Names That Mean Dark
Across 4 pages
of 4
Kishan
Hindi, Gujarati
"dark"
Variant of Krishna
Melani
Variation of Melanie, Greek
"black, dark"
Lobbing off the final E makes Melanie more modern.
Doon
Spelling variation of word name Dune or Scottish surname
"brown or dark"
Photographer Diane Arbus named her daughter Doon, inspired by the sand dunes she walked among when pregnant. Used this way, Doon might be considered a nature name, a refashioning of the word dune.…
Duffy
Irish
"dark"
This familiar Irish surname, best known as the name of the mononamed Welsh female singer, is extremely rare as a first name in the US but could make an original Irish choice.
Dignan
Irish surname
"descendant of the dark haired one"
An Irish surname — the Anglicized form of O’Duibhgeannáin — that would make a one-of-a-kind first name, unless you count the character in Wes Anderson's first film, Bottle Rocket . For fans of the…
Reito
Japanese
"beautiful or dark moon"
This handsome Japanese name has dozens of possible meanings, depending on the kanji characters used.
Darcie
Variation of Darcy, Irish or French
"dark one; from Arcy; from the fortress"
While the traditional Darcy spelling is solidly gender-neutral, the -ie ending of Darcie gives this name unabashedly feminine flair. Darcie is a Top 100 choice in England and Scotland, and briefly…
Blakelee
Variation of Blakeley, English surname
"dark wood; clearing"
This nouveau spelling of Blakeley was one of the fastest-rising girl names outside of the Top 1000 in 2019, but hasn't grown in popularity since then. It is given to around 110 girls each year in the…
Dublin
Irish place name
"dark pool"
The city name Dublin ultimately derived from Irish elements dubh , meaning "dark," and lind , "pool." The dark pool in question was a tidal pool behind Dublin Castle. As a baby name, Dublin is a rare…
Nile
River name and color name
"dark blue, indigo"
Cool, serene name of the Egyptian river can make a fresh choice for a girl. The origin of river name Nile relates to the Arabic and ancient Hebrew word for dark blue or indigo; in ancient Egyptian,…
Mel
Diminutive of Melanie
"black, dark"
Not one but two Spice Girls are named Mel, which led to it briefly being more popular for girls than boys in the 90s and early 00s, but it has now fallen out of favor for both sexes.
Baize
French
"dark brown"
This fabric word name would be a one-of-a-kind.
Sully
Irish
"dark eyed"
A jaunty offshoot of Sullivan, Sully will be associated by kids with the beloved character in the Pixar animated film Monsters, Inc . Rare for a girl, but with a cool surnamey style and echoes of…
Ciara
Irish
"little dark one"
Ciara is very popular in Ireland, more familiar here as the Anglicized Kiera or Keira. The uninitiated will tend to pronounce Ciara as the Italian Chiara, a form of Claire—kee-AHR-a or even…
Donnelly
Irish
"dark brave one"
Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.
Duffy
Irish
"dark"
This Irish surname packs a lot of attitude, projecting an image of spunk and sass. The Welsh singer Duffy, born Aimee Anne Duffy, is best known for her songs Mercy and Warwick Avenue.
Kiera
Irish
"little dark one"
Kiera entered the American popularity list in 1988, though it lags behind the alternate spelling Keira, largely due to the fame of actress Keira Knightley. The original Irish spelling is Ciara, the…
Kieran
Irish
"little black-haired one"
Kieran is a boys' name that could cross over, as an update of outmoded Karen or a variation on trendy Kiera (or Keira or Kyra). Keren Ann is an Israeli-born singer. The proportion of babies named…
Melantha
Greek
"dark flower"
The th sound both softens and complicates this Melanie relative.
Sullivan
Irish
"dark eyes"
Stylish and boyish but could work for a girl -- especially one with brown eyes -- and Sully is a quirky and jaunty nickname.