Dark Academia Baby Names

Part gothic, part prep, dark academia is an aesthetic subculture trend in recent years that heavily emphasizes literature, education, and mystery. It’s moody, endlessly cool, and has a traditional academic vibe with a gothic edge—picture Gothic architecture, vintage tweed, a leather satchel full of books, and historical libraries. So if you find yourself drawn to the preppy New England look with a touch of goth, dark academia may be a subgenre for you to draw baby name inspiration. Check out our list of dark academia names for baby girls and boys to find the perfect name.

Adeline
Girl. French origin, meaning: Noble
Similar names: Adamaris, Auden, Adalinda

Adira
Girl. Hebrew origin, meaning: Strong
Similar names: Afric, Amirah, Ariadne

Aeneas
Boy. Greek origin, meaning: Praiseworthy
Similar names: Apollo, Atlas, Aurelian

Agatha
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Good, honorable
Similar names: Althea, Audrey, Augusta

Agnes
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Pure, holy
Similar names: Anais, Arete, Astrid

Alastair
Boy. Scottish origin, meaning: Defender of the people
Similar names: Augustine, Atticus, Amadeus

Alban
Boy. Latin origin, meaning: White
Similar names: Auburn, Aspen, Alaric

Alice
Girl. French and English origin, meaning: Noble
Similar names: Avice, Alisa, Annabeth

Alienor
Girl. French origin, meaning: Unknown
Similar names: Andromeda, Aurelia, Apollonia

Ambrose
Boy. English origin, meaning: Immortal
Similar names: Alexander, Archibald, Auberon

Amorette
Girl. English, literary name
Similar names: Amana, Anemone, Athena

Arabelle
Girl. Latin origin, meaning: Yielding to prayer
Similar names: Allegra, Alexandria, Annabelle

Arcadia
Girl. English from ancient Greek origin, meaning: Place of peace and contentment
Similar names: Antigone, Acacia, Athene

Arden
Gender-neutral. English origin, meaning: Eagle valley
Similar names: Adair, Adrian, Anna

Astoria
Girl. English origin, meaning: Place name
Similar names: Aurora, Alexandria, Anastasia

Azrael
Boy. Hebrew origin, meaning: Help of God
Similar names: Alastor, Augustus, Achille

Bellatrix
Girl. Latin origin, meaning: Female warrior
Similar names: Beatrice, Blythe, Beatrix

Beowulf
Boy. English origin, meaning: Beewolf
Similar names: Balthazar, Bastian, Benoit

Blair
Gender-neutral. Scottish origin, meaning: Plain or field
Similar names: Basil, Bryon, Beau

Briar
Gender-neutral. English origin, meaning: Thorn
Similar names: Bellamy, Bram, Bryony

Bronte
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Thunder
Similar names: Belen, Bridget, Brielle

Bronwyn
Girl. Irish origin, meaning: White breast
Similar names: Belphoebe, Bianca, Baldwin

Calanthe
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Christmas orchid, beautiful flower
Similar names: Cypress, Collette, Chantelle

Calliope
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Beautiful voice
Similar names: Camille, Cosima, Cassiopeia

Callista
Girl. Greek and Latin origin, meaning: Fairest, most beautiful, chalice
Similar names: Claudette, Cassia, Corliss

Caspian
Boy. English origin, meaning: Place name
Similar names: Clive, Cyril, Cymbeline

Cassander
Boy. Greek origin, meaning: Shining or excelling man
Similar names: Crimson, Corentyn, Charles

Cassandra
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Prophetess
Similar names: Camilla, Clemency, Cicely

Circe
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Bird
Similar names: Celeste, Celine, Cadence

Constantine
Boy. Latin origin, meaning: Constant
Similar names: Clementine, Cornelius, Cosmo

Coraline
Girl. Literary name, diminutive of Caroline
Similar names: Cleo, Clothilde, Claire

Cordelia
Girl. Latin and Celtic origin, meaning: Heart, Jewel of the sea
Similar names: Cecilia, Catriona, Constance

Corisande
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Chorus-singer
Similar names: Clio, Clarimond, Calluna

Cressida
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Golden
Similar names: Charlotte, Coletta, Claudia

Damiana
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Tamed, domesticated
Similar names: Drusilla, Delphine, Dahlia

Demeter
Boy. Greek origin, meaning: Earth mother
Similar names: Damien, Draco, Desmond

Dorian
Gender-neutral. Greek origin, meaning: Tribe
Similar names: Darius, Darcy, Dove

Dorothea
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Gift of God
Similar names: Diantha, Druella, Dulcinea

Edward
Boy. English origin, meaning: Wealthy guardian
Similar names: Edison, Edwin, Edmund

Elwin
Boy. English origin, meaning: Elf
Similar names: Evgeny, Emery, Eugene

Emilian
Boy. Slavic, Romanian origin, meaning: Rival
Similar names: Ellis, Emrys, Emerson

Eponine
Girl. French literary name
Similar names: Endellion, Enola, Eleanor

Esme
Girl. French and Persian origin, meaning: Esteemed, beloved; emerald
Similar names: Elodie, Evanthe, Eden

Evander
Boy. Latin origin, meaning: Good man
Similar names: Endymion, Ezra, Ernest

Evangeline
Girl. Latin origin, meaning: Gospel
Similar names: Eleanora, Eliza, Esmeralda

Fabian
Boy. Latin origin, meaning: Bean grower
Similar names: Frederick, Ferris, Fern

Faustine
Girl. French origin, meaning: Fortunate one
Similar names: Francesca, Freya, Florence

Florian
Boy. German origin, meaning: Flowery
Similar names: Faramond, Ferdinand, Foster

Gabriel
Boy. Hebrew origin, meaning: Strength from God
Similar names: Gaius, Gale, Graham

Gideon
Boy. Hebrew origin, meaning: Hewer
Similar names: George, Gustaf, Goldie

Griffin
Boy. Latin origin, meaning: Strong lord
Similar names: Gavyn, Galen, Gadriel

Guinevere
Girl. Welsh origin, meaning: White fairy; fair one
Similar names: Grace, Greer, Gwen

Hawthorne
Boy. English origin, meaning: Lives near the hedge
Similar names: Henry, Haven, Hades

Hermione
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Messanger of God
Similar names: Hestia, Hecate, Hester

Honora
Girl. Latin origin, meaning: Honor
Similar names: Helena, Heloise, Hera

Hugo
Boy. German origin, meaning: Bright in mind
Similar names: Hadrian, Horus, Huxley

Immanuel
Boy. Hebrew origin, meaning: God is with us
Similar names: Ignatius, Imber, Ivan

Isadora
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Gift of Isis
Similar names: Imogen, Ingrid, Ivy

Isidore
Boy. English origin, meaning: Gift of Isis
Similar names: Inder, Ignis, Inigo

Julian
Boy. English, Latin origin, meaning: Youthful, downy-bearded, or sky father
Similar names: Jasper, Jack, James

Keats
Boy. English origin, meaning: Kite
Similar names: Kastiel, Klaus, Kenneth

Killian
Boy. Gaelic origin, meaning: Little church
Similar names: Kasper, Kingsley, Kaplen

Lavinia
Girl. Latin origin, meaning: From Lavinium
Similar names: Livia, Lavender, Lousia

Leander
Boy. Latin origin, meaning: Lion man
Similar names: Lazarus, Lysander, Laertes

Leontine
Girl. French origin, meaning: Lion
Similar names: Leonora, Leocadia, Lenore

Lilith
Girl. Hebrew origin, meaning: Of the night, demon in Hebrew mythology
Similar names: Lilia, Lani, Lillibeth

Lucian
Boy. Latin origin, meaning: Light
Similar names: Lorcan, Lux, Lucretius, Legendary

Lysandra
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Liberator
Similar names: Luna, Lucretia, Lucasta

Malachi
Boy. Hebrew origin, meaning: My messenger
Similar names: Mercury, Maximilian, Marius

Mallory
Gender-neutral. English via French origin, meaning: Unfortunate
Similar names: Margaux, Morgana, Magnus

Maude
Girl. German origin, meaning: Battle mighty
Similar names: Mavis, Mathilde, Marceline

Melusine
Girl. French origin, folkloric name meaning: Strong in work, the female spirit of fresh water
Similar names: Matilda, Margot, Myrtle

Mordecai
Boy. Persian origin, meaning: Servant of Marduk
Similar names: Maxence, Montague, Mallow

Morwenna
Girl. Cornish and Welsh origin, meaning: Maiden
Similar names: Minerva, Millicent, Melisande

Nigel
Boy. Irish origin, meaning: Champion, dark, black-haired
Similar names: Neo, Nathanial, Nori

Octavia
Girl. Latin origin, meaning: Eighth
Similar names: Ottoline, Odeya, Orla

Octavian
Boy. English via Latin origin, meaning: Eighth
Similar names: Orest, Ossian, Ottavio

Oliver
Boy. Latin origin, meaning: Olve tree
Similar names: Olwen, Ollivander, Oberon

Onyx
Gender-neutral. Greek origin, meaning: Gemstone, claw, fingernail
Similar names: Oscar, Orion, Ostara

Ophelia
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Help
Similar names: Odessa, Odette, Olympia

Othello
Boy. The name of a Shakespearian tragedy. Italian diminutive of OTHO.
Similar names: Osiris, Onegin, Odin

Penrose
Boy. Welsh and Cornish origin, meaning: Top of the heath
Similar names: Percy, Peregrine, Prospero

Persephone
Girl. Greek mythology origin, meaning: Bringer of destruction
Similar names: Phoebe, Penelope, Priscilla

Phaedra
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Bright
Similar names: Pilar, Philippa, Pandora

Poe
Gender neutral. English origin, meaning: Peacock
Similar names: Pallas, Petra, Percival

Prudence
Girl. English origin, meaning: Provident
Similar names: Proserpine, Pomona, Palma

Quenby
Gender neutral. English origin, meaning: Queen’s settlement
Similar names: Quinn, Quentin, Quintessa

Raphael
Boy. Hebrew name, meaning: God has healed
Similar names: Romeo, Rhodes, Rhett

Rosenwyn
Girl. Cornish origin, a combination of Rosen and wyn meaning: White rose
Similar names: Roma, Rowena, Ravenna, Royal

Stellan
Boy. Swedish origin, meaning: Calm, or peaceful one
Similar names: Sebastian, Stefan, Severin

Sylvester
Boy. Latin origin, meaning: Woodland
Similar names: Sylvain, Siro, Salvador

Theodoric
Boy. Germanic origin, meaning: People’s ruler
Similar names: Thaddeus, Theodore, Tallis

Theodosia
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: God’s gift
Similar names: Thisbe, Thomasin, Theodora

Thoreau
Gender neutral. French origin, meaning: Strength of a bull
Similar names: Taliesin, Trevelyan, Torquil

Thorin
Boy. Norse origin, meaning: Brave, daring one
Similar names: Tobias, Tolliver, Tarquin

Valentine
Boy. English origin, meaning: Healthy, strong
Similar names: Vander, Veryan, Vidar

Valeria
Girl. Latin origin, meaning: Strength, valor
Similar names: Violeta, Véronique, Vianne

Venetia
Girl. Italian place name
Similar names: Valentina, Violet, Victoria

Vesper
Gender-neutral. Latin origin, meaning: Evening star
Similar names: Vespertine, Vesta, Viggo

Victor
Boy. Latin origin, meaning: Conquer
Similar names: Vincent, Virgil, Viridius

Xavier
Boy. Baque origin, meaning: New house
Similar names: Xerxes, Xanthos, Xoan

Zenobia
Girl. Greek origin, meaning: Life of Zeus
Similar names: Zephyrine, Zelda, Zosime