Finding unique and meaningful baby names can be a delightful challenge for parents. Names that signify “dark” often carry a sense of mystery, depth, and beauty. Whether you’re looking for a name with cultural significance or one that simply stands out, we’ve compiled a list of boy and girl names that mean “dark” to help you choose the perfect one for your little one.
Boy Names That Mean Dark
- Donovan – Irish origin, “dark-haired chieftain.”
- Blake – Old English, “dark” or “black.”
- Colby – Scandinavian, “dark village.”
- Darcy – Irish origin, “dark one.”
- Emrys – Welsh, “immortal and dark.”
- Jet – English origin, inspired by the black gemstone.
- Nigel – Latin, “dark-haired” or “black.”
- Ciaran – Irish, “little dark one.”
- Adrian – Latin, “dark one from Hadria.”
- Cole – Old English, “coal-black.”
- Sable – French, “black” or “dark.”
- Jettson – Modern, inspired by “jet black.”
- Doyle – Irish, “dark stranger.”
- Brennan – Irish, “descendant of Braonán,” meaning “dark or sorrowful.”
- Orpheus – Greek, “darkness of night.”
- Noir – French, “black.”
- Keiran – Irish, “little dark-haired one.”
- Dustin – Old Norse, “dark stone.”
- Oberon – German, “noble and dark.”
- Moreno – Spanish, “dark-skinned.”
- Ebon – English, “black” or “dark.”
- Caliban – Literary name, inspired by Shakespeare’s “dark” character.
- Ashwin – Sanskrit, “light from darkness.”
- Nash – Old English, “dweller by the dark ash tree.”
- Poe – English, inspired by the “dark” poet Edgar Allan Poe.
- Erebus – Greek, “darkness” or “shadow.”
- Dagger – English, symbolizing “dark” mystery.
- Lorne – Scottish, “dark fox.”
- Shyam – Indian, “dark blue” or “black.”
- Tynan – Irish, “dark one.”
- Baran – Persian, “rain” or “dark clouds.”
- Kohl – Arabic, “dark eyeliner.”
- Dougal – Scottish, “dark stranger.”
- Sullivan – Irish, “dark-eyed.”
- Zephyr – Greek, “west wind and dark air.”
- Achilles – Greek, “dark pain.”
- Mortimer – French, “still and dark sea.”
- Bran – Welsh, “raven,” a dark bird.
- Dariel – Latin, “dark open skies.”
- Mael – Celtic, “chief” or “dark prince.”
- Corbin – Latin, “raven” or “dark-haired.”
- Navid – Persian, “bringer of dark tidings.”
- Lycus – Greek, “wolf of darkness.”
- Leith – Scottish, “dark river.”
- Mervyn – Welsh, “sea lord of darkness.”
- Omari – Swahili, “flourishing in the dark.”
- Darnell – Old French, “hidden darkness.”
- Navarre – Spanish, “dark plain.”
- Ronan – Irish, “little dark seal.”
- Thanatos – Greek, “dark bringer of death.”
Girl Names That Mean Dark
- Lila – Arabic/Sanskrit, “dark beauty” or “night.”
- Melanie – Greek, “dark-skinned.”
- Amaya – Basque, “night rain” or “dark place.”
- Maureen – Irish, “dark.”
- Kiera – Irish, “dark-haired.”
- Lilith – Hebrew, “night” or “dark spirit.”
- Raven – English, “dark bird.”
- Ebony – English, inspired by the dark wood.
- Nisha – Sanskrit, “night” or “darkness.”
- Layla – Arabic, “night” or “dark beauty.”
- Selene – Greek, “moon” often associated with the dark sky.
- Morgana – Welsh, “sea-circle” or “dark enchantress.”
- Charna – Yiddish, “dark.”
- Noira – French, “black” or “dark.”
- Samara – Hebrew, “guardian of the dark.”
- Tamsin – English, “twin of the dark.”
- Adriana – Latin, “dark one from Hadria.”
- Juno – Latin, “queen of the night.”
- Kala – Sanskrit, “black” or “dark.”
- Nyx – Greek, “goddess of night.”
- Zelda – German, “dark battle.”
- Esmeray – Turkish, “dark moon.”
- Malia – Hawaiian, “dark beauty.”
- Eira – Welsh, “dark snow.”
- Sable – French, “black.”
- Duska – Slavic, “dark soul.”
- Tanith – Phoenician, “goddess of the dark sky.”
- Amaris – Hebrew, “child of the dark moon.”
- Sierra – Spanish, “dark mountains.”
- Leila – Arabic, “night” or “dark-haired.”
- Darsha – Sanskrit, “vision in darkness.”
- Aisling – Irish, “dark dream.”
- Celeste – Latin, “dark heavenly body.”
- Ishani – Sanskrit, “dark lady of the night.”
- Miren – Basque, “dark and mysterious.”
- Salem – Hebrew, “peace” often linked to dark mystery.
- Orla – Irish, “dark golden princess.”
- Vesper – Latin, “evening star in darkness.”
- Chandra – Sanskrit, “dark moon.”
- Tara – Sanskrit, “star” in a dark sky.
- Isolde – Welsh, “dark beauty.”
- Anisha – Sanskrit, “dark night.”
- Ciara – Irish, “dark-haired beauty.”
- Elara – Greek, “dark moon goddess.”
- Nerissa – Greek, “dark sea nymph.”
- Morana – Slavic, “goddess of winter and darkness.”
- Velvet – English, inspired by the luxurious dark fabric.
- Zohra – Arabic, “dark flower.”
- Kali – Sanskrit, “dark goddess.”
- Rhea – Greek, “dark flowing stream.”
Unisex Baby Names That Mean Dark
- Ash – Old English, “ash tree,” often associated with dark wood.
- Blake – Old English, “dark” or “black.”
- Cole – Old English, “coal-black.”
- Jet – English, inspired by the black gemstone.
- Sable – French, “black” or “dark.”
- Storm – English, symbolizing dark, stormy weather.
- Shadow – English, meaning “shade” or “darkness.”
- Phoenix – Greek, associated with the mythical dark bird.
- Noir – French, “black.”
- Ebon – English, “black” or “dark.”
- Onyx – Greek, a dark gemstone.
- Raven – English, referring to the dark bird.
- Darcy – Irish, “dark one.”
- Keiran – Irish, “little dark one.”
- Nash – Old English, “dweller by the dark ash tree.”
- Poe – English, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s dark themes.
- Indigo – Greek, “dark blue-purple dye.”
- Cyan – Greek, a dark greenish-blue color.
- Lorca – Spanish, inspired by the poet Federico García Lorca and his dark works.
- Haven – Old English, “dark sanctuary.”
- Frost – English, associated with cold, dark winters.
- Sterling – Old English, referring to something dark and strong.
- Winter – English, inspired by the dark and cold season.
- Shyam – Sanskrit, “dark blue” or “black.”
- Leith – Scottish, “dark river.”
- Dusk – English, “darkness at twilight.”
- Night – English, symbolizing the dark sky.
- Tynan – Irish, “dark one.”
- Rain – English, often associated with dark clouds.
- Baran – Persian, “dark rain.”
- Soren – Danish, “stern” or “dark.”
- Salem – Hebrew, “peace,” often linked to dark mystery.
- Oberon – German, “noble and dark.”
- Vale – Latin, “dark valley.”
- Zephyr – Greek, “dark west wind.”
- Morgan – Welsh, “sea-circle” or “dark waters.”
- Auburn – Old French, “dark reddish-brown.”
- Velvet – English, inspired by the soft, dark fabric.
- Rowan – Irish, “little red-haired” but often associated with the dark rowan tree.
- Marion – French, “dark star of the sea.”
- Briar – English, “dark thorny patch.”
- Quinn – Irish, “wise” with a dark connotation.
- Harlow – Old English, “army on a dark hill.”
- Aeron – Welsh, “dark battle.”
- Ellis – Welsh, “benevolent” but linked to dark myths.
- Jules – Latin, “youthful” with dark undertones in history.
- Erebus – Greek, “darkness.”
- Dariel – Latin, “dark open skies.”
- Lorca – Spanish, referencing the poet’s dark artistry.
- Navarre – Spanish, “dark plain.”
Choosing a baby name with a meaningful connotation can reflect the personality and heritage you wish to instill. Whether it’s the allure of “dark” names or the artistry of “poet” names, let this list inspire your journey in naming your child.