Black Night And Shadowy Names

Names that mean and/or are associated with the color black, night, darkness, the moon, and all other things that conjure up an image of the night. Bonus: Some names that are associated with the color silver and other dark colors.
  1. Krishna
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "dark, black"
    • Description:

      Krishna is the name of the supreme Hindu god that is still considered secular enough for mortal children and is often found in Hindu families, for both boys and girls.
  2. Perran
    • Origin:

      Cornish
    • Meaning:

      "little dark one"
    • Description:

      Also spelled, Piran, this Cornish saint's name is also a village. Perran is thought to be analogous to the Irish name Ciaran.
  3. Lila
    • Origin:

      Arabic, Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "night; play"
    • Description:

      Lila is one of the girl names with a double l sound — Lila, Lola, Layla, Leila, Lily et al — that have caught on in a major way., Delicate yet dynamic, Lila has a slightly international flair.
  4. Kieran
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little black-haired one"
    • Description:

      Long popular in Ireland and England, Kieran, the name of Ireland's first-born saint and twenty-five other saints, has been building its U.S. fan base thanks to its strong and attractive sound, and its fashionable Irish brogue. While Ciaran is the more authentic Irish spelling, Kieran is more popular this side of the Atlantic.
  5. Cole
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "swarthy, coal black"
    • Description:

      Cole -- a short name that embodies a lot of richness and depth -- has long been associated with the great songwriter Cole Porter. It's quite popular in Scotland.
  6. 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.
  7. Colton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from the coal or dark town"
    • Description:

      Colton is a trendy two-syllable choice, with the popular 'on/en' ending.
  8. 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.
  9. Lyla
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Lila, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "night"
    • Description:

      The Lyla spelling variation has now superseded the original Lila — the former remains on the rise while the latter is consistently falling in popularity.
  10. Blake
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "fair-haired, dark"
    • Description:

      Blake -- an early unisex option -- dropped out of the Top 100 in 2017 for the first time since 1988, but remains a sophisticated choice. And yes, both conflicting meanings of Blake are accurate. It originated as a surname in England derived from a nickname. Much of its masculine image was influenced by the wealthy, silver-haired character Blake Carrington in the massively popular 80s TV series Dynasty. Rosie O'Donnell has a son named Blake.
  11. Sullivan
    • Origin:

      Irish surname
    • Meaning:

      "black-eyed one"
    • Description:

      Sullivan is a jaunty Celtic three-syllable name, with a real twinkle in its eye. It was immortalized in the 1930s classic film Sullivan's Travels and was chosen for one of Patrick Dempsey's twin boys. Nickname Sully is equally jaunty.
  12. Darcy
    • Origin:

      Irish, French
    • Meaning:

      "dark one; from Arcy; from the fortress"
    • Description:

      A favorite in England and Wales, Darcy is a unisex option with delicacy, grace, and strength. Associated with classic literary and courtesy thanks to Jane Austen's hero, Mr. Darcy, and Bridget Jones's Mark Darcy, its image was partly transformed by English ballerina Darcey Bussell, who helped popularize it for girls.
  13. Kiara
    • Origin:

      English variation of Chiara, Italian, Ciara, Irish, or Aboriginal Australian, Korean
    • Meaning:

      "light, clear; little dark one; cockatoo; first ray of sun"
    • Description:

      Kiara can be considered a variation of both the Italian name Chiara and the Irish name Ciara. Chiara is the Italian form of Clara, meaning "bright" or "clear," while Ciara is the feminine form of male given name Ciar, derived from the old Irish cíar, meaning "dark."
  14. Douglas
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "black water"
    • Description:

      Douglas, and more particularly its nickname, Doug, had a real romantic swagger in the 1950s and 1960s dating back to swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks, but today is more likely to conjure up your mom's prom date. Originally a Celtic river name, it became attached to a powerful Scottish clan, renowned for their strength and courage. In its earliest incarnation, Douglas was used equally for girls and boys.
  15. Delaney
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "dark challenger; dark river"
    • Description:

      Delaney has been a popular surname-style choice since 90s, when it joined other Irish surnames such as Cassidy, Kennedy, and Mallory on the US Charts. Buoyant, bright, and cheerful, it ranks in the US Top 250 and is given to nearly 1300 babies every year.
  16. Nightingale
    • Origin:

      Bird name from German
    • Meaning:

      "night singer"
    • Description:

      Charming nature name made even more appealing by the connection to iconic nurse and statistician Florence Nightingale.
  17. Donovan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "dark"
    • Description:

      One of the first of the appealing Irish surnames to take off in this country, this boys’ name has long outgrown its "Mellow Yellow" association, which came via the single from a sixties singer-songwriter named Donovan.
  18. Orpheus
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Meaning:

      "the darkness of the night"
    • Description:

      Name of the legendary ancient Greek poet and musician — whose music was so beautiful it made trees dance and rivers stop to listen — would provide a child with a challenging but indelible identity.
  19. Blake
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "fair-haired, dark"
    • Description:

      The unisex Blake, which indeed has two conflicting meanings, has a briskly efficient image when used for a girl.
  20. Duncan
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "dark warrior"
    • Description:

      Duncan is jaunty, confident, and open, a Scottish royal name that's brimming with friendly charm and makes it into our golden circle of names that are neither too popular nor too strange. Popularity aside, Duncan is one of the most classic Scottish names for boys.