Names That Mean Death

God of cattle, earth, and the underworld worshipped in Slavic areas. He is considered the opponent of the thunder god Perun, and is imagined as a dragon-like figure — resembling a cross between a bear and a snake that devours lifestock.

In Hungarian mythology, Erlik is the god of death and the underworld.

A subtle nature name which would nevertheless make for a bold choice, saint’s name Corbinian derives from Latin corvus ("crow; raven"). It’s a traditional yet rare choice in parts of southern Germany, where it’s usually spelt Korbinian.

A name from Irish history and legend, deriving from the Gaelic word for the raven. Uncommon in contemporary Ireland, although the related name Fiachra is a Top 250 choice there.

Atropos is one of the three Fates of Greek Mythology. She and her sisters determined life from birth to death—Atropos determined how one would die and would cut the thread of life. Her Roman equivalent is Morta.

Ashura is an Arabic name used predominantly among Swahili speakers in East Africa. It is traditionally given to baby girls born on the holiday Ashura. The holiday is considered celebratory among Sunni Muslims, but a day of mourning — marking the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson — among Shia Muslims.

The Sirens in Greek myth were nymphs of half-woman, half-bird appearance who lured sailors to their deaths with their song.

Laverna was the Roman goddess of thievery, cheating, and the underworld. The original meaning of her name in unknown, however, there are several theories. One such theory states that Laverna is related to the Latin word for theif, laterniō, while another connects the name to levare, meaning "to lift," as in shoplifting. In the case of the latter, Laverna would mean "goddess of gain".

With Bodhi one of the fastest-rising names, could other concepts from Eastern religions catch on as names too? Moksha can refer to various types of freedom and release, such as from ignorance and from the cycle of death and rebirth.

Queen Hecuba was the legendary queen of King Priam of Troy, mother of Hector, Paris, Cassandra and others. Euripedes' tragedy Hecuba depicts Hecuba's grief over the death of her daughter Polyxena, and the revenge she takes for the murder of her youngest son Polydorus.

The mythological story of Minthe goes that she attempted to seduce Hades, god of the underworld. In an act of revenge, his wife Persephone transformed Minthe into the mint plant. In Ancient Greece, mint was commonly associated with funerals and the afterlife, both for its scent-masking properties and Minthe's connection to Hades.

A pretty Roman name, but unfortunately also the English vocabulary word mania. Spelling it Manya would avoid the issue.

Form of Ivar most common in Estonia.

God of the underworld in Lithuanian mythology, known as "the phantom of the dead". He is a one-eyed, prophetic trickster capable of raising whirlwinds and leading the host of the dead through the skies.

This name has a hauntingly appropriate meaning for its most famous bearer, Pakistani women and children's right activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousefzai. The name itself is derived from the more traditional Malalai, which was the name of a 19th century female Afghan freedom fighter. If you're looking for a soft sounding female name that packs a punch in history and in meaning, Malala is definitely a strong contender.

Unusual and rhythmic, the feminine form of the ancient Greek Makarios or the Latinized Macarius, the name of several saints. The modern Spanish male version of the name, Macario, is used in the US.

Proserpine is the Roman equivalent of the goddess Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld in Greek myth.

Mourning was recorded as a name among enslaved people in 19th-century America, where other names that capture the atrocities of slavehood — such as Suffer, Misery, and Hardtimes — were used as well.

Hela, another name for Hel, is the Norse goddess of death and the underworld. The Hela form has been appropriated by Marvel for its goddess of death.