A rare spelling variation of the Norse mythological name Valhalla — the great hall which housed slain heroes who were to fight the battles of Ragnarök.

Tiamat is a goddess of the sea worshipped in ancient Mesopotamia, also seen as the creator goddess in some texts.

Traditional West African name used for daughters born after the death of a parent.

Makaria or Macaria is the name of two figures in Greek mythology, neither of whom have very uplifting stories to inspire a baby name.

In Yoruba mythology from Nigeria, Yewa is a goddess of virginity and death, said to reside in a graveyard.

A beautiful name but with a somber meaning — Naenia was the Roman goddess of funerals and lamentation.

Mourning was recorded as a name among enslaved people in 19th-century America, where other names that capture the atrocities of slavehood — such as Suffer, Misery, and Hardtimes — were used as well.

Nekane is the decidedly modern, upbeat-sounding Basque form of the sorrowful and dated Spanish Dolores. Basque names, largely unknown in English-speaking countries, offer a fresh lexicon of names, and Nekane is one of the more appealing. An interesting update for Nicole.

Ukrainian goddess known to be a temptress spirit. The Mavka is a long-haired figure said to lure men to their deaths

This gender-neutral royal name of Tahiti was inspired by the death of a child from a night cough, not the most positive reference especially in the age of Covid.