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Witch name generator

Generate witch names for stories, games and Halloween, from gothic and green witches to cottagecore and funny ones, or names in the style of 17th-century court records, with the lore behind the plants.

  • Imelda Hollow

  • Juniper of Bramble Hill

  • Goldie Toastwell

  • Mistress Belladonna of the Ashen Vale

  • Madame Fogwell

  • Calla Thornworth

  • Goody Ashby alias Mother Rook

    Goody (short for Goodwife, the title Salem's records used for accused women) + Ashby + alias (also known as: 1612 and 1692 court records gave by-names this way) + Mother Rook

  • Witchita the Spooky on Weekends

  • Spellvia Newtsworth

  • Witchelle Broomsworth

  • Gertrude the Tea Spiller

  • Bea of the Mushroom Ring

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Witch kit

Ideas for a craft name in the shape practitioners use, a witch's title at each stage of life, and a coven with its familiars for your story.

Craft-name ideas

  • Moonhare
  • Rowanleaf
  • Harespark
  • Moon Rowan
  • Rowanmoon
  • Hare of the Rowan

In Wicca and other Pagan paths a craft name is personal: chosen or given, often at initiation, and kept private by some. These are only starting points.

Maiden, mother, crone

maiden
  • Miss Hazelfor a young witch, the maiden of the three, like Pratchett's Magrat
  • Mistress Hazela title of higher rank than Goodwife
mother
  • Mother Hazelfor a witch with a household and a reputation
  • Goody Hazelshort for Goodwife, the title 17th-century records used
crone
  • Granny Hazelas in Granny Weatherwax
  • Nanny Hazelas in Nanny Ogg
  • Baba Hazelbaba means grandmother in several Slavic languages, as in Baba Yaga

A coven and its familiars

  • The Wayward Sisters of the Black Fen
  • Nutmeg, a toad
  • Soot, a cat
  • Moonpenny, a hare

Macbeth's witches answer to Graymalkin, a grey cat, and Paddock, a toad, in the play's first scene.

How the witch name generator works

Each witch name is filled in from a template, such as first name + surname, Mistress + name + of + place, or first name + epithet. The generator picks a template at random and draws every part from hand-written word banks of witchy first names, surnames, places and titles.

The style menu decides which banks are used. Dark draws gothic names, poison plants and places like the Black Fen. Green builds surnames from real herbs and trees plus an English place ending, and plant names that carry lore say so: rowan was hung over doors against witchcraft. Cozy uses old-fashioned first names and kitchen-and-garden surnames, and Funny swaps in puns like Broomhilda and Spellvia. Old court record copies the way 1612 and 1692 records named people: Goodwife or Goodman, a by-name after alias, a status such as widow, and a place, all with invented names.

All names are original and clean. Witches here are storybook witches, so the banks stick to folklore, plants, the night sky and village life rather than any real religion or practice. The court-record style never uses the names of real people accused of witchcraft; they were victims, not characters.

That is Quick mode: instant and unlimited. For something more specific, switch to Custom mode, set a few options and add a sentence of details. An AI language model suggests 10 original names, each with how to say it and a suggested meaning, and More like this gives you variations on any name you like.

Witch name ideas with notes

Hand-picked by our editors. Copy one, or use them as a starting point.

NameMeaning or note
Morgana NightshadePoison plant surname for a witch who brews trouble
Lenore RavenscroftA nod to Poe, with ravens on the family crest
Mistress Vesper of the HollowEvening-star name for a witch who works at dusk
Nyx BlackthornNamed for the Greek goddess of night
Drusilla the UnseenOld Roman name, quietly menacing
Madame WormwoodBitter herb surname for a stern elder
Corvina DuskwoodBuilt on corvus, the Latin word for crow
Isolde Shadowmere the VeiledTragic legend name with a mysterious epithet
Belladonna GrimshawBelladonna is a famously poisonous plant
Lady Carmilla AshgraveGothic and grand, suits a witch of noble blood
Sybil the HexweaverA sibyl was a prophetess in ancient Greece
Ravenna of CrowsmereTwice the ravens, twice the omens
Hazel MossbrookSoft and earthy, for a hedge witch by a stream
Rowan ThistledownFolklore says rowan trees guard against witchcraft
Juniper ThymewellTwo herbs, one fragrant kitchen garden
Willow of Foxglove HeathGentle name with a wildflower home
Mother Sage HollyhockA wise woman's title and a cottage flower
Briar ElderwoodThorny first name, protective tree surname
Marigold LarkspurTwo bright flowers for a sunny garden witch
Fern MintbloomFresh and green, like a windowsill herb pot
Old Mother NettlewickStinging herb, soft heart
Sorrel of the Elder GroveA tangy herb name for a forest healer
Ivy GreenbriarClimbing plant name for an ambitious witch
Primrose FennelbySpring flower first name with an herbal surname
Linden RootwellLinden flowers make a classic calming tea
Yarrow WildwoodYarrow is an old healing herb of hedgerows
Mabel KettlebySounds like the tea is always on
Granny CrumblewickSmells of apple crumble and candle wax
Auntie ClementineSweet and citrusy, the coven's favorite aunt
Agnes of Teacup CottageClassic old name, tiny cozy house
Old Mother HoneywellCures everything with a spoonful of honey
Tilly HearthstoneHearth magic and warm kitchen spells
Beatrix Plumtree of Hollyhock LaneStorybook name with a full address
Mistress Winifred ThimbleSews little charms into every quilt
Dot CandlewickSmall name, bright little flame
Elsie MintwellFresh mint and a well of good luck
Auntie Opal GingersnapGemstone first name, cookie surname
Pip PuddingstoneShort, cheerful and very cottagecore
Broomhilda FizzlewickA broom pun with a fizzling surname
Wanda SpellcheckWand pun first name, editor's surname
Witchelle the Fashionably LateArrives by broom, eventually
Granny SnickerdoodleEvery hex tastes faintly of cinnamon
Frogatha CrookedhatAgatha, but make it amphibian
Potionella the Slightly CursedNothing a nice cup of tea cannot fix
Auntie PumpkinspiceShows up every autumn without fail
Moonica BubblebrewA pun on Monica, with extra bubbles
Spellvia WobblewandA Sylvia pun; her aim is a work in progress
Madame ToadstoolFancy title, mushroom surname
Mildred the Outnumbered by CatsSeven cats, one witch, no contest
Hexanne CobwebberSpooky decor is her lifestyle choice

Tips for choosing a good name

Match the name to your witch's craft

Dark witches suit sharp, gothic names with night and poison plants. Green witches suit herbs and trees. Cozy witches suit old-fashioned names that sound like a warm kitchen.

Borrow meaning from real plants

Many witchy surnames are real plants. Folklore hung rowan over doors for protection, while nightshade and hemlock hint at a witch you should not cross.

Add a title to age a witch up

Granny, Auntie, Old Mother and Madame instantly make a character older and suggest a reputation in the village.

Save a funny one for Halloween

Pun names like Broomhilda Fizzlewick or Wanda Spellcheck are great for costume parties, classroom activities and kids' stories.

Where the word witch comes from

By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 22, 2026 · How we research names

Old English had two words: wicce for a woman and wicca for a man, both from a verb meaning to practise sorcery, so a male witch is as old as the word. Witchcraft, wiccecræft, is more than a thousand years old. A different Old English word gave us hag, and it is related to German Hexe and our hex. Witch hazel is a false friend: its witch comes from an old word for bendable.

Famous witches and their names

Storybook witches are often named by a title rather than a name: a grandmother, a fairy, a sister of fate. The patterns are worth borrowing:

Famous witches and where their names come from
WitchFirst appearsThe name
Baba YagaRussian folklore; first clearly recorded in 1755Baba means grandmother or old woman in several Slavic languages; nobody agrees where Yaga comes from
Morgan le FayGeoffrey of Monmouth, about 1150, as MorgenLe Fay, the fairy, is a pseudo-French phrase Thomas Malory used in the 15th century
CirceHomer's OdysseyGreek Kirke, possibly from kirkos, hawk; the meaning is uncertain
The Weird SistersMacbeth, about 1606Weird is Old English wyrd, fate; they never call themselves witches
Granny WeatherwaxTerry Pratchett, Equal Rites (1987)Esmerelda Weatherwax; with Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick she mirrors the maiden, mother and crone
Sabrina SpellmanArchie comics, 1962Spellman, a pun, was only added in the 1996 TV series
ElphabaGregory Maguire's Wicked (1995)Made from L. F. B., the initials of L. Frank Baum, who wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Real people, not characters: the witch trials

Between about 1400 and 1775 some 100,000 people in Europe and British America were tried for witchcraft and between 40,000 and 60,000 executed; about three-quarters or more were women. The Malleus Maleficarum, printed in 1486, was the best-known handbook for finding them. These were people persecuted under the law, not witches.

Their records show how ordinary people were named. At Pendle in 1612, the accused were written down as Elizabeth Sowthernes alias Demdike, widow: a name, a by-name after alias, a status and a place. At Salem in 1692, where 19 people were hanged, the records call one woman Bridget Bishop alias Olliver and Goody Bishop; Goody, short for Goodwife, was a polite title for a woman below a Mistress. The generator's Old court record style copies that form with invented names only. The National Archives have more on the people and their records.

Craft names in Wicca

Wicca, introduced to the public in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, is a living religion, and in the 2021 census 13,000 people in England and Wales gave it as theirs, with 74,000 Pagans. Many practitioners take a craft name, for privacy, devotion or at initiation, chosen for its meaning: Gardner was Scire, Doreen Valiente Ameth, and the writer Miriam Simos is known as Starhawk. The kit above offers starting points in that shape; a real craft name is the practitioner's own to choose or receive.

Plants and their lore

Plant names suit witches because plants carry folklore. Loops of rowan from North Yorkshire in the Pitt Rivers Museum are catalogued as amulets against witchcraft, and rowan was called witch-wood there. In Irish lore the Salmon of Knowledge gained its wisdom from nine hazelnuts. Sage is both a herb and a wise person. The Green style notes the lore where a source records it.

How to name a witch

  1. 1

    Choose the kind of witch

    A gothic sorceress, a green hedge witch, a kindly village healer or a figure from an old record: each wants a different name.

  2. 2

    Add a title for age and standing

    Miss or Mistress for a young witch, Mother or Goody for a household, Granny or Baba for an old one.

  3. 3

    Give her a by-name

    Old records gave by-names after alias, such as Old Demdike; a nickname like Old Thistle sounds earned.

  4. 4

    Use plants with their lore

    Rowan was hung over doors against witchcraft; hazel fed the Salmon of Knowledge. A plant name with a story does more work.

  5. 5

    Keep real people and real faiths out of it

    Never borrow the names of people executed as witches, and remember that Wicca and Paganism are living religions.

Summoning something darker? Try the demon name generator, or the fantasy name generator for the rest of the cast.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What is a good witch name?

A good witch name pairs an old-fashioned or mysterious first name with a nature or night surname, such as Morgana Nightshade or Hazel Mossbrook. Pick a style to match your witch's personality.

What are some witchy names?

Witchy names often come from herbs, flowers, trees and the night sky. Hazel, Juniper, Rowan, Sage, Vesper, Nyx and Selene are popular choices.

What is a cottagecore witch name?

Cottagecore witch names sound cozy and homemade, like Mabel Kettleby or Agnes of Teacup Cottage. The Cozy style uses old-fashioned first names and kitchen-and-garden surnames.

What is a green witch name?

A green witch works with plants, herbs and nature, so her name usually does too. The Green style builds names from herbs, trees and wildflowers, like Juniper Thymewell.

Can I use these witch names in my book or game?

Yes. The names come from original word banks, so they are free to use in stories, games, D&D campaigns and Halloween costumes.

Where does the word witch come from?

From Old English wicce, a female witch, and wicca, a male one, both from a verb meaning to practise sorcery. Witchcraft is over a thousand years old as a word. Witch hazel is unrelated: its witch comes from an old word for bendable.

Can a man be a witch?

Yes. Old English had a masculine word, wicca, as well as the feminine wicce. Most people accused in the early modern trials were women, but men were accused and executed too, five of them at Salem, and in Iceland, Finland, Estonia and Russia most of the accused were men.

What does Goody mean in a witch's name?

It is short for Goodwife, a polite title for a woman of lower rank than a Mistress; a man was Goodman. Court records at Salem in 1692 called accused women Goody, which is why the word now sounds witchy.

What is a craft name?

A second, religious name taken by many Wiccans and other Pagans, for privacy, devotion or at initiation, and chosen for its meaning. Gerald Gardner's was Scire and Doreen Valiente's Ameth; Starhawk is one of the best known.

Where does Baba Yaga's name come from?

Baba means grandmother or old woman in several Slavic languages. Where Yaga comes from is unclear, and scholars do not agree.

Why are so many witch names plants?

Because plants carry folklore. Rowan was hung over doors and railings as an amulet against witchcraft, and in Irish lore the Salmon of Knowledge gained its wisdom from nine hazelnuts. Plant names are popular again too: Willow ranked 44th among US girls' names in 2025.

What is Custom mode?

Custom mode lets you set a few options and add a sentence of details. An AI language model then suggests 10 original names, each with how to say it and a suggested meaning, and you can ask for more like any name you like.

Are the meanings in Custom mode real?

For invented names, the meanings are suggestions for your story, not real word origins. AI can make mistakes, so check any claim about a real language before you rely on it.

More name generators and lists