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Gothic Baby Names

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Sun Jun 21 2026
Gothic Baby Names

Gothic baby names relate to the culture that combines horror with romanticism. Gothic can refer to the medieval or the modern; Gothic style encompasses music and architecture, literature and fashion. Names inspired by goth culture are a little shadowy and a lot mysterious, such as Damien and Ophelia.

Along with Ophelia, other Gothic girl names in the US Top 1000 include Luna, Raven, Scarlett, and Zelda.

In addition to Damien, other Gothic boy names in the US Top 1000 include Andre, Jasper, Jett, and Wolf.

Goth names with a distinctly dark image include Lilith, Onyx, Blackwell and Wednesday – (anti)heroine of the hit new Netflix Addams Family reboot. Other names from the series also qualify: think Enid, Vlad, and of course Morticia.

Gothic girl names we love include Nyx, Amethyst, and Jezebel. Gothic boy names that strike the right (or should that be wrong?) note include Lazarus, Bram, and Night.

There are also lots of cool gender-neutral Gothic names. Some prime suspects include Indigo, Zephyr, Poe and Gray.

Names for a goth baby can include those related to goth icons, goth styles, or goth imagery. Here are some boy and girl names that, for a range of reasons, might be considered Gothic.

Baby appropriate? In a dark sort of way...

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Dark Academia Names

  1. Luna

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "moon"

    • Description:

      The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna may be the name most likely to surprise someone from an older generation by its Top 10 status in the US and its widespread international popularity.
  2. Layla

    • Origin:

      Variation of Leila, Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "night"

    • Description:

      A lovely musical name (remember the old Eric Clapton-Derek & the Dominos song?), Layla's seen a significant surge in popularity, partly partly all names with a double L are stylish, and partly because all the forms of the name push it into the Top 15 for girls.
  3. Victoria

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "victory"

    • Description:

      Victoria is the Latin word for "victory" and a feminine form of Victor. It is the name of the ancient Roman goddess of victory, the equivalent of the Greek Nike, and also a popular third century saint.
  4. Rose

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "rose, a flower"

    • Description:

      Rose is derived from the Latin rosa, which referred to the flower. There is also evidence to suggest it was a Norman variation of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis, meaning "famous type," and also Hros, "horse". In Old English it was translated as Roese and Rohese.
  5. Giovanni

    • Origin:

      Italian variation of John

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      Giovanni is a venerable Italian classic that suddenly sounds fresh and cool. Ubiquitous in Italy, it has countless notable namesakes, from writer Boccaccio to designer Versace (nn Gianni).
  6. Jasper

    • Origin:

      Persian

    • Meaning:

      "bringer of treasure"

    • Description:

      Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.
  7. Jett

    • Origin:

      Mineral or word name

    • Description:

      Short, sharp, and cool, Jett is a contemporary choice that connotes both gemstones and jet engines. Rarely used before the 90s, John Travolta, and then George Lucas, helped to put the name on the map by choosing it for their sons.
  8. Daphne

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "laurel tree, bay tree"

    • Description:

      In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollo’s romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. It is from this myth that the plant genus daphne, which contains the laurel species, gets its name.
  9. Ophelia

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "help"

    • Description:

      Floral, elegant, and bold, Ophelia re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts. It has risen more than 700 spots since then and shows no signs of slowing down. Now in the US Top 300, could Ophelia one day become the next Olivia or Amelia?
  10. Lilith

    • Origin:

      Assyrian, Sumerian

    • Meaning:

      "ghost, night monster"

    • Description:

      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. Lilith is unrelated to most other Lil- names, with the exception of Lilita, which is the Latvian variation.
  11. Damien

    • Origin:

      French from Greek

    • Meaning:

      "to tame, subdue"

    • Description:

      Converting Damian to Damien – or Julian to Julien or Lucian to Lucien – adds a certain je ne sais quoi to names. But most people in English speaking areas will still pronounce this the same as the -an ending form. The French pronunciation is more like "dah-mee-u(n)".
  12. Onyx

    • Origin:

      Word name

    • Meaning:

      "gem stone; claw, nail"

    • Description:

      Unlike Pearl and Ruby and more like Jasper, this gem name works well as a boys name. With its strong final X, it feels similar to Alex, Phoenix, Jax, and Rex, while the shiny black quality of the stone feels reminiscent of Orion. Chosen by musician Iggy Azalea for her son in 2020, it has accelerated up the charts and now sits just outside the Top 300.
  13. Andre

    • Origin:

      French and Portuguese variation of Andrew

    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"

    • Description:

      Andre is one of the international forms of Andrew that has been familiar in the English-speaking world for decades without any need to be overly Anglicized - though round the world, it is more likely to be written as André.
  14. Mallory

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "unfortunate"

    • Description:

      Early 1980s sitcom (Family Ties) name that has been well used ever since, with an upbeat three-syllable sound and a slightly tomboyish edge.
  15. Raven

    • Origin:

      Word and animal name

    • Description:

      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 played by Jennifer Lawrence. And there is another Raven superheroine in Teen Titans. Some parents may still choose Raven to signal black pride or mystical powers or maybe even Edgar Allan Poe fandom, but we are guessing most inspiration is coming from the comics.
  16. Dream

    • Origin:

      Word name, English from German

    • Meaning:

      "cherished ambition or hope; thoughts and images experienced during sleep; ideal"

    • Description:

      A whimsical and serene feeling word name, bestowed to reflect the joy and perfection parents might find in their children and the ambitions they have for them. Once a fantastical and celebrity-only feeling option, Dream came into popular usage after Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna chose it for their daughter in 2016.
  17. Scarlet

    • Origin:

      Color name

    • Description:

      The Scarlet spelling makes it less a name, less Gone With The Wind and Scarlett Johansson, and more the bright red color that inspired it in the first place.
  18. Dorian

    • Origin:

      Greek, name of a tribe

    • Description:

      The Dorians were an ancient Greek tribe, one of the three major pre-Spartan tribes. It literally means "of Doris," a Greek district, or "of Doros," referring to the son of Helen of Sparta. Dorian derives from the Greek doron, meaning "gift," along with related names such as Dorothy and Dora.
  19. Eris

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "strife, discord"

    • Description:

      Eris was the goddess of strife and discord, turned fairy tale and then popular culture figure Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty. Ironic, as her name sounds so much like that of Eros, the god of love.
  20. Aura

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "soft breeze"

    • Description:

      Aura is a New Age-y word turned name turned contemporary slang for being cool, confident, and suave. Also associated with ancient mythology, the spiritual "essence" surrounding someone, with the atmosphere, light, or vibe something gives off, and with an oncoming migraine, Aura has a lot going for it — and against it too.

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