Names That Mean Death

Bronagh, along with Anglicized form Brona, is a popular name in Ireland. It's the name of a sixth century mystic as well as a modern television character on Penny Dreadful.

Superhero names are fit for humans today, and there's no reason Rambo can't take his place among a generation of babies named Loki, Odin, and Atlas.

The name of the god of death and the underworld in Greek mythology is definitely a dark and daring choice. The Roman version Pluto is more associated with the used-to-be planet or Mickey Mouse's side-kick dog.

A highly unusual name in the U.S., Assumpta refers to the Assumption of Mary, the ascent of the Virgin Mary into Heaven before her death in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox doctrine. An intriguing and pious choice for a devout Catholic family — though watch out for those first three letters.

Yuta Okkotsu is a major character in the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen. The kanji used in the Japanese manga give his name the meaning "grief," in reference to the loss of his dear childhood friend, Rika. In practice, men who bear this name use the kanji meaning "gentle."

In Greek mythology, the Keres were female death spirits; goddesses who personified violent deaths and were drawn to bloody deaths on battlefields.

The raven was a holy bird in Norse mythology, giving this choice some resonance beyond other Bart variations.

Meaning "implacable; unceasing", Alecto is the name of one of the three Furies in Greek mythology: deities of the Underworld who were responsible for punishing the crimes of humanity. J. K. Rowling used the name for a Death Eater, Alecto Carrow, in the "Harry Potter" series.

The name of two figures in Norse mythology: one the father of Nótt, the personification of the night; the other a son of Loki and Sigyn, who is transformed into a wolf (or killed by one, depending on your source). The name may mean "narrow", or possibly "demon of the dead".

The name of the ferrymen of dead souls to the Greek underworld and the name of Pluto's desolate moon, Charon makes an interesting, if somewhat macabre, choice for a baby. There are two pronunciations of this name, depending on whether you're referring to the ferryman or the moon. While the Greek version is pronounced with a hard "k" sound, the astronomer who named the moon did not know about the Greek myth - he named the moon after his wife Charlene, so many astronomers pronounce it with a "sh" sound.

With word names, almost anything goes. But maybe not Ghost, unless you're naming a white dog.

The Old Norse word væla, meaning to wail or lament, is the source of the English word "wail" today. Despite the sorrowful meaning, Vaela has a beautiful sound.

A beautiful ancient Welsh name, the meaning of which is not entirely clear. It has been linked to the Welsh for salty, hallt or halenaidd. The "th" sound at the end is pronounced like the first sound of "then" (rather than "thin").

Morena is the goddess of seasonal rites and rebirth worshipped in Central Europe.

The Japanese word for the land of the dead. It's not quite Heaven nor Hell, although it more closely resembles the latter. It's also the name of a video game, which is likely why five baby girls were named Yomi one recent year.

The Roman equivalent of Persephone, making her a goddess of spring, and queen of the underworld. Also spelled Proserpine.

Derived from Cornish brano, meaning "crow; raven".

Nekane is the decidedly modern, upbeat-sounding Basque form of the sorrowful and dated Spanish Dolores. Basque names, largely unknown in English-speaking countries, offer a fresh lexicon of names, and Nekane is one of the more appealing. An interesting update for Nicole.

Think of Yfke as a cooler Yvonne, or a more unusual Eva. The Frisian name is rarely heard beyond the Netherlands.

Irish spelling of Ivor