Baby Name Meanings
Names That Mean Death
Across 9 pages
of 9
Berian
Welsh place name
"open plain or burial place"
The meaning of the place name Berian, in Pembrokeshire, is not known, but it may mean "plain" or "burial place". It would make an interesting -ian ending option for lovers of names like Julian and…
Angelos
Greek mythology name
"angel"
Angelos, also called Angelia, is a daughter of Zeus and Hera who angered her mother and went into hiding. She is sometimes identified with the underworld.
Aivar
Estonian variation of Ivar, Norse
"yew wood, archer"
Form of Ivar most common in Estonia.
Bran
Diminutive of Brandon
"broom-covered hill"
A little heavy on the fiber content; we prefer Bram. But Bran is also the Celtic god of the underworld, whose symbol is the raven. It's probably not a coincidence that George R.R. Martin chose this…
Branley
English
"raven meadow"
The suffix Bran is familiar as raven-related since Game of Thrones , and the -ley suffix has been popular since the 1990s heyday of Ashley.
Branok
Cornish
"crow"
Derived from Cornish brano , meaning "crow; raven".
Bronagh
Irish
"sorrow"
Bronagh, along with Anglicized form Brona, is a popular name in Ireland. It's the name of a sixth century mystic as well as a modern television character on Penny Dreadful.
Charon
Greek Mythology
"of keen gaze"
The name of the ferrymen of dead souls to the Greek underworld and the name of Pluto's desolate moon, Charon makes an interesting, if somewhat macabre, choice for a baby. There are two pronunciations…
Charon
Greek Mythology
"of keen gaze"
The name of the ferrymen of dead souls to the Greek underworld and the name of Pluto's desolate moon, Charon makes an interesting, if somewhat macabre, choice for a baby. There are two pronunciations…
Achlys
Greek
"dark mists"
The personified spirit of death mists, the clouding of the eyes preceding death —Achlys also may have been a goddess of deadly poisons.
Bellatrix
Latin
"female warrior"
J.K. Rowling is a modern master of naming who brought a whole constellation of ancient and celestial names to modern parents. Bellatrix, of one of the stars of Orion, combines fashionable names Bella…
Bartram
Scandinavian
"glorious raven"
The raven was a holy bird in Norse mythology, giving this choice some resonance beyond other Bart variations.
Angelia
Greek
"angel"
Angelia, also called Angelos, was a daughter of Zeus and Hera. She stole her mother's anointments and gave them to Europa, then to escape her mother's wrath went into hiding. Angelia's father Zeus…
Erlik
Hungarian mythological name
In Hungarian mythology, Erlik is the god of death and the underworld.
Alter
Yiddish
"old"
Alter was originally used as an epithet for the eldest when in the company of one with the same name. Jewish parents also used it for their sons who were born sickly or after the death of an older…
Eoghan
Irish Gaelic
"born of the yew tree"
Pronounced like Owen, this was the name of several early Irish kings and saints, as well as a celebrated Ulster hero. Often spelled with two 'n's in Scotland, it has been Anglicized as Ewan, Ewen,…
Donn
Irish
"king; brown"
Ancient Irish king of the underworld, so much more powerful than Don.
Atropos
Greek
"inevitable, inflexible"
Atropos is one of the three Fates of Greek Mythology. She and her sisters determined life from birth to death—Atropos determined how one would die and would cut the thread of life. Her Roman…
Dolores
Spanish
"lady of sorrows"
Though it's related to the Virgin Mary, this name was once perceived as the height of sensuality, a role since taken over by nicknames Lola and Lolita. Dolores is one of the many titles given to the…
Dismas
Greek
"sunset"
The name generally given to the "Good Thief" at the crucifixion of Jesus, although he was not actually named in the New Testament. The name Dismas first appeared in the 4th-century Gospel of…