Nickname help!
We want to name our baby Penelope but we can’t decide on a nickname? Help!
Baby due at the end of October?
Or is trick-or-treating your favorite holiday event?
Our list of spooky Halloween baby names might be for you.
Halloween isn’t just for kids, but it does make a great source of baby names.
If you (like us) love the spooky season, why not choose a name for your baby that keeps the spirit of Halloween alive all year?
We’ve got all the best spooky girl names, scary names for boys, and Halloween character names you’re sure to recognize.
Are you ready? Let’s brush off the cobwebs of our favorite Halloween baby names for your little pumpkin.
In this article: 📝
- Halloween girl names
- Halloween boy names
- What are gender-neutral Halloween names?
- What is a good Halloween name?
- What is a good creepy name?
- What are fun Halloween names?
- Names that mean ghost
Halloween girl names
Who said that the boys should get all the spooky names?
There are plenty of Halloween-inspired baby names for girls too.
- Agatha: After the mystery writer Agatha Christie.
- Agnes: Keen to honor your Scottish heritage while keeping it spooky? How about naming your little magician after a 16th-century Scottish witch, Agnes Sampson?
- Belladonna: A name of Italian origin, meaning “beautiful woman”. Belladonna is also the name of a poisonous plant and a common ingredient in witchcraft.
- Buffy: The iconic Buffy the Vampire Slayer made this nickname for Elizabeth popular.
- Calantha: A name of Greek origin, meaning “lovely flower”. It’s also the name of a character in the horror film Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth.
- Calypso: Referring to a Greek mythological figure who lured sailors to their deaths.
- Carmilla: Inspired by the vampire novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.
- Celeste: Meaning “heavenly”, this name conjures images of a cold and starry Halloween night.
- Circe: Circe was a sorceress who could turn men into animals.
- Drusilla: The vampiress of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.
- Elena: A character in The Vampire Diaries.
- Elvira: A name of Spanish origin, meaning “truth”. Elvira is also associated with the supernatural, as it is the name of a character in many horror films.
- Esme: The vampire matriarch in the Twilight saga.
- Esther: A name that means “star”.
- Georgina: Inspired by the creepy character in Jordan Peele’s iconic Get Out.
- Gillian: Inspired by the actress Gillian Anderson, who starred in the spooky TV series The X Files.
- Glinda/Glenda: The name of the good witch from The Wizard of Oz.
- Glory: A sweet-sounding name after one of the most terrifying villains of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.
- Hermione: One of Harry Potter’s best friends who is usually found in the library.
- Ivy: A botanical name linked to fall foliage.
- Janet: From the cult movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
- Kate: Another popular girl’s name, but what makes it spooky is that it’s inspired by the supposed name of the Bell Witch.
- Lamia: Meaning “radiant” in Greek, also a mythological create who would eat young men.
- Lorraine: After Lorraine Warren, renowned paranormal investigator and inspiration for The Conjuring.
- Melanie: A name of Greek origin meaning “black or dark”.
- Merlina: From the Latin name Merlinus, meaning “sea fortress”, a feminine variation of Merlin, which is famously associated with the legendary wizard of Arthurian legend.
- Morgana: After the sorceress in Arthurian legend.
- Morrigan: The mythological Morrigan was the goddess of war, often symbolized by a crow.
- Morticia: The original monster mother from The Addams Family.
- Olive: The name of Ned’s sidekick in Pushing Daisies.
- Persephone: From Greek mythology, the name of the daughter of Zeus and Demeter who was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld.
- Phoebe: A fun and quirky witch from Charmed.
- Ravenna: Dante references this Italian town in his Inferno poem about the circles of hell.
- Rebecca: From the classic thriller, Rebecca.
- Sarah: One of the Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus.
- Sayona: A beautiful-sounding name that’s also the moniker of the Venezuelan spirit who punishes unfaithful husbands.
- Selene: The Greek goddess of the moon.
- Seraphina: A name of Hebrew origin, meaning “fiery ones”, but also associated with angelic beings.
- Tabitha: A comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe.
- Winifred: Winifred is the oldest Sanderson sister in Hocus Pocus.
- Xanthe: A name of Greek origin, meaning “yellow”, but also associated with the supernatural and witchcraft.
- Xenia: Meaning “hospitality” in Greek, but also associated with supernatural powers and witchcraft.
- Yara: Referring to a Brazilian folklore figure who lures men into the forest to their deaths.
- Yolanda: A character from the Vampire Huntress Legend Series.
- Zelda: Hilda and Zelda are Sabrina’s aunts in Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
- Zilla: Meaning “shadow” in Hebrew.
Halloween boy names
Still haven’t found a name to your taste? No worries, mama, we’ve still got plenty to choose from.
- Adam or Addams: After The Addams Family, Adam also means “son of the red earth” in Hebrew.
- Alaric: From The Vampire Diaries, meaning “noble leader”.
- Bill: A key character in True Blood.
- Blade: A famous cinematic vampire hunter.
- Boris: Boris Karloff portrayed Frankenstein’s monster in the classic film.
- Burton: Inspired by the director Tim Burton.
- Chucky: The murderous doll in the Child’s Play movies, also meaning “free man”.
- Crowley: Inspired by the character in Supernatural who was once the King of Hell.
- Cullen: The surname of the heroic vampires in the Twilight series, Cullen also means “handsome” in Gaelic.
- Dagan: A Mesopotamian god of crop fertility, associated with Halloween and harvest festivals.
- Dexter: The TV series Dexter is about a Robin Hood-inspired serial killer.
- Diablo: Meaning “devil” in Spanish.
- Draco: It means “dragon”, and is best known as Harry’s Slytherin rival in the Harry Potter series.
- Draven: A name inspired by the tragic hero in the 1994 film The Crow, who returns from the dead seeking revenge.
- Dullahan: After the mythological Irish headless horseman.
- Edward: A classic name that has become more popular since Twilight (although you might also be Team Jacob).
- Emmett: Meaning “universal”, this was another one of the Twilight vampires.
- Fester: A pretty gross-sounding name, Fester was the name of the hunched uncle in The Addams Family.
- Giles: The surname and nickname of Buffy’s Watcher in Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, perfect for a baby born to book-smart parents.
- Godric: It’s the name of Harry Potter’s hometown and a character in True Blood.
- Griffin: A mythological creature—half-eagle, half-lion.
- Harry: It’s a nickname for Henry but, for many people, it means only one thing—our favorite boy wizard.
- Heathcliff: Associated with Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and Heath Ledger who played the Joker in The Dark Knight.
- Herbert: Did you know that the sci-fi writer H. G. Wells was a Herbert?
- Ichabod: A character from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
- Igor: The name of Dr. Frankenstein and Count Dracula’s assistants, Igor also means “warrior” in Russian.
- Jacob: Team Jacob? We’ve got you. Not just the name of everyone’s favorite werewolf, Jacob also means “supplanter” in Hebrew.
- Jason: Sure, this name might mean “healer”, but we’ll always remember it from Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th.
- Jekyll: Inspired by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a classic horror story.
- Kane: A Celtic name meaning “warrior”.
- Krueger: After the character in A Nightmare on Elm Street.
- Lon: After silent horror star Chaney.
- Lucifer: Why not name your little creeper after the Devil themself? Lucifer also means “light-bringer” in Hebrew.
- Merlin: A famous sorcerer from the Camelot myth.
- Michael: A relatively common first name, but you’ll know it as the antagonist Michael Myers from Halloween.
- Munster: Inspired by the TV show The Munsters.
- Ned: Pushing Daisies was a TV show featuring Ned, who could bring back the dead with the touch of his finger.
- Nosferatu: After the classic vampire film.
- Onyx: Referring to the jet-black gemstone.
- Silas: Meaning “wood” or “forest”, Silas is also associated with the albino monk in The Da Vinci Code.
- Spike: Love our Buffy names? How could we forget the bleach-blonde bad-boy vamp, Spike?
- Stephen: After prolific horror/thriller writer, Stephen King.
- Victor: Linked to Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s gothic novel.
- Vincent: After the legendary man of horror, Vincent Price.
- Vlad or Vladimir: After the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, who inspired the character of Dracula.
What are gender-neutral Halloween names?
If you’re not sure whether you’re expecting slugs and snails or sugar and spice, check out these gender-neutral Halloween baby names for boys, girls, and they-bies:
- Ambrose: Meaning “immortal”.
- Alchemy: The medieval science that aimed to transform metal into gold and find the elixir of life.
- Angel: Buffy the Vampire Slayer brought this name to our attention.
- Ash: After the ash tree and the burning embers of a Halloween fire…
- Bell: An unusual spelling, this can mean “beautiful” in French, but this spelling is inspired by the Bell Witch of the 19th century.
- Black: A color to suit goblins and witches.
- Blaze: A bright and intense flame.
- Coven: A gathering of witches.
- Darcy: Inspired by the character in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
- Faun: Half-human, half-goat, Fauns represent the Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating.
- October: The month of Halloween.
- Phoenix: The name of the bird that rises from its own ashes.
- Piper: Meaning “pipe or flute player” and also a character from Charmed.
- Poe: Inspired by the horror writer Edgar Allan Poe.
- Raven: Once a symbol of pride for Wiccan parents.
- Rune: Rune is one of our favorite Halloween baby names. It comes from ancient magical symbols.
- Sanderson: Linked to the spooky Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus.
- Scorpio: The Zodiac sign of October 31st. (After more Scorpio baby names? We’ve got you covered)
- Shadow: Unusual, but effective.
- Tarot: After the witchy form of divination.
- Wolf: Perfect if your little one was born howling at the moon.
- Xander: Meaning “defender of man” and inspired by the character Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
What is a good Halloween name?
The most well-known Halloween names are related to movies, witches, and traditions like carving Jack-O’-Lanterns.
But you’ll also have your pick of spooky names that capture the season of fall.
Or you could take inspiration from your favorite Halloween movies ‒ Damien and Regan are two of the most recognizable Halloween-themed names from horror films, or even Wednesday, for something a little more family-friendly.
Many of these names also appear in the US Top 1000 names, so you probably recognize them.
Want more classically Halloween-inspired names? Take your pick:
- Autumn: After the fall season.
- Damien: From the classic creepy horror, The Omen, Damien means “to tame” in Greek.
- Eve: A subtle Halloween-themed baby name linked to All Hallows’ Eve.
- Hazel: Perfect for a baby with beautiful hazel eyes.
- Jack: The classic Halloween boy name.
- Luna: Meaning “moon”.
- Marley: The name of the ghost in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
- Regan: From The Exorcist, this gender-neutral name comes from the Irish Gaelic word for “king”.
- Sabrina: After the Teenage Witch.
- Wednesday: What better Halloween baby name than one of the best members of The Addams Family?
What is a good creepy name?
If you want a truly chilling name, how about referencing a creepy character from popular culture?
If you prefer truly scary Halloween to the tamer kid-friendly Halloween, how about choosing one of these creepy baby names?
What are creepy girl names?
Let’s kick things off with some creepy names for girls.
These scary girl names are based on classic horror movies and folklore ghost stories.
Read on… if you dare!
- Annabelle: After the terrifying doll in The Conjuring… it’s also based on a true story…
- Carrie: Original or remake?
- Clarice: The main character in The Silence of the Lambs.
- Katie: A character in the movie Paranormal Activity.
- Llorona: After La Llorona, the Hispanic-American legendary wailing woman.
- Penny: Inspired by the creepy clown, Pennywise, from It.
- Rosemary: Inspired by the movie Rosemary’s Baby.
- Samara: Sure, it sounds beautiful, but this name actually comes from the classic Japanese horror, Ringu ‒ although you may know the Hollywood version, The Ring.
- Sanguine: Meaning “like blood”.
What are creepy boy names?
Now for some scary names for boys, the stuff of true horror:
- Bates: Inspired by the famous horror movie Psycho.
- Bram: A shortened form of Abraham made famous by Dracula author Bram Stoker.
- Freddy: From A Nightmare on Elm Street, a classic teenage horror movie.
- Gage: A character in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary.
- Hannibal: After the cannibalistic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter.
- Hitch: The nickname of director Alfred Hitchcock who brought us Psycho.
- Norman: The movie Psycho features Norman Bates.
- Thorn: The Curse of Thorn is used in the Halloween movies.
What are creepy gender-neutral names?
And if you’re after some nonbinary creepy Halloween names, we’ve got you covered:
- Bela: While the spelling Bela is traditionally for boys, the spelling Bella is also known as a girl’s name. Bela Lugosi was the oh-so-sinister actor who famously played Dracula.
- Blair: Inspired by both The Blair Witch Project and the actress who played Regan in The Exorcist, Linda Blair.
- Hallow: Meaning “sacred” or “holy”. How about Halloween twins called Hallow and Eve?
- Salem: Got a history of witchcraft in your family? Embrace it!
- Thomasin: Anya Taylor-Joy’s character from The Witch.
- Zephyr: A name of Greek origin, meaning “west wind”. It’s also the name of a character in the horror film Drag Me to Hell.
What are fun Halloween names?
After a Halloween baby name that’s less spooky and more spoopy?
Check out these fun and cute Halloween names for your little pumpkin:
- Anya: The somehow loveable demon from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- Asteria: A magical name from Greek mythology meaning “like a star”.
- Binx: The surname of Thackery Binx, the teen who was turned into an immortal black cat by the witches in Hocus Pocus.
- Candy: Halloween and candy are forever linked.
- Carver: Like pumpkin carving! 🎃
- Cat: No self-respecting witch would be seen without a black cat on her broomstick.
- Daphne: From the cartoon series Scooby-Doo (and why not consider Velma, too?).
- Marnie: A character from the movie Halloweentown.
- Sookie: This is the name of the female lead in True Blood.
- Thackery: An unusual name that sounds like Zachary, after the talking black cat from Hocus Pocus.
- Willow: Inspired by the graceful tree, it was also made famous by Buffy.
Names that mean ghost
- Banquo: Definitely one of the more unusual Halloween names for boys on our list, Banquo was the ghost from Shakespeare’s creepy tragedy, Macbeth.
- Casper: The friendly ghost! Casper also means “treasurer” in Aramaic.
- Drogo: After the Anglo-Saxon word for “phantom”.
- Eurydice: A name of Greek origin, meaning “wide justice”. In Greek mythology, Eurydice is the wife of Orpheus, who is killed by a snake and becomes a ghost in the underworld.
- Fántasma: Meaning “ghost” in Greek.
- Genevra: Meaning “white phantom” in Greek.
- Khayaali: Meaning “phantom” in Somali.
- Lena: A name of Greek origin, meaning “light”. Lena is also associated with ghosts and the supernatural in some cultures, such as Japanese folklore.
- Lilith: Meaning “ghost” or “night monster”.
- Mary: After Bloody Mary, the mythical ghost who appears in a dark-lit mirror. Just don’t say her name three times!
- Masina: Meaning “ghost” in Malagasy.
- Myling: After the Scandinavian ghosts thought to be souls of children.
- Myrtle: A plant with pink or white aromatic berries which is often seen in late fall, also the wailing ghost in the Harry Potter series.
- Obake: Meaning “ghost” in Japanese.
- Prētātmā: Meaning “ghost” in Bangla.
- Púca: Meaning “ghost” in Irish.
- Yennifer: Meaning “white ghost” in Welsh.
- Yurei: Meaning “ghost” in Japanese.
Feeling inspired? You can find even more dark and mysterious baby names on our gothic baby names list.
Or maybe you’d like to take inspiration from another holiday.
Our list of Christmas baby names is right here too.