Choosing a name is usually about finding something sweet and light but where’s the fun in that?
Sometimes, you want a name with a little edge, a touch of mystery, or a story that feels wonderfully ominous.
Whether you’re naming a mischievous black cat, a villain in your next novel, or just love darker aesthetics, exploring names that mean “cursed” opens a door to the delightfully wicked.
Let’s get weird!
The Benefits of Choosing Names That Mean cursed
Unforgettable Impact: Darker meanings create instant intrigue and memorable character depth.
Edgy Aesthetic: Perfect for Goth subcultures, fantasy writing, or unique pets.
1. Jinx
Meaning: A spell bringing bad luck
Pronunciation: JINKS
Origin: Latin/American
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: Popularized in modern gaming and comics
Popularity: Common for pets
Lucky Number: 5
2. Hex
Meaning: A magical spell or curse
Pronunciation: HEKS
Origin: German
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: Associated with witchcraft and Pennsylvania Dutch folk magic
Popularity: Rare for humans
Lucky Number: 4
3. Voodoo
Meaning: Spirit or deity, often linked to magic
Pronunciation: VOO-doo
Origin: African/Haitian
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: A complex religion often misunderstood as simple cursing
Popularity: Very rare
Lucky Number: 9
1. Desdemona
Meaning: Ill-fated or unfortunate
Pronunciation: dez-de-MOH-na
Origin: Greek
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: The tragic heroine in Shakespeare’s play Othello
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 7
2. Malificenta
Meaning: Prone to evil or cursing
Pronunciation: mal-if-uh-SEN-ta
Origin: Latin
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: A variation of the name popularized by Disney villains
Popularity: Extremely rare
Lucky Number: 3
3. Keres
Meaning: Spirits of violent death or doom
Pronunciation: KAIR-eez
Origin: Greek
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Ancient spirits released from Pandora’s Box
Popularity: Unique
Lucky Number: 8
1. Jabez
Meaning: Sorrow or trouble
Pronunciation: JAY-bez
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Biblical figure who prayed to avoid causing pain
Popularity: Uncommon
Lucky Number: 1
2. Ares
Meaning: Ruin or bane
Pronunciation: AIR-eez
Origin: Greek
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: The Greek god of war and destruction
Popularity: Rising popularity
Lucky Number: 9
3. Brennan
Meaning: Descendant of the sad one; sorrow
Pronunciation: BREN-an
Origin: Irish
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Associated with ancient Irish clans and surnames
Popularity: Common
Lucky Number: 2
1. Mallory
Meaning: Unfortunate or ill-fated
Pronunciation: MAL-uh-ree
Origin: French
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: Originally a surname meaning “unlucky”
Popularity: Popular in the 90s
Lucky Number: 6
2. Rue
Meaning: Regret or sorrow
Pronunciation: ROO
Origin: English
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Also an herb used in ancient medicine
Popularity: Rising
Lucky Number: 4
3. Tristan
Meaning: Sorrowful or sad
Pronunciation: TRIS-tan
Origin: Celtic
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend
Popularity: Very popular
Lucky Number: 5
Last Names That Mean cursed
1. Kennedy
Meaning: Misshapen head; sometimes linked to ugliness
Pronunciation: KEN-uh-dee
Origin: Irish/Gaelic
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: A famous American political family known for tragedy
Popularity: Very Common
Lucky Number: 7
2. Campbell
Meaning: Crooked mouth
Pronunciation: KAM-bull
Origin: Scottish
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: A powerful Highland clan with a bloody history
Popularity: Common
Lucky Number: 3
3. Cameron
Meaning: Crooked nose
Pronunciation: KAM-uh-ron
Origin: Scottish
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: One of the most ancient Scottish clans
Popularity: Popular
Lucky Number: 1
Mythical Names That Mean cursed
1. Pandora
Meaning: All-gifted (but released all curses)
Pronunciation: pan-DORA
Origin: Greek
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: The first human woman created by Hephaestus
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 8
2. Medea
Meaning: To plan or cunning (a cursed sorceress)
Pronunciation: meh-DEE-uh
Origin: Greek
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: A witch who helped Jason secure the Golden Fleece
Popularity: Very Rare
Lucky Number: 5
3. Draugr
Meaning: Ghost or undead spirit
Pronunciation: DROW-gur
Origin: Norse
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Undead Viking warrior guarding treasure in graves
Popularity: Extremely Rare
Lucky Number: 9
Arabic Origin Names That Mean cursed
1. Dalia
Meaning: Fate or destiny (can imply heavy fate)
Pronunciation: DAH-lee-ah
Origin: Arabic
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Often refers to a vine or slender branch
Popularity: Common
Lucky Number: 2
2. Nakba
Meaning: Catastrophe or disaster
Pronunciation: NAK-bah
Origin: Arabic
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: Refers to a specific historical event of displacement
Popularity: Not used as a name
Lucky Number: 4
3. Halah
Meaning: Nimbus or halo (around the moon, ominous)
Pronunciation: HA-lah
Origin: Arabic
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Can represent beauty but also fleeting nature
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 6
Scottish Origin Names That Mean cursed
1. Eonder
Meaning: A feeling of gloom or impending doom
Pronunciation: YON-der
Origin: Scottish (Archaic)
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Tied to old folklore about dark premonitions
Popularity: Virtually unknown
Lucky Number: 7
2. Dubh
Meaning: Darkness or black
Pronunciation: DOO or DOV
Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: often used to describe dark-haired kings
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 1
3. Sluagh
Meaning: Host of the unforgiven dead
Pronunciation: SLOO-ah
Origin: Scottish Folklore
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: Spirits that fly from the west to steal souls
Popularity: Mythical only
Lucky Number: 9
Irish Origin Names That Mean cursed
1. Banshee
Meaning: Woman of the fairy mound (omen of death)
Pronunciation: BAN-shee
Origin: Irish
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: A spirit who wails to warn of death
Popularity: Mythical only
Lucky Number: 3
2. Balor
Meaning: The flashing one (Deadly eye)
Pronunciation: BAY-lor
Origin: Irish Mythology
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: King of the Fomorians with a poisonous eye
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 8
3. Morrigan
Meaning: Phantom queen or great queen
Pronunciation: MOR-ih-gan
Origin: Irish
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Goddess of war and fate, often predicting doom
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 5
Hebrew Origin Names That Mean cursed
1. Ichabod
Meaning: The glory is gone
Pronunciation: IK-uh-bod
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Born when the Ark of the Covenant was taken
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 4
2. Mara
Meaning: Bitter
Pronunciation: MAR-uh
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Name taken by Naomi after losing her family
Popularity: Moderate
Lucky Number: 2
3. Azazel
Meaning: Scapegoat or removal
Pronunciation: ah-ZAY-zel
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: A fallen angel or demon in ancient texts
Popularity: Very Rare
Lucky Number: 9
Polish Origin Names That Mean cursed
1. Marzanna
Meaning: Goddess of winter, plague, and death
Pronunciation: mar-ZAH-nah
Origin: Polish/Slavic
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: An effigy drowned to symbolize end of winter
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 6
2. Bies
Meaning: Demon or evil spirit
Pronunciation: BYES
Origin: Polish Folklore
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: A personification of evil in Slavic mythology
Popularity: Mythical only
Lucky Number: 1
3. Licho
Meaning: Bad luck or misfortune personified
Pronunciation: LEE-ho
Origin: Polish
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: A one-eyed demon that brings bad fortune
Popularity: Mythical only
Lucky Number: 7
Italian Origin Names That Mean cursed
1. Malavolta
Meaning: Bad turn or wrong side
Pronunciation: mal-ah-VOL-tah
Origin: Italian
Gender: Unisex (Surname)
Historical Significance: Historically a noble family name in Siena
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 3
2. Disgrazia
Meaning: Disgrace or misfortune
Pronunciation: dis-GRAHT-see-ah
Origin: Italian
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: A literal word for bad luck
Popularity: Not used
Lucky Number: 8
3. Sventura
Meaning: Misfortune
Pronunciation: sven-TOO-rah
Origin: Italian
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Used in literature to describe tragic fate
Popularity: Very Rare
Lucky Number: 5
Native American Origin That Mean cursed
1. Aponi
Meaning: Butterfly (often symbols of fleeting life)
Pronunciation: ah-POH-nee
Origin: Blackfoot
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: While beautiful, insects can represent short lifespans
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 2
2. Malsum
Meaning: Wolf (specifically a destructive spirit)
Pronunciation: MAL-sum
Origin: Wabanaki
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: The evil twin brother of the creator figure
Popularity: Very Rare
Lucky Number: 4
3. Chindi
Meaning: Ghost or spirit causing sickness
Pronunciation: CHIN-dee
Origin: Navajo
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: The spirit left behind after death
Popularity: Mythical only
Lucky Number: 9
Greek Origin That Mean cursed
1. Thanatos
Meaning: Death
Pronunciation: THAN-ah-toss
Origin: Greek
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: The personification of non-violent death
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 7
2. Nemesis
Meaning: Retribution or righteous anger
Pronunciation: NEM-uh-sis
Origin: Greek
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Goddess who punished those showing arrogance
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 1
3. Lyssa
Meaning: Rage or madness
Pronunciation: LISS-ah
Origin: Greek
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Spirit of mad rage and frenzy in mythology
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 6
European Names That Mean cursed
1. Lorelei
Meaning: Murmuring rock (lures sailors to doom)
Pronunciation: LOR-uh-lie
Origin: German
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: A siren associated with the Rhine River
Popularity: Moderate
Lucky Number: 5
2. Waldemar
Meaning: Famous ruler (with a dark history)
Pronunciation: val-deh-MAR
Origin: German/Scandinavian
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Name of several kings with bloody reigns
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 3
3. Lilith
Meaning: Ghost or night monster
Pronunciation: LIL-ith
Origin: Assyrian/Babylonian
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Adam’s first wife, often depicted as a demon
Popularity: Popular
Lucky Number: 8
English Origin That Mean cursed
1. Hateful
Meaning: Full of hate
Pronunciation: HATE-ful
Origin: Old English
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: A descriptive puritanical style name
Popularity: Not used
Lucky Number: 4
2. Tempest
Meaning: Violent storm
Pronunciation: TEM-pest
Origin: English
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Popularized by Shakespeare’s play The Tempest
Popularity: Uncommon
Lucky Number: 9
3. Grim
Meaning: Fierce, cruel, or forbidding
Pronunciation: GRIM
Origin: English
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Often associated with the Grim Reaper
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 2
Spiritual Names That Mean cursed
1. Kali
Meaning: The black one (force of destruction)
Pronunciation: KAH-lee
Origin: Sanskrit
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Hindu goddess of time, creation, and destruction
Popularity: Moderate
Lucky Number: 1
2. Samael
Meaning: Venom of God
Pronunciation: SAM-ay-el
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Archangel often equated with death or Satan
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 7
3. Shiva
Meaning: The destroyer (of evil)
Pronunciation: SHEE-vah
Origin: Sanskrit
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: One of the principal deities of Hinduism
Popularity: Common in India
Lucky Number: 5
Japanese Origin Names That Mean cursed
1. Akuma
Meaning: Devil or demon
Pronunciation: ah-KOO-mah
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Evil spirit in Japanese folklore
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 6
2. Yurei
Meaning: Dim spirit or ghost
Pronunciation: YOO-ray
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: Figures in Japanese ghost stories
Popularity: Mythical only
Lucky Number: 8
3. Shi
Meaning: Death
Pronunciation: SHEE
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: Considered an unlucky number/word in Japan
Popularity: Avoided
Lucky Number: 4
Unisex Names That Mean cursed
1. Ash
Meaning: Residue of fire (ruin)
Pronunciation: ASH
Origin: English
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: From the ash tree or fire remains
Popularity: Popular
Lucky Number: 3
2. Grey
Meaning: Gloomy color
Pronunciation: GRAY
Origin: English
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: Associated with overcast, sad weather
Popularity: Trendy
Lucky Number: 9
3. Salem
Meaning: Peace (ironic connection to witch trials)
Pronunciation: SAY-lem
Origin: Hebrew/Arabic
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: Site of the infamous 1692 witch trials
Popularity: Rising
Lucky Number: 5
Biblical Names That Mean cursed
1. Jezebel
Meaning: Where is the prince? (Associated with wickedness)
Pronunciation: JEZ-uh-bel
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Queen known for persecution of prophets
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 2
2. Cain
Meaning: Possessed or spear
Pronunciation: KAYN
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: The first murderer in the Bible
Popularity: Uncommon
Lucky Number: 7
3. Delilah
Meaning: Delicate (but a betrayer)
Pronunciation: de-LIE-lah
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Betrayed Samson by cutting his hair
Popularity: Popular
Lucky Number: 4
African Names That Mean cursed
1. Mwanajuma
Meaning: Born on Friday (sometimes considered unlucky)
Pronunciation: mwah-nah-JOO-mah
Origin: Swahili
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Day names are very significant in culture
Popularity: Common in East Africa
Lucky Number: 6
2. Gamba
Meaning: Warrior (associated with violence)
Pronunciation: GAM-bah
Origin: African
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Implies a life of struggle and battle
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 8
3. Omen
Meaning: A sign of something to come
Pronunciation: OH-men
Origin: English/Latin root
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: Used to predict future events
Popularity: Very Rare
Lucky Number: 1
Chinese Names That Mean cursed
1. Si
Meaning: Death (Homophone)
Pronunciation: SUH
Origin: Chinese
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: The number 4 sounds like death in Mandarin
Popularity: Avoided
Lucky Number: 4
2. Mogwai
Meaning: Monster or evil spirit
Pronunciation: MOG-why
Origin: Cantonese
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: A demon that harms humans
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 9
3. Yaoguai
Meaning: Strange devil or demon
Pronunciation: yow-GWY
Origin: Chinese Folklore
Gender: Unisex
Historical Significance: Spirits formed from animals or objects
Popularity: Mythical only
Lucky Number: 3
Egyptian Names That Mean cursed
1. Seth
Meaning: Pillar or dazzle (God of chaos)
Pronunciation: SETH
Origin: Egyptian
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: God of storms, desert, and disorder
Popularity: Popular
Lucky Number: 5
2. Apep
Meaning: To slither (Serpent of chaos)
Pronunciation: AH-pep
Origin: Egyptian
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Enemy of the sun god Ra
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 2
3. Ammut
Meaning: Devourer of the dead
Pronunciation: ah-MOOT
Origin: Egyptian
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Demoness who ate unworthy souls
Popularity: Mythical only
Lucky Number: 7
Roman Names That Mean cursed
1. Pluto
Meaning: Wealth (God of the Underworld)
Pronunciation: PLOO-toe
Origin: Roman/Latin
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: Ruler of the dead
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 8
2. Mania
Meaning: Madness
Pronunciation: MAH-nee-ah
Origin: Roman
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Goddess of the dead and insanity
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 6
3. Laverna
Meaning: Of the spring (Patron of thieves)
Pronunciation: la-VER-nah
Origin: Roman
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Goddess of thieves and cheats
Popularity: Rare
Lucky Number: 1
Spanish Origin Names That Mean cursed
1. Dolores
Meaning: Sorrows or pains
Pronunciation: doh-LOR-es
Origin: Spanish
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Refers to the Virgin Mary of Sorrows
Popularity: Classic
Lucky Number: 3
2. Malo
Meaning: Bad or evil
Pronunciation: MAH-loh
Origin: Spanish
Gender: Male
Historical Significance: A descriptive word for wickedness
Popularity: Very Rare
Lucky Number: 4
3. Soledad
Meaning: Solitude or loneliness
Pronunciation: soh-leh-DAD
Origin: Spanish
Gender: Female
Historical Significance: Refers to the solitude of the Virgin Mary
Popularity: Common
Lucky Number: 9