100 Delightful Names That Mean Dark: With Cool Origins

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These mysterious baby names that mean dark are truly spectacular.

Finding the perfect name for your dark angel doesn’t have to be a nightmare – let us shed some light on the options for you!

We have gathered a list of the most obscure names that mean dark, to help you select the best one for your little bundle. Whether they were born at nighttime, have gorgeous dark features, or just have that alluringly mysterious aura you’d love to accentuate, these dark names are sure to inspire.

Intrigued? Well, read on, and let us enlighten you on the most spectacular names meaning dark, including their origins, legends, and more.


40 Gorgeous Girl Names That Mean Dark

These beautiful girl names that mean dark will perfectly suit your little queen of the darkness.

  1. Adriana – a romantic Latin girl name meaning “from Hadria,” or “dark.”
  2. Adrienne – an elegant variant of Adriana, sounding ultra-feminine and gothic.
  3. Branna – a fresh and flighty Gaelic girl name with the dark, animal-inspired meaning of “raven.”
  4. Brenn – a hip and mysterious Scandinavian name meaning “raven” or “dark-haired.”
  5. Bruna – a pretty Portuguese choice among dark names, Bruna means “brown.”
  6. Charna – a beautifully unique Yiddish name meaning “dark, black.”
  7. Ciara – this sweet Gaelic name sounds light and airy but actually means “dark.”
  8. Dài yù – meaning “black jade,” this Mandarin name is full of dark, shimmer, and intrigue.
  9. Dee – a perky Welsh female name meaning “dark,” after the river running through England and Wales.
  10. Duana – a magical Gaelic girl name, meaning “from darkness.”
  11. Ebony – a gorgeous English word taken from the dark tree wood.
  12. Esmeray – a dreamy and ethereal Turkish girl’s name meaning “dark moon.”
  13. Hamna – a unique and fruity Arabic name meaning “dark grape, berry.”
  14. Jemisha – a regal and unique Hindi name meaning “queen of the darkness.”
  15. Jetta – a Latin-rooted girl’s name meaning “jet black,” perfect for a baby with luscious, dark hair.
  16. Kali – after the Hindu goddess of death and time, this gloomy name means “dark one.”
  17. Kauket – the feminine form of Kek, an Egyptian name perfect for your little queen of the darkness.
  18. Keira – a cute, spicy variant of the Celtic Ceira, meaning “dark.”
  19. Kiora – a Celtic name meaning “little, dark love,” sounding like the Maori greeting “kia ora.”
  20. Laila – a pretty, Hebrew-rooted girl name meaning “dark” or “of the night.”
  21. Lamya – a romantic Arabic name for a baby girl “with beautiful dark features.”
  22. Layla – a soft spelling variant of Leila, meaning “dark.”
  23. Lilith – meaning “belonging to the night,” this dark girl’s name is rather ominous in tone.
  24. Maura – a cute Italian female name meaning “dark, moorish.”
  25. Maurizia – a longer, sassy Italian name meaning “dark, moorish.”
  26. Melania – the Russian form of Melanie- a pretty pick among names with dark meanings.
  27. Melanie – a popular, Greek-rooted feminine name meaning “dark,” which could relate to hair color or skin tone.
  28. Nótt – the feminine personification of “night” in Norse mythology.
  29. Nyx – this shadowy name meaning “night” belonged to a Greek mythological personification of night-time.
  30. Ombra – the Italian word for “shadow” casts a dark yet delicate glow.
  31. Rajani – a gorgeously rhythmic Sanskrit choice among names that mean “dark.”
  32. Raven – a stylish, animal-inspired pick among dark names after the ominous bird.
  33. Sable – a funny mammal and a dark shade of black.
  34. Sandhya – an emotive Indian girl name meaning “dusk, evening.”
  35. Skaði – meaning “shadow,” Skaði was the Norse mythological goddess of skiing and winter, pronounced, “skhad-y.”
  36. Te-Uri – a unique choice belonging to the Tahitian goddess of darkness.
  37. Umbra – a dark space name relating to the darkest part of the moon’s shadow during an eclipse.
  38. Yamini – a comforting Hindi girl’s name meaning “light in the darkness.”
  39. Zelda – a badass Germanic warrior name, meaning “dark battle, gray fighter, strong woman.”
  40. Zylla – a dark and mysterious Hebrew name meaning “shadow.”

51 Beautiful Boy Names That Mean Dark

Help your dark warrior shine with these awesome boy names that mean dark.

  1. Abnus – an Arabic boy name meaning “ebony.”
  2. Adrean – a Latin-rooted name meaning “from Hadria” or “dark one.”
  3. Adrian – a hot Roman male name, meaning “from Hadria” or “dark.”
  4. Apep – the Egyptian deity of evil, chaos, and darkness.
  5. Araphel – meaning “God’s darkness,” a shadowy Hebrew boy’s name.
  6. Blagden – an Ango-Saxon surname with the shady meaning of “dark valley.”
  7. Bruno – meaning “brown,” this cute boy’s name is dark and mysterious.
  8. Caliban – a great Shakespearian name meaning “darkness, black.”
  9. Chernobog – an epic name meaning “black God,” after the Slavic god of darkness and evil.
  10. Ciar – an Old Irish word meaning “black,” and the stem of names such as Ciaran.
  11. Ciaran – a Gaelic boy name for a little “dark” one.
  12. Colby – like Cole, this English name and surname means “dark.”
  13. Cole – a cool, short English name meaning “coal black” or “swarthy” (dark-skinned.)
  14. Daray – a trendy pick among American names meaning “dark.”
  15. Darcel – a male version of Darcy, Darcel means “dark” in French.
  16. Dolan – a unique Irish choice among boy names, meaning “dark, defiant.”
  17. Donker – a Dutch surname meaning “dark, somber” would make an intriguing given name.
  18. Donovan – an Irish surname and given name meaning “dark.”
  19. Dougal – meaning “dark stranger,” this Scottish boy’s name sure is intriguing.
  20. Douglas – a Scottish name meaning “dark water,” brings the legendary Loch Ness monster to mind.
  21. Dubhán – a rare name from Old Irish, meaning “little dark one.”
  22. Duff – a unique given name and surname meaning “dark,” derived from Gaelic roots.
  23. Duncan – meaning “dark warrior,” this Scottish name sounds evil, but in a good way.
  24. Dwayne – rooted in Irish, this cool name means “dark one.”
  25. Elatha – meaning “art, craft,” Elatha was a “prince of darkness” from Irish mythology.
  26. Erebus – a unique and mysterious Greek male name borne by the god and personification of “darkness.”
  27. Gethin – a smart Welsh pick among male names meaning “dark, swarthy.”
  28. Hades – meaning “unseen,” Hades was a Greek mythological god of the underworld, night, and darkness.
  29. Hari – an enchanting Hindi name meaning “dark” or “tawny.”
  30. Jet – this cool choice among dark names refers to the deepest shade of black.
  31. Keir – like the feminine Kiera, this Irish boy’s name means “dark.”
  32. Kek – the Egyptian god of primordial darkness, making a badass dark name.
  33. Kerry – means “from the Kingdom of Ciar” in Ireland, which of course, means “black.”
  34. Krishna – a Hindi deity and strong male name, meaning “dark, black.”
  35. Maurice – a French masculine name meaning “dark, moorish.”
  36. Mauritz – a cool Swedish choice among male names that mean “dark” or “moorish.”
  37. Mauro – a hot European name, also meaning “dark, moorish.”
  38. Maurycy – a Polish form of Maurice, meaning “dark, moorish.”
  39. Moreno – an alluring Spanish boy’s name meaning “dark.”
  40. Mørk – a Danish given name and surname meaning “dark.”
  41. Morris – a medieval form of Maurice, that’s also a common surname.
  42. Myrick – a unique Welsh variant of Maurice, meaning “dark, moorish.”
  43. Myrkur – the Icelandic word for “darkness” could make a pretty badass name.
  44. Nigel – an English name often assumed to mean “dark” in Latin.
  45. Orpheus – the Greek legendary lyre-player whose name means “darkness of night.”
  46. Piran – a cool, unique Cornish name meaning “dark.”
  47. Scotus – a rare name belonging to the Roman primordial god of darkness.
  48. Shyamal – a unique Sanskrit-rooted name meaning “dark,” as in shades of black and blue.
  49. Sullivan – meaning “dark-eyed one,” this Irish name gives the adorable nickname of Sully.
  50. Sunil – a Sanskrit name for a shade of “very dark blue.”
  51. Yagiz – a spicy Turkish male name meaning “dark, brown.”

9 Cool Unisex Names That Mean Dark

These amazing, gender-neutral dark names sure are mysterious and intriguing.

  1. Blake – the perfect mix of light and dark, this Old English name could mean “fair” or “dark.”
  2. Braith – a cool-sounding Welsh name meaning “speckled,” or the beautiful light-and-dark mix of “black and white.”
  3. Darcy – a cute and attractive Irish name for a “dark-haired” baby.
  4. Delaney – an upbeat Gaelic given name and surname meaning “dark.”
  5. Kiernan – a dreamy unisex name from Gaelic, meaning “little dark one.”
  6. Merle – the name of a blackbird in French and a variant of names such as Muriel.
  7. Onyx – a dazzling gender-neutral name after the jet-dark gemstone.
  8. Quintisha – an African name meaning “black and proud,” perfect for a baby with a gorgeously dark skin tone.
  9. Shadow – perhaps more popular as a pet name, this word name is full of darkness.

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’d recommend Zelda for a girl, or Duncan for a boy.

What Name Means 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, or Te-Uri for little dark goddesses.

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About the Author

Madeleine Lily Webb

Madeleine is a writer from somewhere near Manchester, England. Madeleine's background in languages and linguistics has led to baby names becoming one of her favorite topics to write about. When she's not fallen down a rabbit hole of stories behind unique names, Madeleine can be found hanging out with her cat, taking photos of flowers, or dancing.