190+ Gothic Baby Names & Their Dark Meanings | LoveToKnow (2024)

Ancient Gothic Names

These gothic names have dark roots that come from mythology. They speak to a legacy of power —and sometimes darkness —but are all as beautiful as they are uncommon.

• Arachne (Greek) - a girl name that means "spider;" young woman who challenged Athena and was turned into a spider
• Balor (Irish) - a boy name that means "deadly one;" one-eyed giant in Irish mythology
• Chaos (Greek) - a unisex name that means "mayhem;" originally, the state of the universe before the Greek gods arrived
• Chimera (Greek)- a girl name that means "she-goat;" a mythological beast made up of parts of different animals
• Circe (Greek) - a girl name that means "bird;" a Greek sorceress
• Esmerée (Welsh) - a girl name that means "to love;"the daughter of a Welsh king who was turned into a serpent by magicians
• Griffin/Gryphon (French) - a boy name that means "bird of prey;" mythological beast with the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle
• Hades (Greek) - a boy name that means "unseen;" Greek lord of the underworld
• Hecate (Greek) - a girl name that means "far away;" Greek sorceress
• Hler (Norse) - a boy name that means "the sea;" ruler of the underworld in Norse mythology
• Isolde (Welsh) - a girl name that means "ice ruler;"tragic Irish heroine
• Medusa (Greek) - a girl name that means "protect;" mythological Greek monster whose hair was snakes and blood was poison
• Moon (English) - a unisex name that means "moon;" ancient symbol of fertility
• Nephilim (Hebrew) - a boy name that means "fallen ones;" a race of half-human giants
• Sabrina (Latin) - a girl name that means "from the River Severn;" goddess of the river Severn in Celtic mythology

Male Gothic Names

These male names have darker meanings, and they make strong gothic names for your little prince of darkness.

• Ælfhere (British) - means "elf army" (pronounced eye-EL-fear)
• Ambrose (Greek) - means "immortal"
• Blake (English) - means "darkness"
• Brannon (Irish) - means "raven"
• Ciaran (Irish) - means "dark"
• Colden (English) - means "dark valley"
• Corbin (English) - means "raven"
• Dade (Gaelic) - means "dark one"
• Damien (Greek) - means "to overcome"
• Delano (French) - means "nighttime"
• Draco (Greek) - means "dragon" or "serpent"
• Drake (Greek) - means "dragon"
• Edgar (English) - means "wealthy spear" (for Edgar Allan Poe)
• Isra (Arabic) - means "journey of the night"
• Jericho (Hebrew) - means "city of the moon"
• Loki (Norse) - god of mischief
• Mani (Norse) - god of the moon
• Merle (French) - means "blackbird"
• Orpheus (Greek) - means "darkness of night"
• Osiris (Greek) - god of the underworld
• Otieno (African) - means "born in darkness"
• Percival (French) - means "to pierce the veil"
• Samir (Arabic) - means "night companion"

Female Gothic Names

Looking for a feminine name with a dark twist? Our goth girl names have dark meanings, like night, darkness, and moon.

• Acantha (Greek) - means "thorn"
• Ambrosine (Greek) - means "night rain"
• Amaya (Japanese) - means "the end"
• Aubrey (English) - means "elf ruler"
• Asura (Hindu) - name of a Hindu demon
• Aurora (Latin) - means "dawn"
• Blakeley (English) - means "dark clearing"
• Brenna (Gaelic) - means "raven"
• Calliope (Greek) - poetry muse
• Celena (Greek) - means "moon"
• Chandra (Hindi) - means "moon"
• Chandria (Sanskrit) - means "moon shining"
• Delora (Spanish) - means "sorrow"
• Hesperia (Greek) - means "evening star"
• Layla (Hebrew) - means "night"
• Leila (Arabic) - means "night beauty"
• Lillith (Greek) - means "night monster"
• Luna (Latin) - means "moon"
• Mara (Hebrew) - means "bitter"
• Neesha (Sanskrit) - means "night"
• Samira (Arabic) - means "night companion"
• Teagan (Irish) - means "little poet"

Scary Gothic Last Names

These gothic surnames are beautiful and unique enough that you can use them as first names. Many are unisex, too,so that's a bonus. Coming from various notable people from Goth culture, see if one of these might work for your little one.

• Addams (Scottish) - a boy name that means "the earth;" from the famous show The Addams Family
• Avenal (French) - a boy name that means "the oat pasture;" last name of British sitcom's goth character from The IT Crowd
• Bara (Arabic) - a unisexname that means "innocence;" a noted femme fatale from the 1910s
• Baudelaire (French) - a boy name that means "a short sword;" famous French poet from the Gothic period in literature
• Bowie (Scottish) - a unisex name that means "fair-haired;" last name of musician David Bowie, noted influencer of Goth culture
• Burton (English) - a boy name that means "fort;" as in Tim Burton, noted for having influenced Goth culture with his dark take on films
• Dali (Sanskrit) - a unisex name that means "clod of earth;" last name of famous surrealist painter Salvador Dali
• Gorey (Irish) - a boy name with the meaning unclear; artist who has a goth aesthetic
• Ladouceur (French) - a girl name that means "the gentleness;" writer and poet who wrote Encyclopedia Gothica
• Lugosi (Italian) - a unisex name that means "from Lugos;" actor who portrayed Dracula in the 1930s film adaptation of the famous book
• Mercer (English) - unisex name that means "merchant;" last name of the author of The 21st Century Goth
• Mortem (Latin) - unisex name that means "death;" after fashion designer Rose Mortem who is married to Goth band frontman from The Awakening
• Nietzsche (German) - a unisex name derived from the Goddess Nike; famous philosopher who influenced Goth subculture (pronounced nee-chee)
• Poe (Norse) - a unisex name that means "peaco*ck;" famous poet noted for his dark poetry
• Stoker (English) - unisex name that means "from Stoke;" last name of the writer of Dracula

Related: 145+ Wickedly Evil Baby Names You Can't Resist

Beautiful Dark-Sounding Baby Names

Looking for a name that evokes darkness? With their dark meanings, these names speak of things that hide in the shadows.

• Ague (French) - a girl name that means "sharp and pointed;" term for malaria
• Akeldama (Aramaic) - a boy name that means "field of blood;"where Judas Iscariot committed suicide
• Dolores (Spanish) - a girl name that means "sorrows"
• Draven (English)- a boy name that means "child of the shadows"
• Leila (Arabic) - a girl name that means "night"
• Maleficent (American) - a girl name that means "causing harm"
• Mara (Hebrew) - a girl name that means "bitter"
• Narcissa (Greek) - a girl name that means "daffodil;" feminine form of Narcissus
• Salem (Hebrew) - a unisex name that ironically means "safe;" location of witch hunts in Massachusetts
• Shadow (English) - a unisex name that means "shaded"
• Shiva (Hindi) - a boy name that means "lucky;" God of destruction
• Tueur (French) - a boy name that means"killer"
• Tohopka (Native American) - a unisex name that means"wild beast"
• Thanatos (Greek) - a boy name that means "he who brings death" or "death bringer"

Gothic Names With Creepy and Evil Meanings

Take a deep dive into darkness with these gothic names that have even darker meanings and origins.

• Avarice (Latin) - unisex name that means "greed"
• Badriyah (Arabic) - a girl name that means "full moon"
• Cain (Hebrew) - a boy name that means "possessed;" Biblical character who killed his brother, earning him the title of the world's first murderer
• Chalice (Latin) - girl name that means "goblet;" used to hold holy blood
• Daemon (Greek) - boy name that means "fate;" an evil attendant or spirit
• Diti (Hindi) - a girl name that means "splendor;" demon mother in Hinduism
• Gehenna (Latin) - girl name that means "Hell"
• Grimoire (French) - a unisex name that means "grammar;" book of incantations, making medicines, and summoning spirits
• Golgotha (Hebrew) - unisex name that means "skull"
• Melancholia (Greek) - a girl name that means "black bile;" mental condition and especially a manic-depressive condition
• Mephistopheles/Mephisto (Greek) - a boy name that means "love;" Renaissance-era name for Satan
• Morte (French) - boy name that means "dead"
• Pythia (Greek) - girl name that means "to rot;" the Oracle of Delphi
• Thorne (English) - unisex name that means "a sharp, spiny plant"
• Vladimir (Slavic) - boy name that means "ruler of the world;" alleged vampire (Vlad Țepeș or Vlad the Impaler)
• Wolfe (German) - boy name that means "deadly beast"

Creative Gothic Names

We love a creative name, and these names are a little outside of your common names, but they have a nice, gothic edge to them.

• Ascelin (French) - unisex name that means "of the moon"
• Aelfwif (German) - boy name meaning "elf war"
• Alaric (German) - boy name that means "all-powerful ruler;" first king of the Visigoths
• Bellatrix (Latin) - girl name for "female warrior;" made famous in the Harry Potter series
• Clove (Latin) - girl name that means "nail;" it's a spice
• Draconia (German) - girl name that means "dire" or "dragon"
• Druscilla (Roman) - girl name that means "valiant"
• Dyrk (Dutch) - boy name that means "one who admires nighttime"
• Mallory (French) - girl name that means "cursed" or "ill-fated one"
• Perdita (Spanish) - girl name that means "lost"
• Quillon (French) - boy name that means "crossed swords"
• Twilight (English) - girl name that means "dusk"
• Vespers (Latin) - unisex name that means"evening prayers"

Goth Names From Nature

Nature is full of beautiful, dark, and scary moments. Many goth names pay homage to pagan and Druid ancestry as well. Try one of these names if you're looking for something to speak to your love of true Gothic roots.

• Amethyst (Greek) - girl name describing a naturally occurring purple gemstone
• Ash (Hebrew) - boy name describing what's left after a fire
• Belladonna (Italian) - girl name describing a poisonous plant with purple flowers
• Branwen (Welsh) - boy name meaning "blessed raven"
• Briar (English) - boy name meaning "thorny bush"
• Bronwyn (Welsh) - girl name that means "raven"
• Chrysanthemum (Greek) - girl name describing a flower associated with death in Japan and some European countries
• Foxglove (English) - girl name describing a beautiful but poisonous flower
• Hellebore (Greek) - girl name describing a poisonous flower that blooms through the snow in the middle of winter
• Hemlock (Greek) - unisex name meaning "poisonous plant;" poison Socrates took to commit suicide
• Merula (Latin) - boy name meaning "blackbird"
• Oleander (Greek) - unisex name describing a beautiful but poisonous plant
• Onyx (Greek)- unisex name describing a stone that is pitch black
• Raven (English) - girl name describing a bird often associated with death
• Sage (Latin) - a unisex name meaning "wise"
• Willow (English) - girl name meaning "willow tree;" symbol of death

Baby Goth Names From Literature

These charming names come straight out of the book. From the fatal gothic female names to the sinister boy names, you'll find a little of everything on this list.

• Annabel-Lee (French) - girl name meaning "favored grace;" tragic character from Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Raven
• Basil (Greek) - unisex name meaning "valiant;" from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
• Dante (Italian) - boy name meaning "steadfast;" author of The Inferno
• Desdemona (Greek) - girl name meaning "ill-fated;" tragic Shakespearean heroine
• Elsinore (Danish) - girl named after Hamlet's castle
• Eulalie (Greek) - girl name meaning "sweetly spoken;" figure from Edgar Allan Poe poem
• Grendel (English) - boy name meaning "lives by a moor;" name of the beast from Beowulf
• Guinevere (Welsh) - girl name meaning "fair one;" of Arthurian legend
• Hastie (English)- unisex name that means "son of the austere man;" character from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Heathcliff (English) - boy name meaning "hill by a cliff;" tortured antiheroin Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights
• Manfred (German) - boy name that means "man of peace;" the lord in The Castle of Otranto, a gothic novel by Horace Walpole
• Mina (German) - girl name that means "love;" female heroine in Dracula
• Nimue (Welsh) - girl name meaning "lady of the lake;" an Arthurian sorceress
• Ophelia (Greek) - girl name that means "helper;"tragic Shakespearean heroine
• Tempest (French) - unisex name that means "turbulent" or "stormy;" from The Tempest by William Shakespeare
• Tristan (French) - boy name that means "sad;" tragic Arthurian hero
• Victor (Latin) - boy name that means "conqueror;" scientist who created Frankenstein

Baby Names Based on Gothic Music & Musicians

Love some good goth music? Us too. That's why we're bringing you these gothic names inspired by some of the songs and figures in the gothic music scene.

• Alice (unisex) - for Alice Cooper
• Aurelio (boy) - for Aurelio Voltaire, goth musician and entertainer
• Bauhaus (unisex) - for the German goth band Bauhaus. Bauhaus means "building."
• Diamanda (girl) - for Diamanda Galás, goth musician
• Echo (unisex) - for Echo and the Bunnymen
• Helena (girl) - title of a goth anthem from My Chemical Romance
• Ian (boy) - for Ian Curtis of Joy Division or Ian Astbury of The Cult
• Johnny (boy) - for Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols
• Pandora (girl) - from the song Pandora (For Cindy) by Cocteau Twins
• Sid (unisex) - for Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols
• Simon (boy) - for Simon Gallup, The Cure bassist
• Siouxsie (girl) - for Sousxie and the Banshees
• Trent (boy) - for Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails
• Velvet (girl) - for The Velvet Underground
• Voltaire (boy) - for Aurelio Voltaire, goth musician and entertainer

Goth Names From Movies & TV

There are some great goth characters in movies and TV. So why not borrow one of these names of goth characters from pop culture?

• Armand (boy) - from Interview With a Vampire and The Vampire Lestat (Vampire Chronicles)
• Claudia (girl) - from the Vampire Chronicles movies
• Elvira (girl) - From Elvira: Mistress of the Dark
• Endora (girl) - From Bewitched
• Hermoine (girl) - From the Harry Potter series
• Laszlo (boy) - vampire from What We Do in the Shadows
• Lestat (boy) -from Interview With a Vampire & The Vampire Lestat
• Lisbeth (girl) - from Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Lydia (girl) - goth character from Beetlejuice
• Marius (boy) - from The Vampire Lestat
• Najda (girl) - vampire from What We Do in the Shadows
• Nandor (boy) - vampire from What We Do in the Shadows
• Severus (boy) - Snape, from the Harry Potter series
• Wednesday (girl) - from The Addams Family and Wednesday
• Xander (boy) - vampire hunter from the television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Dark and Beautiful Gothic Names With Meanings

Most goth names combine an element of beauty with a bit of darkness. If that describes your family perfectly, a goth name might be exactly the right fit for your baby. Find the perfect male or female gothic name and meaning for your little one in a snap.