150 Baby Girl & Boy Names That Mean Hell

Hell has appeared in religions, myths, and folklore for centuries as a symbol of punishment, darkness, fire, chaos, and the unknown beyond death. In storytelling and symbolic naming, it is often connected with infernal power, fear, rebellion, and supernatural mystery. That intense imagery is what makes hell-inspired names feel dark, dramatic, and unforgettable.

Below are 150 baby girl and boy names inspired by hell, underworld legends, fire realms, infernal mythology, and dark spiritual symbolism from different cultures and traditions. Some sound haunting and powerful, while others feel ancient, fiery, and deeply mysterious.

Key Takeaways

Names that mean hell often come from underworld deities, mythological figures, and ancient languages. Many of them carry beautiful sounds despite their dark origins. Several of these names are already trending as modern baby names. Cultures worldwide have their own version of the underworld, giving this category enormous variety. A name from mythology often carries a richer story than a name invented yesterday.

Greek Baby Names

Greek mythology gave the world some of the most recognizable underworld names. These names carry thousands of years of storytelling behind them.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Hades	Boy	Greek	“The unseen one”; ruler of the underworld
Persephone	Girl	Greek	“Bringer of destruction”; queen of the underworld
Erebus	Boy	Greek	Primordial god of deep darkness in the underworld
Tartarus	Boy	Greek	The deepest pit of the underworld, below Hades
Nyx	Girl	Greek	Primordial goddess of night; dwelt in the underworld
Achlys	Girl	Greek	Goddess of poison and misery; spirit of the death mist
Charon	Boy	Greek	The ferryman who carried souls into Hades
Thanatos	Boy	Greek	God of peaceful death; minister of Hades
Hecate	Girl	Greek	Goddess of magic and haunting ghosts from the underworld
Styx	Girl	Greek	Goddess of the underworld river of hatred
Erinyes	Girl	Greek	Goddess of vengeance summoned from the underworld
Orphne	Girl	Greek	Underworld nymph; wife of the river Acheron
Moros	Boy	Greek	Personification of doom and impending fate
Eurynomos	Boy	Greek	Underworld daemon who stripped the flesh of the dead
Melinoe	Girl	Greek	Daughter of Persephone; goddess of ghosts and madness

Norse Baby Names

Norse mythology has its own version of hell called Hel, and its underworld figures carry bold, striking names perfect for modern babies.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Hel	Girl	Norse	Goddess and ruler of the Norse underworld; “hidden”
Fenrir	Boy	Norse	Monstrous wolf; child of Loki; bound until the end of days
Surtur	Boy	Norse	Fire giant of the underworld; ruler of Muspelheim
Angrboda	Girl	Norse	Giantess and mother of monsters; “she who offers sorrow”
Nidhogg	Boy	Norse	Serpent gnawing at the roots of the world tree from below
Rán	Girl	Norse	Goddess who dragged souls to the cold underworld sea
Hela	Girl	Norse	Variant of Hel; widely used as a modern given name
Modgud	Girl	Norse	Guardian of the bridge over the river of death
Nastrond	Boy	Norse	“Shore of corpses”; a region of Hel for the wicked
Gjoll	Girl	Norse	The roaring river separating the living world from Hel

Japanese Baby Names

The Japanese underworld is called Yomi, and its mythology produces some quietly beautiful names with deeply dark meanings.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Izanami	Girl	Japanese	Creator goddess who died and became ruler of Yomi (underworld)
Enma	Boy	Japanese	Buddhist god of hell who judges arriving souls
Yomi	Girl	Japanese	The land of night; Japanese word for the underworld
Jigoku	Boy	Japanese	“Hell” in Japanese Buddhist belief; realm of suffering
Shinigami	Boy	Japanese	Spirit of death; god who guides souls from this world
Rasetsu	Girl	Japanese	Demon who devours human flesh in Buddhist hell
Kage	Girl	Japanese	“Shadow”; a name tied to the dark spirit world in folklore
Kuroi	Boy	Japanese	“Black” in Japanese; associated with the dark underworld
Oni	Boy	Japanese	Demonic ogre figure who punishes souls in Jigoku
Kasumi	Girl	Japanese	“Mist”; connected to Yomi’s perpetual fog and darkness

Korean Baby Names

Korean mythology carries its own rich underworld tradition, and several names carry meanings linked to darkness, fire, and the spirit world.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Yama	Boy	Korean/Sanskrit	King of the dead; judge of souls in the underworld
Dokkaebi	Boy	Korean	Goblin spirit who haunts dark places and the afterlife
Haechi	Boy	Korean	Mythological fire-eating beast; guardian against evil
Mara	Girl	Korean/Sanskrit	Demon lord who tempts souls away from peace
Chamsuri	Girl	Korean	“True darkness”; tied to shadow spirits in old folklore

African Baby Names

African cultures have diverse underworld traditions, and many names carry meanings tied to death, transformation, and the spirit world.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Tuwile	Boy	Kenyan	“Death is inevitable”; a solemn name of acceptance
Bacia	Girl	Ugandan	“Family deaths ruined the home”; tied to grief and loss
Oya	Girl	Yoruba (African)	Goddess of storms, death, and the underworld winds
Ogbunabali	Boy	Igbo (African)	God of death who kills at night
Eshu	Boy	Yoruba (African)	Trickster spirit who guards the crossroads to the underworld
Azrael	Boy	African/Hebrew	Angel of death; carries souls to the afterlife
Abimbola	Girl	Yoruba (African)	“Born surrounded by wealth from the spirit world”
Jakuta	Boy	Yoruba (African)	Thunderbolt deity associated with divine punishment
Nyame	Boy	Akan (African)	Supreme sky god with power over death and the afterlife
Kalunga	Girl	Bantu (African)	“The line between the living and the dead”; the spirit boundary

Spanish and Latin American Names

Spanish-speaking cultures connect deeply to Aztec and Catholic mythology, both of which carry powerful underworld imagery.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Mictlan	Boy	Nahuatl/Spanish	The Aztec underworld; realm of the dead
Xibalba	Boy	Mayan/Spanish	The Mayan underworld; “place of fear”
Inframundo	Boy	Spanish	“Underworld” in Spanish; used poetically as a name
Camazotz	Boy	Mayan	Bat god of the underworld; bringer of death and night
Ah Puch	Boy	Mayan/Spanish	God of death and the lowest level of the underworld
Tezcatlipoca	Boy	Nahuatl	God of darkness, the night sky, and the earth below
Coatlicue	Girl	Nahuatl	Earth goddess who swallowed the dead into her underworld body
Itzpapalotl	Girl	Nahuatl	“Obsidian butterfly”; skeletal goddess of the underworld
Xolotl	Boy	Nahuatl	Dog god who guided the dead through the underworld
Miquiztli	Girl	Nahuatl	“Death” in Nahuatl; one of the Aztec day signs

French Baby Names

French and Old French culture produced names rooted in darkness, destruction, and underworld lore.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Malacoda	Boy	Old French/Italian	“Evil tail”; leader of demons guarding the eighth circle of hell
Corbin	Boy	Old French	“Raven”; bird historically tied to death and the underworld
Mortem	Boy	Latin/French	“Death” in Latin; poetic use in French gothic tradition
Naenia	Girl	Latin/French	Goddess of funerals and the dirges sung at burials
Ombre	Girl	French	“Shadow”; tied to the dark spirit world in French folklore
Nuit	Girl	French	“Night”; connected to the realm of the dead in mythology
Malefique	Boy	French	“Evil-natured”; tied to dark spiritual forces
Abysme	Boy	Old French	Ancient word for “abyss”; related to the bottomless pit

Italian Baby Names

Dante’s Inferno gave the world some of the most vivid imagery of hell, and Italian culture carries names from this rich tradition.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Inferno	Boy	Italian	“Hell” in Italian; directly from Dante’s masterwork
Cifarelli	Boy	Italian	“Devil” or “demon” in Italian surname tradition
Plutone	Boy	Italian	Italian form of Pluto; the Roman god of the underworld
Caronte	Boy	Italian	Italian form of Charon; the ferryman of the dead
Virgilio	Boy	Italian	Name of Dante’s guide through hell; “strong/flourishing”
Beatrice	Girl	Italian	Dante’s guide through paradise; “she who makes happy”
Ombra	Girl	Italian	“Shadow”; used in Italian poetry for spirits of the dead

Irish and Celtic Baby Names

Celtic cultures believed in a dark Otherworld that closely mirrors modern ideas of the underworld.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Donn	Boy	Irish/Celtic	God of the dead; ruler of Tech Duinn, the Irish underworld
Morrigan	Girl	Irish	Goddess of fate, war, and the dead; “great queen of phantoms”
Crom Cruach	Boy	Irish	Dark god who demanded sacrifice; deity of the underworld
Arawn	Boy	Welsh/Celtic	King of Annwn, the Celtic underworld
Bronach	Girl	Irish	“Sorrow”; saint whose name is tied to dark waters and death
Niamh	Girl	Irish	Princess of Tir na nOg, the Irish land of the dead
Balor	Boy	Irish	One-eyed god of death and destruction in Irish mythology
Ankou	Boy	Breton/Celtic	“The servant of death”; the last soul of the year who collects others
Cailleach	Girl	Irish/Scottish	Winter hag goddess tied to death, darkness, and the underworld
Fomorian	Boy	Irish	Ancient underworld race of dark supernatural beings

Indian and Hindu Baby Names

Hindu mythology contains detailed descriptions of hell realms, and several names come directly from these traditions.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Naraka	Boy	Sanskrit/Indian	The Hindu and Buddhist concept of hell; realm of punishment
Yama	Boy	Sanskrit/Indian	God of death and the underworld; judge of the dead
Kali	Girl	Sanskrit/Indian	Goddess who destroys ego; rules over death and the underworld
Nirrti	Girl	Sanskrit/Indian	Goddess of death, decay, and the lower realms
Chitragupta	Boy	Sanskrit/Indian	Keeper of the record of all souls entering the underworld
Agni	Boy	Sanskrit/Indian	Fire god; associated with cremation, death, and the spirit world
Shani	Boy	Sanskrit/Indian	God of karma and death who oversees the underworld judgment
Bhairava	Boy	Sanskrit/Indian	Fierce form of Shiva; lord of the dead and cremation grounds
Mahakali	Girl	Sanskrit/Indian	“Great Kali”; the most fearsome dark goddess of death
Nrtta	Girl	Sanskrit/Indian	“Dance of destruction”; connected to Shiva’s death dance

Chinese Baby Names

Chinese mythology has an elaborate underworld called Diyu, ruled by the King of Hell, Yanluo Wang.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Diyu	Boy	Chinese	The Chinese underworld; literally “earth prison”
Yanluo	Boy	Chinese	King of Diyu; ruler of the Chinese underworld
Meng Po	Girl	Chinese	Goddess who makes souls forget their past life before rebirth
Heibai	Boy	Chinese	“Black and white”; tied to the two guardians of the underworld
Yanmo	Boy	Chinese	Alternative name for Yama in Chinese Buddhist belief
Lingqi	Girl	Chinese	“Spirit energy”; tied to dark souls in Chinese folklore
Wuchang	Boy	Chinese	Messenger of death who escorts souls to the underworld
Anye	Girl	Chinese	“Dark night”; connected to the spirit realm in Chinese culture

Unisex Baby Names

Some of the most powerful names carry no fixed gender, making them ideal for parents who want something flexible and striking.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Raven	Unisex	Old English	“Wisdom and prophecy”; bird of death and the underworld
Erebos	Unisex	Greek	Deep primordial darkness that fills the underworld hollows
Asphodel	Unisex	Greek	Flower that grows in the Greek underworld among the dead
Samhain	Unisex	Irish	Festival marking the dead’s return; gateway to the underworld
Chthonic	Unisex	Greek	“Of the earth below”; relating to the underworld deities
Keres	Unisex	Greek	Spirits of violent death who haunted battlefields
Acheron	Unisex	Greek	“River of woe”; the river the dead crossed to enter Hades
Shadow	Unisex	English	The spirit or shade left behind after death
Lamia	Unisex	Greek	Underworld daemon who took the form of a beautiful woman
Omen	Unisex	Latin	“Sign of things to come”; tied to death omens and dark prophecy

Unique and Pretty Names

These names carry dark meanings but sound beautiful and would stand out on any birth certificate without being difficult to pronounce.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Allani	Girl	Hurrian	Goddess who reigned over the shadowy underworld
Sephtis	Boy	Persian	“Eternal death”; a rare and deeply meaningful Persian name
Proserpina	Girl	Latin/Roman	“Bringer of death”; Roman equivalent of Persephone
Tuoni	Boy	Finnish	God of the underworld in Finnish mythology
Calypso	Girl	Greek	Nymph whose name means “she who conceals”; tied to the dark deep
Morrigan	Girl	Irish	Already listed; one of the prettiest names with a dark meaning
Lyssa	Girl	Greek	Spirit of mad rage sent from the underworld
Phobetor	Boy	Greek	God of nightmares who dwelt at the edge of the underworld
Angerona	Girl	Latin	“Goddess of anguish”; Roman goddess tied to silent suffering
Desdemona	Girl	Greek	“Ill-fated one”; a rare name carrying a dark mythological edge
Naamah	Girl	Hebrew	Demon of the night in Jewish folklore; “pleasant” on the surface
Ekimmu	Boy	Mesopotamian	Ghost of a person who died violently and haunts the living
Pazuzu	Boy	Mesopotamian	King of the wind demons who rules the underworld’s lower air
Supay	Boy	Incan	“God of evil death” in Incan mythology
Lilith	Girl	Hebrew	First wife of Adam; associated with night demons and the dark realm

Last Names and Surnames That Mean Hell

Some families choose dark-meaning surnames as given names for a bold, unexpected twist.

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning
Blackwood	Unisex	English	“Dark forest”; associated with the eerie spirit world
Hellman	Boy	German	“Man from Hel”; surname rooted in the Norse underworld
Morano	Boy	Italian/Spanish	Derived from “moro” meaning dark; linked to the dark realm
Dragomir	Boy	Slavic	“Precious peace of the dragon”; tied to serpentine underworld creatures
Mordecai	Boy	Hebrew/Persian	“Servant of Marduk”; connected to death and underworld deities
Hadley	Girl	Old English	“Heather field”; surname variant meaning the dark wild land
Deville	Boy	Old French	“Of the devil”; French surname used as a dramatic first name
Ravenswood	Boy	English	Place name combining the death bird and the dark forest
Grimshaw	Boy	Old English	“Dark thicket”; a surname tied to dark, forbidding places
Nocturne	Unisex	French/Latin	“Of the night”; surname-style name for the dark hours and spirit world

Frequently Asked Questions

Are names that mean hell safe to give to a real baby?

Yes. Many of these names, like Hades, Kali, Morrigan, Raven, and Lilith, are already given to real children worldwide. The mythological or dark meaning does not affect the child’s life negatively.

Which of these names is most popular in real use today?

Lilith, Raven, Morrigan, and Kali are among the most commonly chosen of these names in English-speaking countries. Kali and Yama are widely used in South Asia without any stigma.

Do any of these names have beautiful sounds despite dark meanings?

Names like Persephone, Proserpina, Melinoe, Calypso, Desdemona, Allani, and Angerona are considered genuinely beautiful sounding names that happen to carry underworld meanings.

Are there names from this list that work well as middle names?

Nyx, Hel, Kali, Raven, Acheron, Styx, and Lyssa all work particularly well as middle names because they are short and striking without overpowering a longer first name.

Which cultures have the most names meaning hell or the underworld?

Greek, Norse, Japanese, Hindu, and Mayan cultures have the richest underworld naming traditions, with the most variety of names tied directly to their respective realms of the dead.

Can girls use names listed as boy names in this article?

Many of these names cross gender lines easily. Tartarus, Erebus, Hades, and Mictlan could work as powerful girl names in a modern context, and gender-neutral use of dark mythological names is a growing trend.

Is Lilith a name that means hell specifically?

Lilith does not translate directly to “hell” but is firmly tied to demonic tradition, night demons, and dark spiritual realms in Hebrew and Jewish folklore, making her a strong fit for this category.

What is the rarest name on this list?

Ekimmu, Pazuzu, Modgud, and Chitragupta are among the rarest picks here, coming from Mesopotamian and Hindu traditions that rarely appear in Western baby name lists.