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

Fae is recorded in our database as a “Variant of Fay”, and Fay is the old English word for a fairy. Three letters, one syllable, and a name with genuine magic in its family tree.

What Does the Name Fae Mean?

Our database records Fae’s meaning exactly as “Variant of Fay,” and this page will not dress that up as anything else. What can be verified is where Fay itself comes from, and it is a lovely root: Fay is the English word fay, meaning a fairy, from Middle English faie, “magical, enchanted,” which came through Old French from the Latin fata, the Fates. So Fae, as the modern variant spelling, carries the fairy word with it: a name from the same family as Morgan le Fay, the enchantress of Arthurian legend, whose story appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s chronicles. Behind the Name also notes that Fay is sometimes used as a short form of Faith.

The Fae spelling has grown in modern use partly because it looks like what it describes, light, brief and slightly otherworldly, closer to the word used in fantasy writing for fairy folk as a people. It appears in Chewy’s published coverage of popular cat names, which is how it earns its place in this series: owners are choosing it, usually for small, fine-boned, quietly mysterious cats.

What Kind of Cat Suits the Name Fae?

Fae suits a delicate cat, a small, slight animal with large eyes and a habit of appearing silently beside you. It is a name with a whisper in it, better for the cat who materialises than for the one who announces himself from three rooms away, though a large tom called Fae has a comedy all of his own.

Practically, Fae could hardly be simpler: one syllable, three letters, nothing to shorten. Our database lists it for male and female cats alike. If you like the sound but want the classic spelling and its Faith connection, Fay is the parent name; Fae is the same name in its lighter, more magical dress.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Fae mean?

Our database records Fae as a “Variant of Fay.” Fay itself is the English word for a fairy, from Middle English faie (“magical, enchanted”), ultimately from the Latin fata, the Fates, so Fae carries the fairy meaning of its parent name.

What is the difference between Fae and Fay?

Only the spelling. Fay is the older, standard form of the name, the fairy word, and sometimes a short form of Faith. Fae is the modern variant spelling, chosen for its lighter, more otherworldly look.

Is Fae a good name for a small cat?

It is a natural fit. The name’s whole character is smallness and magic, owners tend to choose it for petite, delicate, fine-boned cats, and it appears in Chewy’s popular cat name coverage.

Is Fae a male or female cat name?

Either. Our name database lists Fae as unisex, for male and female cats. Its parent name Fay has historically been used for both as well.

By Brianna Baxter

Meaning recorded in the site name database (“Variant of Fay”); the Fay root verified against Behind the Name.