You might recall the adorable daughter nicknamed “Kitten” on the old TV sitcom Father Knows Best. Well, “Kitten” was around as a pet name for a girl long before television. Among ancient Romans, the Latin names Felicla and Felicula were popular among women, and both names mean “little cat” or “kitten.” There are tombstones with Felicla or Felicula carved in them, and some of the tombstones even have a figure of a cat carved into them. The names Catta and Cattula—both meaning “cat,” of course were also used for Roman women. And though they were more rare, the names Feliculus, Cattus and Cattius were also borne by some Roman men.
