User-created list
Names of Woe and Whimsy
Across 7 pages
of 7
Envy
English word name
"jealousy"
We understand the appeal — similar to Evie, a word name — but envy is not a quality you want to incite in your child.
Equinox
Latin
"equal night"
A dramatic nature-inspired possibility for either sex.
Esmeray
Turkish
"dark moon"
Lovers of Esme and Ayla might also like this beautiful Turkish name, with its mysterious, moonstruck meaning. The last syllable sounds like "rye", rather than with ray. A notable bearer was Esmeray…
Evening
Day name
Though this feels like a new invention, people have used day names such as Morning and Afternoon for centuries -- and so why not Evening too? It's a lovely word with an evocative meaning and makes a…
Friday
Hecate
Greek mythology name
"willpower or far-reaching"
In Greek mythology, Hecate is associated with witchcraft and magic. The name may mean "willpower" or "far-reaching". She was often associated with the moon and with storms, making this name a good…
Maude
English and French diminutive of Matilda, German
"battle-mighty"
Maude, also spelled Maud, is a lacy, mauve-tinted name that was wildly popular a hundred years ago, but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose it again,…
Maudlin
Maudlin is an uncommon feminine name with medieval English origins, derived from Magdalene, which refers to Mary Magdalene from the New Testament. Over centuries, the pronunciation evolved and became…
Medusa
Greek
"protect, rule"
In Greek myth, Medusa was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, with live venomous snakes in place of hair and the ability to turn people to stone with just a glance. In later myths, Medusa was…
Melantha
Greek
"dark flower"
The th sound both softens and complicates this Melanie relative.
Morrigan
Irish
"phantom queen"
The mythological Morrigan was the ancient goddess of war, often symbolized by a crow. Besides being a name, this is also used as a proper noun preceded by an article: the Morrigan, defined as a…
Morticia
Fictional invented name
"mortician"
Charles Addams invented the name Morticia for the mother in his cartoon series "The Addams Family." The name comes from the word mortician—very appropriate for this macabre mom.
Malady
Martiza
Misery
Narcissa
Greek
"daffodil"
This Greek flower and mythological choice doesn't make it into the pantheon of possibilities because of its association with narcissism. But narcissa is December's flower of the month, so Narcissa…
Nemesis
English word name
"archenemy"
Why would parents use such a negative word as a baby name? With Nemesis, it seems to be all about style. Nemesis repeats the fashionable -is ending found in girl names such as Genesis, Amaris, and…
Nightingale
Bird name from German
"night singer"
Charming nature name made even more appealing by the connection to iconic nurse and statistician Florence Nightingale.
Nimbus
Latin nature name
"dark cloud"
Nimbus is a new nature name that works for either gender and manages to be both familiar and unique. An evocative and daring nature name for the future.
Nyx
Greek mythology name
"night"
In Greek mythology, Nyx was a powerful goddess and the embodiment of the night, giving this name a dark yet mystical feel. She is often depicted as one of the first deities, an offspring of Chaos who…