In Introduction

Above image: My own beloved and well-worn Warriors books–affectionately cat-eared.

I’ve been in love with the world of Warrior Cats for a long time.

Perhaps I’m not old enough to say I’ve been with it from the start (Omen of the Stars was just finishing when I got into them) but for me it feels like such a formative part of my childhood it doesn’t really matter. I have vivid memories of running around with my friends, pretending we were cutthroat cats in service of our Clans tangled in surprisingly complex webs of feline politics, our imaginations running wilder than the book characters themselves.

Just as exciting as the games themselves (at least to the linguistic and botanical freak I was as a child) was coming up with an intricate and pleasing set of names of the cats who lived in these fanfiction Clans, painstakingly scrawling names of varying levels of validity across ring-bound paper. On occasion, this would give me even more enjoyment than imagining the characters they were attached to. Sometimes I hit gold (with such names as Glowflower and Magnoliacrest) and sometimes I missed wildly (Preyfur and Germpaw are…definitely not my finest work). 

But after approximately ten years and several notebooks ruined from being left out in the rain during my imaginative escapades, I’ve come up with a lot of things that do (or don’t) work when it comes to naming warrior cats—and in a few cases I even have to disagree with the Erins themselves as far as naming conventions go.

Like I said. 

I’m a name addict.

The Basics~

Here is the start of, in less than 26 alphabetical segments (as there exists no viable X prefixes, unsurprisingly), a comprehensive list of what seems to be in my mind every possible usable warrior cats prefix. They are all written with the temperate parts of North America and (to a lesser extent, because I’m less familiar) Europe in mind. This list has been (somewhat) carefully curated to reflect this. There are quite a few prefixes on here that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before outside my own writing; these are marked with an asterisk *. I can’t read every bit of Warriors on the Internet, so I might be wrong, but I’ve never heard these ones used before at the very least! I’ve used a few very thorough external guides to crosscheck and ensure this list is as complete as possible, so this should hopefully be fairly comprehensive.  

It couldn’t be a list of warrior cat prefixes without a few oldies but goldies, so the names that have appeared in canon are in bold. 

Some of these names, particularly the ones I’ve added in, are fairly oddball, so I have a brief definition stating why they are a usable prefix in brackets after them, along with some other controversial picks like Star-, Spirit- and the like. There are a few canon prefixes that I’ve omitted entirely: One- because I think it’s ridiculous and implausible (Imagine a queen looking at her single kit and deciding that was their most defining feature! No wonder Onestar is so sour), and all of SkyClan’s kittypet names because those are only applicable in very specific circumstances and if I opened that door up I wouldn’t be able to close it without flooding the list with a hundred names only usable in extremely specific circumstances.

This list is very plant-heavy: I own a dictionary of plant names (I know, I know, total nerd) and was not afraid to use it while compiling this list. I might have missed a few animal prefixes (whoops) but I doubt I missed plants.

The Names

A

Abele* [an alternate name for the white poplar]- While I’m starting the list with an admittedly obscure name, if you want an undoubtedly unique name for an important cat in your Clan, Abele is a good choice. It’s also a good choice if you want to get traction on your story in the form of questions (namely What Actually Is An Abele?).

Abysm*- [synonym of abyss] Usable if you want to get really flowery with your names. That’s pretty much it. I may have hit the dictionary too hard for this one.

Abyss*- A more practical form of Abysm. It’s still really dramatic, and definitely usable, but don’t use it for a villain unless you want to make it really obvious who the bad cat is.

Acacia- I am astonished that this has never been used in canon. It’s a nice understated tree name with a good flow and sound.

Accipter*- [a general name for hawks and eagles] This one can be a bit of a stretch, but it’s not entirely off the table, which is why it’s on here in the first place.

Aconite*- More than anything else in this section, the absence of Aconite as a prefix astonishes me. It’s an excellent medicine cat name; I’ve used it multiple times and report no disappointment. 

Acorn– Sure, Acorn is nothing fancy, but it’s cute and simple. Sometimes that’s all you need for a background cat or a cute tumbling kit. Or even a main character! Why not?

Adder– Shockingly not as prevalent in the books as their namesake. Adder is an excellent prefix, but it should only be used if your Clans are based in Europe or in no particular earthly locale, because they’re only found in Europe. 

Adonis*-  Adonis is a genus of cute little flowers and a perfect offbeat choice for a character—perhaps even a love interest.

Ajuga*- [a creeping plant, also known as ‘bugle,’ but Ajuga sounds more like what a Clan would use to refer to it] Ajuga is a name for a shade-loving creeper that thrives in cold climates. It’s an excellent prefix; I have yet to see anyone but myself use it.

Akebia*- Akebia is the name of an aggressive vine that could work quite well for a pushy or outspoken character! If you want to make a splash with a rare and interesting name, give this one a try.

Alder– This is another basic name that works perfectly fine for what it’s trying to do. It doesn’t really have much glitz, and it has been used to name a prominent canon character, but if that doesn’t deter you it’s a solid (if plain) choice.

Alisma*- [another word for a water plantain] This one’s just beautiful. It glitters, it shimmers, it has the grace of a cat closely connected with their warrior ancestors. I haven’t used it yet, but I can’t wait until I do.

Alkanet*-Alkanet is actually kin to a warrior cats staple, borage, and sports the same vivid blue colour. It could be a nice choice for either a silver tabby or a blue-grey cat.

Alyssum*- This is such a cute suffix! So dainty and adorable.

Amber– Most likely referring to the colour rather than the stone—although since it’s obtained from crystallized sap you could make an argument.

Anchusa*- The exact same thing as Alkanet, but a different option if the other doesn’t strike your fancy. Who doesn’t love it when people can’t agree on what to call things?

Anemone*- Anemone is a beautiful, cold-hardy flower that’s an understated but glamorous pick for your cat. Not to be confused with any sea life.

Angelica*- Since angelica is an herb with medicinal properties, I’m surprised by its relative absence from the fandom’s naming endeavours. 

Ant– This would be an adorable littermate of Beetle and Spider!

Apple– Simple. To the point. It may not be flashy, but it definitely works.

Arbutus*- As a tree native to western North America, Arbutus is understandably not in the original series, but if your Clans are located there it absolutely should be in yours. It’s entirely viable and I’ve literally never seen it used. 

Arch– I had to put this in because it’s Canon,™ but overall it’s a bit of a confusing one as to where it would be used and what it would be referring to. Archeye is kind of a weird name. Is it referring to her markings, or her tendency to sport skeptical expressions? I’m not entirely sure. Then again, ShadowClan in Yellowfang’s Secret didn’t exactly have the best naming track record anyway…what with Clawkit and Brokenkit. Yeesh.

Arnica*- Arnica isn’t just a good cat name, it’s also an herb that Clans in western North America would have in their medicine den. As such it makes an apt medicine cat name, but it flows well and can fit anywhere.

Arum*- A fancy type of lily that has a nice, formal ring to it. In my mind, it suggests a withdrawn and thoughtful cat.

Ash– A classic. Whether or not this one’s overused in the fandom, you can’t deny its versatility and the fact that it has two different meanings you can draw on. Hackneyed? Maybe, but it’s a sturdy choice.

Ashen- An uncommon, daring variant of the perennial Ash that deserves much more love than it’s ever gotten.

Aspen- A far more realistic and usable version of Abele. Every warrior cat should know what an aspen tree is, even if they don’t know what an abele is.

Asphodel*- Such a dainty flower name! Not to stereotype, but it’s perfect for a medicine cat.

Asphodeline*- This is a longer and (potentially) more clunky variation on the above Asphodel, but it’s nice enough and I didn’t feel right leaving it off.

Aster-  Another sweet and dainty name that should be used more than it is. A gentle permanent queen named Asterflower, anyone?

Auburn- A perfect name for a ginger cat (or maybe a tortie). Enough said.

Avens*- As a mountain plant, Avens is a name that should receive some consideration, particularly for a small and sturdy cat.

Avocet*- An avocet is a cute kind of shorebird with a concave-curved beak. It is also an adorable name for a tortoiseshell. If you look them up you’ll know what I mean–the American Avocet sports a perfect tortoiseshell colour palette. Act now before other writers catch on!

Azalea- Another lovely name for a nurturing cat.

Azure- Due to the fact that all kits’ eyes are blue for a sizable portion of their time in the nursery, this one has questionable use, but it’s pretty. Maybe you could use it on a blue-grey cat?

That’s the end of the A prefixes. But don’t worry—you won’t have to name all your cats with the same letter. The list of B prefixes is coming soon!

Thanks for reading, and be sure to leave a comment if any of these names are useful to you—I’d love to see your naming creations.