Witchy Names

Tempest is one of those names that could go either way. Cool, evocative modern word name? Or asking for trouble? Your call, but if you decide the former image is dominant, be warned that some people will see it as the latter.

The bright yellow weed lends itself to a creative baby name, although we don't recommend the nickname Dandy.

This may be a bit quirky to make it as a name, especially in first place. If you love it, you might try it in the middle.

His nickname would inevitably be Bull.

A rare Finnish name with ties to sorcery and witchcraft.

Disney turned Maleficent into a name in 1959, when it was used for the "Mistress of All Evil" in the film Sleeping Beauty. Prior to that, maleficent was a word meaning "causing harm," the antonym of beneficent. Its similarities to the familiar name Millicent made it an apt choice for the iconic Disney villain.

Astrological name retains a hippielike Age of Aquarius feel.

Glinda is famous as the name of the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz, invented by author L. Frank Baum. but has there ever been a real life, non-fictional Glinda? Not in the US last year. The name may be related to the Welsh Glenda, itself a 20th century invention.

Of all the astrological names —think Leo, Aries, Gemini— Scorpio probably has the most dramatically potent presence, which could prove something of a burden to a young boy.

As a name, it's linked to Sir Mulberry Hawk, a character in Charles Dicken's Nicholas Nickleby.

A lovely compound name created for the film "Oz: The Great and Powerful". In the film, Evanora is the name of the Wicked Witch of the East.

Elphaba was invented by Gregory Maguire for the protagonist of his novel Wicked, which became the long-running Broadway play. Elphaba is the name of the Wicked Witch of the West, unnamed in the Oz books, and is drawn from the initials of Oz creator L. Frank Baum.

Sybilla and its near-identical twin Sibylla are dainty and demure names with a powerful namesake that also happen to be extremely rare -- no baby girls were given either name in the US last year.

An evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament, among other places. It's also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation.

Known more commonly in Medieval legend as the Lady of the Lake and recorded under numerous names, Nyneve is a key character in Arthurian legends.

There's a whole quarry of rocky names parents are now considering: Slate, Flint, etc. , but this one is particularly hard-edged and problematic.

This spice name is typically used for girls, but we see no reason it couldn't join the growing list of gender-neutral nature names.

For basketball fans, in honor of Magic Johnson. Or anyone who believes in magic.

A French surname with a witchy vibe — Marie Laveau was a dedicated practitioner of Voodoo, healer, midwife, and herbalist in the 1800s.