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Big, Black, Powerful, and majestic. Panthers are incredibly nubile and graceful creatures. And, still as cute and fluffy as any dogs and cats you may have at home.
You probably aren’t looking up panther names to give to your latest pet, that would be cool but a little scary! In 2021 a panther called Luna was actually rejected by her mother and ended up being cared for in the home of a caring (and brave) woman.
You can read about Luna’s story here!
If you are lucky enough to be naming a new foster panther you have come to the right place. If you aren’t quite that brave and are instead here to name an adopted panther, a panther in the local zoo, a new stuffed animal, or perhaps just a black cat, you are still most certainly in the right place.
These names are taken from stories, folklore, mythology, cartoons, and our own goofy imaginations.
Here are 175 unique and interesting names for a panther:
Best Panther Names
- Bullet – Fast and powerful.
- Noir – Meaning black.
- Darth Vader – Black armor and a black cape.
- Iron – Tough and strong.
- Hunter – Panthers are incredible hunters.
- Shadow – The black hedgehog from Sonic.
- Spirit
- Toothless – From how to train your dragon.
- Midnight
- Eclipse
- Umbreon – A Dark black feline Pokemon.
- Ebony – Meaning dark.
- Chocolate – Dark chocolate is the best!
- Coco
- Licorice – Black, rich, and delicious
- Knight – A play on the word night!
- Jet – Jet black.
- Sooty – A sweet name for any cat – especially a big black one!
- Dusk
- Coal – For their coal-colored fur.
- Onyx – Dark like onyx.
- Raven
- Obsidian – Obsidian is a deep black natural glass that is formed from the viscous lava often found in or around active volcanoes.
- Mustang
- Bolt
- Ninja – Agile and deadly just like panthers.
- Nocturne – For the Nocturnal hunters
- Guinness -Black and creamy!
- Chief
- Majesty
- Yin – The black half of Yin and Yang.
- Equality – The Black Panthers fought tooth and nail for equality
- Saber
- Hades – Greek God of the Underworld and spirits
- Tombstone
- Silk – Black silk was often considered a rare treasure hundreds of years ago when trade was limited and only the elite could afford silk at all.
- Bandit
- Sylvester – The looney tunes black and white cat.
- Panda
- Swan – Named after a black swan event!
- Velvet
- King
- Space -Space is perhaps the only true comparison to the deep dark coat of a majestic wild panther.
- Galaxy
- Vanilla – Vanilla pods are a lovely dark black color.
- Charcoal
- Bear – It has to be a black bear, of course!
- Domino
- Coffee
- Bean – Black beans and toe beans – perfect for a panther!
Names For A Female Panther
- Grace – Panthers are one of the most graceful animals.
- Olive – Named after their iconic black olive-colored fur.
- Pepper – A spicy name for a spicy feline.
- Lexy
- Bonnie
- Lipstick
- LUNA – Named after the wonderful rescue panther we mentioned above.
- Gypsy
- Minnie – Named after Minnie Mouse
- Poppy
- Elena – One of the main protagonists in the Vampire Diaries
- Caroline
- Sushi – Sushi is more often than not black and white.
- Cruella – Named after Disney’s Cruella DeVille and her iconic black and white hair.
- Moana – Named after the Disney princess Moana.
Names For A Male Panther
- Nori – Nori is the dark seaweed wrap that is used to make sushi.
- Oreo – The classic Oreo Cookie needs no explanation.
- Orca – Did you know Orcas are technically dolphins, not whales despite being known as “killer whales”?)
- Daffy – Named after the looney tunes Daffy duck.
- Kylo – Kylo Ren – Star Wars’ most recent and perhaps most interesting Sith Lord.
- Chewy
- Piano – The little black keys on the piano are the flat and sharp keys that can raise the pitch higher or lower.
- Sharpie – It has to be a black sharpie of course.
- Pepsi – Black, sweet, perfect for a panther!
- Ash
- Boo – Many witches in stories have a black cat – hopefully they don’t try to pinch yours!
- Grumpy
- Blackberry – The perfect berry for a panther, don’t you think?
- Jam – Probably blackberry jam…
- Emperor – Emperor the rules or Emperor the penguin? It could be either!
Unisex Names For Panthers
- Bentley – Named after the car potentially!
- Brownie – A sweet treat that belongs to no singular gender.
- Dot
- Robin
- Taylor
- Percy – It could be for Persephone.
- Alex – It could be Alexander or Alexis
- Morgan
- Fable
- Maple – Sweet like syrup
Cute Names For Panthers
- Sweety
- Fluffy – Panthers don’t always look it but they are quite fluffy.
- Tigger – Named after Winnie The Pooh’s friend.
- Tiny – Especially fitting for these giant predators.
- Emerald
- Glimmer
- Ruby
- Ferne
- Penny – A sweet name for a sweet cat.
- Isaac – The Hebrew name for laughter
Good Names For Black Panthers
- Noah – Noah means to rest or restful, panthers often sleep for 4-5 hours every day and spend the rest of their time hunting or lounging.
- Idris – Idris is Arabic for smart, which panthers certainly are! They could probably outwit you or me rather easily.
- Lebron
- Gizelle
- Audrey – Audrey is a very popular English name that means strength
- Inky – Panthers tend to blend into the inky black sky at night.
- Margarita
- Baileys
- Mocha – Like the popular chocolate coffee
- Seal – Mediterranean Monk Seals are sometimes jet black.
Funny Names For Panthers
- Garlic – Black garlic is the strongest type of garlic and is often seen as a delicacy.
- Espresso
- Snowy – The absolute polar opposite of a black panther!
- Queeny
- Jaguar – A panther called “jaguar” – Priceless!
- Record – Named after a musical record which is almost always black in color.
- Mamba – The Black Mamba.
- Kit-Kat – A good name for a chocolate kitten.
- Nugget – Full name Chicken Nugget.
- Smudge – A sweet name for an even sweeter cat.
Cool Names For Panthers
- Atticus – Atticus is a Latin name meaning belonging to Athens and was adopted in the Roman Imperial era.
- Byron – Byron actually means by the cow sheds but is most often thought of as relating to the famous author and poet.
- Fitzgerald
- Maverick
- Otto
- Minerva
- Banjo – Banjos are damn cool just like these cool wild cats.
- Mabel – Mabel means loveable which panthers certainly are
- Florence – Florence unsurprisingly relates to flowers blossoming. Flo makes a good nickname for a panther, don’t you think?
- Zebediah
Unique Names For Pet Panthers
- Olivette
- Jebediah – Named after the founder of Springfield in The Simpsons.
- Ethel
- Fig – Figs are a delicious, uncommon, fruit with black outer skin.
- Chia – Chia seeds are one of the most densely packed vegetables as well as being a unique panther name.
- Sesame
- Lentils – Black lentils are rich in protein and incredibly delicious.
- Porridge – Who doesn’t love porridge?
- Acai
- Barbeque – Dark and rich like BBQ Sauce!
Mythical Names For A Panther
- Drake – The mythical Dragon.
- Zeus – The Greek god of the skies.
- Hydra – A giant water snake with many heads, if you cut one off two more grow back in its place.
- Bluey – Named after the Blue Mountain Panther.
- Griffin – The flying lion.
- Chimera
- Warrior – Named after the Black Tortoise / Black Warrior from Chinese four symbols.
- Nike – The Greek god of speed (This is also the origin of Nike the brand).
- Styx – The river Styx is a famous river in greek mythology where Achileas gained his powers.
- Ares – God of war and battle which is perfect for these fierce felines
Famous Panther Names In Movies
- Bashenga – Bashenga was the first Black Panther in Marvel.
- Azaad – A panther from the Lion Guard.
- Zeke – From Zeke and Luther.
- Diego – Diego from Ice Age is related to the panther!
- Tai Lung – Tai Lung is an east Asian panther from the movie Kung Fu Panda.
- Sultan – The Panther from Aladdin.
- Felix – The Panther from Wreck it Ralph.
- Pounce – Pounce is a Disney princess belonging to Pocahontas.
- Makucha
- Jasper – One hundred and one Dalmatians
Disney Panther Names
- Bagheera – Bagheera is a famous black panther that cares for Mowgli in the Jungle Book.
- T’Challa – The character name of the Black Panther in Disney’s Marvel cinematic universe.
- Chadwick – Named after the actor who played Black Panther and has since sadly passed away.
- Wakanda
- Sabor – The panther from Tarzan.
Cartoon Panther Names
- Pete Puma – Pete the Puma is a minor character in the Looney Tunes cartoons.
- Pinky – Named after the Pink Panther.
- Spot Swat -Spot Swat was a prehistoric panther from the Good Dinosaur.
- Shira – Shira was an ancient panther in Ice Age.
- Phango
- Snagglepuss – From Hanna Barbera.
- Bonkers – Bonkers D. Bobcat from Bonkers. The full name is a bit of a mouthful so Bonkers for short should do just fine!
- Yun Mibu
- Badilli – From the Lion Guard.
- Mapiango
Name Inspiration
Every name on this list has a basis in myth or legend, story or folklore, or some other interesting origin.
Naming your panther requires thoughtfulness and sincerity. There is something beautiful about finding a name with a connection to what the essence of the animal is – whether it is taken from a cartoon or something your kids dreamt up themselves.
Panthers are powerful creatures which is a recurring theme in this list, but, they have a softer side which we loved to explore too!
Help Choosing The Perfect Name
Finding the exact right name for your panther may seem impossible at first.
After all, we can’t exactly look into the eyes of the panther and think to ourselves, “Yep, he looks like a Kevin!”
For most of us, it requires a little more thought than that. For some of us, maybe it doesn’t!
A panther called Kevin, why not? Scientists believe pet names should be short so there is little room for misunderstanding when you call them.
Maybe we should go the other way with a panther? Maybe longer is better. We certainly have no intention of calling them over to us!
Conclusion
The perfect name for your panther is out there! There is a good chance that the name is somewhere in the depths of this list. But, it may not be. There may be some weird and wonderful name buried in your favorite storybook or swirling around a child’s imagination.
Hopefully, though, this comprehensive guide to names for a panther brought you a little closer to finding it!
FAQs
What Is The Panther’s Name In The Jungle Book?
The panther in the Jungle Book is named Bagheera – he discovers the “man-cub” Mowgli in the jungle and watches over him as he makes his way back to civilization.
In the original Hindi, he is called “Baghīr” and is a Melanistic Indian Leopard (Black Panther).
What Is The Name Of The Pink Panther?
The pink panther cartoon is based on the original pink panther stories where the pink panther is actually the largest diamond in the world.
The cartoon panther doesn’t have a name per se – I imagine he (or she?) would respond to pink panther if called – maybe your panther will too?