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

Felix means “lucky” or “successful” in Latin, it was a Roman family name before it was anything else. Cartoon history helps too: Felix the Cat has been carrying this name, and a bag of tricks, since the silent-film era.

What Does the Name Felix Mean?

Felix means “lucky, successful.” The name traces back to a Roman family name (cognomen) in Latin, and its origin is Latin. The meaning above is the verified literal one, not a personality guess, checked for this page against Behind the Name.

Felix began as a nickname before it was a name. Behind the Name records that the Roman general Sulla took Felix as an agnomen, an earned extra name, in the 1st century BC, and a Felix also appears in the New Testament as the governor of Judea who kept Saint Paul prisoner. The name’s happy meaning made it a favourite with early Christians: it was borne by many early saints and by four popes. It has been used in England since the Middle Ages without ever quite matching its continental popularity, and its best-known modern bearer is the German composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809 to 1847).

Felix is pronounced FEE-liks (IPA /ˈfiː.lɪks/) in English. Across Europe it keeps its spelling but gains accents and cousins: Félix in French, Spanish and Portuguese, Felice in Italian and Feliks in Polish and Russian, while Wiktionary lists Felicia and Felicity as its feminine relations. On Behind the Name’s charts it ranked 10th in Germany and 59th in England and Wales in 2025, a classic that has never gone away.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Felix mean?

Felix means “lucky, successful.” It comes from a Roman family name (cognomen) in Latin.

Is Felix a good name for a male cat?

Yes, Felix is listed for male cats in our name database, and its meaning (“lucky, successful”) gives the name real substance. At just a few letters, it is easy to say, easy to call across a room, and quick for a cat to learn.

Where can I find more names like Felix?

Felix appears in our 384 Boy Cat Names and 226 Black Cat Names lists, and the full cat names hub gathers every collection in one place.

What does the name Felix mean in the Bible?

In the New Testament, Felix is the Roman governor of Judea who held Saint Paul prisoner, Behind the Name lists the name in both Roman and Biblical use. The name itself is Latin, not Hebrew, and it carries the same meaning there: “lucky, successful.”

How do you pronounce Felix?

FEE-liks, IPA /ˈfiː.lɪks/ in English, with the stress on the first syllable. In Latin it was closer to FAY-leeks (/ˈfeː.liːks/), and modern German and Dutch keep the shorter first vowel (/ˈfeː.lɪks/).

By Brianna Baxter

Meaning and origin verified against Behind the Name.