Bandit Name Meaning: What Does Bandit Mean for a Cat?

Bandit means a robber or outlaw, the perfect title for the masked little thief who steals your socks, your seat and your dinner, in that order.

What Does the Name Bandit Mean?

Bandit means a robber or outlaw. The English word arrived via Italian bandito, literally an “outlawed person”, from bandire, “to ban”. So a bandit was originally someone who had been formally banished, and the word picked up its romantic, masked-outlaw flavour on its way into English.

For cats, the name runs on two tracks. There is the markings track: a dark “mask” of fur across the eyes makes Bandit the obvious, charming choice, like a tiny highwayman. And there is the behaviour track, the food thief, the midnight counter-surfer, the cat who has never once been caught in the act, though the evidence is always there.

What Kind of Cat Suits the Name Bandit?

Bandit suits a bold, mischievous male cat with a streak of larceny and the confidence to pull it off. Masked markings, a tuxedo with a dark face, a tabby with bold eye-stripes, make it funnier and better. It is a name with swagger, best given to a cat who will live up to it.

Television gave cat-kind a patron saint: Bandit, Angela’s cat in The Office, flung memorably across the room during the fire-drill episode and caught safely, a scene every fan remembers. The name itself is two punchy syllables that carry well when you are calling a suspect in for questioning.

How Popular Is Bandit for Cats?

Bandit ranks #38 among male cats in Rover’s data and #80 in the U.S. News list, a well-established rogue’s name that has held its place for years without ever flooding the charts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Bandit mean?

Bandit means a robber or outlaw. It comes from Italian bandito, an “outlawed person”, from bandire, “to ban”.

Is Bandit a good name for a male cat?

Yes, Bandit is mostly used for male cats (Rover male #38) and suits a bold, thieving character with masked markings perfectly.

What markings suit the name Bandit?

A dark mask across the eyes is the classic fit, but any cat with a robber’s behaviour, stealing food, socks and seats, earns the name honestly.

Where can I find more names like Bandit?

Bandit appears in our badass cat names and funny cat names lists, and the male cat names list has hundreds more.

By Brianna Baxter

Meaning and origin verified against Wiktionary.