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Names That Mean Death

  1. Heledd
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "pool of salt"
    • Description:

      A beautiful ancient Welsh name, the meaning of which is not entirely clear. It has been linked to the Welsh for salty, hallt or halenaidd. The "th" sound at the end is pronounced like the first sound of "then" (rather than "thin").
  2. Allani
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Description:

      Allani, also known as Allatu, was a Hurrian goddess of the underworld worshipped in the Middle East historically. Allani was associated with the determination of fate.
  3. Thanatos
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Description:

      One mythological name not used for modern babies, Thanatos is the Greek personification of peaceful death.
  4. Keres
    • Origin:

      Greek mythological name
    • Description:

      In Greek mythology, the Keres were female death spirits; goddesses who personified violent deaths and were drawn to bloody deaths on battlefields.
  5. Kellogg
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "pork butcher"
    • Description:

      The Kellogg surname — these days associated with cereal and the Northwestern University business school — has rather grotesque origins. It is derived from the Middle English word kellen, meaning "to kill" or "to slaughter," and hog, "pig." Thus, it was an occupational name for a pork butcher.
  6. Fionnabhair
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Description:

      In Irish mythology, Fionnabhair (Old Irish Findabair or Finnabair) is the daughter of Queen Medb of Connacht and Ailill, whose beauty is exploited by her mother to persuade a long line of warriors to face the legendary hero Cú Chulainn in single-combat. All are defeated and killed, a bloody battle ensues, and Fionnabhair drops dead of shame when she discovers that she has inadvertently been the cause of all the death and destruction.
  7. Shiva
    • Origin:

      Hindu
    • Meaning:

      "benign and auspicious"
    • Description:

      Shiva is one of the principle deities of Hinduism. Shiva is the powerful god of both destruction and resurrection but is also associated as the patron god of yoga, meditation and arts. Shiva's wife is Parvati, the mother goddess of creation.
  8. Sirena
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "entangler"
    • Description:

      Sounds like Serena, but refers to the mythological sirens -- half woman, half bird -- who virtually sang men to death. Not a great role model for your little girl.
  9. Morana
    • Origin:

      Slovak, Macedonian
    • Meaning:

      "brown haired"
    • Description:

      Morena is the goddess of seasonal rites and rebirth worshipped in Central Europe.
  10. Siren
    • Origin:

      Greek, Norwegian, Swedish
    • Meaning:

      "severe, or fair victory"
    • Description:

      The Sirens in Greek myth were nymphs of half-woman, half-bird appearance who lured sailors to their deaths with their song.
  11. Sedna
    • Origin:

      Native American, Inuit
    • Meaning:

      "goddess of the sea"
    • Description:

      The name of the Inuit goddess of the sea, marine animals, and the underworld. There is also a dwarf planet in the outer solar system called 90377 Sedna, discovered in 2003 and named after the goddess because: "Our newly discovered object is the coldest, most distant place known in the Solar System, so we feel it is appropriate to name it in honor of Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea, who is thought to live at the bottom of the frigid Arctic Ocean."
  12. Udell
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "yew-tree valley"
    • Description:

      A secret nature name for boys.
  13. Narfi
    • Origin:

      Norse Mythology
    • Description:

      The name of two figures in Norse mythology: one the father of Nótt, the personification of the night; the other a son of Loki and Sigyn, who is transformed into a wolf (or killed by one, depending on your source). The name may mean "narrow", or possibly "demon of the dead".
  14. Yomi
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "land of the dead"
    • Description:

      The Japanese word for the land of the dead. It's not quite Heaven nor Hell, although it more closely resembles the latter. It's also the name of a video game, which is likely why five baby girls were named Yomi one recent year.
  15. Lachesis
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Description:

      Lachesis is one of the three Fates of Greek Mythology. She and her sisters determined life from birth to death—Lachesis controlled the length of one's life. We think her Roman name, Decima, is more baby name worthy.
  16. Theta
    • Origin:

      Eighth letter of Greek Alphabet
    • Description:

      Theta is the name of the eighth letter of the ancient Greek alphabet, which is also the symbol of death. As such, it has rarely been used as a baby name.
  17. Ive
    • Origin:

      Cornish
    • Meaning:

      "yew"
    • Description:

      Angliziced form of the Cornish name Ia. According to legend, the Cornish saint Ia was an Irish princess who sailed across the sea to Cornwall on a leaf. She was martyred and buried at the spot where the church of St Ives (called Porth Ia - "St Ia’s cove" - in Cornish) now stands. Ive may be an anglicized form of her name or a variant of the masculine Ivo or Yves, "yew".
  18. Velnias
    • Origin:

      Lithuanian deity
    • Description:

      God of the underworld in Lithuanian mythology, known as "the phantom of the dead". He is a one-eyed, prophetic trickster capable of raising whirlwinds and leading the host of the dead through the skies.
  19. Yuta
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "grief; gentle"
    • Description:

      Yuta Okkotsu is a major character in the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen. The kanji used in the Japanese manga give his name the meaning "grief," in reference to the loss of his dear childhood friend, Rika. In practice, men who bear this name use the kanji meaning "gentle."
  20. Mania
    • Origin:

      Feminine form of Manius, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "born in the morning"
    • Description:

      A pretty Roman name, but unfortunately also the English vocabulary word mania. Spelling it Manya would avoid the issue.

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