Gothic Revival, also known as Gothic Victorian or Neo-Gothic was one of the leading trends of the Victorian period. Their love for classic, medieval, and biblical legends and mythology, coupled with the romance of the Gothic literature permeated in all parts of the Victorian life, including baby names. The magazines of mid-century saw a burst of literature and cinema actresses bearing Gothic names such as Orinda, Zemira, and Glaphyra.
Belonging to the culture that combines romanticism with horror, Gothic names encompass literature, fashion, music, and architecture. They have a dark and daring touch, which makes them very different from the usual names we hear today. And contrary to what most of the people perceive, Gothic names are not outlandish or weird. Some are extremely wearable. In fact, some of these names are so mainstream that you may not even realize that they are Gothic names.
The trend of using Gothic names is not as widespread now as it was in the Victorian period. But that doesn’t mean it has fallen into obscurity. These names are still preferred by fans of Gothic literature. Below is MomJunction's fascinating list of Gothic baby names with meanings that can be considered for your child.
NAMES | MEANING | GENDER | FAVOURITES | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anastasia | Resurrection; coming again | Girl | |||
Annabel | A loving human being | Girl | |||
Bellatrix | Bellatrix is Warlike | Girl | |||
Bram | One who is the father of many children | Boy | |||
Claudia | As mentioned in the New Testament, it is the feminine form of 'Claudius', a 7th century saint | Girl | |||
Corbin | A black bird resembling crow; Raven | Boy | |||
Draco | Dragon; one who is like a serpant | Boy | |||
Drusilla | Fruitful; they are blessed | Girl | |||
Evangeline | a good news or a good gospel. | Girl | |||
Griffin | Lord who have a very strong grip on everything which is around him. | Boy | |||
Lazarus | Biblical name, means God's assistance | Boy | |||
Lucretia | Latin word for wealth | Girl | |||
Nicodemus | The achievement of the multitude. | Boy | |||
Oberon | The soul or the purest blood out of the heart. | Boy | |||
Rook | He who is like a raven | Boy | |||
Theron | Hunted or untamed | Boy | |||
Vesper | Evening star or evening prayer | Unisex | |||
Acanthus | Thorn | Boy | |||
Adalricus | Noble ruler | Boy | |||
Alf | Gothic - Noble and Ready; English - Inspired Advice; Old Peace Derived from the element Alfr which means Elf; A variant of name Alfonso and Alfie | Boy | |||
Alfons | Gothic - Noble and Ready; A variant form of the name Alfonso | Boy | |||
Alfonsus | Gothic - Noble and Ready; A variant form of the name Alfonso | Boy | |||
Alfonzo | Gothic - Noble and Ready; A variant form of the name Alfonso | Boy | |||
Alonso | Gothic - Noble and Ready; A variant form of the name Alfonso | Boy | |||
Alphonsus | Gothic - Noble and Ready; A variant form of the name Alfonso | Boy | |||
Althaia | A medicinal herb | Girl | |||
Alvara | An army of warrior elves who protect the universe like a guardian | Girl | |||
Alvera | Dearly Loved; Gothic - True to all; Truly Foreign; Truly Lively; A variation of the name Elvira | Girl | |||
Alvira | Dearly Loved; Gothic - True to all; Truly Foreign; Truly Lively; A variation of the name Elvira | Girl | |||
Amalric | A born leader fit to be a ruler filled with power | Boy | |||
Ammar | A strong man who is a builder | Unisex | |||
Anda | Spanish - Going; Gothic - Peace through bravery; Bold Protector; Bold Journey; A variant of Alexandra | Girl | |||
Artemia | The moon goddess | Girl | |||
Ascelin | Of the moon | Boy | |||
Asmodeus | Name of a demon. | Boy | |||
Astaroth | Name of a demon. | Boy | |||
Atilla | Gothic - Little Father; Derived from element Atta which means Father | Boy | |||
Attila | Gothic - Little Father; Derived from element Atta which means Father | Boy | |||
Balor | The one-eyed giant in Irish mythology | Boy | |||
Bernia | The angel in armor. | Girl | |||
Caera | Caera is a variant form of Cara and means beloved or friend. | Girl | |||
Ceiridwen | A fair woman | Girl | |||
Celosia | The burning flame. | Girl | |||
Chimera | A mythological beast made up of parts of different animals | Boy | |||
Crow | The bird crow | Boy | |||
Cynfael | Chief prince | Boy | |||
Daemon | An evil attendant or spirit | Boy | |||
Desdemona | Misery or unlucky. Name of Shakespeare's heroine. | Girl | |||
Deverell | From the river bank. | Boy | |||
Draconia | Dire | Unisex | |||