Whenever you mention gothic people assume that it has dark, dangerous, and often evil associations. But the truth is far from this! Gothic is a culture that combines horror with romanticism.
It is a culture that includes music, literature, architecture, and fashion.
It is true that names inspired by gothic culture can be a little shadowy, very mysterious, and are often associated with darkness. But they can also be beautiful, full of history, and inspiring.
Here are some of our favorite gothic baby names. They range from dark and evil, to mysterious and beautiful. Take a look and see if you are inspired to go with a gothic baby name for your little one.
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Gothic Girls Names
Aelwen – A name of Welsh origin and means fair brow.
Ambrosia – Means immortal and is of Greek origin.
Anda – Of Spanish origin and means brave one.
Annabelle – English in origin and means gracious or beautiful.
Aphrodite – Of Greek origin and means born from sea foam. Aphrodite is also the Greek goddess of love, born of the sea with strong powers of attraction.
Araysh – Means shadower or lucky number three and is of Urdu roots.
Ashleigh – A name of English origin and means from the ash tree field.
Aslaug – Means a woman betrothed to a God and is of Norwegian origin.
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Aspen – Of American origin and means quaking tree. From the old English aespe or aepse, which means shaking poplar tree.
Astrid – A name of Scandinavian origin and means God’s strength.
Athena – Greek in origin and means Goddess of wisdom and war.
Autumn – Of Latin origin and means fall season.
Aurora – This is the name given to the Latin goddess of dawn.
Ava – A name of Latin origin and means like a bird. Originally the name Ava was a diminutive of the name Avis.
Avery – English in origin and means elf king. From the Norman form of the name Alfred meaning counsel or ruler.
Bernia – Means armored angel and is of Anglo-Saxon origin.
Blair – Of English and Gaelic roots and means battlefield.
Branwen – A name from Welsh mythology and means raven hair.
Bruna – Portuguese in origin and means brown one. Bruna is a common name in Brazil.
Carey – Derived from an Irish surname, O Ciardha, meaning from the family of Ciardha. Of Irish origin and means from the fort.
Claudia – Means lame and is of Latin origin. It is the feminine form of Claude.
Clio – A name of Greek origin and means proclaimer.
Damienne – Derived from Greek and means prophecy or prognostication.
Doris – Means sea and is of Greek origin.
Drusilla – Of Italian origin and means mighty, strong. Diminutive and feminine form of a Roman surname – Drusus.
Ebony – English in origin and means dark black wooded tree.
Eirisse – Derived from Iris and means rainbow.
Ella – Means young girl and is of Spanish origin. Ella also has Greek origin and is a variation of Hellas, the Greek name for Greece. In Hebrew Ella means goddess.
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Elvira – Spanish in origin and means foreign and true.
Emily – Of English origin and means rival.
Esther – A name is from Babylonian mythology and means the goddess of love.
Feronia – Derived from Latin and means goddess of the forest.
Fionna – Celtic in origin and means fair.
Freya – Of Norse origin and means noble lady or goddess of fertility.
Harper – This is an occupational name for a person who played the harp for a living. It is of English origin.
Hebe – A name of Greek origin and means young. Pronounced as hee-bee and is also the daughter of Zeus in Greek mythology.
Hera – From Greek origin and means beauty. Hera is the goddess of women.
Isolabella – Means a beautiful lonely one.
Jade – English in origin and means a green gemstone.
Juno – Of Latin origin and is the goddess of love, marriage, and childbirth. Juno is the female counterpart to Jupiter.
Kali – A symbol of a virtuous mother figure even though in Hindu mythology, she is a goddess of destruction.
Kiara – Irish in origin and means dark.
Layla – Of Arabic origin and means night, black.
Leia – A name of Hebrew origin and means weary.
Lela – Means black beauty and is of Kishwahilli origin.
Lola – Spanish and German origin and means sorrow.
Luci – Of Latin origin and means light.
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Lydia – A name of Greek origin and means noble one.
Martina – Roman in origin and means a fighter or a lover of war.
Mary – Of Latin origin and means bitterness or sea of sorrow.
Melanie – A name of Greek origin and means black.
Miriam – Hebrew in origin and means river of bitterness or rebellion.
Miso – A rare gothic name that means hatred and is derived from Greek.
Paige – Latin in origin and means young assistant or a knight.
Payton – Of English origin and means fighting man’s estate.
Quintella – A name of Spanish origin and means fifth. It is derived from the masculine name Quintus.
Rhea – From Greek mythology and means flowing. It is also the name of Zeus’ mother.
Riley – Of Irish origin and means brave or tough.
Scarlet – Old English origin and means red or deep red.
Trista – Feminine form of Tristan and is of American origin. Trista means tumult.
Urva – Of Islamic origin and means strengthener.
Venus – The name of the goddess of love and beauty, derived from Roman mythology.
Xena – A name of Greek origin meaning warrior princess.
Zara – Of Arabic origin and means seed.
Zillar – Means shade and is of Hebrew origin.
Zoey – Derived from Greek and means life.
Zuri – Swahili origin and it means beautiful.
Gothic Boys Names
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Abbadon
Adonis – A name of Greek origin and is associated with masculine beauty.
Adrian – Latin in origin and means a person from Adria.
Ahriman – The name given to the devil or evil god in Zoroastrianism.
Akeldama – Of Hebrew origin and means field of blood.
Alaric – A German name that means everyone’s ruler.
Anubis – Egyptian in origin and the god of embalming and death.
Azazel – This is the name of the demon that taught humanity weaponry and cosmetics.
Azrael – A name of Hebrew origin and is the name of the Angel of death.
Belial – Hebrew in origin and means a demon or the devil.
Bran – It’s of Celtic origin and is one of the Gods
Caine – Hebrew in origin and means possessed.
Dae – A name of Korean origin and means greatness.
Daemon – This is a name with a very dark meaning, servant of the devil.
Dyrk – Means the people’s ruler and is a variation of Theodoric. Dyrk is of German origin.
Elatha – The name of the golden-haired prince of darkness.
Endymion – Of Greek origin and is the name of a handsome young boy from Greek mythology.
Fenrir – Derived from Norse legends and means fen-dweller.
Gabriel – A name of Hebrew origin and means God is my strength.
Gasper – With both Spanish and Hungarian origins, meaning bearer of treasure.
Grey – Of English origin and means grey-haired.
Grimoire – This is a name derived from folktales about spirits and incantations.
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Hades – Of Greek origin and is the name given to the King of the underworld.
Hellebore – A name of Ancient Latin origin and means to injure.
Iblis – In Islamic folklore, this is one of the many names of Satan.
Idris – Is both Arabic and Welsh origins and means interpreter.
Kokabiel – A name of Hebrew origin and means star of God.
Kimaris – A truly gothic name that is the name of the 66th member of a legion of demons.
Leandor – Both Spanish and Italian origin and implies strength and power.
Leviathan – Of Hebrew origin and means twisted, coiled.
Loki – Scandanavian origin and means trickster God.
Lucien – Means light and is of French origin.
Massimo – Of Italian origin and means the greatest.
Morte – French in origin and means death.
Nergal – A name of Biblical origins and means great man.
Orion – The legendary hunter in Greek mythology. As you can guess the name has Greek origins and means rising star.
Orlok – This is an original name of a vampire from the Nosferatu folktale.
Orpheus – Of Greek origin and has unknown meaning. In Greek mythology, Orpheus was a musician and poet.
Quillon – Means strong and is of Latin origin.
Ransley – A name of English origin and means raven’s meadow.
Renwick – Scottish origin and this name refers to a raven settlement.
Samael – Of Hebrew origin and means severity of god. The name of the angel of death.
Seth – A name of Hebrew origin and means placed or appointed.
Shadow – English in origin and means shade from the sun.
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Shiva – Means destruction and resurrection and is of Persian origin.
Spyros – Hebrew name that implies wealth.
Styx – The name refers to a mythological Greek river of hate.
Summanus – Of Roman origin and is the name of the god of night thunder.
Tariq – Of Arabic origin and means one who knocks at the door.
Teuer – A gothic name that refers to something that is expensive.
Thanatos – The Greek god of death.
Gothic Girls Names Inspired By Nature
Adara – A name of Hebrew origin and means fire.
Amaris – Meaning child of the moon and is of Hebrew origin.
Amaya – Of Arabic origin and means night rain.
Aria – Italian in origin and refers to the solo melody. In Greek mythology, Aria is also the name of a nymph.
Ariel – A name of Hebrew origin and means lion of God. It is also a character from the popular Shakespeare play, The Tempest, Ariel is the wind spirit.
Cordelia – Means daughter of the sea and is of Celtic origin.
Eira – Of Welsh origin and means snow.
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Hesperia – Spanish in origin and means evening star.
Jett – A name of English origin and means jet black. The name also refers to the gemstone.
Lisha – Means dusk and is a gothic name.
Meri – Of Finnish origin and means sea.
Molly – Means of the sea or bitter and is of Engish origin.
Nerezza – Italian in origin and means darkness.
Nyx – A name of Greek origin and means night. In mythology, Nyx is the daughter of Chaos and a primordial Goddess of the night.
Rainn – Derived from the word rain, it is of English origin and means rain or reaching purity.
Saya – Beautiful Japanese name that means sand.
Valley – American in origin and means between the mountains.
Gothic Boys Names Inspired By Nature
Altair – A name of Arabic origin and means flying eagle.
Astor – English in origin and means hawk. It was originally used as a surname.
Briar – Means shrub or small tree and is of English origin.
Obsidian – This is a rare boy’s name and is a type of volcanic glass.
Oleander – Of Greek origin and means evergreen tree.
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Pluto – A name of Latin origin and is the Roman god of the underworld. In mythology, Pluto is the brother of Zeus and Neptune.
Silas – Latin in origin and means man of the forest. It is possible that it is the short form of the name Silvanus, the Roman god of forests.
Silver – Refers to the natural element represented by the symbol AG and is of English origin.
Vervain – The name of a sacred herb known as Verbena.
Wolfe – A name of English origin and means wolf-like. Is better known as an English surname.
Baby Girl Names That Have Dark Meanings
Adrienne – A name of Latin origin and means a dark lady from the sea.
Agnes – English in origin and means purity. A name that has been long used by witches.
Calida – Means spirit or an immortal being. Calida is derived from Arcadian mythology.
Delora – The name originates from Dolores, Spanish for sorrow. The name offers a great gothic alternative to the more traditional Laura or Dahlia.
Desdemona – Of Greek origin and means misery. It is also the feminine version of Desmond.
Guinevere – A name of Welsh origin and means white ghost or phantom.
Lanira – The name of a powerful sorceress.
Mallory – Of French origin and means ill-omened. It was originally a male name but is now primarily used as a female name.
Radella – English in origin and means a counselor to elves.
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Baby Boys Names That Have Dark Meanings
Asmodeus – The name derives from the Avestan language and means the destroyer the exterminator.
Astaroth – Is the Great Duke of Hell and is part of the evil trinity.
Balor – Of Celtic origin and means the deadly one.
Chimera – A mythological beast made up of parts of different animals.
Golgotha – Of Hebrew origin and means skull.
Inclementia – The Latin word that describes cruelty.
Israfel – The name of the angel who blows the horn signaling Judgement Day. It means the burning one.
Theron – A name of Greek origin and means hunter.
Gothic Baby Names Inspired By Fiction
Arthur – A name of Celtic origin and means bear. Featured in The Scarlet Letter.
Cassius – A shakespearean name that dates back to antiquity.
Dorian – Of Greek origin and means from the sea. Featured in A Picture of Dorian Gray.
Edgar – Means rich spear and is of English origin. Featured in Wuthering Heights.
Henry – German in origin and means ruler of an estate or rich. Featured in A Picture of Dorian Gray.
Igor – Frankenstein’s main assistant.
Ivan – A name of Russian origin and means God is gracious. From Brothers Karamazov.
Lorcan – Name of a character in the Harry Potter Series.
Lucifer – Of Latin origin and means light-bringer.
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Lucius – A Shakespearean name that means light.
Malachi – A name of Hebrew origin and means messenger. Featured in The Children of the Corn.
Manfred – Gothic name meaning peaceful man and is of German origin. Featured in The Castle of Otranto.
Morpheus – This name refers to the Greek god of dreams. Featured in The Sandman Comics.
Oberon – Of French origin and means ruler of the elves. Features in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Tristan – A tragic hero from the Arthurian legend. Features in Tristram Shandy.
Victor – Latin in origin and means conqueror. Frankenstein.
Gothic Names Inspired By TV & Movies
Absinthe – Absinthe seems to be the drink of choice in many gothic movies and tv shows. It comes across as a spooky and gothic drink and is associated with apothecaries. The myth that goes with Absinthe is that it causes hallucinations, apparently, this is not true.
Clive – A name of English origin and means a cliff – featured in Gypsy 83.
Damien – Of Russian origin and means to tame. Famously associated with The Omen.
Dexter – Means one who is right-handed and is of Old Latin origin. Features in the tv series about a serial killer – Dexter.
Draven – American in origin and means of the raven. The name comes from a character in In The Shadows.
Hawk – A name of English origin and refers to the bird of the same name. From The Revenant.
Sabrina – Of Latin origin and means from the river Severn. Often associated with Sabrina the Teenage Witch series.
Xander – Short form of Alexander, Greek in origin and means defender of the people. Featured in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Unisex Gothic Names
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Ascelin – Of French origin and means noble.
Hastie – A rather unique name from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Hawthorne – This name means someone who resides where Hawthorne grows.
Hemlock – A unique name that is derived from the poison that was used to kill Socrates.
Jett – English in origin and means jet black.
Merle – Of English origin and is an alternative name for a blackbird.
Morgan – Welsh in origin and means great circle. This is a popular unisex name.
Onyx – A name of English origin and means black gemstone. Its original Greek meaning was nail or claw.
Parris – Variation of the French capital name Paris.
Raven – Of English origin and means blackbird.
Sage – Meaning a herb or prophet and is of English origin.
Salem – A name of Hebrew origin and means peace. Although the name is more famous for its association with the witch trails.
Tempest – Means stormy and is of English origin.
Thorne – Of English origin and means prickly.
Vega – This is a name with a varied heritage and meanings.
Vesper – A name of Latin origin and means evening star.
The Final Thought
That is the end of our list and there are some truly unique names on it. Hopefully, we have shown you that not all gothic names are dark and evil.
But there are others that have truly beautiful meanings that may offer a great compromise on a gothic name.
