Names That Mean Trouble

An interesting figure from Greek mythology -- an Amazon queen who fought for Troy in the Trojan War -- but no figure could be interesting enough to make that five-syllable mouthful usable today. Stick with Penelope or, if that's too popular for your taste, try Thessaly.

Penthesilea

Hurricane is a storm, but it's also an <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/519/american-baby-names">American name</a>, thanks to rising tennis star Hurricane Black -- whose sister's name is Tornado. There's no reason this tempestuous choice can't work for boys too, inasfar as the name can work for any child. As a name, Hurricane is definitely original and attention-getting, but is it a name you'd want to carry around for life?

Hurricane

In Greek mythology, Hecate is associated with witchcraft and magic. The name may mean "willpower" or "far-reaching". 

She was often associated with the moon and with storms, making this name a good alternative to more familiar names like Selena, Luna and Tempest. Hecate debuted in the US charts for the first time in 2022.

Hecate

Though we usually think a name's image in contemporary culture supersedes its ancient meaning, this is a case where the definition could undermine a child's self-esteem. 

Hamill

Gulliver is an obscure Gaelic surname known almost solely through its literary Travels until actor Gary Oldman used it for his son, instantly transforming it into a lively option. British actors Damian Lewis, of Homeland, and Helen McCrory also have a son named Gulliver.

Gulliver

Lithe and leonine name chosen for her daughter by singer Erykah Badu -- whose other child has the number name Seven. 

Puma

New, fast, cool, and chosen by director Robert Rodriguez, whose other sons are Rebel, Rocket, and Rogue, all somewhat risky options. 

Lara Bingle and Sam Worthington are also parents to sons named Racer and Rocket.

Racer

Grit became a buzzword in the 2010s, thanks to both the 2010 film True Grit and psychologist Angela Duckworth's 2016 book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance. The book, based on Duckworth's research, attributes success to grittiness. Clearly, the message stuck with parents, as Grit debuted as a name for boys in 2021.

Grit

You might want to honor premier U.S. architect Frank Gehry--even though he was born Ephraim Goldberg. Gehry, pronounced like the more common surname Geary, may be a spin on the name Gary, which means spear, or derive from the Middle English word geary</a>, which means fickle.

Gehry

There are many more appealing Irish surnames than Foley, and certainly more positive meanings. If Foley is a genuine family name, this would be all right in the middle.

Foley

Fogarty

This name of four ancient saints is recommended neither for its sound nor its meaning. 

Fachnan

Ephai may have a sad meaning but it's an interesting Biblical alternative to such widely-used names as Eli and Elijah.

Ephai

Diablo Cody, self-named (she's really Brook Busey) screenwriter of Juno, singlehandedly helped popularize not just her heroine's name and her own but all o-ending names for girls. You don't need us to tell you that it takes a brave parent, in every way, to name a baby Diablo. Diablo is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/161/spanish-names">Spanish baby names</a> that diverges furthest from the well-paved camino.

Diablo

Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. But at this point in time, there might be some adventurous parents willing to overlook that.
 Jeffrey Eugenides used the name for a character in his novel Middlesex.
 And for those seeking some celestial cred, Desdemona belongs to the Shakespearean Portia Group of satellites, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda and Perdita.

Desdemona

Roulette debuted as an American baby name in 2023, when it was given to five baby girls, though it didn't return in 2024. 
 >/br>
 While Roulette's sounds are very on-trend — the "rou" found in names like Ruby and Cruz, and the "ette" ending of Colette and Juliette — we don't recommend using gambling-related names for babies.

Roulette

Not a great idea to associate your newborn with drug lords.

Cartel

One of the latest in a suite of rowdy boy names, including Chaos, Wrecker, Lawless, and Rowdy itself. Ruckus was given to 5 boys in a recent year. 

Ruckus

A name used in the Old Testament, as well as a variation of Buzz.

Brutus is the quintessential brute--far too close to the word brutal. And any child with this name would spend much of his life hearing "Et tu." 
 Originally an old Roman family name, borne by Marcus Junius Brutus, one of the assassins of Julius Caesar, who spoke those famous dying words to him.
 Save Brutus for your dog and consider Bruno instead.

Brutus

Names with negative meanings used to be a no-no, but now many parents want to arm their children for a difficult world by choosing a name that means trouble, or danger, or aggression. There is a certain charm about modern names like Maverick and Rebel that come prepackaged with a badass image.

And you might argue the negative meanings concealed inside otherwise-lovely classic names, such a Cecilia meaning blind and Kennedy meaning misshapen head, don't really matter in the modern world anyway. And then there are names inspired by notorious trouble-makers, like Delilah or Dexter.

Whether you're looking for a name with a negative meaning on purpose or you've fallen in love with one by accident, here's a complete list of names that mean trouble....literally.

Names that mean trouble are names with negative meanings, such as Lilith, Calvin, and Danger (Page 7)

155+ Names That Mean Trouble