Names that mean shadow: 80+ names meaning shadow, dark and night
81 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest
Names that mean shadow include Zillah (Hebrew, shade), Chhaya (Sanskrit, shadow) and Itzal (Basque, shadow), while names that mean dark include Kieran, Melanie and Krishna.
True shadow names are rare, so this page also covers names that mean darkness, night and black. You'll find girl, boy and unisex names, names that mean night, the gods and spirits of darkness, and the word shadow in other languages, each with its meaning, origin and a pronunciation where it helps.
Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks
Zill
Arabic for shadow, written ظل
Ombre
French for shadow or shade. Say OHM-bruh
Tezcatlipoca
Aztec god of the night sky; Nahuatl smoking mirror
Bezalel
In the shadow of God; Hebrew, builder of the Ark. Say beh-tsahl-EL
Nisha
Night; Sanskrit. Say NEE-shah
Erebus
Greek for deep darkness; the primordial god of shadow
Girl names that mean shadow or darkness
Real girl names that mean shadow, shade, dark or black.
- Zillah: Shade; Hebrew, a wife of Lamech in Genesis
- Chhaya: Shadow, shade; Sanskrit, the shadow wife of the sun god
- Itzal: Shadow; Basque, with a sense of shelter. Say EET-sahl
- Melania: Black, dark; Greek, the Latin form behind Melanie
- Ciara: Dark one; Irish, from ciar, dark. Say KEER-ah
- Keira US #622: Dark one; an English spelling of Irish Ciara
- Kolbrún: Black brow, from coal and brow; Icelandic. Say KOL-broon
- Shyamala: Dark, dusky; Sanskrit, popular in South India
- Ebony: Black wood; English, from the dark tropical timber
- Sable: Black; English, from the dark fur and heraldry
- Sawda: Black; Arabic, borne by a wife of the Prophet Muhammad
Boy names that mean shadow or darkness
From the Hebrew Bezalel, in the shadow of God, to the Gaelic names built on dubh and ciar, the words for dark.
- Bezalel: In the shadow of God; Hebrew, builder of the Ark. Say beh-tsahl-EL
- Kedar: Dark; Hebrew, a son of Ishmael in Genesis
- Ciarán: Little dark one; the Irish original of Kieran. Say KEER-awn
- Dwayne: Little dark one; from Irish Dubhán
- Dougal: Dark stranger; Scottish Gaelic. Say DOO-gul
- Duff: Dark; from Scottish and Irish Gaelic dubh
- Dunstan: Dark stone; Old English, borne by a 10th-century archbishop
- Gethin: Dark, swarthy; Welsh. Say GETH-in
- Adham: Black, dark; Arabic. Say AD-hum
- Siavash: Possessing black horses; Persian, a hero of the Shahnameh
- Shyamal: Dark, dusky; Sanskrit, a Bengali favorite
Unisex names that mean dark
Names given to girls and boys alike. For Chinese and Korean names, the meaning depends on the character chosen.
- Krishna: Black, dark; Sanskrit, the Hindu god, also a girl's name
- Shyama: Dark, black or blue; Sanskrit, a name of Krishna and Kali
- Rajani: Night, darkness; Sanskrit, a name of the goddess Durga
- Nilam: Dark blue; Sanskrit, also the word for sapphire
- Ciar: Black, dark; Irish, ancestor of the people of Kerry
- Kerry: Ciar's people; from the Irish county. Ciar means dark
- Ying: Shadow, when written 影; Chinese
- Xuan: Dark, mysterious, when written 玄; Chinese
- Hyun: Dark, profound, when written 玄; Korean
Names that mean night
Night names have a calmer, dreamier feel than shadow names. Several African names mean born at night.
- Layal: Nights; Arabic. Say lah-YAHL
- Nisha: Night; Sanskrit. Say NEE-shah
- Yamini: Night; Sanskrit. Say YAH-mi-nee
- Ratri: Night; Sanskrit, the Vedic goddess of night
- Nishith: Midnight; Sanskrit. Say ni-SHEETH
- Sayo: Little night, written 小夜; Japanese
- Sayoko: Little night child, written 小夜子; Japanese
- Chausiku: Born at night; Swahili. Say chah-oo-SEE-koo
- Otieno: Born at night; Luo, from Kenya, for boys
- Atieno: Born at night; Luo, from Kenya, for girls
- Nyx: Greek for night; the goddess of night, daughter of Chaos
- Nox: Latin for night; the Roman goddess of night
- Nótt: Old Norse for night; the giantess who rides the night sky
Gods and spirits of darkness
Primordial darkness, shadowy warriors and night gods from Greek, Irish, Egyptian, Slavic, Aztec and Persian tradition.
- Erebus: Greek for deep darkness; the primordial god of shadow
- Achlys: Greek for mist or darkness; a ghostly figure of sorrow
- Scáthach: Irish shadowy one; warrior woman who trained Cú Chulainn. Say SKAH-hakh
- Kek: Egyptian god of primordial darkness; his name means darkness
- Kauket: Egyptian goddess of primordial darkness, partner of Kek
- Chernobog: Slavic for black god, named in medieval chronicles
- Tezcatlipoca: Aztec god of the night sky; Nahuatl smoking mirror
- Ahriman: Persian spirit of darkness and destruction in Zoroastrian belief
- Umbriel: From Latin umbra, shadow; a moon of Uranus and Pope's gloomy sprite
- Kelaino: Greek for dark or murky; a Pleiad and a Harpy
- Melaina: Greek nymph whose name means black or dark
The word shadow in other languages
Words for shadow and shade that work as names for characters, pets and games. These are words, not traditional given names.
- Umbra: Latin for shadow, also the darkest part of an eclipse
- Tenebrae: Latin for darkness, also a Holy Week service
- Skia: Greek for shadow. Say skee-AH
- Ombra: Italian for shadow or shade
- Sombra: Spanish and Portuguese for shadow
- Ombre: French for shadow or shade. Say OHM-bruh
- Schatten: German word for shadow or shade
- Skuggi: Icelandic word for shadow
- Skygge: Danish and Norwegian word for shadow
- Varjo: Finnish word for shadow
- Cień: Polish word for shadow. Say CHYEN
- Tzel: Hebrew for shadow, written צל
- Zill: Arabic for shadow, written ظل
- Saaya: Hindi and Urdu word for shadow
- Gölge: Turkish word for shadow
- Scáth: Irish word for shadow or shade. Say SKAW
- Cysgod: Welsh word for shadow. Say KUSS-god
- Kage: Japanese for shadow, written 影
- Kivuli: Swahili word for shadow or shade
- Aka: Hawaiian for shadow or reflection
How to pick the right name
Shadow, dark or night?
Shadow names like Zillah and Chhaya feel mysterious, dark names like Kieran and Melanie feel classic, and night names like Layla and Nisha feel calm and dreamy. Pick the mood first.
Check the characters
Chinese and Korean names change meaning with the character. Ying means shadow only when written 影, and Xuan and Hyun mean dark only with 玄.
Skip the folk meanings
Lists online often say Darcy and Blake mean dark. Darcy comes from a Norman place name, and Blake can mean either black or pale, so neither is a reliable dark name.
Use the words for characters
Umbra, Sombra and Kage make great names for game characters, villains and black cats, while Zillah, Ciara and Kieran work for real children.
Save this list for later
Pin it to a naming board, or tap the heart next to any name to keep it in your favorites on this device.
Frequently asked questions
What name means shadow?
Zillah means shade in Hebrew, Chhaya means shadow in Sanskrit, and Itzal means shadow in Basque. Bezalel means in the shadow of God.
What names mean darkness?
Erebus is the Greek god of deep darkness, and Achlys means mist or darkness. Among given names, Kieran, Ciara, Melanie, Douglas and Krishna mean dark or black.
What girl names mean dark?
Melanie, Ciara, Keira, Kali, Shyamala and Kolbrún all mean dark or black. Layla, Nisha and Yamini mean night.
Does Darcy mean dark?
No. Darcy comes from a Norman surname taken from the French place name Arcy, so it means from Arcy. The dark meaning often listed online is a folk etymology.
What is the Latin word for shadow?
Umbra is Latin for shadow, and astronomers use it for the darkest part of an eclipse shadow. Tenebrae is Latin for darkness.
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