The Birman is also referred to as the "Sacred Cat of Burma" as they were kept in Buddhist Burmese temples and were thought to have been the carriers of the souls of Buddhist priests on their way to the afterlife.

There are several wild theories about how the Birman got from Burma to France, but one of the more adventurous ones is that they were smuggled about by members of the Vanderbilt family.

The Birman derives its name from the country where it was developed in the West. The French word for Burma is "Birmanie."