100 Baby Names That Mean Black or Dark

Black is the color of midnight skies, raven feathers, and deep forests at dusk, and plenty of names carry that same shadowy beauty. Some come from Old Irish and Gaelic roots, others from Latin, Sanskrit, and the myths of ancient cultures, but they all share a dark, striking pull.

Below you will find 100 names that mean black or point to darkness in some way: 35 girl names, 30 boy names, and 35 unisex picks. Each one is a little mysterious, a little bold, and easy to fall for.

Scroll through and see which shade of dark feels right for your little one.

35 Beautiful Black Names for Girls

Let us start by looking at some beautiful and mysterious girl names that mean black or dark.

1. Adriene: This Latin name translates to “dark one” and also refers to a “woman of Adria.”
2. Blakely: A female name from Old English meaning “dark woodland clearing.”
3. Catahecassa: A Native American girl name meaning “black hoof.” It belongs to a famous 18th-century Shawnee chief.
4. Charna: A Slavic choice derived from the Yiddish word for “black.” It works well as a highly unique option.
5. Ciara: The feminine form of the Irish Ciar, meaning “little dark one” or “dark-haired.” Singer Ciara made the spelling familiar.
6. Ciardha: Coming from medieval Irish, this derivative of Ciar means “black” and connects deeply to ancient mythology.
7. Donella: A beautiful Celtic name that translates to “girl with dark hair.”
8. Duna: Meaning “little dark one” or “tall and confident like a hill.”
9. Ebony: Named directly after the exceptionally dark wood that shines like glass when polished.
10. Esmeray: A Turkish name that joins esmer (“dark”) and ay (“moon”) for the meaning “dark moon.”
11. Fuscienne: A French feminine name rooted in the Latin fuscus, meaning “dark” or “dusky.”
12. Inola/Inali: Another beautiful Native American name that means “black fox.”
13. Kali: Meaning “black one” in Sanskrit, Kali is the name of a fearsome Hindu goddess and warrior.
14. Kara: In Turkish, Kara translates to “black or dark.” It also means “courageous” in Ottoman history.
15. Keira: A deeply popular Irish favorite meaning “dark-haired woman.”
16. Lilith: Known as a night demon in ancient Mesopotamian mythology, this name translates to “ghost or night monster.”
17. Lila: In Arabic, Lila simply means “night.”
18. Lela: Meaning “night,” Lela is a great option for daughters born after sunset.
19. Leylah: From Arabic, meaning “dark or night.” You can also spell it Leila, Laila, or Layla.
20. Luna: While Luna is the Latin word for “moon,” it often links directly to the dark of night.
21. Maureen: This name derives from Mairin and means “dark or bitter.”
22. Melaina: This name comes from Greek mythology and belonged to a dark nymph.
23. Melanie: An English, German, and French name derived from the Latin word Melania, meaning “darkness.”
24. Merel: A Dutch name meaning “blackbird.” You can also spell it Merrell, Murial, or Muriel.
25. Neesha: A pretty option meaning “dark night or dusky period.”
26. Nigella: The female twin of Nigel, derived from a Latin botanical name meaning “black.”
27. Nyx: The Greek primordial goddess of the night, whose name translates directly to “night.”
28. Rosa: The Latin girl name for “rose.” It pairs perfectly with the surname Black.
29. Sable: Derived from the North Asian furred mammal, it translates to “black” in English heraldry.
30. Sauda: A Swahili and Arabic name meaning “dark-skinned” or “dark beauty,” rooted in the Arabic word for blackness.
31. Sevda: A Turkish female name meaning “love and infatuation.” In Arabic, it means “black bile, sadness, and melancholy.”
32. Shyama: From the ancient Sanskrit word meaning “dark black or blue.”
33. Shyamal: A beautiful derivative of Shyama with the exact same dark meaning.
34. Tamal: An Indian origin name meaning “dark tree.”
35. Urraca: Rooted in ancient European royalty, this German word translates to “blackbird or magpie.”

30 Strong Black Names for Boys

If you need a strong masculine name with dark undertones, you have plenty of great options to consider.

1. Blakemore: An English origin name meaning “of the dark moor.”
2. Bron: Meaning “dark or brown man.” Brona is the female derivative for “dark-haired.”
3. Bruno: A Latin word meaning “of dark complexion.”
4. Cole: Famous people with this name include songwriter Cole Porter. It translates to “swarthy” or “coal black.”
5. Coleridge: Refers directly to a “dark ridge or mountain.”
6. Colt: Means “coming from a dark town without a light source.”
7. Corbett: A strong choice meaning “raven” or “dark hair.”
8. Dade: In Latin, Dade translates to “dark and moody.”
9. Darcus: Meaning “dark or strong one,” this is a charming and uncommon pick.
10. Delaney: Means “one who performs dark challenges.”
11. Donovan: An Irish name from O Donnabhain, blending donn (“brown”) and dubh (“dark”), so it reads as “little dark one.”
12. Dooley: In Irish mythology, Dooley is a celebrated hero with dark hair and skin.
13. Douglas: This name has Scottish origins meaning “black water.” It started as an ancient Celtic river name.
14. Doyle: A mysterious pick meaning “dark stranger” in old Irish.
15. Ferrer: You can also spell this Fabre. It derives from France and Catalonia, meaning “blacksmith.”
16. Glenden: Meaning “from the dark glen or valley,” this serves as a cool variation of Glen.
17. Jett: Named directly after the intense black mineral heavily used in fine jewelry.
18. Kedar: A Hebrew name meaning “dark” or “dark-skinned,” carried by a son of Ishmael in the Hebrew Bible.
19. Kier: An Irish boy’s name meaning “black or dark.”
20. Kieran: The anglicized form of the Irish Ciaran, meaning “little dark one,” borne by several early Irish saints.
21. Krishna: Meaning “black” or “dark,” this is the name of a major Hindu deity.
22. Maurice: A common American name with roots in Moorish, meaning “dark-skinned person.”
23. Mauro: The Italian and Spanish form of the Latin Maurus, meaning “dark-skinned” or “Moorish.”
24. Neil: A medieval Latinized version of Nigellus or Nigel, referring to dark clouds or champions.
25. Nigel: A simple derivative of the Latin word “niger,” meaning “black.”
26. Niro: In Latin, Niro means “strong, vigorous, and dark.”
27. Siavash: A Persian word meaning “possessing black stallions.”
28. Smith: Derives from “blacksmith,” originating from the historic word Smite.
29. Sullivan: This name has roots in old Irish meaning “dark eyes,” and it exploded in popularity during the 1990s.
30. Tynan: An Irish name from O Teimhneain, derived from teimhean, meaning “dark” or “dusky.”

35 Unisex Names That Mean Black

These gender-neutral names offer the perfect balance of mystery and flexibility for any child.

1. Blackwell: A gender-neutral choice derived from the English phrase “dark stream.”
2. Blake: An Old English root meaning “black.” It started as a masculine moniker but works beautifully for anyone.
3. Blakeney: Another unisex name with roots in Old English, meaning “from the black island.”
4. Brindle: Refers to an animal’s coat color and translates as “black and tan.”
5. Caliban: A Romanian word meaning “black,” famously featured in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest.
6. Carey: An Irish word that simply means “dark.”
7. Ciar: From the Irish word for “black,” this was also the name of a famous 7th-century Irish nun.
8. Colby: Translates to “a dark town that produces coal.”
9. Corbin: In Latin, Corbin means “raven, raven-haired, or dark.”
10. Darcell: Works perfectly for any gender and means “dark and determined.”
11. Darcy: Means “dark-haired” and lends itself nicely to both sexes.
12. Donaver: An African American origin name derived from Donovan, meaning “black.”
13. Dublin: Named after the significant Irish city, meaning “black pool.”
14. Fabron: A gender-neutral option derived from Ferrer or Fabre, meaning “blacksmith.”
15. Ferrari: This name is Italian in origin and means “ironworker.”
16. Fitch/Fitche: Refers to a polecat or ermine, a dark-furred animal heavily used in stately royal robes.
17. Hari: A Hindu name meaning “dark or tawny.” It sounds very similar to the English name Harry.
18. Indigo: A very cool unisex name that means “dark blue.”
19. Kanika: An African word meaning “black cloth.”
20. Kohl: A modern unisex name from the Arabic kuhl, the fine black powder used as eye makeup since ancient times.
21. Kumba: Of Aboriginal origin, meaning “dark fruit tree.”
22. Li: In Chinese, Li has many meanings ranging from “black or dark” to “power or beautiful.”
23. Makvala: A Georgian word meaning “blackberry.”
24. Merle: From the French language, meaning “blackbird.”
25. Moe: A Latin word meaning “dark-skinned” or “savior.”
26. Moon: A beautiful choice meaning “one who enlightens the dark.”
27. Nox: The Latin word for “night” and the Roman counterpart of the goddess Nyx, fitting for any child.
28. Onyx: Ancient Greek for “claw,” but famously known as a dark, impenetrable gemstone.
29. Osceola: A unique gender-neutral baby name meaning “black drink crier.”
30. Perran: Named after a Cornish village, this fun unisex name means “little dark one.”
31. Raven: A unique name heavily associated with dark birds and ancient mythology.
32. Reven: A derivative of Raven with the exact same mystical undertones.
33. Sam: In Persian, Sam means “fire” and derives from an early Iranian word for “black root.”
34. Sixsipita: Coming from the Blackfoot tribe, this name means “black eagle.”
35. Ta-Nehisi: An Egyptian name referring to Nubia, the “Land of Black.”

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