Choosing a name that represents darkness, demons, or monsters can be thrilling, especially for those who love stories of the supernatural or the macabre. These names come from various cultures and mythologies, often representing evil entities, terrifying creatures, or powerful demons. Whether you’re naming a character for a story or just interested in the meanings behind these sinister names, the following list of 200+ sinister names that mean monster will evoke chills and excitement. Below, you’ll find a collection of names categorized by type, with their origins and meanings.
Demonic Names from Ancient Mythology
- Ahriman
Meaning: Evil spirit in Zoroastrianism
Origin: Persian - Asmodeus
Meaning: Demon of lust
Origin: Hebrew - Belial
Meaning: Worthlessness, wickedness
Origin: Hebrew - Lilith
Meaning: Night monster or demon
Origin: Mesopotamian - Ereshkigal
Meaning: Queen of the Underworld
Origin: Sumerian - Choronzon
Meaning: The demon of chaos
Origin: Enochian (occult tradition) - Mara
Meaning: Bringer of death and destruction
Origin: Sanskrit/Buddhist - Pazuzu
Meaning: Demon of the southwest wind, bringer of famine
Origin: Assyrian - Azazel
Meaning: Scapegoat, desert demon
Origin: Hebrew - Moloch
Meaning: Demon associated with child sacrifice
Origin: Canaanite - Eblis
Meaning: The Islamic devil
Origin: Arabic - Beelzebub
Meaning: Lord of the Flies, demon of gluttony
Origin: Hebrew - Hecate
Meaning: Goddess of witchcraft and necromancy
Origin: Greek - Jinn
Meaning: Supernatural beings, often malevolent
Origin: Arabic - Nergal
Meaning: God of death and pestilence
Origin: Babylonian - Baal
Meaning: Ancient god turned into a demon in Christian mythology
Origin: Phoenician - Tiamat
Meaning: Chaos monster and goddess of the sea
Origin: Babylonian - Lamia
Meaning: Child-devouring monster
Origin: Greek - Dagon
Meaning: God of fertility and later demonized
Origin: Mesopotamian - Astaroth
Meaning: Grand Duke of Hell
Origin: Hebrew
Names Meaning “Monster”
- Fenrir
Meaning: Monstrous wolf
Origin: Norse - Kraken
Meaning: Sea monster
Origin: Norse - Typhon
Meaning: Father of all monsters
Origin: Greek - Cyclops
Meaning: One-eyed giant
Origin: Greek - Grendel
Meaning: Monster from the epic “Beowulf”
Origin: Anglo-Saxon - Leviathan
Meaning: Sea monster
Origin: Hebrew - Yamata no Orochi
Meaning: Eight-headed serpent
Origin: Japanese - Jörmungandr
Meaning: World serpent
Origin: Norse - Basilisk
Meaning: Serpent king, deadly monster
Origin: Greek/Latin - Charybdis
Meaning: Whirlpool monster
Origin: Greek - Nian
Meaning: Chinese New Year monster
Origin: Chinese - Minotaur
Meaning: Half-man, half-bull monster
Origin: Greek - Cerberus
Meaning: Three-headed guard dog of the Underworld
Origin: Greek - Gorgon
Meaning: Female monsters with snakes for hair
Origin: Greek - Wendigo
Meaning: Cannibalistic spirit or monster
Origin: Algonquian Native American - Manticore
Meaning: Monster with a lion’s body and a human head
Origin: Persian - Ogre
Meaning: Man-eating giant
Origin: French folklore - Chimera
Meaning: Fire-breathing hybrid monster
Origin: Greek - Sleipnir
Meaning: Monstrous eight-legged horse
Origin: Norse - Tarasque
Meaning: Legendary monster from Provence
Origin: French
Evil Names from Popular Culture
- Voldemort
Meaning: Dark wizard from “Harry Potter”
Origin: Fictional - Sauron
Meaning: Dark Lord from “The Lord of the Rings”
Origin: Fictional - Freddy Krueger
Meaning: Nightmare killer from “A Nightmare on Elm Street”
Origin: Fictional - Darth Vader
Meaning: Sith Lord from “Star Wars”
Origin: Fictional - Pennywise
Meaning: Evil clown from “It”
Origin: Fictional - Jigsaw
Meaning: Serial killer from the “Saw” series
Origin: Fictional - Dracula
Meaning: The legendary vampire
Origin: Fictional/Inspired by Vlad the Impaler - Michael Myers
Meaning: Serial killer from the “Halloween” series
Origin: Fictional - Jason Voorhees
Meaning: Killer from the “Friday the 13th” series
Origin: Fictional - Thanos
Meaning: Galactic warlord from “Avengers”
Origin: Fictional - Chucky
Meaning: Killer doll from “Child’s Play”
Origin: Fictional - Hannibal Lecter
Meaning: Cannibalistic serial killer from “The Silence of the Lambs”
Origin: Fictional - Candyman
Meaning: Vengeful spirit from the “Candyman” series
Origin: Fictional - Regan MacNeil
Meaning: Possessed girl from “The Exorcist”
Origin: Fictional - Norman Bates
Meaning: Killer from “ unpredictable“
Origin: Fictional - Leatherface
Meaning: Killer from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
Origin: Fictional - The Babadook
Meaning: Supernatural entity from “The Babadook”
Origin: Fictional - Pinhead
Meaning: Leader of the Cenobites from “Hellraiser”
Origin: Fictional - The Lich King
Meaning: Undead king from “World of Warcraft”
Origin: Fictional - Agent Smith
Meaning: Villainous AI from “The Matrix”
Origin: Fictional
Names of Malevolent Spirits
- Banshee
Meaning: Female spirit whose wail predicts death
Origin: Irish - Poltergeist
Meaning: Mischievous and noisy ghost
Origin: German - Dybbuk
Meaning: Spirit that possesses the living
Origin: Hebrew - Strigoi
Meaning: Restless undead spirit
Origin: Romanian - Wraith
Meaning: Ghostly apparition of a person about to die
Origin: Scottish - Yurei
Meaning: Vengeful spirit
Origin: Japanese - La Llorona
Meaning: Weeping woman ghost
Origin: Mexican - Pontianak
Meaning: Female ghost that seeks revenge
Origin: Malay/Indonesian - Noppera-bo
Meaning: Faceless ghost
Origin: Japanese - Bhut
Meaning: Malevolent ghost or spirit
Origin: Hindu - Chureil
Meaning: Ghost of a woman who died during childbirth
Origin: South Asian folklore - Preta
Meaning: Hungry ghost
Origin: Buddhist/Hindu - Mujina
Meaning: Shape-shifting ghost
Origin: Japanese - Jiangshi
Meaning: Reanimated corpse or hopping vampire
Origin: Chinese - Onryo
Meaning: Spirit that returns to inflict vengeance
Origin: Japanese - Vetala
Meaning: Spirit that inhabits corpses
Origin: Hindu - Alp
Meaning: Night-demon that brings nightmares
Origin: German - Krasue
Meaning: Flying ghost head with organs trailing
Origin: Thai/Cambodian - Phi Tai Hong
Meaning: Spirit of those who died violent deaths
Origin: Thai - Mare
Meaning: Spirit that causes nightmares
Origin: Germanic
Names Representing Darkness and Shadows
- Erebus
Meaning: God of darkness
Origin: Greek - Nyx
Meaning: Goddess of night
Origin: Greek - Shaitan
Meaning: Evil spirit or demon
Origin: Arabic - Tenebrae
Meaning: Darkness or shadows
Origin: Latin - Umbra
Meaning: Shadow or ghostly presence
Origin: Latin - Zillah
Meaning: Shadow
Origin: Hebrew - Melantha
Meaning: Dark flower
Origin: Greek - Noctis
Meaning: Night
Origin: Latin - Caligo
Meaning: Mist or darkness
Origin: Latin - Darcel
Meaning: Dark
Origin: French - Nisha
Meaning: Night
Origin: Sanskrit - Keket
Meaning: Goddess of darkness
Origin: Egyptian - Cimmeria
Meaning: Land of perpetual darkness
Origin: Greek mythology - Achlys
Meaning: Spirit of misery and death
Origin: Greek - Orpheus
Meaning: Traveler into the underworld
Origin: Greek - Luna
Meaning: Goddess of the moon
Origin: Latin - Corvina
Meaning: Dark like a raven
Origin: Latin - Blake
Meaning: Dark, pale
Origin: Old English - Morticia
Meaning: Death
Origin: Latin (popularized by “The Addams Family”) - Selene
Meaning: Moon goddess, associated with the night
Origin: Greek
Names of Evil Gods and Goddesses
- Set
Meaning: God of chaos and violence
Origin: Egyptian - Hades
Meaning: God of the Underworld
Origin: Greek - Hel
Meaning: Goddess of the dead
Origin: Norse - Loviatar
Meaning: Goddess of pain and suffering
Origin: Finnish - Apophis
Meaning: Serpent god of chaos
Origin: Egyptian - Kali
Meaning: Goddess of destruction
Origin: Hindu - Eris
Meaning: Goddess of discord and strife
Origin: Greek - Anansi
Meaning: Trickster god
Origin: West African - Tezcatlipoca
Meaning: God of darkness and chaos
Origin: Aztec - Mictlantecuhtli
Meaning: God of death and the underworld
Origin: Aztec - Moros
Meaning: Personification of doom
Origin: Greek - Camazotz
Meaning: Bat god of death
Origin: Mayan - Shiva
Meaning: God of destruction and transformation
Origin: Hindu - Thanatos
Meaning: Personification of death
Origin: Greek - Ah Puch
Meaning: God of death and the underworld
Origin: Mayan - Yama
Meaning: Lord of death
Origin: Hindu/Buddhist - Pele
Meaning: Goddess of destruction through volcanic fire
Origin: Hawaiian - Bastet
Meaning: Goddess of war and chaos
Origin: Egyptian - Surtr
Meaning: Fire giant who brings the end of the world
Origin: Norse - Lamashtu
Meaning: Demon goddess who preys on infants
Origin: Mesopotamian
Names of Legendary Monsters
- Chupacabra
Meaning: Goat-sucker, legendary cryptid
Origin: Latin American - Jabberwock
Meaning: Fictional monster from “Jabberwocky”
Origin: English literature - Behemoth
Meaning: Biblical land monster
Origin: Hebrew - Nessie
Meaning: Loch Ness monster
Origin: Scottish - Gorgon
Meaning: Female monsters with serpents for hair
Origin: Greek - Bigfoot
Meaning: Large ape-like creature
Origin: North American folklore - Mokele-mbembe
Meaning: Water-dwelling cryptid
Origin: African mythology - Yeti
Meaning: Abominable snowman
Origin: Himalayan folklore - Bunyip
Meaning: Water monster
Origin: Australian Aboriginal - Manananggal
Meaning: Winged, vampire-like monster
Origin: Filipino - Selkie
Meaning: Shape-shifting seal creature
Origin: Scottish/Norse - Nuckelavee
Meaning: Skinless horse demon
Origin: Scottish - Basilisk
Meaning: Serpent monster with a deadly gaze
Origin: Greek - Roc
Meaning: Giant bird of prey
Origin: Middle Eastern - Aspidochelone
Meaning: Giant sea turtle
Origin: Medieval bestiaries - Tikbalang
Meaning: Mischievous, horse-headed creature
Origin: Filipino - Kelpie
Meaning: Water horse
Origin: Scottish - Grootslang
Meaning: Serpent elephant monster
Origin: African mythology - Griffin
Meaning: Lion-eagle hybrid monster
Origin: Greek - Ghoul
Meaning: Flesh-eating undead creature
Origin: Arabic
Names Meaning “Devil” or “Satan”
- Lucifer
Meaning: Light-bringer, often associated with Satan
Origin: Latin - Mephistopheles
Meaning: Demon from “Faust,” associated with Satan
Origin: German/Greek - Samael
Meaning: Venom of God, angel of death
Origin: Hebrew - Iblis
Meaning: Satan in Islamic tradition
Origin: Arabic - Beelzebub
Meaning: Lord of the Flies, associated with Satan
Origin: Hebrew - Abaddon
Meaning: The destroyer, angel of the abyss
Origin: Hebrew - Mammon
Meaning: Demon of greed
Origin: Biblical - Azazel
Meaning: Scapegoat, associated with fallen angels
Origin: Hebrew - Belphegor
Meaning: Demon of laziness and sloth
Origin: Hebrew - Satan
Meaning: The adversary, ultimate evil
Origin: Hebrew - Aamon
Meaning: Demon who governs forty legions
Origin: Christian demonology - Dantalion
Meaning: Demon of knowledge and thought
Origin: Christian demonology - Adramelech
Meaning: Demon of the sun
Origin: Assyrian - Baphomet
Meaning: Symbol of Satanic worship
Origin: Medieval French - Zagan
Meaning: Demon of deception
Origin: Christian demonology - Flauros
Meaning: Demon who can reveal secrets
Origin: Christian demonology - Astaroth
Meaning: Demon associated with the sin of laziness
Origin: Christian demonology - Mastema
Meaning: Angel of hostility
Origin: Hebrew - Leviathan
Meaning: Sea monster, sometimes equated with Satan
Origin: Hebrew - Rahovart
Meaning: Demon who torments humans
Origin: Christian folklore
Names Associated with Curses
- Hex
Meaning: A spell or curse
Origin: German - Maledict
Meaning: Cursed
Origin: Latin - Jinx
Meaning: To bring bad luck
Origin: English - Calypso
Meaning: Concealer or hider, enchantress who cursed Odysseus
Origin: Greek - Voodoo
Meaning: Refers to magic, often used for curses
Origin: Haitian Creole/French - Obeah
Meaning: Magical power or spell, used for curses
Origin: Caribbean folklore - Circe
Meaning: Sorceress who cursed men into animals
Origin: Greek - Eris
Meaning: Goddess of discord and strife, associated with curses
Origin: Greek - Bane
Meaning: A source of harm or ruin
Origin: Old English - Malediction
Meaning: A curse or spell
Origin: Latin - Hecate
Meaning: Goddess of witchcraft, often associated with curses
Origin: Greek - Nemesis
Meaning: Goddess of retribution
Origin: Greek - Keres
Meaning: Spirits of violent death, associated with curses
Origin: Greek - Morrigan
Meaning: Goddess of war and death, associated with curses
Origin: Irish - Furies
Meaning: Goddesses of vengeance, sent to curse wrongdoers
Origin: Greek - Draugr
Meaning: Undead creatures who bring curses
Origin: Norse - Alastor
Meaning: Avenging spirit, associated with curses
Origin: Greek - Ereshkigal
Meaning: Goddess of the underworld
Origin: Mesopotamian - Medusa
Meaning: Cursed woman with the power to turn others to stone
Origin: Greek - Alecto
Meaning: One of the Furies, associated with curses and vengeance
Origin: Greek
Names of Vampires and Werewolves
- Vlad
Meaning: Ruler, associated with Vlad the Impaler, inspiration for Dracula
Origin: Slavic - Selene
Meaning: Goddess of the moon, associated with werewolves
Origin: Greek - Nosferatu
Meaning: Vampire
Origin: Romanian - Lycaon
Meaning: First werewolf, cursed by Zeus
Origin: Greek - Lilith
Meaning: Mythical vampire figure
Origin: Hebrew - Morbius
Meaning: Marvel character, vampire
Origin: Fictional - Alucard
Meaning: Dracula spelled backward, vampire
Origin: Fictional - Garou
Meaning: Werewolf
Origin: French - Remus
Meaning: Brother of Romulus, associated with wolves
Origin: Latin - Strigoi
Meaning: Undead, vampire-like creature
Origin: Romanian - Lucian
Meaning: Light, character from the “Underworld” series, werewolf
Origin: Latin - Carmilla
Meaning: Famous vampire from gothic fiction
Origin: Fictional - Fenrir
Meaning: Monstrous wolf
Origin: Norse - Svetovid
Meaning: Associated with night and moon, Slavic god often linked with wolves
Origin: Slavic - Ambrogio
Meaning: Mythical figure, first vampire
Origin: Greek - Silas
Meaning: Man of the forest, often linked with werewolves
Origin: Latin - Vrykolakas
Meaning: Vampire-like creature from Greek folklore
Origin: Greek - Marceline
Meaning: Vampire queen from “Adventure Time”
Origin: Fictional - Lucius
Meaning: Light-bringer, associated with wolves in Roman mythology
Origin: Latin - Jacques
Meaning: Vampire hunter, character from gothic fiction
Origin: French
Conclusion
Names carry immense power and meaning, often reflecting deep cultural beliefs and mythologies. The names listed above, each linked to themes of monsters, evil, and demons, serve as a reminder of humanity’s fascination with the dark and unknown. From malevolent spirits like Banshee and Poltergeist to legendary creatures like Chupacabra and Nessie, these names evoke a sense of intrigue and fear that has persisted through generations.
They tap into our primal instincts, drawing from folklore, mythology, and literature, providing insight into the cultural narratives surrounding darkness and the supernatural. Whether you’re seeking inspiration for a story, character, or simply indulging in the macabre, these sinister names encapsulate the essence of the eerie and the enigmatic.
Embrace the shadows and explore the stories behind these haunting names, and remember, in the world of the unknown, anything is possible.
David Price is a name aficionado and creative writer at NamezVibe. He delves into the fascinating world of names, exploring their meanings and histories. Outside of writing, David loves engaging with readers and discovering unique names that tell powerful stories.
