Warriors fans can spot a warrior cat name from a mile away. One of the most distinctive features of the series, the convention of each cat having different names denoting their status in the Clan—kits, apprentices, warriors, and leaders–was invented by series creator Vicky Holmes. As she puts it, “It was decided very early on that we would have a hierarchy of changing names to signify each stage of a Clan cat’s life. Otherwise, we envisioned having to explain that this cat was a warrior, this one an apprentice, this one a leader every time we encountered a character. It was clear that we were going to be dealing with a lot of cats, though I don’t think any of us dreamed the cast list would stretch into the hundreds!”

Warrior names begin with names given to kits by their parents. These names are always nature-based, things or actions that would believably be familiar to a cat living in the wild: fire, leaf, river, pounce. The second part of the name denotes the cat’s status in the Clan: -kits are still in the nursery with their mothers, too young to begin warrior training (Stemkit, Bristlekit). Apprenctices are -paws. Traditionally, they are at least six moons old, have been assigned a mentor, and have begun training to be a warrior or medicine cat (Graypaw, Mistpaw). Once apprentices have finished their training, they are given their new warrior or medicine cat name, by either their leader or mentor. A new suffix, also nature-based and specially chosen for that warrior, is added to the name given by their parents. For the story team, it can be tricky to find the right suffix to fit both the rhythm of the name and the personality of the cat. As Vicky says, “I aim for each name to be a teeny tiny poem, encapsulating both the essence of Clan life and the personality of the cat, as well as sounding pleasant out loud. You should be able to picture the cat instantly when you say the name, and the sound should ring like a bell. Bramblestorm is a perfect example of this. Ivypool is another name that is lovely to say.”

Vicky goes on to say, “I loved Fireheart from the start. It worked so perfectly because it provided a snapshot physical description as well as a hint of his brave and loyal character. In the same vein, I like Lionheart and Whitestorm. My favorite of all the names though is Echosong, the SkyClan medicine cat whom we meet in FIRESTAR’S QUEST. It’s not really a warrior name; it’s too lyrical and ‘human.’ But it’s a lovely name, and I still think I might give it to a real-life animal one day—ideally, a horse!”

There is, however, one little-known limitation on warrior names: the cats are unofficially British (like Vicky, their creator), and the natural elements they are named after must commonly exist in the United Kingdom. A kit named Squash Blossom was renamed Apple Blossom in a draft storyline for Dawn of the Clans, because squash does not grow wild in the UK. Similarly, animals that are uncommon in most British forests, like elk, moose, and coyotes, have not featured in warrior cat names (or, for the most part, the books).

In A Starless Clan, we see an instance of parents’ attempts to create the “perfect” name for their kit backfiring. When Sparkpelt birthed a litter of kits, she chose to name them Finchkit, Flickerkit and Flamekit. Flamekit was clearly named in honor of her famous ancestor, the most renowned leader of ThunderClan, Firestar. But Flamekit felt hobbled by the name, unable to live up to his famous ancestor and unseen for who he truly was: a perfectly capable black cat. When Bramblestar gave him his warrior name, Flameheart, Flamepaw announced that he was rejecting the name, and eventually compromised with the name Nightheart. Sparkpelt and his sister, Finchlight, were at first hurt and angry, but eventually came to understand that Nightheart was creating his own identity, and his chosen name suited him better.

Just like Sparkpelt, we editors can sometimes feel like the name we originally gave a cat didn’t suit them in the end. As Vicky says, “If I look at the cast list for INTO THE WILD, I can see how inexperienced we were at naming our cats! It’s well known that Tigerclaw was called Hammerclaw for the first drafts of Book One. In fact, it was the very last detail we changed before publication, when someone commented that cats knowing what a hammer is was strange! Runningnose seems a rather cruel choice of name for the ShadowClan medicine cat now, even though we intended it to be a pun on the fact that he should have been able to cure his own cold…. The name that always strikes me as unfortunate is Foxheart. She was a fairly mean ShadowClan warrior, but that seems inevitable considering that her name was used as a common insult! I cannot imagine any Clan leader thinking that was a good idea at the warrior naming ceremony.”

We on the story team see naming the warrior cats as a great privilege—and a great responsibility. Fans will definitely speak up if a name does not meet their standards! (Twigbranch, anyone?) Ideally, each warrior name would feel “just right”—fun to say and perfect for the cat. That’s certainly the standard we aim for when we throw around names for kits, or full warrior names. As Vicky says, “I am so proud of the tradition of warrior names that we have created, and even now I can’t help coming up with secret names for the cats that cross my path. I am often asked to give warrior names to the cats of fans, which is such a privilege. Every cat deserves a Clan name, even if they answer to Miffy or Fluffkins in real life!”