100 Unique Names That Mean Death
Names have power.
They convey identity, meaning, and sometimes mystery.
Names that mean death are among the most mysterious of names.
At first blush, one may view names that mean “death” or a variation, as heavy or foreboding.
However, many names that reference death or some variation have symbolic meanings of transformation, endings that lead to beginnings, pay homage to or recognize the cycle of life, or reference elements of ancient mythology and spiritual beliefs.
Regardless if you want a name that embraces strength through life’s darkness, a name that refers to respecting ancestors, or just want something with Gothic overtones and are looking for something decidedly uncommon, this list of names that mean death, is likely to provide some names that are uncommon, but also possibly provoke some thoughts and contemplation.
boy names that mean death
Thanatos – Personification of death in Greek mythology
Mara – Sanskrit name associated with death and destruction
Shiva – Hindu god of destruction and transformation
Azrael – Angel of death in Islamic and some Jewish traditions
Mortimer – Old French origin meaning “dead sea”
Jela – African origin meaning “father suffered death”
Achilles – Greek hero linked with death and mortality
Kek – Egyptian god associated with darkness and death
Anubis – Egyptian god of the dead and embalming
Balor – Celtic mythological figure associated with death
Desmond – Can be interpreted as “man from the place of death” in poetic usage
Orcus – Roman god of the underworld and punisher of broken oaths
Claeg – Old English name meaning “one who is associated with death”
Leiche – German origin meaning “corpse”
Admatha – Hebrew name sometimes linked to mourning and death
Sephtis – Persian name meaning “eternal death”
Draven – Modern Gothic name often associated with darkness and death
Cain – Biblical figure associated with the first death
Morituro – Latin root meaning “about to die”
Saulėnas – Lithuanian origin, sometimes linked to funeral rites
Tamas – Sanskrit name meaning “darkness, deathlike stillness”
Yama – Hindu god of death and justice
Nekros – Greek word for “dead”
Tuwile – African (Luganda) name meaning “death has eaten us”
Reaper – Inspired by the Grim Reaper
Noctis – Latin origin meaning “of the night” and symbolizing death
Eresh – From Ereshkigal, goddess of the underworld
Mabuz – Ruler of deathly otherworld in Arthurian legends
Kālaka – Sanskrit name meaning “black, deathlike”
Valko – Slavic origin name sometimes associated with battle and death
Samedi – From Baron Samedi, loa of death in Haitian Vodou
Moros – Greek god of doom and death
Chiva – Khmer origin meaning “death”
Apep – Egyptian serpent deity of chaos and death
Belial – Demon associated with destruction and death
Nergal – Mesopotamian god of plague and death
Halál – Hungarian word for death used as a Gothic name
Mors – Latin personification of death
Todes – German word for death
Kharon – Greek ferryman of the dead across the river Styx
Vritra – Hindu serpent demon slain by Indra, linked with death
Zulm – Arabic origin, associated with darkness and destruction
Onwudiwe – Igbo name meaning “death has passed us by”
Set – Egyptian god of chaos and death
Barlowe – Old English origin, sometimes associated with burial mounds
Dusa – Slavic root word linked with soul and death
Morthos – Invented fantasy name inspired by “mort” (death)
Thaniel – Modern variation derived from Thanatos
Obito – Japanese origin meaning “death” (used in anime culture)
Kalmet – Estonian surname linked with death and cemeteries
girl names that mean death
Mara – Sanskrit and Hebrew origins, linked to death and bitterness
Persephone – Greek goddess of the underworld
Lilith – Mythical figure associated with death and night
Kali – Hindu goddess of death, destruction, and rebirth
Hecate – Greek goddess of magic and death
Morana – Slavic goddess of death and winter
Ereshkigal – Sumerian goddess of the underworld
Achlys – Greek spirit of death and misery
Desdemona – Literary name with a tragic, deathly fate
Levana – Hebrew origin, symbolically linked to mourning
Thania – Derived from Thanatos, feminine twist
Sephtia – Invented name from “sephtis” meaning death
Chiwa – African origin meaning “death”
Yamika – Inspired by Yama, god of death
Nisha – Sanskrit name meaning “night” or symbolic of death
Tamasri – Sanskrit origin meaning “dark death-like night”
Azraella – Feminine form of Azrael, angel of death
Dabria – Invented name linked to the concept of death angel
Samara – Hebrew name that can mean “guarded by God” but also tied to death in modern lore
Zulema – Arabic-Spanish name with a dark, sorrowful tone
Nemesis – Greek goddess of vengeance and death
Calypso – Nymph who traps souls, symbolically tied to death
Melaina – Greek name meaning “dark,” associated with death spirits
Nyx – Greek goddess of the night and mother of death
Tuwile – African (Luganda) name meaning “death has eaten us”
Mortea – Feminine invented name from “morte” (death)
Lethia – Inspired by the River Lethe, associated with forgetfulness and death
Keket – Egyptian goddess of darkness and death
Morticia – Fictional name from The Addams Family, linked with death
Baruna – Balinese name, sometimes tied to sea-death symbolism
Nocturna – Latin-inspired name meaning “of the night”
Vespera – Evening star, often associated with twilight and endings
Apepira – Feminine twist on Apep, Egyptian death serpent
Halala – Gothic-inspired form of “death” (from Hungarian Halál)
Morwen – Welsh name meaning “maiden,” often used in death-themed fantasy
Belladonna – Plant name associated with deadly poison
Calixta – Dark, mysterious name with deathly tone
Velika – Slavic name with dark, divine overtones
Onwuachi – Igbo origin meaning “death is supreme”
Dusana – Slavic origin meaning “soul” or “spirit of death”
Zemira – Hebrew name sometimes linked to grief and mourning
Orphne – Underworld nymph in Greek mythology
Evania – Greek origin meaning “gracious,” sometimes used in death-related tales
Izanami – Japanese goddess of both creation and death
Llorona – Inspired by the legend of “La Llorona,” a ghost mother
Dulcina – Poetic name linked to sorrowful endings
Revena – Modern invented name with dark tones
Circe – Sorceress who lures others to death in Greek myth
Vritraja – Derived from Vritra, symbolic of death and stillness
Shadea – Invented name from “shade,” linked to ghostly spirits and death
