The "bengal" in Bengal cat comes from the scientific name of the wild cat from which Bengals are derived. The Asian Leopard cat, prionailurus bengalensis, is a small, spotted species of wild cat in Asia.

The history of the bengal cat begins in 1963, when Jean S. Mill tried crossing domestic cats with the Asian Leopard Cat. The idea was to create a breed of cat with all the traits we love most about our domestic cats and with the rich, exciting coats of wild breeds like the leopard, ocelot and jaguar.

All modern bengals can be traced back to cats bred by Mrs. Mill in the early 1980s. And, by 1986 The International Cat Association (TICA) recognized Bengal as a new cat breed.