Names Categorized "black"

This is a list of names in which the categories include black.
gender
usage
Akli m Berber
Means "slave, servant, black" in Tamazight.
Berahthraban m Germanic
Old German form of Bertram, using an extended form of the second element.
Berahthram m Germanic
Old German form of Bertram.
Bertram m English, German, Germanic
Means "bright raven", derived from the Old German element beraht "bright" combined with hram "raven". This name has long been conflated with Bertrand. The Normans introduced it to England, and Shakespeare used it in his play All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
Blake m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English blæc "black" or blac "pale". A famous bearer of the surname was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827). It was originally a mainly masculine name but in 2007 actress Blake Lively (1987-) began starring in the television series Gossip Girl, after which time it increased in popularity for girls.
Blakely f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from Old English blæc "black" and leah "woodland clearing".
Brân m Welsh Mythology
Means "raven" in Welsh. According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, Brân the Blessed (called Bendigeidfran) was a giant king of Britain. He was the son of the divine figure Llŷr. After his sister Branwen was mistreated by her husband the Irish king Matholwch, Brân led an attack on Ireland (the text says that he was so big he was able to wade there). Although victorious, the British lost all except seven men with Brân being mortally wounded by a poisoned spear. He asked the survivors to cut of his head and return with it to Britain. The head continued to speak for many years until it was buried in London.
Bran 1 m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Means "raven" in Irish. In Irish legend Bran mac Febail was a mariner who was involved in several adventures on his quest to find the Otherworld.
Bran 2 m Welsh Mythology
Unaccented variant of Brân. This is also the Middle Welsh form.
Brennus m Gaulish (Latinized)
Latinized form of a Celtic name (or title) that possibly meant either "king, prince" or "raven". Brennus was a Gallic leader of the 4th century BC who attacked and sacked Rome.
Breno m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Brennus.
Catahecassa m Shawnee
Means "black hoof" in Shawnee. This was the name of an 18th-century Shawnee warrior and chief.
Charna f Yiddish (Rare)
From a Slavic word meaning "black".
Chernobog m Slavic Mythology
Means "the black god" from Old Slavic čĭrnŭ "black" and bogŭ "god". According to a few late sources, Chernobog was a Slavic god of misfortune.
Ciar m & f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Derived from Irish ciar meaning "black". In Irish legend Ciar was a son of Fergus mac Róich and Medb, and the ancestor of the tribe of the Ciarraige (after whom County Kerry is named). As a feminine name, it was borne by an Irish nun (also called Ciara) who established a monastery in Tipperary in the 7th century.
Ciara 1 f Irish
Feminine form of Ciar. This is another name for Saint Ciar.
Ciarán m Irish, Old Irish
Diminutive of Ciar. This was the name of two 6th-century Irish saints: Ciarán the Elder, the founder of the monastery at Saighir, and Ciarán the Younger, the founder of the monastery at Clonmacnoise.
Ciardha m Medieval Irish
Irish byname derived from ciar meaning "black".
Cola m Anglo-Saxon
Old English byname meaning "charcoal", originally given to a person with dark features.
Colby m English
From an English surname, originally from various place names, derived from the Old Norse byname Koli (meaning "coal, dark") and býr "farm, settlement". As a given name, its popularity spiked in the United States and Canada in 2001 when Colby Donaldson (1974-) appeared on the reality television show Survivor.
Corbin m English
From a French surname that was derived from corbeau "raven", originally denoting a person who had dark hair. The name was probably popularized in America by actor Corbin Bernsen (1954-).
Crawford m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "crow ford" in Old English.
Dougal m Scottish
Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name Dubhghall meaning "dark stranger", from Old Irish dub "dark" and gall "stranger". This name was borne by a few medieval Scottish chiefs.
Duana f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Duane.
Duane m English
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Dubháin, itself derived from the given name Dubhán. Usage in America began around the start of the 20th century. It last appeared on the top 1000 rankings in 2002, though the variant Dwayne lingered a few years longer.
Dubhán m Irish (Rare)
From Old Irish Dubán meaning "little dark one", derived from dub "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a few early saints.
Dubhshláine m Old Irish
Derived from Old Irish dub "dark, black" and either slán "challenge, defiance" or Sláine, the Irish name of the River Slaney.
Dubthach m Old Irish
Old Irish name derived from dub "dark, black" in combination with a second element of unknown meaning. This was the name of a 6th-century saint, a bishop of Armagh. It also appears in Irish legend as a companion of Fergus mac Róich.
Ebony f African American
From the English word ebony for the black wood that comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word hbnj. In America this name is most often used in the black community.
Emery m & f English
Norman French form of Emmerich. The Normans introduced it to England, and though it was never popular, it survived until the end of the Middle Ages. As a modern given name, now typically feminine, it is likely inspired by the surname Emery, which was itself derived from the medieval given name. It can also be given in reference to the hard black substance called emery.
Engilram m Germanic
Old German form of Ingram.
Enguerran m Medieval French
Old French form of Engilram (see Ingram). This was the name of several medieval French nobles from Picardy.
Fahd m Arabic
Means "panther" in Arabic.
Féchín m Old Irish
Means "little raven" from Old Irish fiach "raven" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish saint of the 7th century, the founder of the monastery at Fore. He died of the yellow plague.
Ferrer m Various
From a surname that meant "blacksmith" in Catalan. This name is often given in honour of Saint Vicente Ferrer, a 14th-century missionary who is the patron saint of builders.
Fiachna m Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Derived from Irish fiach meaning "raven". This is the name of several characters from Irish legend. It was also borne by Fiachna mac Báetáin, a 7th-century king of Dál Araide.
Fiachra m Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Fiachrae, possibly from fiach "raven" or fích "battle" combined with "king". This was the name of several legendary figures, including one of the four children of Lir transformed into swans for a period of 900 years. This is also the name of the patron saint of gardeners: a 7th-century Irish abbot who settled in France, usually called Saint Fiacre.
Fiacre m French (Rare)
French form of Fiachra.
Flint m English
From the English vocabulary word, from Old English flint.
Gundhram m Germanic
Old German form of Guntram.
Guntram m German
Means "war raven" from the Old German elements gunda "war" and hram "raven". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish king, sometimes called Gontrand, who is considered a saint.
Hraban m Germanic
From an Old German byname derived from hraban meaning "raven".
Hrafn m Icelandic, Old Norse
Means "raven" in Old Norse.
Hrafnhildr f Old Norse
From the Old Norse elements hrafn "raven" and hildr "battle".
Hrambert m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hram "raven" and beraht "bright".
Iben f Danish, Norwegian
Possibly a feminine form of Ib. It is associated with Danish ibenholt meaning "ebony".
Ingram m Germanic, English (Rare)
Germanic name composed of either the element angil, from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Angles, or engil meaning "angel" combined with hram meaning "raven". This name was brought to England by the Normans, though it died out after the medieval era. These days it is usually inspired by the surname that was derived from the medieval name.
Inken f Frisian
Originally a diminutive of Ingeborg and other names beginning with the element ing, which refers to the Germanic god Ing.
Inola f Cherokee
Derived from Cherokee ᎢᏃᎵ (inoli) meaning "black fox".
Isa 3 m Germanic
Short form of Germanic names beginning with the element is meaning "ice" (Proto-Germanic *īsą).
Itzcoatl m Nahuatl
Means "obsidian snake" in Nahuatl, from itztli "obsidian" and cōātl "snake". Itzcoatl was the fourth king of Tenochtitlan and the first emperor of the Aztec Empire (15th century).
Jet f Dutch
Short form of Henriëtte or Mariëtte.
Jett m English (Modern)
From the English word jet, which denotes either a jet aircraft or an intense black colour (the words derive from different sources).
Kale m Hawaiian
Hawaiian form of Charles.
Kali 1 f & m Hinduism, Bengali, Tamil
Means "the black one", derived from Sanskrit काल (kāla) meaning "black". The Hindu goddess Kali is the fierce destructive form of the wife of Shiva. According to stories in the Puranas, she springs from the forehead of Durga in order to defeat various demons. She is typically depicted with black skin and four arms, holding a severed head and brandishing a sword. As a personal name, it is generally masculine in India.
Kannan m Tamil
Tamil form of Krishna.
Kara 2 m Ottoman Turkish
Means "black, dark" in Turkish. This was sometimes used as a byname by Ottoman officials, figuratively meaning "courageous".
Keira f English (Modern)
Variant of Ciara 1. This spelling was popularized by British actress Keira Knightley (1985-).
Kerry m & f English
From the name of the Irish county, called Ciarraí in Irish Gaelic, which means "Ciar's people".
Kiara f English (Modern)
Variant of Ciara 1 or Chiara. This name was brought to public attention in 1988 after the singing duo Kiara released their song This Time. It was further popularized by a character in the animated movie The Lion King II (1998).
Kiaran m English (Rare)
Anglicized form of Ciarán.
Kiera f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Ciara 1.
Kieran m Irish, English
Anglicized form of Ciarán.
Kieron m Irish, English
Anglicized form of Ciarán.
Kierra f English (Modern)
Variant of Kiara influenced by the spelling of Sierra.
Kira 2 f English
Variant of Ciara 1.
Kishan m Hindi, Gujarati
Possibly a variant of Krishna.
Kolr m Old Norse
Byname derived from Old Norse kol meaning "coal".
Korbinian m German
Derived from Latin corvus meaning "raven". This was the name of an 8th-century Frankish saint who was sent by Pope Gregory II to evangelize in Bavaria. His real name may have been Hraban.
Koronis f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek κορώνη (korone) meaning "crow". This was the name of several figures from Greek mythology, including the mother of the god Asklepios.
Krishna m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) meaning "black, dark". This is the name of a Hindu deity believed to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu. According to the Mahabharata and the Puranas he was the youngest of King Vasudeva's eight sons by Devaki, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. However, Krishna and his brother Balarama were saved and he eventually fulfilled the prophecy by slaying the evil king. He then helped the Pandavas defeat the Kauravas in the Mahabharata War. His philosophical conversation with the Pandava leader Arjuna forms the text of the important Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita.... [more]
Krisna m Indonesian
Indonesian form of Krishna.
Kuro m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 九郎 (see Kurō).
Kyra f English
Variant of Kira 2, sometimes considered a feminine form of Cyrus.
Kyran m Irish
Variant of Kieran.
Li 1 f & m Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "reason, logic", () meaning "stand, establish", () meaning "black, dawn", () meaning "power, capability, influence" (which is usually only masculine) or () meaning "beautiful" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Licarayen f Mapuche
Means "stone flower" in Mapuche, from likan "a type of black stone" and rayen "flower". According to a Mapuche legend this was the name of a maiden who sacrificed herself in order to stop the wrath of the evil spirit of a volcano.
Lonán m Irish, Old Irish
Means "little blackbird", derived from Old Irish lon "blackbird" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several early saints.
Makvala f Georgian
Derived from Georgian მაყვალი (maqvali) meaning "blackberry".
Malinda f English
Variant of Melinda.
Mel m & f English
Short form of Melvin, Melanie, Melissa and other names beginning with Mel.
Melaina f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology.
Melánia f Hungarian, Slovak
Hungarian and Slovak form of Melania (see Melanie).
Melania f Italian, Spanish, Polish, Romanian, Late Roman
Italian, Spanish, Polish and Romanian form of Melanie.
Mélanie f French
French form of Melanie.
Melánie f Czech (Rare)
Czech form of Melanie.
Melanie f English, German, Dutch
From Mélanie, the French form of the Latin name Melania, derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a Roman saint who gave all her wealth to charity in the 5th century. Her grandmother was also a saint with the same name.... [more]
Melanija f Serbian, Macedonian, Slovene, Latvian, Lithuanian
Form of Melanie used in various languages.
Melaniya f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Melania (see Melanie).
Melano f Georgian
Georgian form of Melanie.
Melantha f English (Rare)
Probably a combination of Mel (from names such as Melanie or Melissa) with the suffix antha (from Greek ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower"). John Dryden used this name in his play Marriage a la Mode (1672).
Melanthios m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μέλας (melas) meaning "black, dark" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of an insolent goatherd killed by Odysseus.
Melina f English, Greek
Elaboration of Mel, either from names such as Melissa or from Greek μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". A famous bearer was Greek-American actress Melina Mercouri (1920-1994), who was born Maria Amalia Mercouris.
Melinda f English, Hungarian
Combination of Mel (from names such as Melanie or Melissa) with the popular name suffix inda. It was created in the 18th century, and may have been inspired by the similar name Belinda. In Hungary, the name was popularized by the 1819 play Bánk Bán by József Katona.
Merel f Dutch
Means "blackbird" in Dutch.
Merle m & f English, Estonian
From the English word merle or the French surname Merle, which both mean "blackbird" (from Latin merula). It was borne by the devious character Madame Merle (in fact her surname) in Henry James' novel The Portrait of a Lady (1880).... [more]
Merletta f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Merle.
Mindy f English
Diminutive of Melinda.
Nigel m English
From Nigellus, a medieval Latinized form of Neil. It was commonly associated with Latin niger "black". It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to Walter Scott's novel The Fortunes of Nigel (1822).
Nigella f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Nigel.
Odile f French
French form of Odilia.
Onyx m & f English
From the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".
Panther m Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek name meaning "panther".
Pantheras m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek πάνθηρ (panther) meaning "panther", a word ultimately of Sanskrit origin, though folk etymology connects it to Greek πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and θηράω (therao) meaning "to hunt". According to some legends a Roman soldier named Panthera was the father of Jesus.
Pittiulaaq f & m Inuit
Means "black guillemot" in Inuktitut (a guillemot is a type of sea bird; species Cepphus grylle).
Raban m Germanic
Variant of Hraban.
Rambert m Germanic
Variant of Hrambert or Raginbert. These names have become confused with one another and merged together. Saint Rambert, also called Ragnebert, was martyred near Lyon in the 7th century.
Raven f & m English
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god Odin.
Ravenna f English (Rare)
Either an elaboration of Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.
Roan m Frisian
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element hraban meaning "raven".
Rocco m Italian, Germanic
Germanic name possibly derived from hruoh meaning "crow, rook". This was the name of a 14th-century French saint who nursed victims of the plague but eventually contracted the disease himself. He is the patron saint of the sick.
Ronne m Frisian
Variant of Roan.
Sable f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.
Shyama m & f Hinduism, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit श्याम (śyāma) meaning "dark, black, blue". This is a transcription of both the masculine form श्याम (another name of the Hindu god Krishna) and the feminine form श्यामा (another name of the goddess Kali).
Shyamal m Bengali
From Sanskrit श्यामल (śyāmala), a derivative of श्याम (śyāma) meaning "dark, black, blue".
Shyamala f Tamil, Telugu, Marathi
Feminine form of Shyamal.
Siavash m Persian, Persian Mythology
Persian form of Avestan 𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬀𐬥 (Siiāuuarshan) meaning "possessing black stallions". This was the name of a virtuous prince in Iranian mythology. He appears briefly in the Avesta, with a longer account recorded in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.
Siavush m Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian سیاوش (see Siavash).
Solon m Ancient Greek
Possibly from Greek σόλος (solos) meaning "lump of iron". This was the name of an Athenian statesman who reformed the laws and government of the city.
Sullivan m English, French
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Súileabháin, itself from the given name Súileabhán, which was derived from Irish súil "eye" and dubh "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name has achieved a moderate level of popularity in France since the 1970s. In the United States it was rare before the 1990s, after which it began climbing steadily. A famous fictional bearer of the surname was James P. Sullivan from the animated movie Monsters, Inc. (2001).
Tecumseh m Shawnee
Means "panther passing across" in Shawnee. This name was borne by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh (1768-1813), who resisted American expansion along with his brother the spiritual leader Tenskwatawa.
Trahaearn m Medieval Welsh
Means "very much like iron", derived from Welsh tra "very, over" prefixed to haearn "iron". This name was borne by an 11th-century king of Gwynedd.
Tulugaq m & f Greenlandic, Inuit
Means "raven" in Greenlandic and Inuktitut.
Vasco m Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
From the medieval Spanish name Velasco, which possibly meant "crow" in Basque. A famous bearer was the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (c. 1460-1524), the first person to sail from Europe around Africa to India.
Velasco m Medieval Spanish
Medieval Spanish form of Vasco.
Wambui f Kikuyu
Means "zebra" in Kikuyu. This is one of Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wolfram m German
Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hram meaning "raven". Saint Wolfram (or Wulfram) was a 7th-century archbishop of Sens. This name was also borne by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of Parzival.
Wulfhram m Germanic
Old German form of Wolfram.