What are some popular cat names in your country? Back in the UK, where I’m from, you can hardly step outside without a Tigger, Smudge, Felix, or Sooty crossing your path. It stands to reason that Japan also has a dedicated pool of much-loved kitty names to choose from, and pet insurance company Anikomu recently conducted a poll to find out which ones are the most popular.

In anticipation of Neko no Hi (Cat Day) on February 22 (mark your calendars, and don’t forget it’s also Ninja Day!) Anikomu announced the results of their kitty naming poll for 2015. In top place overall is Sora (Sky), which has held firm in the top position since 2012. “Sora” is a generally popular name overall in Japan, and not just for cats, so it’s not surprising to see it popping up in first place again this year.

The second-place spot for female cat names was Luna, which made a massive jump this year from last year’s tenth place. Not too surprising, when you consider that incredibly popular anime series Sailor Moon had a revival last year. Sailor Moon’s pet cat is, of course, named Luna!

▼ “Things could be worse. I could have been named Tiddles.”

Flickr © stvcr

In the male cat category, the suitably feline Leo took second place, with third place going to the very Japanese-sounding Kotaro. As a variant of Leo, Leon also appeared in fifth place. There were some cute names for the boys, too, including food-based names Marron (Chestnut) and Cocoa as well as others such as Maru (Round) and Fuku (Lucky).

 ▼ “I prefer to go by ‘Prince of the Underworld,’ myself.”

Flickr © Paul Padshewscky

In the female kitty category, the overall top name was Momo (Peach), and there were plenty of flowery names in the top ten, including Hana (Flower) and Sakura (Cherry Blossom). Rin (Bell) also appears at number 7.

▼ A beautiful kitty deserves a beautiful name, or at least a cute one!

Flickr © Sunny Ripert

From the results of the survey, we can tell that in Japan names based on popular foods or nature are quite commonly used for pets, whereas in the west we’re more likely to give names that are either human names or otherwise based off the animal’s appearance. It’s probably just as well, as naming a cat “Bacon Butty” in the UK probably wouldn’t be that cute.

What’s your pet’s name, and how did you decide upon it? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Eltha
Main Image: Flickr © Wajun Kuwahara