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Dark Academia Names

  1. Vespertine

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "of the evening"
  2. Pomona

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "apple"

    • Description:

      This name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees is also associated with a suburban town in Southern California.
  3. Xanthia

    • Origin:

      Variation of Xanthe, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "golden, yellow"

    • Description:

      Xanthia gets this classic Greek name closer to the modern Cynthia, sometimes used as its Anglo equivalent.
  4. Yeats

    • Origin:

      Scottish, English

    • Meaning:

      "the gates"

    • Description:

      Admirers of the haunting works of esteemed Irish poet and playwright William Butler Yeats might consider this surname-style name, especially for the middle spot. Ultimately derived from the Old English geat, Yeats is the Scottish form of Yates, pronounced exactly the same, and rhyming, helpfully, with its literal meaning of "gates".
  5. Caradoc

    • Origin:

      Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "amiable, beloved"

    • Description:

      Derived from the name Caradog, the handsome ancient Celtic name was worn by one of the Knights of the Round Table, as well as a semi-legendary Welsh King. Possibly a cognate of Cedric and Carys, Caradoc is ultimately derived from the Brythonic name Caratācos meaning "loved", itself originating from the Celtic karu.
  6. Gwenllian

    • Origin:

      Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "white, flaxen"

    • Description:

      Not a blend of Gwendolyn and Lillian! Gwenllian was a medieval Welsh princess noted for her bravery and beauty. Sometimes referred to as the Welsh Bouddica, Gwenllian resisted invasion by English and Norman forces and is a national heroine of Wales. It was given to nearly 30 girls in the UK in 2023, making it the second most popular Gwen- name in the UK and a Top 100 choice in Wales.
  7. Zennor

    • Origin:

      Cornish place and saint's name

    • Description:

      This Cornish place name is possibly named after a female saint, Senara. However, it can work just as well on a boy and would make a very interesting choice for those of Cornish descent or who love Cornwall.
  8. Zosime

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "survivor"

    • Description:

      Zosime is a rare name from Ancient Greece that's a feminization of Zosimus or Zosimos, the name of several early saints, a pope, and an author of the history of the Roman Empire. It's a name that feels at once ancient and futuristic, which gives it enormous potential in the contemporary world.
  9. Marinell

    • Origin:

      Literary name

    • Meaning:

      "knight of the sea"

    • Description:

      In Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, Marinell is a knight and the son of a water nymph. He is wounded in battle against the valiant female knight Britomart.
  10. Veryan

    • Origin:

      Cornish place name

    • Meaning:

      "accompany, bring together"

    • Description:

      The name of a beautiful village on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, Veryan actually derives from a series of misunderstandings: Sen Veryan ("Saint Veryan") is a Cornish corruption of Severian, which is itself a corrupted form of the saint’s name Symphorian, to whom the village church at Veryan is dedicated.
  11. Mordred

    • Origin:

      Arthurian legend, Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "moderated, controlled"

    • Description:

      A somewhat dark and gloomy feeling name, perhaps because of its connotations or its similarity to the words morbid and murdered. Mordred is adapted from the Welsh Medraut, itself derived from the Latin moderatus. An unusual choice for a baby, but a potentially cool name for a fictional character.
  12. Lucasta

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "pure light"

    • Description:

      Lucasta was invented by seventeenth century poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems dedicated to a lover named Lucy, and is familiar through the Eugene O'Neill play and film Anna Lucasta. Lucasta is a distinctive, rarely used choice and a logical extension of the Luke/Luc/Luca names.
  13. Vlad

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Vladimir, Slavic

    • Meaning:

      "great ruler, peaceful ruler, ruler of the world"

    • Description:

      The most famous Vlad was nicknamed "the Impaler." Enough said.
  14. Dugald

    • Origin:

      Variation of Dougal, Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "dark stranger"

    • Description:

      A Scottish variant of Dougal, Dugald is also a Harry Potter name. In fact, there are not one but two characters name Dugald in the Harry Potter books.
  15. Barthelemy

    • Origin:

      French form of Bartholomew

    • Description:

      While Barthelemy does not garner much attention these days, it has a storied history in French-speaking countries. Notable bearers include geologist and explorer Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond, philosopher Jules Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire, and historian and writer Jean-Barthélemy Hauréau, to name a few.
  16. Tatjana

    • Origin:

      German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian

    • Meaning:

      "from Latin family name"

    • Description:

      Tatjana is an interesting twist on an already uncommon name, borne by German-born supermodel Tatjana Patitz. Note that as j is pronounced as y in German, the name is spoken just like sisters Tatiana and Tatyana.
  17. Theophile

    • Description:

      Theophile is a masculine name of Greek origin, combining 'theos' (God) and 'philos' (friend or lover), thus meaning 'friend of God' or 'beloved by God.' This name has deep historical roots in Europe, particularly in France where it has maintained a modest but consistent presence since medieval times. It gained some prominence during the 19th century through figures like French writer Théophile Gautier. The name carries an air of classical sophistication and religious devotion. While never extremely common, Theophile appeals to parents drawn to traditional names with philosophical or spiritual dimensions. Its French pronunciation gives it an elegant quality, though the name exists in various forms across Europe including Theophilus (Latin), Teofilo (Spanish/Italian), and Theophilos (Greek).

  18. Ottavio

    • Origin:

      Italian, “eighth”

    • Description:

      Spirited Italian form of Octavius
  19. Artemus

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "gift of Artemis"

    • Description:

      Variant of Artemas
  20. Romuald

    • Origin:

      Germanic

    • Meaning:

      "glorious reign"

    • Description:

      Romuald is an obscure medieval Italian saint’s name which had a surprising run of popularity in France in the 1970s, featuring in the top 100 from 1972-79. It only fell out of the French top 500 in 2005, but is little-known in anglophone countries.