Evil, scary, and creepy baby names

If you like one-of-a-kind baby names, have an affinity for the "supernatural," or you're looking for something with an edge, a little bit of goth, or straight up macabre – pick your poison. The world is your haunted house. Move over, Bobby and Susie. These baby names are not for future teacher's pets.

Scary boy names

Bram

Bram is a nickname for the Hebrew name Abraham, which means "father of many." Bram Stoker, author of the gothic novel Dracula, introduced the world to the infamous vampire, a reanimated, blood-sucking man who lives in a dark castle surrounded by wolves. Stoker's Dracula epitomizes evil, and the name Bram carries on his legacy.

Cain

Cain is a character from the Bible – the firstborn son of Adam. He is said to have killed his brother Abel in a twisted tale of sibling rivalry, thus becoming the first human to commit murder. Subsequently, Cain was cursed to become a restless wanderer of the earth for eternity. Fun fact: The expression "my brother's keeper" comes from the story of Cain and Abel.

Damien

Damien comes from a Greek word meaning "to tame." It also has an irreparable association with the horror film The Omen, whose main character, a boy named Damien Thorn, is the son of Satan. This name was also borne by several Christian martyrs.

Draco

Draco sounds a bit like Dracula, for good reason. It's supposedly derived from the Latin word for "dragon," but "drac" also means "devil" in Romanian. This name is brought to you by the Harry Potter fantasy novel series, which features Draco Malfoy, a school rival of Harry.

Freddy

Freddy, short for Frederick, is the name of the villain in the horror flick Nightmare on Elm Street. The name means "peace ruler," which doesn't exactly describe Freddy Krueger, whose capacity for violence and wickedness has left all who have dared to watch the films terrified for life. This classic nickname has seen use as a unisex name before, but it's commonly used as a boy's name.

Silas

Silas is a possible variant of the Roman name Sylvan, meaning "wood" or "forest," or, some theorize, of the Hebrew name Saul. What we know for sure is that Silas is the name of the unforgettable hit man in Dan Brown's novel DaVinci Code, who is often depicted devoutly whipping himself with a wire chain-like implement, while practicing mortification of the flesh in the name of his faith. Silas is also a villain in the teen supernatural drama series The Vampire Diaries.

Scary girl names

Bellatrix

Bellatrix is a Latin word that means "female warrior." It earns a spot on this list thanks to Bellatrix Lestrange, a villain in the Harry Potter series who tortures and murders in the name of Voldemort, Harry's nemesis. If you're looking for a spooky name that's undercover, Bella is a natural nickname for this dark moniker.

Carmilla

Carmilla is the name of the title character in the gothic novella Carmilla, written by Sheridan Le Fanu in 1872. Carmilla is an aristocratic vampire who preys on and seduces several women in the book. Said to be the original vampire story that preceded Bram Stoker's Dracula by 26 years, the story of Carmilla is credited with inspiring all other vampire stories that followed.

Carrie

Carrie is the titular character of Stephen King's first horror novel. The story, which was made into a film in 1976 and then remade in 2013, is a tale of high school woe and cruelty, and, in the end, extreme violence. Carrie is an awkward, bullied high school student who ultimately is pushed too far in such a graphically bloody way it's impossible to unsee. Likely short for Caroline or Carol, Carrie means "free."

Desdemona

Desdemona translates from Greek as "ill-fated one." If that is not enough explanation for appearing on this list of evil baby names, then consider the fact that Desdemona is the name of the wife who is unjustly murdered by her jealous husband in Shakespeare's tragic play Othello. Conspiracy, deceit, murder – the baggage this name carries is dark and burdensome.

Lillith

Lilith translates from Latin as "of the night" or "night monster." In Jewish folklore, Lilith was Adam's first wife, who was banished from the Garden of Eden for disobedience. Other versions tell of Lilith growing wings and flying away by choice. In mythical Assyrian legend, Lilith is the name of a demon with sinister powers. It's no surprise that many groups of women have embraced Lilith as a symbol of independence and empowerment.

Maleficent

Maleficent has surprisingly risen more than 5,000 spots on BabyCenter's list of most popular names since 2021, with possible thanks to the Disney film Maleficent and Angelina Jolie's depiction of the evil fairy from Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent derives from Latin and means "harm" or "evil." Like many an archetypal villain, Maleficent has a troubled backstory, which explains her wickedness and makes her ever so slightly more sympathetic.

Ophelia

Ophelia is a beautiful name with tragic connotations. Ophelia is a character in Shakespeare's Hamlet, who meets a dark fate when mental illness and grief over her father's murder drive her to suicide. Her name likely derives from Ancient Greek and means "benefit."

Rosemary

Rosemary, while being a beloved, pungent herb, is the name of a fictional character in one of the more iconic, creepy psychological thriller films in history – Rosemary's Baby. In the film, based on a novel written by Ira Levin, Rosemary has an ominous pregnancy before ultimately giving birth to, you guessed it, the spawn of Satan.

Scary unisex names

Ambrose

Ambrose means "immortal," much like a vampire. Stemming from the Latin word "ambrosius," this name shares roots with ambrosia – a mythical food or drink in ancient Greece that was said to make all who ingested it immortal. Considered by some to be on the preppy side, this name's meaning is perfect for those seeking a benign name with a secret dark side.

Jadis

Jadis is the name of the fictional villain from C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. Known as the Queen of Charn and the White Witch, she appears in the first two books: The Magician's Nephew, and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Jadis is part giant, and said to be the offspring of an iteration of the biblical Lilith. Bound by misery and an evil heart, she is responsible for Narnia's eternal winter.

Nyx

Nyx is a goddess and the personification of night in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Chaos and the mother of the gods Hypnos, Thanatos, and Erebus (the personifications of sleep, death, and darkness, respectively). She is reputedly feared by Zeus, the king of the gods. The one syllable, the x-ending (think Bex), and the potential to be a nickname for Phoenix make this somewhat mysterious, dark name, which sounds like "nothing," all the more alluring.

Poe

Poe is a perfect, short, nonbinary name. The surname of macabre writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe, whose poem "The Raven" explores death and loss and opens with the famous line "Once upon a midnight dreary," makes it especially appealing to anyone looking for a gothic-themed name. Poe was also famous for his short stories, including The Cask of Amontillado, in which a man buries another man alive to get revenge for an insult.

Salem

Salem is the name of a town in Massachusetts with a rich history of Puritanism, hysteria, and paranoia toward any woman who practiced what was considered "the devil's magic." The Salem witch trials resulted in 20 women being hanged as "witches" over crimes as benign as using herbs as medicine. At least 200 others were sentenced to jail for practicing "Satanism." These punitive acts have since been proven unwarranted, but the legacy of this New England seaport town lives on through Arthur Miller's play The Crucible and the Salem Witch Museum.