Names That Mean Death

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

A Polish goddess of seasonal rites and rebirth. She is known to be the bringer of death and the symbol of winter, and is the counterpart of the spring goddess — either Lada or Vesna.

This unisex nature name ranks among the most popular girl names in Norway.

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").

When ordering a baby name, hold the mayo.

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

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.

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

The name of the Inuit goddess of the sea, marine animals, and the underworld. There is also a dwarf planet in the outer solar system called 90377 Sedna, discovered in 2003 and named after the goddess because: "Our newly discovered object is the coldest, most distant place known in the Solar System, so we feel it is appropriate to name it in honor of Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea, who is thought to live at the bottom of the frigid Arctic Ocean."

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