Baby Name Meanings
Names That Mean Death
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About this list
Names that mean death might seem sinister, but many modern parents are reconsidering names with dark backstories. Some of today's most stylish names, including Lilith, Persephone, and Azriel, are related to death.
Along with Lilith and Persephone, other girl names that mean death include Shivani, Kali, Lola, and Thana. In addition to Azriel, other boy names that mean death include Osiris, Winslow, Ewan, and Mortimer.
Japanese names that mean death, such as Itachi, Yomi, Yuta, and Akuji, are often used in manga and anime as a nod to a character's past or future.
Also included here are names connected to symbols of death, such as ravens and yew trees, names of biblical characters with death-related stories, and names of gods and goddesses of death and the underworld, including Freya, Eurydice, Shiva, and Valkyrie.
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The names
Adriel
Hebrew
"God is my master"
This biblical name is getting wider notice. While Adrian has had its time in the limelight since the late 70s, parents are beginning to look for fresher alternatives. In the Bible, Adriel was the…
Cora
Greek
"maiden"
Cora is a lovely, old-fashioned girls' that has been recently rejuvenated by its contemporary-feeling simplicity. In fact, Cora seemed headed straight for the top of the popularity list when the…
Freya
Norse
"a noble woman"
Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning…
Lola
Spanish, diminutive of Dolores
"lady of sorrows"
A hot starbaby name – chosen by Kelly Ripa, Chris Rock, Lisa Bonet, Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Carnie Wilson, and Annie Lennox, and used as the nickname of Madonna's Lourdes – Lola manages to…
Lilith
Assyrian, Sumerian
"ghost, night monster"
Lilith is derived from the Akkadian word lilitu meaning "of the night." In Jewish folklore she is portrayed as Adam's rejected first wife, who was turned into a night demon for refusing to obey him.…
Kali
Sanskrit, English
"black one; free man; beauty"
Kali is a number of different things: a playful, contemporary twist on the name Callie; the Hindu goddess of destruction; an alternative spelling for Kaylee; a short form of the Arablic Kalila, the…
Lorelai
Spelling variation of Lorelei, German
"alluring, temptress"
Lorelai is the spelling used for the character played by Lauren Graham on The Gilmore Girls , as well as her daughter, who preferred the nickname Rory. The television show reintroduced this name to a…
Raven
Word and animal name
Bird name Raven, once a symbol of pride for both African-American and Wiccan parents, is finding new life as a superhero name. Raven Darkholme is the real name of Mystique, heroine of the X-Men films…
Lorelei
German
"alluring, temptress"
The lovely Lorelei, a name from old German legend, was a beautiful Rhine River seductress whose haunting voice led sailors to hazardous rocks that would cause them to be shipwrecked. And this siren…
Odin
Variation of Óðinn, Old Norse
"god of frenzy; poetic fury"
Odin is the name of the supreme Norse god of art, culture, wisdom, and law — who was handsome, charming, and eloquent into the bargain. The name projects a good measure of strength and power and has…
Corbin
English and French surname
"crow, raven"
Corbin, the name of the castle where the Holy Grail was said to be hidden, came to the fore in the 1980s via actor Corbin Bernsen when he was the high profile star of LA Law , but its use is only now…
Azriel
Hebrew
"God is my help"
Azriel is more masculine than Ariel, more unusual than Israel. Also spelled Asriel and Azrael, Azriel is the name of the Angel of Death in Jewish and Muslim traditions.
Mara
Hebrew
"bitter"
Mara is the evocative ancient root of Mary, appearing in the Book of Ruth, in which Naomi, devastated after the death of her two sons, says "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara." It's one of the girl…
Azrael
Hebrew, variation of Azriel
"help of God"
This is the name of Angel of Death in Jewish and Muslim tradition, but that isn't putting contemporary parents off. With its cool letter Z and popular -ael ending, Azrael has been in the US Top 1000…
Persephone
Greek
"bringer of destruction"
Magical and earthy, sophisticated but off-beat, Persephone appears as the daughter of Zeus by Demeter in Greek mythology. After she was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld, it was…
Freyja
Old Norse variation of Freya
"a noble woman"
The original form of the name of the Norse goddess Freya, whose name is now a worldwide sensation. Freya is the most common variant, although Freja is preferred in Denmark and Sweden. Iceland still…
Anubis
Egyptian
"royal child, prince"
Portrayed as having a human body with the head of a jackal, Anubis is the Ancient Egyptian god who guided the dead to the underworld. Also known as the protector of graves, the god of funeral rites,…
Antobam
Fante, Ghanaian
"posthumous child"
Traditional West African name used for daughters born after the death of a parent.
Akuji
Invented name
"dead and awake; bad deeds"
A name from the 1999 video game, Akuji the Heartless , this invented choice is borne by a playable voodoo priest and warrior, who is cursed to wander the Underworld after his heart was ripped out on…
Anput
Egyptian
Anput is the ancient Egyptian goddess of the dead; the female counterpart to the god Anubis.