Names meaning “criminal” carry a dark, edgy power — they speak of outlaws, rebels, and those who live outside the rules of society. Whether drawn from mythology, history, or language, these names carry an undeniable intensity that makes them compelling choices for fiction, storytelling, or bold parents who want a name with an edge.
From Latin and Greek to Japanese and Arabic, each name here holds a direct or close connection to the idea of a criminal, outlaw, thief, lawbreaker, or wrongdoer. These names suit antiheroes, dark fiction characters, and anyone drawn to the untamed side of naming.
Boy Names That Mean Criminal
Rogue
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Criminal / dishonest wanderer / outlaw
- Description: A bold English name for a dishonest, wandering criminal — someone who operates entirely outside the law.
Bandit
- Origin: Italian / English
- Meaning: Outlaw / criminal / one who is banned
- Description: From Italian “bandito” (one who is banned/outlawed), Bandit is a raw, striking masculine name for a lawbreaker.
Caino
- Origin: Italian / Hebrew
- Meaning: Criminal / murderer (from Cain)
- Description: The Italian form of Cain — the biblical figure who committed the first murder, making this name synonymous with criminality.
Kain
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Murderer / criminal / one who kills
- Description: A variant of Cain, the first criminal in biblical tradition — a name carrying the full weight of transgression.
Rufian
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Ruffian / criminal / violent lawbreaker
- Description: From Spanish “rufián” (ruffian, criminal), a sharp masculine name for someone rough and outside the law.
Malefactor
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Wrongdoer / criminal / one who does evil
- Description: Directly from Latin “malefactor” — the classical word for a criminal or evildoer, powerful in its directness.
Nocens
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Guilty / criminal / one who causes harm
- Description: The Latin word for guilty or harmful — a crisp, ancient name for someone legally and morally culpable.
Reus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Criminal / defendant / the guilty one
- Description: The precise Latin legal term for a criminal or defendant — a sharp, minimal name with deep Roman law roots.
Sceleratus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Villain / criminal / wicked person
- Description: A Roman Latin name meaning a wicked, villainous criminal — someone guilty of serious crimes.
Latro
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Bandit / criminal / highway robber
- Description: The classical Latin word for a bandit or criminal — used in Roman law for those who robbed and pillaged.
Fur
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Thief / criminal
- Description: The Latin word for thief — simple, stark, and direct in its criminality.
Praedon
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Plunderer / criminal / pirate
- Description: From Latin “praedo” (plunderer, pirate, criminal) — a name for someone who takes by force outside the law.
Facinoros
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Criminal / villainous / guilty of heinous acts
- Description: From Latin “facinorosus” — one guilty of great crimes, a deeply criminal name from classical Roman usage.
Nocivos
- Origin: Latin / Spanish
- Meaning: Harmful / criminal / one who causes damage
- Description: A Latin-rooted name meaning someone who causes harm — legally and morally a criminal figure.
Kriminell
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Criminal
- Description: The direct German word for criminal — stark, modern, and unmistakably tied to lawbreaking.
Verbrecher
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Criminal / offender / lawbreaker
- Description: The German word for a criminal or offender — a heavy, forceful name rooted in the idea of breaking the law.
Zločinec
- Origin: Slavic / Czech
- Meaning: Criminal / evildoer
- Description: A Slavic name directly meaning a criminal or evildoer — sharp and uncommon in English-speaking contexts.
Kaito (怪盗)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Mysterious thief / phantom criminal
- Description: A Japanese name meaning a phantom or mysterious thief — romanticized in Japanese culture as a gentleman criminal.
Touzoku (盗賊)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Thief / bandit / criminal
- Description: The Japanese word for a thief or bandit — a name tied directly to criminal identity in Japanese language and lore.
Hannin (犯人)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Criminal / perpetrator / offender
- Description: The direct Japanese word for a criminal or perpetrator — used in crime fiction and mystery as the word for the culprit.
Outlaw
- Origin: Old English / Old Norse
- Meaning: One outside the law / criminal
- Description: From Old Norse “útlagi” — someone placed outside the protection of the law entirely, the ultimate criminal status.
Felon
- Origin: Old French / Latin
- Meaning: Criminal / wicked person / one guilty of a felony
- Description: From Old French “felon” (wicked, criminal) — a direct name for someone who has committed serious crimes.
Girl Names That Mean Criminal
Rogue
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Criminal / outlaw / dishonest wanderer
- Description: A fierce, gender-defying English name for a criminal who operates outside all rules and social structures.
Bandita
- Origin: Italian / Spanish
- Meaning: Female outlaw / criminal / banned woman
- Description: The feminine form of “bandito” — a bold, dramatic name for a woman who is outlawed and lives as a criminal.
Ladra
- Origin: Italian / Latin
- Meaning: Thief / female criminal
- Description: The Italian feminine word for “thief” — a sharp, distinctive name for a woman defined by criminal identity.
Lestra
- Origin: Latin (derived)
- Meaning: Female criminal / lawbreaker
- Description: A feminine Latin-derived name rooted in the tradition of “latro” (bandit), adapted as a rare feminine form.
Malefica
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Female criminal / evildoer / one who does harm
- Description: The Latin feminine form of “malefactor” — a woman who commits crimes and causes harm, deeply rooted in Roman legal tradition.
Rea
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Guilty / female criminal / the accused
- Description: The feminine form of “reus” — the Latin legal term for a female criminal or defendant.
Scelesta
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Wicked / criminal woman / villainous
- Description: The feminine Latin form of “sceleratus” — a woman guilty of serious wickedness and crime.
Noxia
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Guilty / harmful / female criminal
- Description: From Latin “noxius” (harmful, guilty) — a precise feminine name for a woman who has committed crimes.
Nocente
- Origin: Latin / Italian
- Meaning: Guilty one / female criminal
- Description: The Italian feminine form of the Latin “nocens” — a woman who is guilty and criminally culpable.
Verbrecherin
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Female criminal / offender / lawbreaker
- Description: The German feminine word for a criminal or offender — raw, direct, and powerful in its meaning.
Diebin
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Female thief / criminal
- Description: The German feminine word for a thief — a sharp, uncommon name rooted in criminal identity.
Täterin
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Female perpetrator / criminal / offender
- Description: The German feminine word for a perpetrator or criminal — used in law and crime to denote the female culprit.
Hannin (犯人)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Criminal / perpetrator / offender
- Description: A gender-neutral Japanese word for criminal — used equally for female culprits in Japanese crime fiction and law.
Nusubito (盗人)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Thief / female criminal
- Description: The Japanese word for thief, applied as a name for a woman with a criminal, shadow-dwelling identity.
Delincuenta
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Female delinquent / criminal / lawbreaker
- Description: The Spanish feminine word for a delinquent or criminal — bold and unmistakably tied to lawbreaking.
Malvada
- Origin: Spanish / Portuguese
- Meaning: Wicked / criminal / evil woman
- Description: A Spanish and Portuguese name meaning wicked or evil — used for women who commit crimes and transgress all moral laws.
Criminelle
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Female criminal / woman outside the law
- Description: The French feminine word for a criminal — elegant yet dark, in the way only French words can manage.
Scélérate
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Female villain / criminal woman / wicked
- Description: The French feminine form for a wicked, criminal woman — used in classical French literature for female wrongdoers.
Briganta
- Origin: Latin / Italian
- Meaning: Female brigand / criminal / outlaw woman
- Description: The feminine form of “brigand” — a female criminal who lives by robbery and outlawry.
Kaitou (怪盗)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Phantom thief / female criminal mastermind
- Description: A Japanese name for a phantom female thief — a romanticized criminal figure celebrated in Japanese manga and fiction.
Ladrona
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Female thief / criminal woman
- Description: The Spanish feminine word for a thief — direct, fierce, and rooted in criminal identity.
Fuyona (不良な)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Delinquent / criminal / bad girl
- Description: A Japanese feminine name rooted in “furyou” (delinquent, criminal) — used for women who break rules and laws.
Unisex Names That Mean Criminal
Outlaw
- Origin: Old English / Old Norse
- Meaning: One outside the law / criminal
- Description: A fierce, gender-neutral name for someone placed entirely outside the protection and rules of law.
Renegade
- Origin: Spanish / Latin
- Meaning: Deserter / criminal / one who betrays the law
- Description: From Spanish “renegado” — someone who abandons their allegiance and becomes a criminal or deserter.
Rebel
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: One who opposes the law / criminal insurgent
- Description: From Latin “rebellis” — someone who rises against authority, often crossing into criminal territory.
Transgressor
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: One who crosses the line / criminal
- Description: From Latin “transgressus” — one who crosses legal and moral boundaries, the definition of a criminal.
Culprit
- Origin: Old French / Latin
- Meaning: Guilty one / criminal / the accused
- Description: From Old French legal language — the person found guilty of a crime, directly tied to criminal identity.
Kaito (怪盗)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Phantom thief / mysterious criminal
- Description: A beloved Japanese name for a phantom thief — a criminal who operates in shadow and mystery.
Nocens
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Guilty / criminal / harmful one
- Description: The Latin word for a guilty, harmful person — precise and powerful as a gender-neutral name.
Furyou (不良)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Delinquent / criminal / bad person
- Description: The Japanese word for a delinquent or criminal — someone who has gone bad and broken from social norms.
Hannin (犯人)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Criminal / perpetrator / culprit
- Description: The most direct Japanese word for a criminal — used universally in Japanese law and crime fiction.
Malus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Bad / evil / criminal
- Description: The Latin word for “bad” or “evil” — applied in Roman law to those of criminal character.
Latro
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Bandit / criminal / robber
- Description: The classical Latin word for a bandit or criminal — a compact, powerful gender-neutral name.
Brigand
- Origin: Old French / Italian
- Meaning: Criminal / outlaw / robber
- Description: From Old French “brigand” — an armed criminal who lives by robbery and lives outside the law.
Dieb
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Thief / criminal
- Description: The German word for thief — stark, minimal, and directly rooted in criminal identity.
Kriminell
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Criminal
- Description: The direct German adjective for criminal — sharp, modern, and unmistakably tied to lawbreaking.
Malfaiteur
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Criminal / evildoer / malefactor
- Description: The French word for a criminal or malefactor — elegant in sound yet dark in meaning.
Delinquent
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: One who fails in duty / criminal / lawbreaker
- Description: From Latin “delinquere” (to fail, to offend) — a gender-neutral name for someone who breaks rules and commits crimes.
Scoundrel
- Origin: Unknown / English
- Meaning: Criminal / dishonest person / rogue
- Description: An English name for a dishonest criminal rogue — vivid, old-fashioned, and full of character.
Ruffian
- Origin: Italian / English
- Meaning: Violent criminal / rough lawbreaker
- Description: From Italian “ruffiano” — a violent, rough criminal who lives by intimidation and force.
Vagabond
- Origin: Latin / French
- Meaning: Wandering criminal / outlaw without home
- Description: From Latin “vagabundus” — someone who wanders without roots, often outside the law by definition.
Pirate
- Origin: Latin / Greek
- Meaning: Criminal of the sea / plunderer / outlaw
- Description: From Greek “peirates” (one who attacks) — the ultimate criminal outlaw, owing allegiance to no law or nation.
Japanese Names That Mean Criminal
Hannin (犯人)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Criminal / perpetrator / the guilty one
- Description: The most direct and common Japanese word for a criminal — the culprit, the one who committed the crime.
Kaito (怪盗)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Phantom thief / mysterious criminal
- Description: A romanticized Japanese name for a phantom criminal thief — famous in manga, anime, and Japanese pop culture.
Touzoku (盗賊)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Thief / bandit / criminal
- Description: The Japanese word for a thief or bandit — a name deeply tied to the outlaw tradition in Japanese history.
Nusubito (盗人)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Thief / criminal / one who steals
- Description: A classical Japanese word for a thief — used in historical Japanese literature for criminal figures.
Furyou (不良)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Delinquent / criminal / bad person
- Description: The Japanese term for a juvenile delinquent or criminal — someone who has gone bad and broken from society.
Akutou (悪党)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Villain / criminal / evildoer
- Description: A Japanese name meaning a wicked criminal or villain — used for major wrongdoers in Japanese storytelling.
Warumono (悪者)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Bad person / criminal / wrongdoer
- Description: A Japanese name literally meaning “bad person” or “criminal” — direct and unflinching in its meaning.
Hanzaisha (犯罪者)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Criminal / offender / lawbreaker
- Description: The formal Japanese word for a criminal or offender — used in law, news, and official contexts for someone who has broken the law.
Hanzai (犯罪)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Crime / criminal act
- Description: The Japanese word for “crime” itself — used as a name evoking the criminal world and dark underworld of Japan.
Teki (敵)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Enemy / criminal opponent / adversary
- Description: A Japanese name for an enemy or criminal adversary — someone who stands against order and society.
Akkan (悪漢)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Villain / criminal / scoundrel
- Description: A Japanese name for a criminal scoundrel or villain — a man of dark deeds and criminal intent.
Dorobo (泥棒)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Thief / criminal / robber
- Description: The most common Japanese word for a thief or robber — a direct name tied to criminal identity.
Mazoku (魔族)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Demon tribe / criminal clan / dark faction
- Description: A Japanese name for a demonic or criminal faction — a group outside the law and society entirely.
Kuroyami (暗闇)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Darkness / criminal shadow / hidden from law
- Description: A Japanese name meaning deep darkness — the shadow world where criminals hide and operate.
Kage (影)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Shadow / hidden criminal / one who operates unseen
- Description: A Japanese name for a shadow — the stealth and invisibility that defines the skilled criminal.
Shinobi (忍び)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: One who hides / stealth criminal / shadow operative
- Description: A Japanese name for a hidden operative — someone who moves in shadow, outside the law, operating as a criminal agent.
Yamiuchi (闇討ち)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Sneak attack / criminal act in darkness
- Description: A Japanese name for a criminal who attacks from darkness — the ultimate shadow criminal.
Akuji (悪事)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Evil deed / criminal act
- Description: A Japanese name meaning wicked or criminal deeds — for someone defined by their criminal actions.
Ranshakou (乱者)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Troublemaker / criminal disruptor
- Description: A Japanese name for someone who causes chaos and disruption — a criminal who breaks the order of society.
Kurohoshi (黒星)
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Black star / criminal mark / mark of guilt
- Description: A Japanese name for a “black mark” — the mark of criminal guilt placed on someone’s record.
Latin Names That Mean Criminal
Reus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Criminal / defendant / the guilty one
- Description: The precise Roman legal term for a criminal or defendant — minimal, powerful, and direct from classical law.
Latro
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Bandit / highway robber / criminal
- Description: The classical Latin word for a bandit or criminal — used widely in Roman law for outlaws and robbers.
Malefactor
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Wrongdoer / criminal / one who does evil
- Description: The direct Latin term for a criminal evildoer — from “male” (badly) and “factor” (doer) — one who does wrong.
Nocens
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Guilty / harmful / criminal
- Description: The Latin present participle of “nocere” (to harm) — meaning a guilty, harmful, criminal person.
Sceleratus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Villain / criminal / wicked person
- Description: A Roman name for someone guilty of serious crimes — “sceleratus” is the Latin for a profoundly criminal individual.
Noxius
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Harmful / guilty / criminal
- Description: From Latin “noxius” — someone harmful and guilty of crimes, directly tied to Roman legal concepts of criminality.
Fur
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Thief / criminal
- Description: The precise, single-syllable Latin word for a thief — powerful in its stark simplicity.
Praedo
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Plunderer / pirate / criminal
- Description: The Latin word for a plunderer or pirate — someone who takes by criminal force outside any law.
Facinorosus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Criminal / villainous / guilty of great crimes
- Description: A Roman legal term for someone guilty of heinous crimes — one of the strongest words for a criminal in classical Latin.
Sicarius
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Assassin / criminal killer / one who uses a blade
- Description: The Roman term for an assassin or hired criminal killer — from “sica” (a short curved blade).
Latro Magnus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Great bandit / major criminal
- Description: A compound Latin name meaning a great or major criminal — used in Roman texts for the most serious outlaws.
Raptus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Kidnapper / criminal / one who seizes by force
- Description: From Latin “rapere” (to seize) — a criminal who takes by force, one of the most serious crimes in Roman law.
Venenosus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Poisoner / criminal / one who uses poison
- Description: A Latin name for a poisoner — one of the most feared categories of criminal in ancient Rome.
Percussor
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Assassin / criminal striker / hired killer
- Description: The Latin word for an assassin or hired criminal killer — used in Roman political life for those who committed murder for pay.
Transgressor
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: One who crosses the line / criminal / lawbreaker
- Description: From Latin “transgressus” — one who crosses legal and moral boundaries, the very definition of a criminal.
Deliquens
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Offender / criminal / one who fails in duty
- Description: From Latin “delinquere” (to offend, to fail) — the direct root of the word “delinquent,” meaning a criminal offender.
Scelus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Crime / criminal act / wickedness
- Description: The Latin word for crime itself — used as a name evoking the full weight of criminal identity and action.
Deprehensus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Caught / apprehended criminal
- Description: A Latin name meaning “the one who was caught” — a criminal caught in the act, the apprehended wrongdoer.
Peccator
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Sinner / criminal / one who transgresses
- Description: From Latin “peccare” (to sin, to offend) — a name for a moral and legal transgressor, a criminal in every sense.
Sontes
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: The guilty / criminals / wrongdoers
- Description: A Latin plural name meaning “the guilty ones” — used in Roman law for those found criminally responsible.
Arabic Names That Mean Criminal
Mujrim (مجرم)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Criminal / offender / guilty one
- Description: The direct Arabic word for a criminal or offender — used across the Arab world in law and everyday language.
Liss (لص)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Thief / criminal
- Description: The Arabic word for a thief — simple, direct, and tied exactly to criminal identity.
Sāreq (سارق)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Thief / one who steals / criminal
- Description: The Arabic active participle for “one who steals” — a precise name for someone of criminal, thieving character.
Qātil (قاتل)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Killer / murderer / criminal
- Description: The Arabic word for a killer or murderer — one of the most serious criminals in Islamic law.
Khā’in (خائن)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Traitor / criminal / betrayer
- Description: The Arabic word for a traitor or betrayer — someone who commits the criminal act of treachery.
Fāsid (فاسد)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Corrupt / criminal / corrupt person
- Description: The Arabic word for a corrupt or criminal person — someone morally and legally degenerate.
Mutamarrid (متمرد)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Rebel / criminal / outlaw
- Description: The Arabic word for a rebel or outlaw — someone who defies authority and operates as a criminal.
Jāni (جانٍ)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Criminal / offender / one who commits crimes
- Description: An Arabic name meaning a criminal or offender — directly tied to the act of committing crimes.
Mā’il (مائل)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: One who deviates / criminal who strays from the law
- Description: An Arabic name for someone who deviates from the right path — applied to those who stray into criminal behavior.
Khāri (خارج)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Outsider / criminal / one outside the law
- Description: An Arabic name for someone outside the norm — an outcast who operates outside the law as a criminal.
Dhā’i (ضائع)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Lost / criminal / one gone astray
- Description: An Arabic name for someone who is lost or gone astray — often applied to those who have fallen into criminal life.
Fāji’ (فاجئ)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Wrongdoer / criminal / one who commits an outrage
- Description: An Arabic name for someone who commits an outrage or criminal wrong — a strong word for a serious offender.
Shaqiy (شقي)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Wicked / criminal / miserable wrongdoer
- Description: An Arabic name meaning wicked or criminal — used for someone whose wickedness defines their entire being.
Mutajāwiz (متجاوز)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Transgressor / criminal / one who crosses boundaries
- Description: The Arabic word for a transgressor — someone who crosses legal and moral lines into criminal territory.
Baghiy (باغٍ)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Rebel / criminal aggressor / oppressive wrongdoer
- Description: An Arabic name for a criminal aggressor or rebel — someone who commits crimes through aggression and oppression.
Mufsiد (مفسد)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Corruptor / criminal / one who spreads corruption
- Description: The Arabic word for someone who spreads corruption and criminal behavior — a serious term in Islamic law.
Zaālem (ظالم)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Oppressor / criminal / unjust wrongdoer
- Description: An Arabic name for an unjust oppressor — someone whose criminal nature manifests through cruelty and injustice.
Sāfil (سافل)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Lowly / criminal / base wrongdoer
- Description: An Arabic name for someone base and criminal — a person of low moral and legal standing.
Harāmi (حرامي)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Criminal / thief / one who does forbidden things
- Description: An Arabic name rooted in “haram” (forbidden) — someone who does forbidden, criminal things as a way of life.
Mukhālif (مخالف)
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Violator / criminal / one who goes against the law
- Description: An Arabic name for someone who violates rules and laws — a criminal who goes against order and authority.




