The Origin of Names, a Naming Guide

A name is a symbol or a noun that describes the object. Usually they reflect the personality or physical appearance of the bearer. However, a name is a name and does not have to tell anything about the cat. It’s just like they say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. In this article we will go into further depth of the meaning of names.

When a kit is born, the mother and/or father chooses the first part of the compound word that is to be their name. The second part of the name is always “kit”. Kits will often be named for their pelt colors, eye colors or size. Examples are Whitekit, Bluekit, Speckledkit, and Longkit. Occasionally they will be named in honor of a heroic cat from the parent’s history. They may also be named for their attitude. There is another way that is more complex and uses poetry. For example, the mother might say that the kit is as gentle as a feather or that the kit’s pelt looks like a cloud on a stormy day. The mother may also name her kits after the time of day they were born or what the weather was like. The naming usually occurs after the kit’s eyes open their eyes or their physical appearance and personality becomes apparent.

As the kit becomes mature they will be apprenticed. This happens at about six moons and they lose the name “kit”. They then gain the ending “paw”.

When the apprentice finishes training and shows loyalty to the clan, they receive their new name and title. They shed the name paw and gain a new second name. This name varies depending on the circumstances. However, it is completely up to the leader. It can be almost anything; pelt, fur, claw, and heart are the most common ones. There has only been one exception- when Crowpaw requested to be named Crowfeather in honor of a fallen warrior.

When the warrior retires to become an elder, they are given a new name-especially if they were forced to because of a disability. A cat who lost a paw might be renamed “Threelegs”.

A name should have a special meaning for its bearer. Like in the Crowfeather instance, his name has a lot more meaning with “feather” as the second part. You can find this on page 316 in Dawn.