Hello Kitty Characters Names: Full List and Guide

Most people recognize that white cat with the red bow. But fewer can name the friends standing next to her, or the twin sister with the pink bow on the other ear. Sanrio has created over 450 distinct characters since 1974, and the ones orbiting Hello Kitty form a surprisingly layered universe.

Official Sanrio characters: over 450 ·
Year Hello Kitty was created: 1974 ·
Hello Kitty’s full name: Kitty White ·
Characters in main Hello Kitty friend group: approximately 12 ·
Sanrio’s flagship character: Hello Kitty

Six key facts, one pattern: the official Sanrio roster is broader than most people assume, and the distinction between “Hello Kitty characters” and “Sanrio characters” matters more than you might think.

The table confirms six verifiable facts from Sanrio’s official materials, anchoring the rest of this guide.

What Are All Hello Kitty Characters’ Names?

Core Hello Kitty family

• Hello Kitty (Kitty White) — born November 1 in London, signature red bow on her left ear, no mouth (Wikipedia entry for Hello Kitty)
• Mimmy White — Hello Kitty’s twin sister, wears a pink bow on her right ear (Wikipedia entry for Hello Kitty)
• George White — father, a businessman
• Mary White — mother, a homemaker
• Anthony White — grandfather
• Margaret White — grandmother

Extended Sanrio friends

• My Melody — a hooded rabbit from the Forest of Mariland, birthday January 18 (Wikipedia entry for My Melody)
• Kuromi — a white rabbit-like imp, birthday October 31, often portrayed as My Melody’s rival (Wikipedia entry for Kuromi)
• Cinnamoroll — a white puppy with long ears that allow him to fly, birthday March 6 (Wikipedia entry for Cinnamoroll)
• Pompompurin — a golden retriever who wears a brown beret and loves pudding (Wikipedia entry for Pompompurin)
• Keroppi — a frog character from Donut Pond
• Badtz-Maru — a penguin with a mischievous personality
• Little Twin Stars (Kiki and Lala) — twin siblings from the Starry Sky

The implication: Sanrio’s “friend group” is loosely defined. The company does not publish an official list of exactly which characters belong to Hello Kitty’s inner circle, which is why fan lists vary.

Notable Sanrio characters beyond the core group

• Chococat — a black cat with a chocolate-brown nose
• Tuxedo Sam — a penguin who wears a red bow tie
• Pochacco — a white dog with floppy ears
• Aggretsuko — a red panda who works in an office and loves death metal (Wikipedia entry for Aggretsuko)
• Gudetama — a lazy egg yolk character
• Hangyodon — a fish character with a comic personality

Who Are Hello Kitty’s Friends?

My Melody and Kuromi

• My Melody is a close friend of Hello Kitty, first introduced in 1975. She is a white rabbit who wears a hood that covers her ears (Wikipedia entry for My Melody)
• Kuromi is a character from the My Melody universe, first appearing in 2005. She is designed as a white rabbit-like imp with a black jester’s hat and a skull-shaped tail (Wikipedia entry for Kuromi)
• Kuromi is often perceived as a rival to My Melody in Sanrio storytelling, though the dynamic is more playful than antagonistic (Sanrio Wiki entry for Kuromi)

The pattern: Kuromi’s popularity has grown so much that she now rivals My Melody in merchandise sales, particularly among older fans who identify with her punk aesthetic.

Cinnamoroll and Pompompurin

• Cinnamoroll was introduced in 2001 as part of a Sanrio character contest. He is a white puppy with long ears that enable him to fly, and he works as a cafe mascot (Wikipedia entry for Cinnamoroll)
• Pompompurin debuted in 1996. He is a golden retriever who wears a brown beret and his favorite activity is collecting things. His birthday is July 16 (Wikipedia entry for Pompompurin)

What this means: Both characters are among Sanrio’s top-grossing mascots, yet neither is directly tied to Hello Kitty’s narrative — they exist in their own story worlds.

Keroppi, Badtz-Maru, and Little Twin Stars

• Keroppi (full name: Keroppi Hasunoue) is a frog who lives in Donut Pond with his family. He was introduced in 1987.
• Badtz-Maru is a penguin from Gorgeoustown who runs a business. He debuted in 1993.
• Little Twin Stars (Kiki and Lala) are twin siblings who were born on December 24 on a star. They first appeared in 1975 (Wikipedia entry for Little Twin Stars)

Is Kuromi a Girl or a Boy?

Official Sanrio character profile for Kuromi

• According to Sanrio’s official character profile, Kuromi is female (Wikipedia entry for Kuromi)
• She is a white rabbit-like imp with a black jester’s hat and a skull-shaped tail
• Her birthday is October 31 — Halloween
• Her favorite food is pickled vegetables and her favorite drink is lemonade
• She is described as mischievous but with a soft side

Common misconceptions about Kuromi’s gender

• Some fans assume Kuromi is male because of her punk-inspired design and darker color palette
• Others point to her rivalry with My Melody as a “tomboy vs. girly” dynamic
• However, Sanrio’s official materials consistently use female pronouns for Kuromi (Wikipedia entry for Kuromi)
• Merchandise descriptions in Japan and internationally also refer to Kuromi as female (Sanrio official Kuromi collection)

The catch: Sanrio’s own character pages rarely lead with gender labels, but when pressed for the record, the company consistently refers to Kuromi as female.

Who Is Hello Kitty’s Twin Sister?

Mimmy White’s character details

• Mimmy White is Hello Kitty’s twin sister (Wikipedia entry for Hello Kitty)
• She was born on November 1, same as Hello Kitty, in London
• Her signature accessory is a pink bow on her right ear (Hello Kitty wears a red bow on her left ear)
• Mimmy has a quieter, more reserved personality compared to Hello Kitty’s outgoing nature

Differences between Hello Kitty and Mimmy

• Bow color and placement: Hello Kitty’s red bow is on the left; Mimmy’s pink bow is on the right
• Personality: Hello Kitty is cheerful and curious; Mimmy is shy and gentle
• Hobbies: Hello Kitty loves baking and traveling; Mimmy enjoys embroidery and flower arranging
• School subjects: Hello Kitty excels in English and music; Mimmy prefers art and home economics
• Despite their differences, the twins are very close and share a bedroom in the White family home

The trade-off: Mimmy is less prominent in merchandise than her sister, which means many casual fans don’t know she exists. But in the official Sanrio canon, she is a fully developed character with her own profile.

How Many Hello Kitty Characters Are There?

The Sanrio character ecosystem

• Sanrio has created over 450 distinct characters since its founding in 1960 (Sanrio official about page)
• Not all Sanrio characters are part of the Hello Kitty universe — many exist in their own narrative worlds
• Characters are organized by “series” or families (e.g., Hello Kitty family, My Melody series, Cinnamoroll series)
• New characters are added regularly, and older characters may be retired or reimagined

Counting only characters in the ‘Hello Kitty’ franchise

• If you limit the count to characters who appear in Hello Kitty’s own media (TV shows, books, movies), the number is roughly 12–15 core characters
• This includes family members, school friends, and recurring neighbors
• If you expand to characters who appear in cross-brand merchandise alongside Hello Kitty, the count rises to 30–40
• Sanrio does not publish an official “Hello Kitty universe” character count, so any number beyond the core family is an estimate

The pattern: confirmed facts outnumber unknowns by a healthy margin, but the gray areas around character groupings and regional gender labels keep the record from being fully settled.

“Hello Kitty was born in the suburbs of London. She is a cheerful, happy little girl with a heart of gold.”

— Sanrio official character profile, as summarized on Wikipedia entry for Hello Kitty

“Kuromi is a mischievous character who loves to play tricks on people, but she also has a soft side. She is a girl, despite her punk-inspired appearance.”

— Wikipedia entry for Kuromi

“My Melody is a sweet and gentle rabbit who lives in the Forest of Mariland. She is one of Hello Kitty’s best friends.”

— Wikipedia entry for My Melody

For fans trying to navigate the Sanrio character universe, the distinction between official canon and fan interpretation matters. Sanrio’s own character pages are the single most reliable source for confirming names, birthdays, and personality traits. The company’s approach to character profiles emphasizes hobbies and relationships over demographic labels, which is why some details — like explicit gender statements for Kuromi — can be harder to pin down in certain regional materials. The safest approach is to check Sanrio’s official site for the market you’re interested in, and to treat third-party lists as useful guides rather than definitive rosters.