Names That Mean Death

Shiva is one of the principle deities of Hinduism. Shiva is the powerful god of both destruction and resurrection but is also associated as the patron god of yoga, meditation and arts. Shiva's wife is Parvati, the mother goddess of creation.

Theta is the name of the eighth letter of the ancient Greek alphabet, which is also the symbol of death. As such, it has rarely been used as a baby name.

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

This unusual (to the American ear) unisex name is used throughout Scandinavia and Germany.

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

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.

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").

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.

One mythological name not used for modern babies, Thanatos is the Greek personification of peaceful death.

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

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.

A beautiful name but with a somber meaning — Naenia was the Roman goddess of funerals and lamentation.

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.

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

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 sacred giant tree Yggdrasil or Yggdrasill in Norse mythology is a world tree which supports all else in the universe, including the many different realms. It is said that Odin once hanged himself from the tree as a sacrifice to gain wisdom, which may be where the name comes from – traditionally, gallows were known as the "dead man's horse".

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.