Whether you want to find a thought-provoking name for a pet, a romantic nickname for yourself, or even a unique name for a baby, these 200+ Gothic name ideas and the meanings behind them will surely inspire the mysterious and beautifully dark part of your soul.

When choosing a representative goth name, no matter the reason, you should look into its origins and any hidden meanings. In some cases, a nice name can conceal an even lovelier meaning than you would have thought, which makes a gothic baby name the perfect choice for your little bundle of joy.

Fans of BBC's The Mighty Boosh might remember in season 2, episode 3 'Nanageddon' Vince Noir and Howard Moon were trying to seduce a couple of goth girls, and Vince, aka Noel Fielding, gave himself a cool new gothic name. 

To quote Vince Noir himself:​

If 'Obsidian Blackbird McKnight' doesn't take your fancy, here are over 200 wonderful gothic names for both females and males from A to Z...

Feminine Names

---

A

• Adrienne – French name that also stands for ‘the dark one’
• Amaris – From the Latin amarus: bitter
• Anastasia – Greek origins, represents ‘resurrection’
• Aurora – Roman goddess of the morning
• Autumn – Season when nature dies

B

• Belinda – Can mean ‘bright serpent’ or ‘beautiful’
• Badriyah – ‘Full moon’ in Sindhi
• Bernia – Stands for ‘armoured angel’
• Branwen – Representative for ‘beautiful raven’
• Blair – With Celtic, English, Gaelic, Irish and Scottish origins, Blair means ‘from the plain'

C

• Calliope – ‘Beautiful voice’ and the ‘muse of poetry’
• Chandra – Means ‘the moon that shines brighter than the stars’
• Calista – Greek origins meaning ‘the woman that is most beautiful’
• Circe – Greek goddess of magic, daughter of the god of the sun Helios
• Crimson – Rich, dark red colour, similar to that of blood

D

• Danika – Slavic name that stands for ‘Morning Star’
• Draconia – In a literal sense, ‘sharp-sighted’
• Drusilla – From the Greek drosos, meaning fruitful, strong one
• Diamanda – Derived from the word ‘diamond’; brilliant, precious
• Dionisia – Comes from the name of the Greek god Dionysus, the god of wine and grape harvest

E

• Elvira – Depending on the source, Elvira ranges from ‘the white’ to ‘trustworthy’ or ‘alert’
• Edana – A rough interpretation would be ‘small, fiery one’
• Ethelinda – Combines Old English terms ‘noble’ and ‘snake’
• Elysium – The place where heroes in Greek mythology go when they die
• Eris – After the Greek goddess of discord

F

• Feronia – In Roman mythology, Feronia was a goddess connected to fertility, abundance, wildlife, health and forests
• Faline – Can be interpreted as ‘feline-like’ or through its Irish origins – ‘in charge’
• Felicia – Romantic name from the Latin felix for ‘happy’

G

• Guinevere – According to Arthurian legend, Guinevere was King Arthur’s exquisite wife. The name itself combines the ideas of ‘fair’, ‘smooth’ and ‘white’
• Gehenna – In the New Testament, Gehenna represents hell, ‘a state or place of torment and pain’
• Garnet – Comes from the deep red gemstone with the same name
• Gossamer – The thin substance that can be found in small cobwebs
• Gwendoline – Derived from the Welsh name Gwendolen, it represents ‘fair’, ‘blessed’ and ‘white’, as well as ‘bow’ or ‘ring’

H

• Hestia – Can mean ‘fireside’ or ‘star’. Name of Greek goddess of right ordering Hestia
• Hesperia – From Greek mythology, Hesperia means ‘rising star’
• Hecate – Greek goddess connected to demons, witchcraft and the underworld

Source

I

• Ianira – Strongly related to the idea of ‘enchantress’
• Isolabella – Stands for ‘the lonely one that is beautiful’
• Isis – Egyptian goddess of nature and sky Isis was the mother of Horus and wife of Osiris
• Izora – Represents ‘dawn’
• Inclementia – The Latin word that describes ‘cruelty’

J

• Juliet – The renowned Shakespearian heroine
• Jocasta – Means ‘sparkling moon’
• Jezebel – Blasphemous biblical queen of Israel
• Jevera – Can mean ‘life’
• Joliette – French origins that point to ‘pretty’

K

• Kalma – Goddess of death in Finnish mythology
• Kairos – Word from ancient Greek that translates to ‘supreme moment’. May also be interpreted as ‘time’
• ​Kalonice – Also of Greek origin, Kalonice represents ‘victory of beauty’
• Kavita – Sanskrit for ‘poem’
• Kali – Highly feared Hindu goddess; Sanskrit for ‘the black one’

L

• Lamya – Reference for ‘dark lips’
• Layla – Indicated ‘night’
• Lethia – Symbolizes ‘sweet oblivion’
• Lisha – Points to the darkness before midnight falls
• Luna – Latin origins: ‘moon’

Source

M

• Magena – Stands for ‘the moon that is about to come’
• Minerva – Classic gothic reference for ‘the goddess of wisdom’
• Musette – French origins, represents the ‘child of the muses’
• Morticia – Yet another classic gothic name
• Morwenna – Another word for ‘maiden’

N

• Narcissa – Feminine version of Narcis; also means ‘daffodil’
• Naenia – In Roman mythology, ‘the goddess of funerals’
• Nesta – Welsh name that signifies ‘purity’
• Nirvana – In Hindu, it represents extreme bliss and profound silence
• Nissa – Name with Scandinavian origins, meaning ‘friendly elf’

O

• Orenda – A spiritual force that stands for ‘magic power’
• Osanna – Represents ‘merciful’
• Ophelia – Famous heroine from Shakespeare’s work
• Onyx – Black, with reference to the gemstone with the same name
• Ordelia – Stands for ‘elf’s spear’

P

• Philomena – Greek word for ‘loved’
• Poison – Literal sense
• Perdita – Latin for ‘lost’
• Pestilentia – Latin name for ‘pestilence’, with reference to plague
• Pandora – The first mortal woman in Greek mythology

Q

• Qadira – The feminine version of Qadir

R

• Raven – The black bird
• Rain – Literal sense of the word
• Renita – Latin word for ‘reborn’
• Roesia – French name for ‘rose’
• Rhapsody – An epic poem in Ancient Greece or the expression of feelings with great enthusiasm

S

• Sabrina – In Celtic mythology, Sabrina is the goddess of the Severn river
• Sardonyx – From the gemstone onyx, a red version
• Semyazza – The name of a fallen Christian angel
• Solanine – The poisonous substance that is in nightshade
• Scarlett – Stylised version of Scarlet, referencing the colour

T

• Timandra – Name that stands for ‘honour’
• Thora – Scandinavian origins for ‘thunder’
• Turaya – Another word for ‘star’
• Tristessa – From the Latin word that stands for ‘sorrow’
• Titania – The famous character from A Midsummer Night’s Dream

U

• Ulva – Represents the idea of a ‘she-wolf’
• Umbra – From the Latin word meaning ‘shadow’
• Ursula – Roots in the Latin word for ‘bear’, ursa

V

• Vanita – Derived from ‘vanity’
• Velvet – Literal meaning; ‘soft’, ‘smooth’
• Velika – Slavic name for ‘wonderful’
• Vespera – Esperanto for ‘of the evening’
• Valentina – Derived from the Latin word for ‘strong’ and ‘healthy’

W

• Willow – The name of a graceful and flexible tree. Also symbolized ‘death’ in the Victorian era
• Wanette – Stands for ‘the pale one’
• Wren – A small bird; the name has Old English origins
• Whisper – Literally speaking softly
• Wednesday – The name of a praised gothic character in The Addams Family

X

• Xenobia – In ancient Greek, it stands for ‘the life of Zeus’
• Xylia – A stylised form of Sylvia or Xylon, which stand for ‘forest’

Masculine Names

---

A

• Auberon – Associated with ‘noble’
• Astaroth – A demon in Christian mythology
• Ascelin – Points to ‘of the moon’
• Azrael – In the Koran, Azrael is depicted as the Angel of Death
• Astrophel – Represents ‘the one who loves stars’

B

• Briar – Another word for a thorn
• Blaise – Comes from the name of Greek Saint Blaise
• Brendan – Name that springs from ‘small raven’
• Brander – Stands for ‘sword of fire’
• Belial – A different word for ‘Satan’

C

• Crow – Associated with the animal that has the same name
• Cadell – Reflects the idea of ‘battle spirit’
• Cadogan – Stands for ‘war’
• Corbin – Another way to say ‘war’
• Caedmon – The idea of a warrior filled with wisdom

D

• Damian – Has various references in goth-inspired cinema and literature
• Davorin – In Slavic mythology, Davor is the god of war
• Demon – Pretty obvious explanation
• Dorian – Greek name with a romantic allure; also from Oscar Wilde's classic Gothic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Dante – Homage to Dante Alighieri, the world-renowned poet who created The Divine Comedy

E

• Edgar – English name that signifies ‘rich’, ‘abundant’, ‘prosperous’; also the name of one of history's best gothic writers, Edgar Allen Poe
• Eoghan – A word with Gaelic origins – ‘youth’
• Elwin – Elves’ friend
• Eldritch – Adjective used to describe ‘ghostly’, ‘sinister’ or ‘frightening’
• Etienne – French name that stands for ‘crown’

F

• Forrest – A stylised form of forest, in the literal sense
• Fabian – With roots in ancient Rome
• Frey – Name with origins in Norwegian mythology

G

• Gawain – Symbolizes ‘battle hawk’
• Grimbald – A reference to ‘fierce power’
• Gabriel – Inspired by the eponymous archangel
• Griffin – Mythological creature that has the head and wings of an eagle and a lion’s body
• Grendel – Famous beast in the Old English poem Beowulf

H

• Hunter – Literally he who hunts
• Hades – The world-famous dark god of the underworld in Greek mythology
• Hemlock – A type of poison; the same that was taken by Plato when he took his own life

I

• Idris – Reflects a ‘fiery lord’
• Ingram – Word that indicated ‘the son of the raven’
• Israfel - The angel that announces Judgement Day by blowing his horn
• Ishmael – Name of Hebrew origins
• Imbolc - The name of a Celtic festival that inspired Groundhog Day

J

• Jarlath – In Irish, Jarlath stands for ‘tributary lord’
• Jael – Name with Hebrew roots
• Jorin – Name with origins in Old Greek
• Jairus – Hebrew name
• Jack – Various references for gothic culture

Source

K

• Khalid – Arabic name that stands for ‘eternal’
• Kazimir – Slavic name that represents ‘peace destroyer’
• Kalon – Unique name
• Keir – The Gaelic-Celtic meaning for the word is ‘little dark one’
• Kane – In Welsh, Kane means ‘beautiful’. May also be a stylised version of biblical character Cain

L

• Lucien – The French form of Latin Lucius derived from the root lux (light)
• Lycidas – Conveys ‘the son of the wolf’
• Lennon – May mean ‘little blackbird’ or ‘lover’ in Gaelic
• Lazarus – Biblical character from the New Testament
• Lucifer – The fallen angel

M

• Malachi – Hebrew origins that point to ‘my angel’ or ‘messenger’
• Martel – Used to describe the ‘forceful one’
• Merle – French form of the Latin merula, meaning ‘blackbird’
• Magna – Norse roots, ‘strong’#
• Malik – One of the names for God in the Karan, standing for ‘king of kings’

N

• Nodin – English name that refers to ‘windy day’
• Noir – Literally stands for ‘black’ in French
• Natrix – Latin word for ‘water snakes’
• Niall – Meanings range from ‘cloud’ to ‘passionate’
• Necro – Related to death or a corpse

O

• Obsidian – Gemstone formed from lava
• Orpheus – Musician and poet from Greek mythology that ventured into the underworld to rescue Eurydice, his dead wife
• Osiris – God of the dead in Egyptian mythology
• Orion – Hunter in Greek mythology and a well-known constellation
• Ozul – Unique name that reflects ‘shadow’

P

• Perseus – Ancient Greek hero and word to describe ‘destroy’
• Phelan – Origins in the Irish name for ‘wolf’
• Payne – One of the most noble surnames in France
• Phoenix – Reference to the mystical creature that rises from its own ashes
• Pancuronium – A substance used in lethal injections

Q

• Qadir – Muslim name that stands for ‘servant of the powerful’

R

• Ransley – English name with the meaning of ‘raven meadow’
• Renwick – Old English for ‘raven’
• Requiem – A mass held for the dead in the Roman Catholic Church
• Rogue – May mean ‘savage’, ‘unpredictable’ or ‘dishonest’
• Riordan – In Irish, Riordan means ‘royal poet’

S

• Salem – Reflects the concept of ‘complete’, ‘peaceful’
• Storm – Literal sense of the word ‘storm’
• Serpent – Likewise; ‘snake’
• Samael – Hebrew meaning of ‘venom / poison of god’
• Saber – French roots, meaning ‘sword’

T

• Thorn – Literally a thorn, like those on a rose
• Tama – Various meanings, from ‘jewel’ (Japanese), to ‘son’ (Pacific Islands), to ‘beautiful’ (Native American) and ‘complete’ (Hebrew)
• Tartarus – An dungeon of torture in Greek mythology, located in a steep abyss. The name of the titan prison
• Tristan – In addition to the Arthurian legend, Tristan also stands for ‘outcry’
• Tearle – English name that symbolizes ‘stem’

U

• Ulfred – Stands for ‘wolf of peace’
• Urien – King of Gore in Welsh and Arthurian legend

V

• Valentine – Latin name for ‘strong’, ‘healthy’
• Valerian – Sedative obtained from the Eurasian plant with the same name

W

• Winter – The death of nature
• Wolf – One of the most beloved gothic animals
• Waldron – Combination of German words for ‘foreigner’ and ‘raven’

Credits: Laura Makabresku via Tumblr

X

• Xavier – One meaning points to ‘new house’
• Xenos – Greek for ‘stranger’

Y

• Ywain – ‘Young warrior’ in Arthurian legend
• Yama – The name of the god of death in Hinduism

Z

• Zane – Arabic for ‘beautiful’ or ‘good’
• Zacchaeus – Biblical name
• Zen – From Buddhism, with emphasis on meditation
• Zephyr – Word meaning ‘gentle breeze’

Remember, the genuine beauty of a gothic name goes beyond well-chosen letters that are harmoniously interlaced. The meaning behind a name can make it even more special, revitalizing the qualities of the bearer. As you have noticed, a great number of stunning gothic names have roots in mythology. In this regard, you may want to consider choosing a gothic name inspired by the god or goddess you resonate with the most. Whichever name you choose, just make sure that it represents your personality, qualities and, of course, soul.

Rose image credits: Autumns-Muse via Deviant Art 1, 2