Top 109 Best Tortoiseshell Cat Names

Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Feb 16, 2024 By Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Originally Published on Oct 25, 2020
Edited by Monisha Kochhar
Gray kitten and a festive cupcake
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Age: 0-99
Read time: 8.4 Min

Tortie cat is a unique looking cat, their bright-colored fur and distinct patterns make them stand out from the other feline members of the group

Tortoiseshell is not considered a breed of cat; it simply refers to the coloring of the cat.  Their fur coats consist of a similar color and pattern as a tortoiseshell.

Both calico cats and tortoiseshell cats have one thing in common, the dual-color and pattern of their fur coats. Tortoiseshell cats are bi-colored cats, they have a combination of two colors, but not white, either closely mixed or in larger patches.

These colors loosely include black and red and their variants. Torties are not rare, you can find them easily, these cats are considered as a symbol of good luck in several cultures. According to Irish, Scottish and American cultures they are believed to bring good luck.

According to experts, tortoiseshell cats are female. It’s all genetic, the X chromosome is responsible for coloring,  since females have two X chromosomes, they carry two codes red and black. Male tortoiseshell cats are extremely rare. Torties are considered intelligent and athletic, they are naturally inclined to be active animals.

Tortie cats are loyal and affectionate animals. Tortie's unique personality makes them very demanding. Hence, tortie lovers often relate their personality with "tortitude."

The fur coat pattern of a dilute tortoiseshell cat is comparatively rare, a remarkable difference between both the cat types is that, instead of the striking, dark mix of orange and black, dilute tortoiseshell cats have a muted color, almost blue and yellow.

One of the factors which determine the color of the kittens of tortoiseshell cats is whether they are male or female and which gene they inherit from their father. The breeding of one red male and a non-red female and vice versa will produce a Tortoiseshell kitten.

If you’re getting a tortoiseshell cat,  here are some tortoiseshell cat and calico cat names.

For more cat names, take a look at Grey Cat Names and Tabby Cat Names.

Common Names For Tortoiseshell Cats

Do you want names for your red Tortoiseshell cats? Red tortoiseshell cats are not necessarily red: they can have orange, yellow, or cream fur coats. These names perfectly reflect your tortoiseshell cat’s cool coloring.

1.  Alani  (Hawaiian origin) meaning "orange tree".

2.  Amber (Arabic origin) meaning "the fossilized tree resin used in the making of jewelry, amber is a  yellowish-orange color."

3.  Apricot (French origin) meaning "roundish, orange-colored, plum-like fruit".

4.  Auburn (French origin) meaning "blond". Auburn is a city in Alabama.

5.  Autumn (Latin origin) meaning "fall or autumn season".

6.  Blaze (English origin) meaning "flame".

7.  Buttercup (English origin) meaning "yellow wildflower". Inspired by Buttercup from 'The Power Puff Girls'.

8.  Butterscotch (Scottish origin) meaning "candy made ofscotched or scorched, butter".

9.  Caramel (French origin) meaning "a kind of chewy candy".

10. Carrot (French origin) meaning " a kind of vegetable".

11. Cayenne (French origin) meaning "hot spice".

12. Chai (Urdu origin) meaning "tea".

13. Cinnamon (Arabic origin) meaning "little tube".

14. Clementine (English origin) meaning "gentle, merciful".'My Darling Clementine' is a famous American folk song.

15. Copper (Latin origin) meaning "Cyprus metal".

16. Coral (French origin) meaning " hard, variously colored, calcareous skeleton secreted by certain marine polyps".

17. Coriander (French origin) meaning "a kind of herb".

18. Curry (Anglo-French origin) meaning "to rub down a horse".

19. Fox (English origin) meaning "a member of the canine family". Inspired by 'Fox Family'.

20. Ginger (French origin) meaning "aromatic vegetable used as a spice". Associated with the 'As Told by Ginger'.

21. Hazel (English origin) meaning "name of a tree or color". Associated with Hazel Grace Lancaster from 'Fault In Our Stars'.

22. Honey (Greek origin) meaning "a sweet fluid".

23. Jasmine (Persian origin) meaning "gift from God". Inspired by Princess Jasmine from 'Aladdin'

24. Marigold (English origin) meaning "yellow flower".

25. Nectarine (English origin) meaning "of like nectar".

26. Nutmeg (Occitan origin) meaning "aromatic seeds".

27. Papaya (Spanish origin) meaning "type of fruit."

28. Paprika (Latin origin) meaning " dried finely ground pods of various sweet peppers".

29. Parsnip (French origin) meaning "strong-scented umbelliferous plant".

30. Peaches (English origin) meaning "a kind of fruit".

31. Penny (Swedish origin) meaning "first English coin".

32. Poppy (German origin) meaning "kind of flower". Linked with the 'Wild Child' character Poppy Moore.

33. Pumpkin (Greek origin) meaning "large melon".

34. Red (Indo- European origin) meaning "a name of a color".

35. Ruby (Latin origin) meaning "a precious gemstone". Inspired by the K-drama 'Ruby Ruby Love'.

36. Rusty (English origin) meaning "iron rust". Linked with Rusty tow truck from the Disney movie 'Cars'.

37. Saffron (French origin) meaning "a kind of spice".

38. Sandy (English origin) meaning "of the nature of sand".

39 Sapphire (French origin) meaning "a gemstone".

40. Scarlet (Arabic origin) meaning "bright red". Associated with the  K-drama 'Moon Lover: Scarlet Heart Ryeo'.

41. Sienna (Latin origin) meaning "old soul".

42. Sunny (English origin) meaning "sunshine, happy, or cheerful temperament".

43. Sunshine (English origin) meaning "happy person who brightens the lives of others".

Shorthair cat scratching

Tortoiseshell Cat Names For A Black tortie

https://unsplash.com/photos/C0zDWAPFT9A

(Unique tortoiseshell names for your majestic  kitten.)

Cat Names for your Black Tortie can be inspired by the colors brown, black, and gray, these Female Tortoiseshell cat names are great for tortoiseshell cats of all shapes and sizes.

44. Ash (English origin) meaning "grey powder".  Associated with Ash Ketchum, the famous pokemon trainer from the 'Pokemon' Series.

45. Brownie (Scottish origin) meaning "chocolate cake".

47. Cinder (Latin origin) meaning "Ashes". 'Derived from the Disney princess 'Cinderella'.

48. Coal (English origin) meaning "a type of combustible substance".

49. Coco (Spanish origin) meaning "palm tree". Inspired by Disney film' Coco'.

50. Ebony (Greek origin) meaning "south Asian tropical tree with hard, dark-colored heartwood".

51. Ember (English origin) meaning "small, live coal".

52. Espresso (Italian origin) meaning "pressed-out coffee".

53. Godiva (English origin) meaning "god's gift".

54. Hershey (German origin) meaning "deer".  

55. Java (Indonesian origin) meaning "coffee".

56. Kit Kat (American origin) meaning "Gift from God".

57. Maple (English origin) meaning "maple tree".

58. Mocha (Yemeni origin) meaning "fine coffee".

59. Mystique (French origin) meaning "mystic".

60. Onyx (Latin origin) meaning "claw".

61. Oreo (French origin) meaning "gold". Inspired by our favorite cookie Oreo.

62. Pepper (English origin) meaning "capsicum". Pepper Potts is a fictional characterappearing in Marvel Comics, 'Iron Man'.

63. Porter (French origin) meaning "gatekeeper".

64. Raven (French origin) meaning "large bird with shiny black feathers". Associated with Ravenclaw from the 'Harry Potter' series.

65. Shady (English origin) meaning "protected by shade".

66. Snickers ( English origin) meaning "to laugh in a covert or partly suppressed manner".  

67. Speckles (English origin) meaning "small spot".

68. Stormy (English origin) meaning "indicative of storm".

69. Twix (Portmanteau word) meaning "twin sticks".

Unique Tortoiseshell Cat Names

The patterns on a Torties fur coat, the intersection of colors in interesting arrangements, creates quite a unique appearance. Consider these wonderful ideas inspired by the distinct-looking patterns on the tortoiseshell fur.

Young fluffy kitten

70. Brindle (English origin) meaning "brindled coloring".

71. Checker (French origin) meaning "a small, usually red or black disk of plastic or wood".

72. Dot (Middle English origin) meaning "head of a boil".

73. Dottie (Greek origin) meaning “gift of God".

74. Freckles (Old Norse origin) meaning "covered with spots."

75. Kaleidoscope (Greek origin) meaning "beautiful form or shapes".

76. Marble (French origin) meaning “quarrier in Marble".

77. Patches (American origin) meaning “noble”.

78. Pebbles (English origin) meaning "smooth stone".

79. Pixel (Portmanteau word) meaning "from pictures".

80. Puzzle (French word) meaning "bewilder".

81. Speckles (Old English origin) meaning "small spot". An adorable way to describe a fur pattern with multiple colors.

82. Spot (Old Norse origin ) meaning "small piece". Inspired by  Spot from the Disney movie 'The Good Dinosaur'.

83. Stripes (English origin) meaning "band on a garment". If your tortoise cat's fur coat has stripes, this is a name you must consider.

84. Swirl (Scottish origin) meaning "whirlpool".

Cool Tortie Cat Names

https://unsplash.com/photos/w4S1grbR4lc

(Beautiful Tortoiseshell cat names for your little tortie  baby.)

Cool tortoiseshell cat names idea for your tortoise cats. This list is full of cool names for your tortie.

85. Agate (French origin) meaning "colored quartz".

86. Annie (English origin) meaning "gracious". Associated with ' Little Orphan Annie'.

87. Ariel (Hebrew origin) meaning "lion of God". Linked with the Disney princess Ariel from' The Little Mermaid'.

88. Aurora (Roman origin) meaning "roman goddess". Inspired by Disney princess Aurora from 'Sleeping Beauty'.

89. Confetti (English origin) meaning "small sweet traditionally thrown during carnivals."

90. Fiona (Irish origin) meaning "white", from 'Kid Vs Kat' cartoon's character Fiona.

91. Iris  (Greek origin) meaning "rainbow".  Associated by the character of Iris West from 'The Flash' series.

92. Matisse (French origin) meaning "gift of God".

93. Monarch ( French origin) meaning  "supreme governor for life".

94. Mottley (English origin) meaning "cognate of medley".

95. Mud or Muddy (German origin) meaning "moist, soft, earth".

96. Nemo (Latin origin) meaning "nobody". Inspired by 'Finding Nemo'.

97. Oriole (French origin) meaning "golden".

98. Reese (Welsh origin) meaning "fiery".

99. Tigger  (English origin) meaning " a type of big cat". It is the name of the tiger friend of 'Winnie the Pooh'.

100. Tortie (Latin origin) meaning "of the underworld".

Food-Inspired Cat Names

If you are a cat person and a foodie, then you will surely love these food-inspired cat names for your tortoiseshell kitten.

101. Cheddar (English origin) meaning "type of cheese".

102. Cheetos meaning "cheese flavored snacks".

103. Dorito (Spanish origin) meaning "little golden one".

104. Fanta (African origin) meaning "beautiful day".

105. Kumquat (Chinese origin) meaning "small citrus fruit".

106. Morticia (Latin origin) meaning "undertaker".

107. Nacho (Spanish origin) meaning "tortilla chips".

108. OJ  (American origin) meaning "short for orange juice".

109. Sweet Potato (American origin) meaning " a kind of vegetable".

Kidadl has lots of great names articles to inspire you. If you liked our suggestions for Tortoiseshell Cat Names then why not take a look at badass cat name and White Cat Names, or for something different take a look at Names Meaning Miracle.

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Written by Rajnandini Roychoudhury

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

Rajnandini Roychoudhury picture

Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature. 

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