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Dark Academia Names
Across 14 pages
of 14
Octavian
Latin
"eighth"
With the rise of ancient Roman names, Octavian suddenly seem plausible again. A variation of Octavius and relative of the more modern Octavio, it's an equally attractive member of the trio.
Ottavio
Italian, “eighth”
Spirited Italian form of Octavius
Ottoline
French and English, diminutive of Ottolie
"prospers in battle"
Curiously appealing, in a hoop-skirted, wasp-waisted way, Ottoline has recently entered the realm of modern possibility, especially since Sienna Miller chose it as the middle name of her daughter…
October
English word name
"month name"
What is so rare as a month named June? October – and November and December – are a lot rarer. Brisk and substantial, they're so much more memorable and modern than April or May. October got its name…
Ossian
Old Irish
"little deer"
Ossian, or Osian, from the Old Irish name Oisin, was the son of Finn in Irish legend that was transformed into a Scottish hero in the Ossianic poems of James Macpherson in the eighteenth…
Petra
Greek
"rock, stone"
A strong Greek name with pan-European charm, Petra is a relatively recent feminization of Peter, though it relates back to an incredible ancient city in Jordan that was rediscovered in the early…
Phaedra
Greek
"bright"
This name of a tragic figure in Greek mythology, the daughter of King Minos, sister of Ariadne and wife of Theseus, has a mysterious and intriguing appeal, and would make a dramatic choice. Phaedra…
Poe
English
"peacock"
An evocative unisex one-syllable name, Poe is most distinguished by its literary reference. Edgar Allan Poe was an influential American author and poet, credited with inventing the genres of…
Philippa
Greek, feminine variation of Philip
"lover of horses"
Philippa is a prime example of a boy's name adapted for girls that was common as crumpets in Cornwall, but rarely heard stateside. That was before the advent of royal sister-in-law Philippa…
Proserpine
Latin from Greek
"to emerge or bringer of destruction"
Proserpine is the Roman equivalent of the goddess Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld in Greek myth. The story of Persephone is one of the most famous in classical mythology. The daughter of…
Percival
French
"one who pierces the valley"
There are several Percivals scattered through the Harry Potter series, which might help transform the old-fangled, fussy image it has accrued. Actually, the original Percival was the one perfectly…
Perseus
Greek
"to destroy"
Perseus is an up-and-coming name with a plenty going for it, so it's no wonder it's almost tripled in usage since the 2010s. Given to nearly 170 boys in the US in a recent year, Perseus ticks the…
Peregrine
Latin
"traveler, pilgrim"
Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the U.S., where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's…
Penrose
Cornish and Welsh place name and surname
"top of the heath"
Penrose – an ancient locational surname derived from several villages in Cornwall, Wales, and the Welsh border country of England – might work as a first name, although the "Rose" syllable might lead…
Prospero
Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese variation of Prosper
"succeed, prosper"
Shakespeare's Tempest has kept the name Prospero alive.
Pomona
Latin
"apple"
This name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees is also associated with a suburban town in Southern California.
Pandora
Greek
"all gifted"
Pandora has occasionally been used by the British gentry (for girls with brothers who might be called Peregrine) and is now starting to be heard in the US too: It was given to 34 baby girls last…
Rhiannon
Welsh
"divine queen"
Strong and outdoorsy, yet pretty and queenly, Rhiannon was a once obscure Welsh name, brought into the mainstream in 1976, following Fleetwood Mac's flash hit song of the same title. It stormed into…
Rasmus
Finnish and Scandinavian variation of Erasmus
"beloved, desired"
A form of ancient name newly popular in Eastern Europe, Rasmus is rugged and distinctive - and on trend in Estonia and Finland. Virtually unknown in the U.S. but with its philosophical roots and…
Romuald
Germanic
"glorious reign"
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…