Cat names

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In the Warriors books, the naming of cats follows a certain pattern. Every cat has a name to be identified by. They call each other by their given names at birth. It is up to the mother to decide the names of the kits. In a Clan, the name of a new kit is given with the suffix -kit at the end. In Twoleg territory, cats giving birth do not name their own kit. Most of the time a Twoleg does it for them. However, in some cases, a cat may name her own kits and get away from the Twolegs.

Clan Names
The names of Clan cats are constructed from two words (for example Bramble+Claw or Squirrel+Flight). Both of these words pertain to things or notions known to the Clan cats, and usually describe the appearance and / or the personality of the cat. These can be of the following:


 * Colors and Patterns: White, Golden, Dark, Spotted
 * Attributes: Brave, Sharp, Sweet, Wild
 * Body Parts: Claw, Heart, Foot, Tail, Fur
 * Plants and Animals: Birch, Holly, Hawk, Tiger Flower
 * Nature: Cloud, Sand, Stream, Stone Moon
 * Phenomena: Fire, Mist, Night, Storm
 * Action: Pounce, Running, Leap, Swift

Names are short, containing generally two or three syllables.

First Part of the Name
The first part (prefix) is given by the kit's parents upon its birth. The names can be of the following:
 * Pertaining to the kit's appearance (Fox- for reddish coat, Tiny- for small size, Squirrel- for bushy tail)
 * In honor of another cat or ancestor (Leaf- in honor of Leafstar and possibly Spottedleaf, Tiger- in honor of Tigerstar, Cinder- in honor of Cinderpelt)
 * Some event pertaining to the birth or life of the kit (Storm- for being born in a storm)
 * Other, seemingly unrelated to either (Holly-, Petal-)

Second Part of the Name
Kits, apprentices and leaders have -kit, -paw and -star respectively as the second part (suffix) of their names by tradition.
 * Examples: Whitekit, Whitepaw, Whitestar

The suffix of warrior and medicine cat names are assigned by the Clan Leader, (or Medicine Cat, respectively) though they (or in some cases one of their parents) can request a specific name for themselves, if they wish.
 * Examples: Whitestorm, Whitetail, Whitewing

Reserved Words
The following notions are generally not used in Clan names (although some have been occasionally):
 * -star, -kit and -paw are reserved as leader, kit, and apprentice suffixes (e.g. Firestar, Cherrykit, Molepaw) However, Tribe names use these words for their names.
 * Spirit-, as this represents a sacred notion
 * Shadow-, Thunder-, River-, Wind-, and Sky- in honor of the Clan founders who first had the names
 * However, Sky- is used as a prefix and suffix with no regard to the tradition since most cats do not know about SkyClan
 * "Moon-" is a name reserved for places sacred to the Clans as places where leaders and medicine cats may commune with StarClan (such as the Moonpool and the Moonstone). The only known exception to this was Bluestar's mother, who was named Moonflower; however, Erin Hunter stated they could not change her name to Duskflower due to too many uses of Moonflower.

Addressing Each Other
Clan Cats call each other by their full names, even if they are kin. They do not use pet names, shortened names or titles. There are two exceptions to this rule.

It is considered rude and disrespectful to address a cat by his or her former name (that referred to a lower rank), for example, to address a warrior by their apprentice name or a leader by their warrior name.

Name Change
If a name does not suit a Clan cat anymore, the Clan leader can decide to change their name via a Name Changing Ceremony. This often happens when a cat receives a significant injury, although it also happens when a warrior retires to the elder's den. For example, after Sparrowpelt had lost part of his tail in a fight with a badger, he was renamed Halftail. The Clan leader can also change a name at the request of another warrior.

Tribe Names
According to tradition, Tribe kits are named for the first thing their mother sees when they are born. For example: Brook Where Small Fish Swim or Star That Shines On Water. These are usually shortened in conversations (like Brook or Star).

Tribe cats' names do not modify through their lives, except for the Healer, whose name is changed into Teller of the Pointed Stones (Stoneteller) upon appointment.

Ancient Names
The names of The Ancients who lived by the lake and were the ancestors of the Tribe of Rushing Water are all two word constructions, relating to nature and often describing the cat's appearance as well. Examples are Jay's Wing, Dark Whiskers, or Stone Song.

Loner and Rogue Names
Similarly to Clan cats, loners and rogues have names pertaining to things or notions known to them (like Barley or Patch). Loners or rogues living close to Twolegs (or those who used to be kittypets) may assume the names given to them by the Twolegs (like Sasha or Smoky).

Cats who live in the Twolegplace may have names of Twoleg words, such as Dodge, Raindrop, or Skipper.

Upon joining a Clan, a loner or rogue may agree to change their name into a Clan name (like Red becoming Russetpaw or Scratch becoming Sharpclaw), or not (like Boulder or Millie).

A loner or rogue may change their own name by their own initiative, like Tiny changing his to Scourge.

Kittypet Names
Kittypets assume the names given to them by the Twolegs (such as Jake or Susan). This hints that they understand Twoleg speech to some degree.

Upon joining a Clan, a kittypet may agree to change their name into a Clan name (Rusty, for example, becoming Firepaw), or not (for example, Millie.)