Finding the perfect name for your little one does not have to be a stressful process. If you want something unique, we can shed some light on the best options out there.
We gathered a list of obscure and beautiful names that mean dark to help you find the right fit. Whether your baby was born at night, has gorgeous dark features, or just carries a naturally mysterious vibe you want to highlight, these options will inspire you.
Keep reading to discover spectacular names meaning dark, complete with their origins, legends, and historical ties.
40 Gorgeous Girl Names That Mean Dark
These beautiful girl names that mean dark will perfectly suit your little queen of the night:
- Adriana: A romantic Latin girl name meaning “from Hadria” or “dark.”
- Adrienne: An elegant variant of Adriana, sounding ultra-feminine and gothic.
- Branna: A fresh and flighty Gaelic girl name with the dark animal-inspired meaning of “raven.”
- Brenn: A hip and mysterious Scandinavian name meaning “raven” or “dark-haired.”
- Bruna: A pretty Portuguese choice among dark names, Bruna means “brown.”
- Charna: A beautifully unique Yiddish name meaning “dark, black.”
- Ciara: This sweet Gaelic name sounds light and airy but actually means “dark.”
- Dài yù: Meaning “black jade,” this Mandarin name is full of dark shimmer and intrigue.
- Dee: A perky Welsh female name meaning “dark,” after the river running through England and Wales.
- Duana: A magical Gaelic girl name meaning “from darkness.”
- Ebony: A gorgeous English word taken from the dark tree wood.
- Esmeray: A dreamy Turkish girl’s name meaning “dark moon.”
- Hamna: A unique Arabic name meaning “dark grape” or “berry.”
- Jemisha: A regal and unique Hindi name meaning “queen of the darkness.”
- Jetta: A Latin-rooted girl’s name meaning “jet black,” perfect for a baby with luscious dark hair.
- Kali: After the Hindu goddess of death and time, this name means “dark one.”
- Kauket: The feminine form of Kek, an Egyptian name perfect for your little queen of the darkness.
- Keira: A cute variant of the Celtic Ceira, meaning “dark.”
- Kiora: A Celtic name meaning “little dark love,” sounding like the Maori greeting “kia ora.”
- Laila: A pretty Hebrew-rooted girl name meaning “dark” or “of the night.”
- Lamya: A romantic Arabic name for a baby girl with beautiful dark features.
- Layla: A soft spelling variant of Leila meaning “dark.”
- Lilith: Meaning “belonging to the night,” this dark girl’s name is highly recognizable and mysterious.
- Maura: A cute Italian female name meaning “dark” or “moorish.”
- Maurizia: A longer, sophisticated Italian name meaning “dark” or “moorish.”
- Melania: The Russian form of Melanie, making a pretty pick among names with dark meanings.
- Melanie: A popular Greek-rooted feminine name meaning “dark,” which could relate to hair color or skin tone.
- Nótt: The feminine personification of the night in Norse mythology.
- Nyx: This shadowy name meaning “night” belonged to a Greek mythological personification of the night.
- Ombra: The Italian word for “shadow” casts a dark yet delicate glow.
- Rajani: A gorgeously rhythmic Sanskrit choice among names that mean “dark.”
- Raven: A stylish animal-inspired pick among dark names, named after the iconic bird.
- Sable: A small mammal and a dark shade of black.
- Sandhya: An emotive Indian girl name meaning “dusk” or “evening.”
- Skaði: Meaning “shadow,” Skaði was the Norse mythological goddess of skiing and winter, pronounced “skhad-y.”
- Te-Uri: A unique choice belonging to the Tahitian goddess of darkness.
- Umbra: A dark space name relating to the darkest part of the moon’s shadow during an eclipse.
- Yamini: A comforting Hindi girl’s name meaning “light in the darkness.”
- Zelda: A fierce Germanic warrior name meaning “dark battle, gray fighter, strong woman.”
- Zylla: A dark and mysterious Hebrew name meaning “shadow.”
51 Beautiful Boy Names That Mean Dark
Help your child stand out with these distinct boy names that mean dark:
- Abnus: An Arabic boy name meaning “ebony.”
- Adrean: A Latin-rooted name meaning “from Hadria” or “dark one.”
- Adrian: A popular Roman male name meaning “from Hadria” or “dark.”
- Apep: The Egyptian deity of chaos and darkness.
- Araphel: Meaning “God’s darkness,” a shadowy Hebrew boy’s name.
- Blagden: An Ango-Saxon surname with the shady meaning of “dark valley.”
- Bruno: Meaning “brown,” this cute boy’s name is dark and mysterious.
- Caliban: A great Shakespearian name meaning “darkness, black.”
- Chernobog: An epic name meaning “black God,” after the Slavic god of darkness and evil.
- Ciar: An Old Irish word meaning “black,” and the stem of names such as Ciaran.
- Ciaran: A Gaelic boy name for a little “dark” one.
- Colby: Like Cole, this English name and surname means “dark.”
- Cole: A cool, short English name meaning “coal black” or “swarthy” (dark-skinned).
- Daray: A trendy pick among American names meaning “dark.”
- Darcel: A male version of Darcy, Darcel means “dark” in French.
- Dolan: A unique Irish choice among boy names meaning “dark, defiant.”
- Donker: A Dutch surname meaning “dark, somber” that would make an intriguing given name.
- Donovan: An Irish surname and given name meaning “dark.”
- Dougal: Meaning “dark stranger,” this Scottish boy’s name carries a lot of history.
- Douglas: A Scottish name meaning “dark water,” bringing the legendary Loch Ness monster to mind.
- Dubhán: A rare name from Old Irish meaning “little dark one.”
- Duff: A unique given name and surname meaning “dark,” derived from Gaelic roots.
- Duncan: Meaning “dark warrior,” this Scottish name sounds fierce and strong.
- Dwayne: Rooted in Irish, this cool name means “dark one.”
- Elatha: Meaning “art” or “craft,” Elatha was a prince of darkness from Irish mythology.
- Erebus: A unique and mysterious Greek male name borne by the god and personification of “darkness.”
- Gethin: A smart Welsh pick among male names meaning “dark, swarthy.”
- Hades: Meaning “unseen,” Hades was a Greek mythological god of the underworld, night, and darkness.
- Hari: An enchanting Hindi name meaning “dark” or “tawny.”
- Jet: This cool choice among dark names refers to the deepest shade of black.
- Keir: Like the feminine Kiera, this Irish boy’s name means “dark.”
- Kek: The Egyptian god of primordial darkness.
- Kerry: Means “from the Kingdom of Ciar” in Ireland, which translates to “black.”
- Krishna: A Hindi deity and strong male name meaning “dark, black.”
- Maurice: A French masculine name meaning “dark, moorish.”
- Mauritz: A cool Swedish choice among male names that mean “dark” or “moorish.”
- Mauro: A strong European name also meaning “dark, moorish.”
- Maurycy: A Polish form of Maurice meaning “dark, moorish.”
- Moreno: An alluring Spanish boy’s name meaning “dark.”
- Mørk: A Danish given name and surname meaning “dark.”
- Morris: A medieval form of Maurice that is also a common surname.
- Myrick: A unique Welsh variant of Maurice meaning “dark, moorish.”
- Myrkur: The Icelandic word for “darkness” could make a fierce and memorable name.
- Nigel: An English name often assumed to mean “dark” in Latin.
- Orpheus: The Greek legendary lyre-player whose name means “darkness of night.”
- Piran: A cool, unique Cornish name meaning “dark.”
- Scotus: A rare name belonging to the Roman primordial god of darkness.
- Shyamal: A unique Sanskrit-rooted name meaning “dark,” as in shades of black and blue.
- Sullivan: Meaning “dark-eyed one,” this Irish name gives the adorable nickname of Sully.
- Sunil: A Sanskrit name for a shade of “very dark blue.”
- Yagiz: A memorable Turkish male name meaning “dark, brown.”
9 Cool Unisex Names That Mean Dark
These gender-neutral dark names offer a mysterious and intriguing edge:
- Blake: The perfect mix of light and dark, this Old English name can mean “fair” or “dark.”
- Braith: A cool-sounding Welsh name meaning “speckled,” or the beautiful light and dark mix of “black and white.”
- Darcy: A cute and attractive Irish name for a “dark-haired” baby.
- Delaney: An upbeat Gaelic given name and surname meaning “dark.”
- Kiernan: A dreamy unisex name from Gaelic meaning “little dark one.”
- Merle: The name of a blackbird in French and a variant of names such as Muriel.
- Onyx: A dazzling gender-neutral name inspired by the jet-black gemstone.
- Quintisha: An African name meaning “black and proud,” perfect for a baby with a beautiful dark skin tone.
- Shadow: Popular as a pet name but gaining traction for babies, this word name is fully embraced by the dark.
Names That Mean Dark FAQs
What Names Mean Shadow?
Ombra, Skaði, and Zylla are some great shady names for girls meaning “shadow.” Or, you could select Shadow itself for a mysterious unisex name.
What Are Some Dark Warrior Names?
If your baby looks just like a dark warrior, we recommend Zelda for a girl or Duncan for a boy.
What Names Mean Dark God or Goddess?
Looking for a name for your dark deity? We love Erebus, Hades, Kek, and Scotus for little gods of darkness, or Skaði, Kali, and Te-Uri for little dark goddesses.
What Are Some Japanese Names That Mean Dark?
Kurai is a direct translation for dark in Japanese. Yami refers to darkness, while Tsukiya translates to dark moon, offering a few distinct options depending on the exact meaning you want.
Are There Any Latin Names That Mean Dark?
Yes, names like Adriana and Adrian have strong Latin roots meaning dark. Jetta is another popular Latin-derived option that translates perfectly to jet black.
What Are Some Nature Names Associated with Darkness?
Ebony refers to dark wood, while Onyx is a beautiful jet-black gemstone. Raven and Sable take inspiration from dark-colored animals, giving you great earthy options.
Do Any French Names Mean Dark?
Darcel is a popular French name meaning dark. Merle is also deeply rooted in French origins, translating directly to blackbird.
What Are Beautiful Names Meaning Dark Moon?
Esmeray is a highly recognizable Turkish name that translates to dark moon. You can also look into lunar-inspired names like Umbra, which represents the darkest part of a shadow during an eclipse.
