Arabic Cat Name Generator

Real Arabic words for cats, with meanings

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Generate Arabic cat names from real words, each with its meaning: Mishmish (apricots), Simsim (sesame) and Sukkar (sugar), sleepy and naughty names like Naasan and Shaqi, the word for cat from Cairo to Baghdad, plus titles such as Sultan, Amira and Basha.

About Arabic cat names

Every entry in this list of 1,000 is a real Arabic word, phrase or name written in Latin letters, with a short English gloss in parentheses. Arab households tend to name a cat after food, looks or behavior, so the list leans the same way. Mishmish (apricots) is a familiar name for an orange cat in Egypt, and Simsim, Sukkar and Fustuq come from the same kitchen shelf. The cat's own strands lead: sleep (Naasan, Kaslan, Qaylula), mischief (Shaqi, Lahlub, Karitha), big cats (Nimr, Fahd, Shibl) and the word for cat itself, which changes from country to country.

Standard Arabic says Qitt and Qitta. Egypt says Otta, the Levant Bissa, the Gulf Gatwa, Iraq Bazzuna, Tunisia Qattusa, Morocco Mushsh and Sudan Kadisa, and regional words are labeled. Around these are coat colors, sky words, flowers and gems, pet names such as Habibi and Ammura, titles such as Sultan, Amira and Basha, and figures of old poetry and folk tales, from Antar and Abla to Juha.

One spelling system runs throughout: plain vowels with no length marks, q for the deep k, and no sign for the letter ayn. Dialect words are spelled the way they are said. Religious names and titles are left out on purpose, since many families would not give them to a pet.

How to choose Arabic cat names

  • Match the coat first: Abyad or Thalji for a white cat, Fahma or Adham for a black one, Ashqar, Mishmish or Burtuqala for a ginger, Ablaq for a black and white cat and Mukhattat for a tabby.
  • Arabic adjectives change with gender. Most add a final a for a female: Kaslan becomes Kaslana, Shaqi becomes Shaqiya and Sultan becomes Sultana. Color words change shape instead, so Abyad (white) becomes Bayda and Ahmar (red) becomes Hamra.
  • Short doubled names are the easiest to call across a room, and Arabic is full of them: Mishmish, Simsim, Lulu, Bulbul, Fulful, Nunu and Susu.
  • For two cats, take a pair that already belongs together: Antar and Abla, Qays and Layla, Kalila and Dimna, Shams and Qamar, or Zayt wa Zaatar, the oil and thyme of a Levantine breakfast.
  • A few sounds differ from English. Q is a k made far back in the throat, kh is the ch of Scottish loch and gh is close to a French r. If the meaning matters to you, ask an Arabic speaker before you settle, because many words shift from one country to the next.

Frequently asked questions

What are some funny Arabic cat names?

Food and character do most of the work. Batata, Falafel, Baba Ghannuj and Kushari are kitchen names, Karitha means catastrophe, Abu Kirsh is a pot-belly and Nimr min Waraq is a paper tiger. For a cat that sleeps all day there is Nawm Sultan, an Egyptian saying that sleep is sultan.

How do you say cat in Arabic?

The standard words are Qitt for a male and Qitta for a female, and Qutayt is a kitten. Everyday speech differs by country: Otta in Egypt, Bissa in the Levant, Gatwa in the Gulf, Bazzuna in Iraq, Qattusa in Tunisia, Mushsh in Morocco, Kadisa in Sudan and Dimma in Yemen. To call a cat over, people say bis bis.

What does Mishmish mean?

Mishmish is the Arabic word for apricots, and in Egypt it is a familiar name for an orange cat. Mishmisha is a single apricot and Mishmishi means apricot-colored. Other fruit names in the same spirit are Burtuqala (one orange), Khawkh (peach) and Rummana (one pomegranate).

Why are there no religious names in the list?

Names of God, of prophets and of the people around them are held in respect, and many Muslim families would not give them to an animal. The list keeps to ordinary words instead: food, colors, character, animals, the sky, pet names and figures from poetry and folk tales such as Antar, Juha and Zarqa.

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All 1,000 Arabic cat names

This is the complete list the generator above draws its random batches from, sorted A to Z and grouped by first letter.

Plain text, one name per line.

A: 95 names

  • Abir (fragrance)
  • Abjar (Antar's horse)
  • Abla (Antar's beloved)
  • Ablaq (piebald, black and white)
  • Abu al-Fawaris (Antar's byname, 'father of horsemen')
  • Abu al-Hawl (the Sphinx, 'father of terror')
  • Abu al-Hinna (the robin, 'father of henna')
  • Abu Burays (the house gecko)
  • Abu Dhunayba (the tadpole, 'father of the small tail')
  • Abu Farwa (chestnut in Egypt, 'the one in the fur coat')
  • Abu Fasada (the wagtail)
  • Abu Jawarib (the one in socks)
  • Abu Khutut (the striped one)

A, continued

  • Abu Kirsh (pot-belly, 'father of the paunch')
  • Abu Layl (the night one)
  • Abu Layla (byname of the avenger-poet Muhalhil)
  • Abu Makhalib (the one with the claws)
  • Abu Minjal (the ibis, 'father of the sickle')
  • Abu Nawm (sleepyhead, 'father of sleep')
  • Abu Nuqta (the one with the spot)
  • Abu Nuwas (the witty poet of the Nights tales)
  • Abu Qirdan (the cattle egret)
  • Abu Shanab (the one with the mustache)
  • Abu Shawarib (the one with the whiskers)
  • Abu Zayd (hero of the Hilali epic)
  • Abu Zurayq (the jay, 'father of the bit of blue')
  • Abyad (white)

A, continued

  • Abyad wa Aswad (white and black)
  • Adas (lentils)
  • Adham (jet black)
  • Afwan (you're welcome; pardon)
  • Ahlam (dreams)
  • Ahlam Saida (sweet dreams)
  • Ahlan (welcome)
  • Ahmar (red)
  • Aji (ivory)
  • Akhdar (green)
  • Akhtabut (octopus)
  • Akul (big eater)
  • Akula (a lady with an appetite)

A, continued

  • Ala Mahlak (take your time)
  • Albi (my heart, as Cairo and Beirut say it)
  • Almas (diamond)
  • Amal (hope)
  • Amir (prince)
  • Amir al-Bayt (prince of the house)
  • Amira (princess)
  • Amirati (my princess)
  • Amlas (sleek)
  • Ammu (uncle, as children say it)
  • Ammur (cutie, 'small moon', Levantine)
  • Ammura (cutie, for a she-cat; Levantine)
  • Anbar (ambergris)
  • Anid (stubborn)

A, continued

  • Anida (a stubborn madam)
  • Aniqa (elegant lady)
  • Anis al-Jalis (a heroine of the Nights, 'good company')
  • Anisa (miss)
  • Antar (warrior-poet hero of the folk epic)
  • Antar wa Abla (the hero and his beloved)
  • Aris (bridegroom)
  • Arnab (rabbit)
  • Arnuba (bunny, for a she-cat)
  • Arqat (speckled)
  • Arus al-Bahr (mermaid, 'bride of the sea')
  • Arusa (bride, and a doll)
  • Arza (a cedar)

A, continued

  • Asabi (short-tempered)
  • Asad (lion)
  • Asad al-Bayt (lion of the house)
  • Asal (honey)
  • Asal Aswad (cane molasses, the 'black honey' of Egypt)
  • Asali (honey-colored, hazel-eyed)
  • Asfar (yellow)
  • Asfur (sparrow, any small bird)
  • Asfura (small hen bird)
  • Ashath (tousled)
  • Ashhab (ash gray)
  • Ashqar (blond, ginger)
  • Asifa (storm)
  • Askari (soldier)

A, continued

  • Asmar (dark, tawny)
  • Assul (sweet as honey)
  • Assula (honey-sweet girl)
  • Aswad (black)
  • Atay (mint tea, Moroccan)
  • Atma (the dark, Levantine)
  • Awwama (syrup doughnut balls, 'floaters', Levantine)
  • Ayn al-Hirr (cat's eye, the gemstone)
  • Ayni (my eye, the Iraqi 'dear')
  • Aysh (bread in Egypt, literally 'life')
  • Aysh al-Saraya (the pudding 'palace bread')
  • Azizi (my dear)
  • Azraq (blue)
  • Azza (the beloved of the poet Kuthayyir)

B: 75 names

  • Baadin (later, Egyptian and Levantine)
  • Baba (daddy)
  • Baba Ghannuj (eggplant dip, 'pampered papa')
  • Babagha (parrot)
  • Babunaj (chamomile)
  • Badr (full moon)
  • Badr al-Budur (the princess of the Aladdin tale)
  • Baghrir (thousand-hole pancakes, Maghrebi)
  • Bahiya (radiant)
  • Bahja (delight)
  • Bahlawan (acrobat)
  • Bakhur (incense)
  • Balah (fresh dates)
  • Balalit (sweet vermicelli with egg, Gulf)
  • Balbala (a muddle, a commotion)

B, continued

  • Balqa (piebald, for a she-cat)
  • Bamya (okra)
  • Banafsaj (violets)
  • Banafsaji (violet)
  • Bandura (tomato, Levantine)
  • Baqbaqa (bubbling)
  • Baqdunis (parsley)
  • Baqlawa (baklava)
  • Barazik (sesame cookies of Damascus)
  • Bariq (sparkle)
  • Barq (lightning)
  • Basal (onion)
  • Basbusa (syrupy semolina cake)
  • Bash Muhandis (chief engineer, a title of respect in Egypt)
  • Basha (pasha, Egypt's word for a big boss)

B, continued

  • Bashush (smiley)
  • Basim (smiling)
  • Basma (smile)
  • Bass (enough!)
  • Bassam (always smiling)
  • Bastila (Moroccan sweet and savory pie)
  • Batal (hero, champion)
  • Batala (heroine)
  • Batali (my hero)
  • Batata (potato; a sweet potato in Egypt)
  • Bati (slow)
  • Batinjan (eggplant)
  • Batriq (penguin, for a black and white cat)
  • Batta (duck, a pet name for a plump darling)
  • Battaniya (blanket)

B, continued

  • Battikh (watermelon)
  • Battuta (duckling, an Egyptian pet name for a little one)
  • Bawwab (doorman)
  • Bayda (white, for a she-cat)
  • Bazzun (tomcat, Iraqi)
  • Bazzuna (she-cat, Iraqi)
  • Bint (girl)
  • Bint al-Sultan (the sultan's daughter)
  • Bis Bis (the sound that calls a cat over)
  • Bisat (carpet)
  • Biss (tomcat, Levantine)
  • Bissa (cat, Levantine and Hijazi)
  • Bissat al-Hara (the alley cat, Levantine)
  • Bsayna (kitten, Lebanese)
  • Bubbu (baby, Levantine)

B, continued

  • Bukra (tomorrow)
  • Bulbul (nightingale)
  • Bulti (Nile tilapia)
  • Bunayya (dear daughter, a tender diminutive)
  • Bunbuni (candy, Egyptian)
  • Bunduq (hazelnuts)
  • Bunduqa (one hazelnut)
  • Bunni (brown)
  • Burghul (bulgur)
  • Burkan (volcano)
  • Burtuqala (one orange)
  • Burtuqali (orange-colored)
  • Bushar (popcorn, Levantine)
  • Buthayna (the beloved of the poet Jamil)
  • Buza (ice cream, Levantine)

D: 52 names

  • Dabab (fog)
  • Dabdub (teddy bear, said of anyone chubby)
  • Dabduba (she-teddy, round and cuddly)
  • Dabit (officer)
  • Dabka (the stamping line dance of the Levant)
  • Daff (frame drum)
  • Dafi (warm)
  • Dafyan (snug and warm, Levantine)
  • Daghdagha (tickling)
  • Dahka (a laugh)
  • Dahma (jet black, for a she-cat)
  • Dahuk (always laughing)
  • Dajja (clamor)

D, continued

  • Dalal (pampering)
  • Dalila (Dalila the Crafty, trickster of the Nights)
  • Dalla (the coffee pot of the Gulf)
  • Dallu (pampered)
  • Dandana (humming a tune)
  • Darb al-Tabbana (the Milky Way, 'the straw seller's road')
  • Darbukka (goblet drum)
  • Dardasha (a chat)
  • Daw al-Qamar (moonlight)
  • Dawsha (racket, noise; Egyptian)
  • Dawwama (whirlpool, also a spinning top)
  • Dayf (guest)
  • Dhahab (gold)

D, continued

  • Dhahabi (golden)
  • Dhaki (smart)
  • Dhakiya (brainy lady)
  • Dhat al-Himma (the warrior woman of a long folk epic)
  • Dhayl (tail)
  • Dhib (wolf)
  • Dibs (date or grape molasses)
  • Dibs wa Tahina (molasses and tahini)
  • Didi (pet form of Dina)
  • Dif (warmth)
  • Difda (frog)
  • Dijla (the river Tigris)
  • Dik (rooster)

D, continued

  • Dimm (cat, Yemeni)
  • Dimma (she-cat, Yemeni)
  • Dimna (the scheming jackal of the old fable book)
  • Dinar (gold coin)
  • Dirgham (lion, a word from old verse)
  • Diyab (the rival hero of the Hilali epic)
  • Duja (the deep dark of night)
  • Dukhan (smoke)
  • Dukhani (smoky)
  • Duktur (doctor)
  • Duktura (lady doctor)
  • Dumya (doll)
  • Durraq (peach, Levantine)

F: 51 names

  • Fahd (cheetah)
  • Fahda (she-cheetah)
  • Fahm (charcoal)
  • Fahma (a lump of charcoal)
  • Falafel (the chickpea fritters)
  • Far (mouse)
  • Fara (lady mouse)
  • Farasha (butterfly)
  • Farawla (strawberry)
  • Farazdaq (the poet whose nickname means 'lump of dough')
  • Farfush (fun-loving, as Cairo says it)
  • Farha (joy)

F, continued

  • Farhan (joyful)
  • Farhana (a joyful miss)
  • Farid (one of a kind)
  • Farida (the only one like her)
  • Faris (knight)
  • Farisa (lady knight)
  • Farw (fur)
  • Farwa (a fur pelt)
  • Fatfuta (a crumb, as Cairo says it)
  • Fatin (captivating)
  • Fatina (she who turns heads)
  • Fattush (toasted bread salad)
  • Fatur (breakfast)

F, continued

  • Fatuwwa (the neighborhood strongman of old Cairo)
  • Fawda (chaos)
  • Fawdawi (messy, chaotic)
  • Fay (cool shade, Levantine)
  • Faylasuf (philosopher)
  • Fayruz (turquoise)
  • Fayruzi (turquoise blue)
  • Fiddi (silvery)
  • Fijl (radish)
  • Fil (elephant, for a very large cat)
  • Finjan (small coffee cup)
  • Fishar (popcorn, Egyptian)
  • Fitir (flaky layered pastry of Egypt)

F, continued

  • Fudul (curiosity)
  • Fuduli (nosy)
  • Fuduliya (nosy miss)
  • Fuhayd (cheetah cub, a diminutive)
  • Ful (stewed fava beans)
  • Ful Sudani (peanuts, 'Sudanese beans')
  • Ful wa Taamiya (fava beans and falafel, the Cairo breakfast)
  • Fulful (pepper, the classical form)
  • Full (Arabian jasmine)
  • Fulla (one jasmine blossom)
  • Fustuq (pistachios)
  • Fustuqa (one pistachio)
  • Fustuqi (pistachio green)

G: 31 names

  • Gambari (shrimp, Egyptian)
  • Gattus (cat, Libyan)
  • Gatu (tomcat, Gulf)
  • Gatwa (she-cat, Gulf)
  • Gaymar (clotted buffalo cream, Iraqi)
  • Ghadanfar (lion, a grand old word)
  • Ghadban (angry)
  • Ghadbana (cross lady)
  • Ghafwa (a nap)
  • Ghafyan (dozing off, Levantine)

G, continued

  • Ghali (precious, dear)
  • Ghaliya (precious girl)
  • Ghamid (mysterious)
  • Ghandur (dandy)
  • Ghandura (a dolled-up miss)
  • Ghanuj (coquettish)
  • Gharam (passion)
  • Ghasaq (dusk)
  • Ghaym (clouds)
  • Ghayma (a cloud)

G, continued

  • Ghayrana (a jealous girl)
  • Ghayth (rain after a dry spell)
  • Ghayur (jealous)
  • Ghazal (gazelle)
  • Ghazala (doe gazelle)
  • Ghazl al-Banat (cotton candy, 'the girls' spinning')
  • Ghubar (dust)
  • Ghurab (crow)
  • Ghurayba (melt-in-the-mouth shortbread)
  • Ghurra (white blaze on the forehead)
  • Ghurub (sunset)

H: 56 names

  • Habbub (dear boy, Levantine)
  • Habbuba (dear girl, Levantine)
  • Habib Albi (darling of my heart)
  • Habib Mama (mama's darling)
  • Habibi (my darling, to a tom)
  • Habibti (my darling, to a queen)
  • Hadduta (bedtime story)
  • Hadhada (rocking a baby to sleep)
  • Hadiya (gift)
  • Halawa (halva, and sweetness itself)
  • Halazun (snail)
  • Halib (milk)
  • Halib wa Tamr (milk and dates)
  • Halibi (milky white)

H, continued

  • Hallum (halloumi cheese)
  • Hamal (lamb)
  • Hamama (dove)
  • Hamra (red, for a ginger queen)
  • Hams (whisper)
  • Hana (bliss)
  • Hanan (tenderness)
  • Hanin (yearning)
  • Hanun (affectionate)
  • Hanuna (a tender-hearted girl)
  • Harib (runaway)
  • Harir (silk)
  • Harira (Moroccan tomato and lentil soup)
  • Haris (guard)

H, continued

  • Harisa (Tunisian chili paste; a Levantine semolina cake)
  • Hatim (Hatim of Tayy, the byword for generosity)
  • Hawa (air, and also love)
  • Hawawshi (spiced meat baked in bread, Cairo style)
  • Hayati (my life)
  • Hayl (cardamom)
  • Hayran (puzzled)
  • Hazz (luck)
  • Hbiba (darling, Maghrebi)
  • Hibr (ink)
  • Hikaya (tale)
  • Hilal (crescent)
  • Hilu (sweet, pretty)
  • Hilwati (my pretty)

H, continued

  • Hinna (henna)
  • Hirr (tomcat, the classical word)
  • Hirra (she-cat, classical)
  • Hisan (horse)
  • Hishari (into everybody's business, Egyptian)
  • Hubb (love)
  • Hubb Hayati (love of my life)
  • Hubbi (my love)
  • Hudhud (hoopoe)
  • Hudu (calm, quiet)
  • Hulm (dream)
  • Hummus (chickpeas, and the dip)
  • Hus (shh!)
  • Hut (whale)

I: 7 names

  • Ibn Battuta (the traveler who crossed the medieval world)
  • Ibriq (pitcher)
  • Imru al-Qays (the wandering prince of poets)
  • Inab (grapes)
  • Inad (stubbornness)
  • Irq Sus (licorice drink)
  • Isar (hurricane)

J: 27 names

  • Jahiz (the 'goggle-eyed' author of the Book of Animals)
  • Jallab (molasses and rose-water drink, Levantine)
  • Jamal (camel)
  • Jamil (handsome)
  • Jamila (beautiful)
  • Jamilati (my beauty)
  • Jamr (embers)
  • Jamra (a live coal)
  • Jar (neighbor)
  • Jari (bold)
  • Jassas (the man who slew Kulayb in the Basus war tale)
  • Jasus (spy)
  • Jasusa (lady spy)

J, continued

  • Jawan (famished)
  • Jawarib (socks)
  • Jawhara (jewel)
  • Jawwal (rover)
  • Jawz (walnuts)
  • Jawz al-Hind (coconut)
  • Jazar (carrots)
  • Jaziya (the heroine of the Hilali epic)
  • Jiddu (grandpa)
  • Jubna (cheese)
  • Juha (the wise fool of a thousand jokes)
  • Juju (pet form of Jumana)
  • Juljul (a small bell)
  • Jullanar (pomegranate blossom)

K: 69 names

  • Kaab al-Ghazal (Moroccan almond crescents, 'gazelle ankles')
  • Kaak (ring bread, also biscuits)
  • Kabsa (Saudi spiced rice with meat)
  • Kabtin (captain, coach)
  • Kadis (tomcat, Sudanese)
  • Kadisa (cat, Sudanese)
  • Kaff (paw)
  • Kahi (flaky breakfast pastry, Iraqi)
  • Kahraman (amber)
  • Kalamantina (clementine, Levantine)
  • Kalila (one of the two jackals of the old fable book)
  • Kalila wa Dimna (the two jackals of the old fable book)
  • Kammun (cumin)

K, continued

  • Kanaba (sofa)
  • Kanz (treasure)
  • Karabij (semolina fingers of Aleppo)
  • Karak (strong milky tea, Gulf)
  • Karamil (caramel)
  • Karaz (cherries)
  • Karazi (cherry red)
  • Karitha (catastrophe)
  • Karkaba (clutter, Egyptian and Levantine)
  • Karkadeh (hibiscus tea)
  • Karkara (gurgling laughter)
  • Kartuna (cardboard box)
  • Kashmir (cashmere)
  • Kaslan (lazy)

K, continued

  • Kaslana (lazybones, for a she-cat)
  • Kastana (chestnut)
  • Kasul (sluggish)
  • Katkut (chick, a pet name for a small child)
  • Katkuta (chick, for a tiny girl)
  • Kbida (dearest, 'my liver' made small; Maghrebi)
  • Khadra (green, for green eyes)
  • Khafif (light on the feet)
  • Khafif al-Zill (light of shadow: charming company)
  • Khajul (shy)
  • Khajula (shy girl)
  • Khalti (my auntie)
  • Khalu (uncle on the mother's side, as children say it)
  • Khamasin (the hot spring wind of Egypt)

K, continued

  • Khanfarush (saffron fritters, Gulf)
  • Kharbasha (scratching, scribbling)
  • Kharkhara (purring)
  • Khatim (ring)
  • Khattaf (snatcher)
  • Khawkh (peach)
  • Khawkhi (peach-colored)
  • Khawwaf (scaredy-cat)
  • Khayt (thread, a toy for any cat)
  • Khilkhal (anklet)
  • Khiyar (cucumber)
  • Khubz (bread)
  • Khubz wa Milh (bread and salt, the bond of a shared table)
  • Khunfusa (beetle)

K, continued

  • Khuzama (lavender)
  • Kirsh (belly)
  • Kub (cup)
  • Kubba (bulgur and meat croquette)
  • Kufta (grilled minced meat)
  • Kuhli (dark as kohl)
  • Kulayb (chief in the Basus war tale; it means 'small dog')
  • Kulaycha (date cookies, Iraqi)
  • Kunafa (shredded pastry over cheese or cream)
  • Kura (ball)
  • Kusa (zucchini)
  • Kushari (Cairo's bowl of rice, lentils and pasta)
  • Kuskus (couscous, Maghrebi)
  • Kuthayyir (the poet who loved Azza)

L: 31 names

  • Laban (yogurt; plain milk in Egypt)
  • Labna (strained yogurt)
  • Laffa (a spin, a turn)
  • Lahlub (live wire, Egyptian)
  • Lahluba (a girl who never sits still, Egyptian)
  • Lahn (tune)
  • Lakhbata (a mix-up)
  • Laqlaq (stork)
  • Lawz (almonds)
  • Lawz wa Sukkar (almond and sugar)

L, continued

  • Lawza (one almond)
  • Layali Lubnan (the pudding 'Lebanese nights')
  • Layl (night)
  • Layl wa Nahar (night and day)
  • Layla (the beloved of Qays; the name comes from 'night')
  • Layli (nocturnal)
  • Laymun (lemon)
  • Layth (lion, the poets' word)
  • Lihaf (quilt)
  • Lili (pet form of Layla)

L, continued

  • Liss al-Samak (fish thief)
  • Lissa (not yet, Egyptian)
  • Luban (frankincense)
  • Lubna (the beloved of the poet Qays ibn Dharih)
  • Lughz (riddle)
  • Lujayn (silver, a poetic word)
  • Lulu (pearls)
  • Lulua (one pearl)
  • Luluwi (pearly)
  • Luqaymat (honey dumplings, Gulf)
  • Luqma (a morsel)

M: 103 names

  • Ma Ward (rose water)
  • Maamul (date-filled shortbread)
  • Mabruk (congratulations)
  • Mabsut (content, happy)
  • Mabsuta (a happy girl)
  • Machbus (spiced rice with meat, Gulf)
  • Maghrur (vain)
  • Maghrura (vain and she knows it)
  • Maha (oryx)
  • Mahbub (beloved)
  • Mahbuba (everyone's sweetheart)
  • Mahir (skilled)
  • Mahira (a skilled huntress)
  • Mahlan (slowly, gently)

M, continued

  • Mahzuz (lucky)
  • Mahzuza (lucky girl)
  • Majhul (the Medjool date, 'the unknown')
  • Makdus (oil-cured stuffed eggplants, Levantine)
  • Makhalib (claws)
  • Makkar (crafty)
  • Makkara (a sly little schemer)
  • Malfuf (cabbage, Levantine)
  • Malika (queen)
  • Malikat al-Kanaba (queen of the sofa)
  • Malikati (my queen)
  • Mama (mommy)
  • Mandi (Yemeni slow-cooked meat on rice)
  • Manfush (fluffed up)
  • Manfusha (all puffed up, for a she-cat)

M, continued

  • Manga (mango)
  • Manqusha (zaatar flatbread, Levantine)
  • Mansaf (Jordan's lamb and yogurt feast)
  • Maqlab (prank, Egyptian and Levantine)
  • Maqluba (the 'upside-down' rice pot)
  • Maqrud (date-filled semolina diamonds, Maghrebi)
  • Marah (fun)
  • Marhaba (hello)
  • Marjan (coral)
  • Martaba (mattress, Egyptian)
  • Maruf (Maruf the cobbler of the Nights)
  • Masguf (grilled river carp, Iraqi)
  • Mashi (okay)
  • Masrur (delighted)
  • Massasa (lollipop)

M, continued

  • Matar (rain)
  • Mawja (a wave)
  • Mawwal (a sung folk improvisation)
  • Mawz (bananas)
  • Mayya (the beloved of the poet Dhu al-Rumma)
  • Mazzah (joker)
  • Miftah (key)
  • Mikhadda (cushion, the everyday word for a pillow)
  • Milaqa (spoon)
  • Milh wa Filfil (salt and pepper)
  • Mirrikh (Mars)
  • Misbah (lamp)
  • Mish (aged salty cheese of the Nile villages)
  • Mishmish (apricots)

M, continued

  • Mishmisha (one apricot)
  • Mishmishi (apricot-colored)
  • Misk (musk)
  • Miyaw (meow)
  • Mizmar (reed pipe)
  • Muallim (master of a trade, the boss)
  • Mubaqqa (patched)
  • Mubawwiz (pouting, Egyptian)
  • Mudallal (spoiled)
  • Mudallala (spoiled rotten, for a she-cat)
  • Mudir (director)
  • Mudira (the lady in charge)
  • Mufajaa (surprise)
  • Mufakkir (thinker)
  • Mughamir (adventurer)

M, continued

  • Mughamira (adventuress)
  • Muhallabiya (milk pudding)
  • Muhami (lawyer)
  • Muhammara (red pepper and walnut dip)
  • Muharrij (clown)
  • Muhr (colt)
  • Mujaddara (lentils and rice)
  • Mukhattat (striped)
  • Mukhmal (velvet)
  • Mulabbas (sugar-coated almonds)
  • Mulukhiya (jute mallow stew)
  • Munaqqat (dotted)
  • Murabba (jam)
  • Murjayha (a swing)
  • Murr (myrrh)

M, continued

  • Murtah (comfortable, at ease)
  • Murtaha (a lady at her ease)
  • Musakhan (Palestinian sumac chicken on bread)
  • Mushaghib (troublemaker)
  • Mushaghiba (she who starts the trouble)
  • Mushkila (trouble, a real handful)
  • Mushsh (tomcat, Moroccan)
  • Mushsha (she-cat, Moroccan)
  • Mustakshif (explorer)
  • Mustarkhi (lounging)
  • Mutabbal (smoky eggplant dip)
  • Mutakawwir (curled up in a ball)
  • Mutamaddid (stretched out)
  • Mutarid (chaser)
  • Muwa (meowing)

N: 50 names

  • Naana (mint)
  • Naasan (sleepy)
  • Naasana (drowsy girl)
  • Nabih (bright, alert)
  • Nada (dew)
  • Nadim (boon companion)
  • Nafura (fountain)
  • Naghma (melody)
  • Nahim (voracious)
  • Nahla (bee)
  • Naim (soft, smooth)
  • Najm (star)

N, continued

  • Najma (a single star)
  • Nakhla (palm tree)
  • Namla (ant)
  • Nammura (syrupy semolina squares, Lebanese)
  • Nannus (mama's pampered pet, Egyptian)
  • Nari (fiery)
  • Narjis (narcissus)
  • Nashit (energetic)
  • Nasim (breeze)
  • Nasr (eagle)
  • Nattat (jumper)
  • Natur (watchman, Levantine)
  • Nauma (softie, Levantine)

N, continued

  • Naw Naw (meow, as Egyptians say it)
  • Nawm (sleep)
  • Nawm Sultan (sleep is sultan, an Egyptian saying)
  • Nawma (a snooze)
  • Nawwam (heavy sleeper)
  • Nawwama (a lady who sleeps all day)
  • Nay (reed flute)
  • Nayim (fast asleep, Egyptian and Levantine)
  • Nayima (the sleeping beauty of the house)
  • Nayzak (meteor)
  • Nil (the Nile)
  • Nimr (tiger, also a leopard)

N, continued

  • Nimr al-Kanaba (tiger of the sofa)
  • Nimr min Waraq (paper tiger)
  • Nimra (tigress)
  • Nisf al-Layl (midnight)
  • Nisf Nayim (half asleep)
  • Nisrin (wild rose)
  • Nuas (drowsiness)
  • Nuhasi (coppery)
  • Nukta (joke)
  • Numayr (small leopard)
  • Nunu (tiny baby, Egyptian)
  • Nuss Nsays (the thumb-sized hero of Levantine folk tales)
  • Nuwwar (blossom)

O: 4 names

  • Ott (tomcat, Egyptian)
  • Otta (cat, Egyptian)
  • Otta Baladi (Egyptian street cat)
  • Otti (my cat, Egyptian)

Q: 49 names

  • Qafza (a leap)
  • Qahqaha (a hearty laugh)
  • Qahwa (coffee)
  • Qahwa Sada (plain coffee, no sugar)
  • Qahwi (coffee brown)
  • Qaid (commander)
  • Qalb al-Lawz (Algerian cake, 'heart of almond')
  • Qalbi (my heart)
  • Qamar (moon)
  • Qamar al-Zaman (a prince of the Nights, 'moon of the age')
  • Qamhi (wheat-colored)
  • Qannas (stalker, marksman)

Q, continued

  • Qanun (zither)
  • Qasab (sugarcane)
  • Qatayif (stuffed pancakes)
  • Qatifa (velvet, Egyptian)
  • Qattus (tomcat, Tunisian)
  • Qattusa (she-cat, Tunisian)
  • Qaylula (the midday nap)
  • Qays (the poet who lost his wits over Layla)
  • Qays wa Layla (the star-crossed lovers of the old tale)
  • Qirfa (cinnamon)
  • Qirfi (cinnamon-colored)
  • Qirsh (shark)

Q, continued

  • Qishta (clotted cream)
  • Qishta wa Asal (cream and honey)
  • Qishti (cream-colored)
  • Qitt (cat)
  • Qitt al-Bayt (house cat)
  • Qitt al-Hara (alley cat)
  • Qitt al-Rimal (sand cat)
  • Qitt Barri (wildcat)
  • Qitt Shirazi (Persian cat, as the breed is called in Arabic)
  • Qitt Siyami (Siamese cat)
  • Qitt wa Far (cat and mouse)
  • Qitta (she-cat)

Q, continued

  • Qittat al-Jiran (the neighbors' cat)
  • Qittati (my she-cat)
  • Qitti (my cat)
  • Qubbara (lark)
  • Qubtan (sea captain)
  • Quffaz (glove)
  • Qumayr (small moon, a diminutive)
  • Qunfudh (hedgehog)
  • Qurunful (cloves)
  • Qutayt (kitten)
  • Qutayta (little she-cat)
  • Qutn (cotton)
  • Qutna (a cotton ball)

R: 33 names

  • Raad (thunder)
  • Rababa (one-string fiddle)
  • Rabi (spring)
  • Rafiq (companion)
  • Raha (rest)
  • Rahash (tahini halva, Kuwaiti)
  • Rahhal (wanderer)
  • Rais (president, chief)
  • Ramad (ash)
  • Ramadi (gray)
  • Ranna (a chime)

R, continued

  • Raqraq (shimmering)
  • Raqta (a speckled lady)
  • Rasasi (lead gray)
  • Rashiq (graceful, nimble)
  • Rashiqa (a nimble lady)
  • Rawaq (a clear, unbothered mood)
  • Rayhan (basil, any sweet-smelling herb)
  • Rayiq (chilled out, Egyptian)
  • Rayiqa (mellow miss, Egyptian)
  • Rim (white gazelle)
  • Rimal (sands)

R, continued

  • Riri (pet form of Rim)
  • Risha (a feather)
  • Rubyan (shrimp, Gulf)
  • Ruh Albi (soul of my heart)
  • Ruh Mama (mama's soul)
  • Rumman (pomegranates)
  • Rummana (one pomegranate)
  • Rummani (pomegranate red)
  • Rutab (soft ripe dates)
  • Ruzz (rice)
  • Ruzz bi-Halib (rice pudding)

S: 135 names

  • Sab (lion, the everyday Egyptian and Levantine word)
  • Saba (the gentle east wind of old poetry)
  • Sabah al-Full (a jasmine morning, the Egyptian good morning)
  • Sabah al-Ishta (a creamy morning, Egyptian)
  • Sabat Arwah (seven souls: in Arabic a cat has seven lives)
  • Sabi (lad)
  • Sabiya (lass)
  • Sadiq al-Qitat (friend of cats)
  • Sadiq al-Wisada (friend of the pillow)
  • Safir (ambassador)
  • Safira (lady ambassador)
  • Safsaf (willow)
  • Saghir (small)
  • Sahar (the hour before dawn)
  • Sahlab (hot milk drink thickened with orchid root)

S, continued

  • Sahn (plate)
  • Sahra (desert)
  • Sahran (up all night)
  • Sahrana (night owl, for a she-cat)
  • Sahtayn (bon appetit, 'two healths', Levantine)
  • Salla (basket)
  • Salma (a beloved's name in the old odes)
  • Sama (sky)
  • Samaka (a fish)
  • Samar (talk that runs late into the night)
  • Samawi (sky blue)
  • Samin (fat)
  • Samir (companion of the evening hours)
  • Samira (she who keeps you company at night)
  • Samn wa Asal (ghee and honey: a perfect match)

S, continued

  • Samra (dark and tawny, for a she-cat)
  • Sanawbar (pine nuts)
  • Sandal (sandalwood)
  • Saqr (falcon)
  • Sarhan (daydreaming)
  • Sarir (bed)
  • Sarukh (rocket)
  • Sath (rooftop)
  • Sawsan (lily, iris)
  • Sayf (summer)
  • Sayyad (hunter)
  • Sayyada (huntress)
  • Sayyadiya (the fisherman's rice and fish)
  • Sayyidati (madam, 'my lady')
  • Sfinj (ring doughnut, Maghrebi)

S, continued

  • Shabah (phantom)
  • Shabbakiya (honeyed sesame flower cookies, Moroccan)
  • Shabura (morning mist, Egyptian)
  • Shaddad (Antar's father in the epic)
  • Shafaq (twilight glow)
  • Shaghab (rumpus)
  • Shahba (ash gray; Aleppo is called 'the gray')
  • Shahin (peregrine, a Gulf falconry word)
  • Shakhir (snoring)
  • Shakshuka (eggs poached in tomato sauce)
  • Shama (candle)
  • Shamal (the north wind of the Gulf)
  • Shammam (cantaloupe)
  • Shammusa (sunny, from an Egyptian nursery rhyme)
  • Shams (sun)

S, continued

  • Shams al-Nahar (a heroine of the Nights, 'sun of the day')
  • Shams wa Qamar (sun and moon)
  • Shamshama (sniffing about)
  • Shanab (mustache)
  • Shanfara (the outlaw poet of the desert)
  • Shanklish (aged cheese balls, Levantine)
  • Shaqaiq al-Numan (red anemone)
  • Shaqawa (mischief)
  • Shaqi (naughty)
  • Shaqiya (naughty miss)
  • Shaqlaba (a somersault)
  • Shaqra (a ginger girl)
  • Sharara (spark)
  • Sharid (stray; absent-minded)
  • Sharisa (fierce, for a she-cat)

S, continued

  • Sharit (ribbon)
  • Shatir (clever)
  • Shatra (clever girl)
  • Shattur (clever boy, said to children)
  • Shattura (clever girl, said to children)
  • Shawarib (whiskers)
  • Shawarma (meat shaved from the spit)
  • Shawq (longing)
  • Shay (tea)
  • Shay Akhdar (green tea)
  • Shay bi-Naana (mint tea)
  • Shibl (lion cub)
  • Shihab (shooting star)
  • Shita (winter)
  • Shua (sunbeam)

S, continued

  • Shubbak (window)
  • Shuja (brave)
  • Shukhshaykha (baby rattle)
  • Shukran (thank you)
  • Shukulata (chocolate)
  • Shukulati (chocolate-colored)
  • Shula (flame)
  • Shurfa (balcony)
  • Shuruq (sunrise)
  • Shwayya Shwayya (little by little)
  • Simsim (sesame)
  • Simsima (one sesame seed, said in Egypt of anything tiny)
  • Simsimiya (sesame brittle)
  • Sinjab (squirrel)
  • Sinnawr (cat, an old literary word)

S, continued

  • Sirr (secret)
  • Sitara (curtain, for the cat that climbs it)
  • Sitt (lady)
  • Sitt al-Bayt (lady of the house)
  • Sitt al-Husn (a heroine of the Nights, 'lady of beauty')
  • Sitt al-Kull (the lady above them all, a compliment)
  • Subbar (prickly pear cactus)
  • Sudfa (coincidence)
  • Suf (wool)
  • Sufra (the spread table)
  • Sughannan (teeny-weeny, Egyptian)
  • Suhayl (the star Canopus)
  • Sukham (soot)
  • Sukkar (sugar)
  • Sukkar Nabat (rock sugar)

S, continued

  • Sukkar Ziyada (extra sugar, the sweet coffee order of Cairo)
  • Sukkara (a sugar cube, a sweetie)
  • Sukkari (sugary, and a golden date of Qassim)
  • Sukun (stillness)
  • Sulayk (the outlaw poet said to outrun horses)
  • Sulhufa (tortoise)
  • Sultan (sultan)
  • Sultan al-Matbakh (sultan of the kitchen)
  • Sultana (sultana)
  • Sultani (my sultan)
  • Summaq (sumac)
  • Sunduq (box)
  • Sununu (swallow)
  • Sus (chick, Levantine)
  • Susu (pet form of Sawsan)

T: 42 names

  • Taal (come here)
  • Taali (come here, to a she-cat)
  • Taamiya (falafel as Egypt makes it, from fava beans)
  • Taasila (forty winks, Egyptian)
  • Tabbula (parsley and bulgur salad)
  • Tabla (drum)
  • Tabtaba (a gentle patting)
  • Tahina (sesame paste)
  • Taj (crown)
  • Tajin (the clay-pot stew, Maghrebi)
  • Tamam (perfect, all good)
  • Tamr (dates)
  • Tamr Hindi (tamarind)
  • Tamtama (mumbling)

T, continued

  • Tanjara (cooking pot, Levantine)
  • Taqtaqa (clattering)
  • Tarab (the rapture of good music)
  • Tarafa (a poet of the Hanging Odes)
  • Tathaub (a yawn)
  • Tawaddud (the learned girl who outwits the scholars)
  • Tawil al-Bal (long of patience, never in a hurry)
  • Tawus (peacock)
  • Tayf (a passing vision)
  • Tayyib (kind, good-natured)
  • Teta (grandma, Levantine)
  • Thaalab (fox)
  • Thalj (snow)
  • Thalji (snow white)

T, continued

  • Thallaja (refrigerator, for the cat that waits beside it)
  • Tharthara (chatter)
  • Thum (garlic)
  • Thurayya (the Pleiades)
  • Tikhin (chubby, Egyptian)
  • Tiktik (tick-tock)
  • Timman (rice, Iraqi)
  • Timsah (crocodile)
  • Tin (figs)
  • Tinnin (dragon)
  • Tisbah ala Khayr (good night)
  • Tuffah (apples)
  • Turta (layer cake, Egyptian)
  • Tut (mulberries)

U: 14 names

  • Ud (oud wood, and the lute made of it)
  • Ughniya (song)
  • Umda (village headman of the Nile countryside)
  • Umm al-Dunya (mother of the world, the nickname of Egypt)
  • Umm al-Khulul (the wedge clam)
  • Umm Arbaa wa Arbain (the centipede, 'mother of forty-four')
  • Umniya (wish)
  • Umri (my lifetime, a common endearment)
  • Uns (ease in good company)
  • Uqhuwan (daisy)
  • Ush al-Bulbul (the pastry 'nightingale's nest')
  • Ustadh (professor, mister)
  • Ustadha (madam professor)
  • Uyuni (my eyes)

W: 25 names

  • Wadia (gentle and docile, for a she-cat)
  • Wafa (loyalty)
  • Wafi (loyal)
  • Wafiya (loyal lady)
  • Waha (oasis)
  • Wahaj (glow)
  • Wahashtini (I have missed you, Egyptian)
  • Wahsh (beast)
  • Walad (boy)
  • Wali al-Ahd (crown prince)
  • Wallada (the poet princess of Cordoba)
  • Wanis (companion, Levantine)

W, continued

  • Waraq Inab (stuffed vine leaves)
  • Ward (roses)
  • Warda (a rose)
  • Wardi (pink)
  • Warta (a pickle, a tight spot)
  • Washaq (lynx)
  • Washwasha (whispering)
  • Wasim (good-looking)
  • Wathba (a pounce)
  • Wazir (vizier)
  • Wazira (lady vizier)
  • Widad (affection)
  • Wisada (pillow)

Y: 10 names

  • Ya Amar (you moon: you gorgeous thing)
  • Ya Asal (you honey)
  • Ya Batta (ducky, a Cairo endearment)
  • Ya Hilu (hey, sweet thing)
  • Ya Ruhi (oh my soul)
  • Ya Sukkar (you sugar)
  • Yamama (wild dove)
  • Yani (well, sort of)
  • Yaqut (ruby)
  • Yasmin (jasmine)

Z: 41 names

  • Zaafaran (saffron)
  • Zaafarani (saffron yellow)
  • Zaalan (sulking, Egyptian and Levantine)
  • Zaalana (in a sulk, for a she-cat)
  • Zaatar (the thyme and sesame mix)
  • Zabib (raisins)
  • Zaghab (down, fluff)
  • Zaghlul (a red date of Egypt, also a young pigeon)
  • Zaghruda (a trill of joy at weddings)
  • Zahr al-Lawz (almond blossom)
  • Zaim (chief, leader)
  • Zaim al-Hara (boss of the alley)
  • Zalabiya (fried dough in syrup)

Z, continued

  • Zalam (darkness)
  • Zanbaq (lily)
  • Zanjabil (ginger)
  • Zannan (whiner who keeps on about dinner, Egyptian)
  • Zaqzaqa (chirping)
  • Zarafa (giraffe)
  • Zarif (charming, witty)
  • Zarifa (a witty charmer)
  • Zarqa (blue-eyed: Zarqa of Yamama saw riders days away)
  • Zarzur (starling)
  • Zawbaa (whirlwind)
  • Zayn (fine, lovely; the Gulf word for 'good')
  • Zayna (lovely girl, Gulf)
  • Zayt wa Zaatar (oil and thyme, the Levantine breakfast)

Z, continued

  • Zaytun (olives)
  • Zaytuni (olive green)
  • Zghir (the small one, Lebanese)
  • Zill (shade)
  • Zilzal (earthquake)
  • Zir Salim (the avenger of the Basus war epic)
  • Znud al-Sitt (cream rolls, 'the lady's arms')
  • Zubda (butter)
  • Zuhal (Saturn)
  • Zuhayr (a poet of the Hanging Odes)
  • Zumurrud (emerald)
  • Zuzu (a pet name made famous by a 1972 Egyptian film)
  • Zwin (handsome, Moroccan)
  • Zwina (pretty, Moroccan)