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Names with negative meanings
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The names
Ares
Greek
"ruin, bane"
Rooted in Greek mythology, Ares entered the US Top 1000 in 2013, when it was one of the year's fastest rising names. Similar in style to Atticus, Atlas, and Ari, it has continued to climb up the…
Tristan
Celtic
"noise or sorrowful"
Tristan -- known through medieval legend and Wagnerian opera -- has a slightly wistful, touching air. This, combined with the name's popular "an" ending, makes Tristan very appealing to parents…
Mallory
French
"unfortunate"
Early 1980s sitcom ( Family Ties ) name that has been well used ever since, with an upbeat three-syllable sound and a slightly tomboyish edge.
Giselle
German
"pledge, hostage"
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen undoubtedly gave this name a boost. The French pronunciation (jiz-ELLE) gives it a more graceful, balletic, gazellelike feel. In the 2007 film Enchanted , Giselle…
Cecelia
Latin
"blind"
Cecelia, with this spelling, got some recent attention as the name of Jim and Pam's baby on The Office -- and also the name of actress Jenna Fischer's newborn niece. A spelling variation of Cecilia…
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…
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…
Abaddon
Hebrew
"ruin, destruction"
An uncommon biblical name, Abaddon is the name of an angel of abyss in the New Testament. A totally cool name for a fictional character perhaps, though on a child it might be too reminiscent of the…
Achilles
Greek, meaning unknown
The name of the great Homeric hero with the vulnerable heel, Achilles is more popular in its international form, Achille, which is popular in France, Italy, and Belgium. This variation did however…
Ajax
Greek mythology name
"mourner, earth land"
Ajax is the name of two Greek heroes, both who fought in the Trojan war and feature in Homer's "Iliad". Distinctive yet familiar in sound, thanks to similar choices like Jack, Asa, and Ajay, Ajax is…
Antigone
Greek
"worthy of one's parents, in place of one's parents"
In Greek mytholgy, Antigone was the noble and courageous daughter of Oedipus, who acts as his guide after he blinds himself. Antigone is also the eponymous heroine of a play by Jean Anouilh. Despite…
Bellona
Latin
"fighter"
A beautiful name with a combative meaning (from the Latin bellare "to fight"), belonging to a Roman goddess of war. Bellona has never appeared on the SSA list, but it could be an intriguing option…
Blaise
French
"to lisp, stammer"
As modern as it sounds, Blaise is an ancient Christian martyr name. In Arthurian legend, Blaise is the name of Merlin the Magician's secretary. Its relation to the word and name Blaze gives it a…
Brennen
Brennen is a masculine name with Irish and Gaelic origins, derived from the surname Brennan, which means 'descendant of Braonán' (Braonán being a personal name meaning 'sorrow' or 'moisture'). This…
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.
Casimir
English; French, from Polish
"destroyer of peace"
Casimir, a traditional name of Polish kings, could do quite well these days as we see the rise of Caspian, Cassius, Castiel, et. al. Like Leopold and Laszlo, Casimir is strong and worth considering…
Claudius
Latin
"lame; enclosure"
Claudius is one of the most user-friendly of the ancient Roman names – even though it's associated with the villainous character in Shakespeare's Hamlet . But as with feminine form Claudia, the…
Deirdre
Irish
"sorrowful"
Sadly, this strong Celtic name often has "of the sorrows" attached to it because of the tragic character in Irish legend. Also a bit drab when compared with newer Irish imports.
Diggory
French
"Lost one"
This buoyant name has the same bouncy rhythm as Rafferty and Barnaby, but is virtually unused. It has plenty of literary cred, too: characters in The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and Thomas…
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…