominantly white with several large islands of orange and black. Others display much more color, with white appearing primarily on the chest, belly, legs or face.

That’s part of what makes naming them so much fun.

Are Calico Cats Lucky?

They certainly have that reputation.

Tricolored cats have a long association with good fortune in Japanese culture, and the familiar maneki-neko — the beckoning cat seen with one raised paw — is closely connected with that tradition.

Whether your particular calico can actually improve your luck is considerably harder to prove.

She may improve your day.

She may improve your sofa by covering it in cat hair.

She may improve the profitability of whichever company manufactures her favorite treats.

We’ll leave the rest to superstition.

What’s the Best Name for a Calico Cat?

There isn’t one.

And that’s actually the point.

A calico already comes with something no other cat has: her exact arrangement of color.

So use it.

A cat with one little black mark beside her nose might become Smudge. A brilliant orange-and-black kitten could be Ember. A pale dilute calico might suit Misty. A wildly patched cat could become Picasso.

Or you can completely ignore her coloring and call her Susan.

Cats are wonderfully unconcerned with our naming conventions.

The best calico cat name is simply the one that, after you’ve used it for a few days, becomes impossible to imagine belonging to anyone else.