90 Best Creepy & Scary Names for Characters

Download Article

Horror content creator Sydney Bermudez provides the scariest names for a little one or fictional character

Co-authored by Sydney Bermudez and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: February 27, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

• For Girls
|
• For Boys
|
• Unisex
|
• Other
|
• Scary Nickname Generator

|Show more |Show less

Boo! Did we scare you? If you love to be scared, what better way to show off your spooky interests than by naming your child (or character) after your favorite horror movie villain or Gothic literature heroine? In this article, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best scary names for boys and girls, as well as plenty of gender-neutral options. Keep reading to find the perfect name for you, with hand-picked options from horror content creator Sydney Bermudez!

Eerie Names for Boys & Girls

Horror content creator Sydney Bermudez says the creepiest names are ones that sound normal at first but become unsettling once you associate them with something dark. Here are some of her top picks:

• For boys: Damien, Cain, Alaric, Lucien, Elias
• For girls: Maeve, Carrie, Raven, Lilith, Iris
• Unisex: Salem, Nyx, Blair, Hallow, Onyx

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Scary Names for Girls

Download Article

1. 
   Pick an eerie but elegant name for a girl. Many creepy girls’ names are inspired by poisonous flowers or characters from Gothic literature. Some of these names may sound unusual, while others are relatively common. Here are some of our favorites:

   • Amaryllis (after a toxic flower)
   • Belladonna (after the poisonous flower)
   • Bellatrix (after Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter)
   • Carmilla (after Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu)
   • Carrie (after Carrie by Stephen King)
   • Dahlia (after the Black Dahlia Murder)
   • Desdemona (after Desdemona from Shakespeare’s Othello, meaning “misery”)
   • Draconia (meaning “dragon-like”)
   • Elizabeth (after Elizabeth Bathory)
   • Elvira (after Elvira, Mistress of the Dark)
   • Hecate (after the Greek goddess of magic and crossroads)
   • Iris (after Iris from Would You Rather)
   • Jezebel (a wicked queen from the Bible)
   • Kali (after the Hindu goddess of time, change, death, and destruction)
   • Lamia (after a child-eating monster from Greek mythology)
   • Laurie (after Laurie Strode from Halloween)
   • Lenore (after Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”)
   • Ligeia (after “Ligeia” by Edgar Allan Poe)
   • Lilith (after the Assyrian demon)
   • Lucy (after Lucy from Dracula)
   • Luna (meaning “moon”)
   • Maeve (meaning “intoxicating”)
   • Maleficent (after Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty)
   • Mina (after Mina from Dracula)
   • Morrigan (after the Irish goddess of war, fate, and death)
   • Morticia (after Morticia Addams)
   • Ophelia (after Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet)
   • Persephone (Greek goddess of the underworld)
   • Raven (after Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”)
   • Rosemary (after Rosemary’s Baby)
   • Samara (after Samara from The Ring)
   • Willow (after Willow Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Sydney Bermudez is a horror content creator and Mexican folklore and urban legends expert. She explores paranormal cases, internet mysteries, and psychological horror, with over 400k followers on Instagram and TikTok.
Advertisement

Section 2 of 4:

Scary Names for Boys

Download Article

1. 
   Choose a dark name for a boy. Many villains from horror movies and Gothic literature are men, so there’s no shortage of scary boy names to choose from. If you prefer, choose a name from religion or mythology. Here are some examples:

   • Alaric (meaning “ruler of all;” a villain-leaning name, according to Bermudez)
   • Asmodeus (the demon of wrath from the Bible)
   • Azrael (the angel of death from the Bible)
   • Bram (after Bram Stoker)
   • Cain (after Cain from the Bible)
   • Casimir (meaning “to destroy peace”)
   • Chucky (after Chucky from Child’s Play)
   • Corbin (a French name for “raven”)
   • Damien (after Damien from The Omen)
   • Dexter (after the TV show Dexter)
   • Dorian (after Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde)
   • Draco (“Drac” means “devil” in Romanian)
   • Draven (after Eric Draven from The Crow)
   • Edgar (after Edgar Allan Poe)
   • Edward (after Edward Scissorhands)
   • Elias (from Goodnight Mommy; a subtle but unsettling option, according to Bermudez)
   • Gomez (after Gomez Addams)
   • Hannibal (after Hannibal Lecter)
   • Heathcliff (after Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights)
   • Ichabod (after Ichabod Crane from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow)
   • Jack (after Jack the Ripper or Jack Torrance from The Shining)
   • Jason (after Jason from Friday the 13th)
   • Jude (linked to Judas in the Bible, one of the Twelve Apostles who betrayed Jesus)
   • Krueger (after Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street)
   • Lazarus (a Biblical figure who rose from the dead)
   • Lestat (after Lestat from Interview With the Vampire)
   • Lucien (meaning “light;” a name with a dark and eerie aesthetic, according to Bermudez)
   • Lucifer (a fallen angel from the Bible, another name for Satan)
   • Michael (after Michael Myers from Halloween)
   • Morpheus (after the Greek god of dreams)
   • Mortimer (meaning “dead water”)
   • Norman (after Norman Bates from Psycho; a classic horror-inspired name, according to Bermudez)
   • Tristan (meaning “sadness”)
   • Tynan (meaning “dark”)
   • Victor (after Victor Frankenstein)
   • Vlad (after Vlad the Impaler)
   • Wolf (after the animal)

Section 3 of 4:

Scary Gender-Neutral Names

Download Article

1. 
   Choose a creepy unisex name. A lot of spooky names will work for any gender. Whether you’re choosing a new name for yourself or prefer a gender-neutral name for your baby, consider an eerie name inspired by nature or your favorite horror character. Here are some examples:

   • Ambrose (meaning “immortal”)
   • Ash (meaning “residue from fire”)
   • Blair (after The Blair Witch Project)
   • Blaze (meaning “flame, fire”)
   • Briar (meaning “shrub, small tree, thorns”)
   • Eclipse (a celestial darkening)
   • Freddy (after Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street)
   • Hallow (meaning “a holy person”)
   • Hemlock (after the poisonous plant that killed Socrates)
   • Jadis (after the White Witch from The Chronicles of Narnia)
   • Jet (after the color jet black)
   • Kestrel (a bird of prey)
   • Midnight (after the middle of the night)
   • Nemesis (after the Greek goddess of vengeance)
   • Night (meaning “darkness, evening”)
   • Noir (the French word for “black”)
   • Nyx (after the Greek goddess of night)
   • October (after the month)
   • Onyx (after the black gemstone)
   • Pennywise (after Pennywise the Clown from IT)
   • Poe (after Edgar Allan Poe)
   • Regan (after Regan from The Exorcist)
   • Ripley (after Ellen Ripley from Alien)
   • Rowan (after Rowan from The Wicker Games)
   • Rue (meaning “bitterly regret”)
   • Sable (meaning “black”)
   • Sage (meaning “wise; cleansing herb”)
   • Salem (after the Salem Witch Trials)
   • Shade (meaning “shadow, shelter)
   • Sidney (after Sidney Prescott from Scream)
   • Storm (meaning “tempest, turbulence”)
   • Tempest (meaning “stormy”)
   • Thorne (meaning “from the thorn bush”)
   • Vesper (meaning “evening prayer”)
   • Wednesday (after Wednesday Addams)
Advertisement

Section 4 of 4:

Other Scary Names

Download Article

1. If you need a spooky last name to pair with your scary first name, or you’re looking for names with scary meanings, we’ve got you covered! Check out these other wikiHow articles for all kinds of unique, creepy names:

   • Scary Nicknames
   • Creepy Last Names
   • Villain Names
   • Dark Boy Names
   • Names That Mean Shadow
   • Goth Girl Names
   • Emo Names
   • Names That Mean Chaos
   • Vampire Names
   • Witchcraft Last Names

Scary Nickname Generator

1. Find a nickname that's truly spine-chilling!

   Ready to embrace your darker side? Whether you're crafting a fearsome character, looking for a chilling gamertag, or just want a nickname that sends shivers down the spine, our Scary Nickname Generator is here to help. Discover names that evoke dread, mystery, and pure terror!

   • Continue with your date?

     Start Over

     Continue

     All fields are optional.

     Theme Pick one or write your own Ancient Apocalyptic Gothic Horror Modern Monstrous Psychological Supernatural Other (write your own)

     A Word or Name to Include

     See ad to

     Generate Names

     Response failed. Please try again.

     Retry

     Try the full generator here.
Advertisement

×

Sign Up to Save Progress

Create a free wikiHow account to save your progress. Come back any time to continue your date or go on more dates. Live out your own love story!

Clicking Sign Up will leave this page. If you want to claim a spot on the leaderboard, do that before you sign up.

Sign Up

Back

×

Start Over

Starting over will delete and overwrite your saved progress. Are you sure you would like to restart?

Back

Confirm Restart

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!