103+ Dark and Brooding Goth Guy Names

Choosing a name is always a process of elimination. When it comes to a good gothic name, you want it to be unusual and memorable, with a touch of mystery that keeps people guessing. That’s why we’ve collected these unique yet usable goth guy names to help you express your inner angst.

Whether you’re expecting your own special bundle of woe, adopting a pet, brainstorming names for a new roleplaying game character, or creating an online alter ego, this list of unique dark boy’s names should get you started down the path of darkness.

Dark Gothic Names

Addis - an Ethiopian name meaning “new,” it has a lot of flair and energy. Would also work as a shortened form of Addison. 

Adrian - this name means “from Hadria,” a region in northern Italy, and it was shared by several early Christian saints and several popes.

Ambrose - from the Greek for “immortal” and “divine.” American writer Ambrose Bierce satirized 19th century society in his famous book The Devil’s Dictionary.

Andreas - this Greek New Testament version of Andrew adds a feeling of dark mystique to an otherwise common name.

Aurick - a Germanic name meaning “noble leader,” its sound is also reminiscent of “oracle.”

Azriel - the name of an angel of death in Jewish and Muslim traditions, this name has a dark, mysterious feel. Also spelled Azrael. 

Bastien - a Spanish short form of Sebastien, after the martyred saint immortalized in art.

Blaise - In the Catholic tradition, St. Blaise is the patron saint of the throat.

Blake - an old English name meaning “black” or “dark.”

Casimir - a Latinized Polish name that means “destroyer of peace.”

Ciaran - this Irish name means “dark.” 

Cillian - an Irish name meaning “war” or “strife.” Alternatively spelled Killian.

Dearil - a Scottish name that means “call of death.”

Donovan - from the Irish for “dark warrior,” a bringer of darkness.

Dragan - a south Slavic name meaning “beloved.”

Elias - a Hellenized form of the name Elijah, a biblical prophet.

Enoch - the biblical Book of Enoch deals with ancient Jewish mysticism, making this the perfect goth biblical name.

Ephai - derived from Hebrew, this name means “gloomy.”

Iblis - from the Arabic for “enemy,” this name refers to the devil in the Islamic tradition.

Idris - this stylish Arabic name means “intelligent” and “studious.”

Judas - the New Testament’s greatest villain, Judas was the apostle who sold Jesus out to the Romans. 

Keir - Gaelic for “dark one” or “dark haired.”

Lucien - this French name is derived from the Latin word for “light,” but it still has a dark allure.

Malachi - this name means “messenger of God” in Hebrew, and it has a dark biblical feel.

Maxim - a Slavic take on the Latin Maximus, meaning “greatness.” It can also be spelled Maksim.

Midian - a biblical name meaning “strife” in Hebrew, it’s also the name of the mystical city of misunderstood monsters in Clive Barker’s movie Nightbreed.

Omen - a gothic name that evokes mystery and dark prophecies.

Otieno - an African name meaning “born at night.”

Samael - from Hebrew, Samael is one of the angels of death.

Sander - a variant of Alexander used in parts of northern Europe. 

Shyam - from Sanskrit for “dark,” “blue,” or “black,” this is another name for Lord Krishna.

Stellan - a Norse name meaning “calm” and “peaceful,” it also evokes stars in a clear night sky.

Sullivan - from the Irish for “dark eyed.” 

Taras - a Ukrainian name meaning “rebellious,” after the Greek St. Tarasios.

Vadim - this Slavic name means “accuser” or “to argue.”

Xander - a Greek name meaning “defender of men,” this is a shortened form of Alexander. Can also be spelled Zander.

Zoren - a Slavic name associated with dawn, it has a cool sound and a sense of mystique.

Male Goth Names from Literature

Aleister - after Aleister Crowley, the renowned British occultist of the early 20th century.

Bram - after Bram Stoker, the Irish author who published Dracula.

Byron - Lord Byron was a British Romantic poet with a twisted reputation, known for his tortured, brooding heroes.

Caspian - after Prince Caspian from C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, as well as the Caspian Sea.

Dante - Dante’s medieval poem Inferno tells the epic story of a journey through hell. 

Dorian - in Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, his portrait showed the corruption of his soul.

Edgar - you can’t get much more goth than Edgar Allan Poe, writer of “The Raven” and “The Telltale Heart,” among other spooky literary works. 

Hawthorne - American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote many dark, unsettling tales in the mid 19th century.

Horace - an ancient Roman poet, Horace was known for his lyrics and odes.

Lucan - a Roman poet renowned for his epic verses who was killed by Nero at age 25.

Omar - from the Arabic for “eloquent” and “flourishing,” this name was made famous by Persian poet Omar Khayyam, whose Rubaiyat urges readers to seize the day–because death is always at hand.

Ovid - the famous Roman poet whose book Metamorphoses tells the stories of many myths.

Soren - after Soren Kierkegaard, the early existentialist philosopher who pondered the dark side of faith and wrote the book Fear and Trembling.

Stoker - show off your Dracula fandom with this reference to its author. 

Titus - Titus Andronicus is Shakespeare’s goriest play, and the name of its title character has an imposing Roman feel.

Victor - this name references Victor Frankenstein, a classic figure in gothic literature.

Virgil - the renowned ancient Roman poet who wrote the Aeneid, he was Dante’s guide through hell in the Inferno.

Male Goth Names from History & Mythology

Acheron - the guardian of the river leading to the land of the dead in Greek mythology.

Aeneas - the ancient Trojan hero of the Aeneid who fled to Italy and became an ancestor of Rome.

Alaric - a Germanic king who challenged the Roman Empire.

Cain - in the biblical tradition, he committed the first murder when he killed his brother Abel.

Cassius - one of the Roman senators who conspired against Caesar. 

Clovis - an early French king of the Merovingian dynasty.

Darius - from Darius the Great, the ancient Persian king who ruled a vast empire stretching over West and Central Asia.

Griffin - a surprisingly cute name for a creature that is a mythical hybrid of a lion and an eagle.

Hadrian - the Roman emperor whose wall across northern England marked the northern boundary of the empire.

Isidro - from San Isidro, the patron saint of Madrid, this Spanish name derives from the Greek for “gift of Isis.”

Orion - a hunter in Greek mythology, immortalized as a constellation.

Tristan - a name meaning “sorrowful” in Welsh. One of the famous doomed lovers in the tale Tristan and Isolde.

Xerxes - the Persian king who fought the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae.

Goth Guy Names from Pop Culture

Blade - a vampire hunter with a sword and a black leather trench coat is an excellent gothic namesake.

Constantine - after the demon-fighting Hellblazer comic book character John Constantine.

Crowley - after the easygoing demon who teams up with an angel in the book and TV series Good Omens.

Damian - the little boy who is actually the antichrist in the movie The Omen.

Edward - its associations with Twilight are inescapable, but this name has a refined, old-fashioned quality that makes it perfect for Victorian goths.

Hannibal - the name might originate with the North African general who crossed the Alps to attack Rome, but it’s always going to be associated with everyone’s favorite cannibal psychiatrist, Hannibal Lecter.

Morpheus - the King of Dreams in the Sandman series of graphic novels. Also Neo’s guide to awakening in the movie The Matrix.

Rogue - although it comes from a female X-Men character, this would be a very cool unisex goth name.

Salem - the town in Massachusetts where an episode of mass hysteria led to 20 people being executed for witchcraft in the 1690s.

Severus - from the character Severus Snape in Harry Potter. For a less obvious take, try the Latin-derived Severin.

Snake - Snake Plissken is the eyepatch-wearing hero of Escape from New York (and L.A.), played by Kurt Russell. 

Trent - after Trent Reznor, singer of the influential industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. 

Vincent - Vincent Price was a fixture of classic horror movies of the 1950s and ‘60s.

Goth Male Names from Nature

Adder - an archaic English term for a venomous snake. 

Albion - a Celtic word meaning “rock” or “crag,” and an old poetic term for England.

Ash - of the ash tree, perfect for shadowy woodlands.

Briar - an English term for a patch of thorny bushes or weeds.

Chandra - a Sanskrit name that means “moon.”

Corbin - from the French word corbeau, or “raven.” A subtle goth name that’s still unique.

Ember - a warm and comforting name evoking nights by the fire.

Hart - an old English word for a young deer. Made notable by the tragic 20th-century poet Hart Crane.

Hawk - this sturdy, versatile name comes from the bird of prey. Deputy Hawk from Twin Peaks is one notable bearer. 

Heath - an old English word for a deserted field.

Jasper - a golden-brown gemstone renowned for its grounding properties.

Leonel - a Spanish, French, and Portuguese form of Lionel, meaning “young lion.” 

Nox - from the Latin for “night,” this is a cute goth boy’s name with an edge.

Nyoka - from the Swahili word for “snake.”

Oren - a name meaning “pine tree,” derived from Hebrew.

Rain - a simple gothic nature name with a sense of poetic melancholy.

River - a beautiful unisex nature name with soothing energy. Try Rivers for an interesting variation.

Sard - a type of dark red-brown gemstone similar to carnelian.

Silas - a name derived from a Greek term meaning “of the woods.”

Sher - this striking name from Persian and Sanskrit means “lion” or “tiger.”

Stone - a masculine nature name with simplicity and power.

Thorn - a spiky nature name with a soft, pleasing sound. Can also be spelled Thorne. 

Torrance - from an Irish word for “little hills.”

Vale - an old English word for “valley” evoking mist-shrouded streams and hillsides.

Wolf/Wolfe - a classic nature name with a distinguished air.