Warlock, wizard, and witch baby names have quietly moved from Halloween novelty to real shortlist material, helped along by Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Good Witch, Once Upon a Time, and Charmed.
The best of them were never invented spell words. They are Greek goddesses, Welsh magicians, names lifted straight out of Salem trial records, and the founders of modern Wicca, so most have been in ordinary use for centuries and will not raise an eyebrow at the school gate.
Below are 100 of them for boys and girls, each with its origin, meaning, pronunciation, the story that earned it a place, and the nicknames hiding inside it. Some announce the theme from across a room. Others keep it entirely between you and the birth certificate.
100 Warlock and Witch Names for Boys & Girls
1. Abraham
Abraham carries the weight of scripture and a streak of old magic at the same time. It is a Hebrew name read as father of many, a promise of descendants too numerous to count. Occult readers know it from the Book of Abramelin, where Abraham of Worms records the system taught to him by the Egyptian mage Abramelin, a working that called on both good and evil spirits. That double nature gives the name an edge under its gentle surface, which is exactly what a warlock name needs. Abe, Bram, and Ham are all hiding inside it. Said in full it is slow and deliberate, three syllables a boy grows into rather than out of.
2. Agate
Agate is usually filed as a French name, but it is properly the Latvian form of Agathe, which traces back to the Greek agathos, meaning good. That sense of plain virtue sits oddly and pleasantly against the banded stone most people picture first, which folk healing treated as a protective charm and witchcraft treats as a grounding stone. So a daughter gets two stories to tell, quiet goodness on one side and crystal work on the other. It is rare enough in the United States that she would almost certainly be the only Agate in her class.
3. Agnes
Agnes is a study in contrasts. It is the Latinized form of the Greek Hagne, from hagnos meaning chaste (1), and it belonged to one of the early church’s best known girl martyrs. Yet it is also the name of Agnes Waterhouse, remembered as Mother Waterhouse, the first woman executed for witchcraft in England in 1566. Few names hold sainthood and the gallows in the same five letters. Aggie is the obvious short form and Nancy the surprising historical one, a pairing that says a lot about how far this name has travelled. It has come back into fashion with parents hunting great-grandmother names, and it wears the revival well.
4. Alatar
Alatar comes straight out of Tolkien and is usually glossed as after comer. He was one of the immortal Istari, the wizard order sent to Middle Earth to help turn back Sauron, though he never got the page time Gandalf did. That obscurity is most of the appeal, since the name sounds like invented mythology rather than fan tribute, and the rhythm is strong and slightly severe, closer to Alistair than to Alexander. Tolkien readers often park it in the middle name slot, where its weight has room to sit.
5. Albus
Albus is Latin for white or bright, which is a lovely thing to wish on a child, and it is inseparable from Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts and the most quietly powerful wizard in the Harry Potter books. That association is either the whole reason to use it or the whole reason to hesitate, depending on how you feel about naming a baby after a fictional centenarian. The sound is short and clean, more wearable than you would guess next to Atlas and Amos, with Al and Bo for playground duty.
6. Alcina
Alcina is the sorceress the Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto invented for Orlando Furioso, published in 1532, a witch who ruled a chain of enchanted islands. He cast her as a mistress of sensual pleasure and beautiful illusions, and Handel later built an opera around her. So the name arrives with an island, a spell, and an aria attached. It sounds like Alicia and Selina without belonging to either, which keeps it familiar and unused at once. For parents who want a witch name that carries itself with real elegance, this is the one.
7. Alice
Alice travelled a long road to get this short. It grew out of the Old French Aalis, a pet form of Adelais, which itself came from the Germanic Adalhaidis, so the layers give it senses of noble, kind, and even type or appearance. The witchcraft link is real and grim: Dame Alice Kyteler was the first Irish woman condemned for sorcery. Set that beside Alice in Wonderland and you have a name that is polite on the surface and strange underneath. It is one of the safest choices on this list, common enough to be normal and old enough to feel bewitched.
8. Alison
Alison began as a French pet form of Alice, which is why it carries the same sense of noble. Old naming custom sometimes handed it to the daughter or granddaughter of an Alice, so the two names travel as a family pair. It peaked with American parents decades ago and now sits in that slightly out-of-fashion middle ground, which is where the best revivals come from. Chaucer used it in the Canterbury Tales, giving it more literary history than most people expect. If you love Alice but want something less storybook, Alison is the grown-up version.
9. Allegra
Allegra is the Italian musical direction for a quick, bright tempo, and as a name it means joyful or lively. Byron gave it to his daughter Allegra Byron, his child by Claire Clairmont, who was Mary Shelley’s stepsister, which drops it neatly into the gothic literary family tree. Many parents read it as a pagan name, and it belongs to a character in the Japanese animated film Jack and the Witch, one of several anime girl names with a spellcaster attached. One practical note before you commit: it is also a well known allergy medication in the United States, so expect the occasional joke.
10. Ambrose
Ambrose means immortal one, which is a bold thing to write on a birth certificate and a fitting one for a warlock. Saint Ambrose, one of the four original doctors of the early church, lived in the fourth century and is credited with bringing sung chant into worship. Modern readers are more likely to meet Ambrose as the warlock cousin in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, one of many supernatural stories that borrow the name. The sound is soft and slightly dusty in the best way, at home beside Atticus and Barnaby.
11. Andromeda
Andromeda was the daughter of Cassiopeia, chained to a rock and then set among the stars as a constellation. The name now belongs to a galaxy as well, which makes it one of the most cosmic choices a parent can make. Harry Potter readers know Andromeda Tonks, the pure-blood witch who married a Muggle-born wizard and was burned off her family tree for it. Five syllables is a lot to hand a toddler, so Andi, Meda, and Romy do real work here. Even shortened it keeps the sky in it, which is more than most celestial names manage.
12. Angela
Angela means angel or messenger of God, so it is a heavenly name with a decidedly earthly history. Angela de la Barthe of Toulouse was convicted as a witch in 1275, during the medieval persecutions, which puts the name on both sides of the divide. It ruled American nurseries from the mid sixties through the seventies and has been quietly resting since, the classic setup for a comeback. Angie is warm, Ange is brisk, and the full name still sounds capable in a boardroom. For a magical list, few names balance light and dark this easily.
13. Ariadne
Ariadne is the Cretan princess who handed Theseus the thread that got him out of the labyrinth, and her name reads as most holy. Some traditions honor her as a fertility goddess of the moon and title her the High Fruitful Mother, which is why pagan parents keep coming back to her. Her softened descendants Ariana and Arianna are far more common in the United States, so the original still feels like a discovery. Ari is the obvious short form, and Addie works if you want something plainer. Ariadne entered the American top 1,000 in 2014 and has stayed genuinely uncommon since. Recognizable but almost unused is a hard combination to find, and it is the whole reason this one belongs here.
14. Aspen
Aspen names a slim, silver-barked tree whose leaves shiver in the smallest breeze, and also a Colorado ski town. Both readings suit a child: light on their feet, hard to pin down, at home outdoors. Several fantasy series have used Aspen for a warlock or a witch, part of why it moved from surname to first name so quickly. It reads as a boys’ name here but is climbing for girls too, so decide how you feel about that before you fall in love. Paired with a longer surname it sounds crisp and unfussy.
15. Asterope
Asterope was one of the Hesperides, the nymphs of evening and golden light, and her name reads literally as starry-face with an idiomatic sense of lightning. That is an extraordinary amount of imagery for four syllables, and it has the sound of a spell being cast, which is why it appears in fantasy novels far more often than on birth certificates. Aster is the practical short form, and Astra sits close by if the full version feels like too much. Almost nobody uses it, so a girl named Asterope owns the name outright.
16. Astra
Astra means of the stars and sounds exactly as sharp and bright as that suggests. Science fiction and comics have leaned on it hard, from Princess Astra in Doctor Who to the web novel Astra the Witch by Troy Kirby, so it arrives with an intergalactic reputation already built. Two syllables makes it easy on a small child, and it dodges the frilliness that trips up other celestial names. It pairs beautifully with a long, grounded surname. If you want the same sky without the retro edge of Astrid, this is your name.
17. Atlantes
Atlantes is the plural of Atlas, and in the medieval poem Orlando Furioso it belongs to a sorcerer of real ambition. He raised a castle in the Pyrenees and packed it with illusions, all to keep the knight Ruggiero from converting to Christianity. A wizard whose whole strategy was an enchanted maze of distractions is a fine thing to name a child after. The sound is grand and a little theatrical, so it may work best in the middle slot. Atlas is right there if you want the same myth in a form people already recognize.
18. Aurelia
Aurelia is the feminine form of the ancient Roman surname Aurelius, and as one of the loveliest Latin girl names it means the golden one. Folklore also gives the name to a wind witch who lived high in the mountains and looked after wild birds, a beautiful image to hand a daughter. The sound is warm and rolling, closer to Amelia than to anything harsh, so it wears well from cradle to career. Ree, Rella, and Lia all work as nicknames. It is the gentlest witch name here and still unmistakably magical.
19. Beatrix
Beatrix means she who brings happiness or simply blessed, and the x at the end gives it a snap that Beatrice does not have. It is not a modern reinvention either. Beatrix Leslie, a Scottish midwife, was convicted of witchcraft around the turn of the 17th century, one of many midwives caught in that panic, and Bea, Trixie, and Bex have been softening the name ever since. Most people will simply think of Beatrix Potter and her rabbits, which gives a witch name an unusually gentle cover story.
20. Belinda
Belinda is often read as beautiful snake, which sounds sinister now but was a compliment in the 17th century, when snakes stood for wisdom and immortality. Babylonian myth also gives the name to a goddess of earth and heaven, so it arrives with sky and soil attached, and it is widely treated as a pagan name. The sound is soft and looping, easy for a small child to say, with Bel, Bella, and Lindy waiting if the full version feels too eighties.
21. Bellamy
Bellamy comes from the French for fine friend and travelled through Ireland and England as a surname before parents claimed it. The bouncing three-syllable rhythm is why it works equally well for girls now, and why it keeps climbing. Fans of the series The 100 know Bellamy Blake, and the name also carries a magical credit in the novel The Witch and the Warlock. Bell and Amy both hide inside it, so a child has options. It is the friendliest name on this list, which is a useful counterweight to the darker picks.
22. Birch
Birch names the pale, papery tree that stands out in every winter woodland, and the word doubles as a surname. Russia treats the birch as a national tree, and older traditions honored it as a goddess of new beginnings, so it carries real spiritual weight. Wandmakers, both real and fictional, reach for birch wood often, which is what earns it a place on a wizard list. As a first name it is genuinely rare, blunt, and outdoorsy, in the same family as Bear and Ash. Pair it with a longer middle name so the whole thing has somewhere to breathe.
23. Blaise
Blaise looks fiery and actually descends from the Latin Blasius, probably from the Roman cognomen Blaesus, meaning lisping or stammering (2). Arthurian legend hands it real magical rank: Blaise was Merlin’s own master, a warlock powerful enough to teach the most famous wizard in English myth. The near-homophone Blaze gives it a modern, slightly daring feel while the French spelling keeps it dignified, and mathematician Blaise Pascal supplies the intellectual namesake. It stays uncommon in the United States, so it reads as deliberate rather than trendy.
24. Bridget
Bridget means exalted one or strength, and it belongs to both a Celtic goddess and the famous Irish saint who became a patroness of Ireland. That overlap between old religion and new is exactly the territory this list lives in. Bridget Bishop was among the first women executed in the Salem trials of 1692, which gives the name a hard American chapter too. Most parents will hear Bridget Jones’s Diary before any of that, and Bridie and Bri keep it light. The everyday warmth of the name has survived its history, which few names with a hanging in the record can claim.
25. Cassandra
Cassandra is the Trojan princess given true prophecy and cursed so nobody would believe a word of it, which may be the most tragic bargain in Greek myth. The name is now read simply as prophetess, and no witch name announces second sight more clearly. It has a living namesake too: Cassandra Latham, a working witch from Cornwall who has offered her services to hospital patients. Four syllables gives it grandeur, and Cassie, Cass, and Sandra keep it usable. It peaked with American parents in the eighties and now sounds ready for another turn.
26. Celeste
Celeste comes from the Latin for heavenly, and it moves off the tongue in a way few two-syllable names manage. It has never left the American charts, so it is familiar without being everywhere, the sweet spot most parents are hunting. The magical credential comes from The Vampire Diaries, where Celeste is a dark witch with a long memory and longer grudges. Cece and Lessie are there for shortening, but the real appeal is that the name suits a serene child and an intense one equally, which is unusual.
27. Cerys
Cerys is Welsh and means love, delivered in a spiky, consonant-forward package rather than a sweet one. It is genuinely popular in Wales and across the United Kingdom while remaining almost unknown in the United States, so it offers real distinctiveness without being invented. Welsh names carry a strong association with old magic and bardic tradition, which is why Cerys shows up in witching circles. Americans will need one gentle correction on the pronunciation, and then it is easy. Carys is the equally valid sister spelling.
28. Charlotte
Charlotte is the feminine form of Charles and has been a royal name for centuries, from Queen Charlotte Sophia to the current Princess Charlotte. That pedigree makes it the most respectable name on this list by a wide margin. The magic arrives sideways: Charlotte is a witch in the Puella Magi anime series, and a very memorable one. Lottie, Charlie, and Carly do the daily work while the full name handles the paperwork. Using a top-tier classic for a magical theme is a smart move if you want the theme to stay your secret.
29. Christian
Christian means exactly what it looks like, a follower of Christ, and it has been a steady American favorite for generations. The twist is Christian Day, a working modern warlock who runs several witchcraft shops and has published a book on the craft. Few names manage to sit at both ends of the spiritual spectrum this comfortably, and Chris and Kit shorten it without giving anything away. That makes it the stealth pick here, appropriate for grandparents and quietly on theme.
30. Circe
Circe is the Latinized form of the Greek Kirke, likely built on kirkos, meaning hawk (3), which makes it one of the sharper bird names a parent could pick. Daughter of the sun god Helios, she lived on the island of Aeaea and turned Odysseus’s crew into hogs in Homer’s Odyssey before being reconciled with him and bearing his child. Madeline Miller’s novel put her back in the cultural conversation, so the name now reads literary as well as legendary. Two syllables makes it easy to say. The soft C still catches people who have only ever read it, so expect to say SUR-see out loud a few times. If you want an openly witchy name that a stranger will still recognize, this is the front runner.
31. Clementine
Clementine means mild and merciful, a gentle set of virtues wrapped in a name that sounds like a folk song and a citrus fruit. Its witch history runs through fiction rather than trial records, which for some parents is a relief. The vintage revival moved it from grandmother territory to fashionable in about a decade, and Clem and Clemmie keep three syllables manageable.
32. Dahlia
Dahlia honors the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, so it literally means Dahl’s flower, and the bloom itself is all dark petals and drama. American parents took to it fast, and it climbed from the 988th spot to No. 364 among girls’ names in 2016. The witch credential is strong: Dahlia in The Originals is one of the most powerful and least forgiving characters in that universe. Dolly and Dahl are the shortenings nobody expects. So the name offers a pretty flower with a dangerous shadow, which is the whole brief for this list.
33. Dune
Dune is an English word name for the wind-built ridges that shift along a coast or desert, so it carries movement and patience at once. It is also unavoidably tied to Frank Herbert’s desert epic, which lends it a science fiction weight that many parents want. On the warlock side, Wilbur Smith used it in Warlock: A Novel of Ancient Egypt. One syllable makes it modern and easy, in the same mold as Reed and Sage. It is rare enough in the United States that people will ask about it, which is either the point or the problem.
34. Edith
Edith comes from Old English and means prosperous in war, a tougher meaning than its lace-collar image suggests. It was everywhere a century ago, then vanished, and is now firmly in the hands of parents reviving great-grandmother names, with Edie doing most of the daily work. Its place here belongs to Edith Woodford-Grimes, an English Wiccan who worked alongside the founders of the modern craft. That is a genuine occult namesake rather than a fictional one, which is rarer on a list like this than you would think.
35. Eliphas
Eliphas appears in the Book of Job in the Old Testament, and is variously read as god-fearing, intelligent, or universal gifted person. Its real claim on this list is Eliphas Levi, the pen name Alphonse Louis Constant used for the occult writing that shaped nearly every magical tradition that followed. The sound is soft and unusual, closer to Elias than to anything harsh, and Eli is waiting inside it for a child who would rather not explain. If you want a name a practicing occultist would recognize instantly, this is it.
36. Elizabeth
Elizabeth has Hebrew heritage and means pledged to God, and no name on this list has served more queens. It also has a witch history most parents never hear: Elizabeth Howe was accused and executed during the Salem trials. That gives one of the most conventional girls’ names in English a genuinely dark thread. Practically, no other name offers this many nicknames, which means one child can be Eliza, Beth, Libby, Bess, or Elsie as she grows. Choose it for the flexibility and enjoy the hidden theme.
37. Elsie
Elsie started life as a Scottish short form of Elizabeth, so it carries the same sense of pledged to God in a much lighter package. The success of Frozen sent every Elsa-adjacent name upward, and Elsie is the softer, older alternative. It has a witch story of its own in the 2017 children’s book Witch for a Week, where Elsie Pickle house-sits for a witch and finds out what that involves. The name sounds like a farmhouse kitchen and a small girl with strong opinions. It needs no nickname, which is part of its charm.
38. Eris
Eris is the Greek goddess of discord, left off the guest list for a wedding of the Olympians and repaying the insult by setting the Trojan War in motion. That is a fearsome origin story for a very pretty three-letter name. Disney later drafted her into the dark council summoned by Maleficent, and Wiccan practitioners honor her in their own way, so she has both mainstream and occult standing. The sound is close to Iris but colder and sharper, which is likely the appeal. Pick it if you want a name with genuine mischief in it.
39. Fabian
Fabian comes from the Roman family name Fabius and traces back to a humble root meaning bean grower. It crossed from France into England in the 16th century, and data from the Social Security Administration has it on American charts consistently since 1959, so it is familiar without ever being fashionable, and Fab and Fabi have always handled the shortening. Harry Potter readers know Fabian Prewett, a wizard who died fighting Voldemort’s first rise. The Italian variant Fabiano is right there if you want something longer and warmer.
40. Gandalf
Gandalf means wand elf, a name Tolkien lifted from Old Norse verse and handed to the most famous wizard in modern literature. In the books he is a member of the Istari order and the guiding force behind the Fellowship of the Ring. This is the least subtle choice on the list, and that is the point, since nobody will miss the reference. Most parents park it in the middle name slot, where it delivers all the delight and none of the roll call trouble.
41. Ganondorf
Ganondorf is the Great King of Evil and the recurring antagonist of The Legend of Zelda, a sorcerer-king with a talent for coming back. The name was built for the games rather than inherited from any language, though the first element echoes the Irish surname Ganon. As a baby name it is enormous, and most parents who love it treat it as a middle name or a nickname source. Ganon and Dorf are the practical short forms, and neither is a hardship. Choose it as an affectionate nod to the series rather than an everyday call name.
42. Garnet
Garnet takes its name from the French word for pomegranate, because the deep red crystals look like the seeds. The medieval scholar Albertus Magnus tied garnets to blood magic and to Persephone, queen of the underworld, and folklore calls them her solidified blood, passed between witches as a gift. The stone is also a protective charm, said to guarantee safe passage and a reunion with loved ones after death. That is a remarkable amount of story for one small January birthstone. As a name it is crisp and slightly antique, and it works for a boy as easily as a girl.
43. George
George comes from the Greek for farmer and has been the name of kings for a thousand years, which makes it the most solid choice on this list. Its warlock credential belongs to George Pickingill, a 19th century Essex cunning man who was tall, unnerving, and famous for long, sharp fingernails that made villagers treat him as the real thing. The gap between a farmer’s name and a village sorcerer is exactly the kind of double life this list enjoys. Georgie is warm, Geo is modern, and the full name never dates. Pick it if you want the theme hidden completely.
44. Gerald
Gerald means ruler of the spear, a blunt Germanic compound that arrived in England with the Normans, and Gerry and Ged have been softening it ever since. It is a genuine grandfather name creeping back onto shortlists as the vintage revival works through the alphabet. Its place here is important: Gerald Gardner did more than anyone to bring Wicca into public view in the 1950s and 1960s, and modern pagan practice largely descends from his work. So this is arguably the single most significant warlock name on the whole list.
45. Ginevra
Ginevra is the Italian relative of Guinevere and reads as white shadow or white wave. Harry Potter readers know it as the full name of Ginevra Molly Weasley, better known as Ginny, the witch who ends up marrying the hero. That gives it the rare distinction of being a formal name whose nickname is far more famous. If you like Jennifer but want something less worn, Ginevra is the same name family with three centuries more romance in it. Ginny, Nev, and Evie all live inside it. On paper it looks Italian and formal, and out loud it is entirely wearable.
46. Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn is a Welsh name read as white ring, and this spelling is the American reworking of the older Gwendolen. In Arthurian literature Gwendolen is a fairy mistress of King Arthur, which puts real enchantment in the name’s history. Its finest namesake is the poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African American writer to win a Pulitzer Prize. Anyone who grew up in the nineties also remembers Gwendolyn Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years. Gwen is the nickname, and it is strong enough to stand alone.
47. Gwydion
Gwydion means born of trees and belongs to the magician and trickster of Welsh myth, who appears throughout The Four Branches of the Mabinogi. He shapeshifts, deceives, and conjures, which makes him one of the oldest wizard figures in British literature, older than Merlin’s written record. The name looks harder than it sounds and settles quickly once people hear it said aloud, and Gwyd and Dion are the workable short forms. It is essentially unused in the United States, so it offers real Celtic depth without competition.
48. Harry
Harry began as the everyday English form of Henry, from a Germanic root meaning estate ruler. Data from the Social Security Administration puts Harry inside the American top 20 from 1880 through 1918, and it drifted down the charts afterwards without ever losing its warmth. Then a boy wizard with a lightning scar made it the most recognizable magical name in the world. The other famous bearers keep it grounded in real life: Harry Styles, Harry Connick Jr., and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. It is the only name here that is simultaneously the most obvious pick and a genuine classic.
49. Hazel
Hazel is one of the most naturally witchy nature names going, and not only because of the sound. Witch hazel is a real plant used medicinally for centuries, and hazel wood has been the traditional choice for divining rods and wands across British folklore. The name was everywhere at the turn of the 20th century, and according to Social Security Administration data it fell off the American charts between 1976 and 1998 before coming roaring back to No. 42 for girls in 2018. So it manages to be both a great-grandmother name and a current favorite. Haze is the unexpected nickname.
50. Hecate
Hecate is the goddess of magic itself, with authority over night, the moon, witchcraft, necromancy, and ghosts. Legend makes her the daughter of the Titans Asteria and Perses, and from them she took power over heaven, earth, and sea. Modern witchcraft honors her more than almost any other figure, so this is the most openly declarative name on the list. That is also the catch, because it is a great deal to hand a kindergartner. Many parents use it in the middle slot, or reach for the softer Hecate-adjacent option Hettie as a call name.
51. Hilda
Hilda comes from German roots and means battle woman, which is a lot of force in five letters. It began as the short form of Brunhilda, the Valkyrie of Teutonic legend, so the fighting spirit is inherited rather than borrowed, and television has made it a witch name twice over, most recently as Aunt Hilda in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. It sits right at the point where a name stops sounding old and starts sounding cool again.
52. Holly
Holly names the shrub with glossy green leaves and hard red berries, so it has always belonged partly to December. It is more common in Britain than in the United States now, which gives American parents a familiar name that is not overused. The witchcraft link is genuine: holly is a sacred tree in Wiccan practice, tied to protection and the turning of the year. For a winter baby it does double duty without being as on the nose as Noelle.
53. Hyacinth
Hyacinth means blue larkspur and is also read as a precious stone. Greek myth tells of Hyacinthus, a Spartan youth accidentally killed by Apollo, with the flower springing up from his blood, so grief and beauty are braided into the name. It is heavier and stranger than a name like Violet, which is exactly why earthy pagan parents choose it. Cinta and Cindy hide inside it if you need something plainer. British readers may hear Hyacinth Bucket and laugh, and that is a fair warning before you commit.
54. Icarus
Icarus is the boy who flew too close to the sun on wings of wax and feathers, and fell when they melted. It is the most cautionary name a parent could pick, which some read as a warning and others as a tribute to ambition. The sound is surprisingly gentle for a tragedy, close to Isaac and Marcus, and Ike and Ric make it liveable for a real child.
55. Iris
Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow and the messenger who carried word between gods and mortals, standing for majesty, wisdom, faith, and courage. The name doubles as a flower and as the colored part of the eye, so it works on three levels at once. Video game players will remember Iris as a sword in The Witcher, and the name turns up regularly in witch fiction. It is short, unfussy, and has climbed steadily with American parents without ever becoming crowded. Very few names this brief carry this much color.
56. James
James means supplanter and comes down through Hebrew into English, where it became a British royal name, especially in Scottish history. James, son of Zebedee, was one of the Twelve Apostles, so the name carries scripture as well as crowns, and Jamie, Jim, and Jem give a child three different personalities to choose from. On the magical side it belongs to James Potter, Harry’s father and a pure-blood wizard with a talent for trouble. This is the safest possible way to put a Harry Potter name on a birth certificate.
57. Linden
Linden is an English name meaning linden tree, and it works for a boy or a girl without effort. The linden itself matters in pagan and Wiccan practice as a tree of peace and protection, and its blossoms have long been brewed as a calming tea. Tolkien readers will notice Lindon, the land in Middle-earth, sitting one letter away. The variant Lyndon belongs to Lyndon Baines Johnson, America’s 36th president, and there is a city called Lindon in Utah. It is soft, green, and quietly magical rather than loudly so.
58. Lucia
Lucia means light, and the fourth century martyr behind it is remembered for carrying food to Christians hiding in the catacombs. Saint Lucy’s Day is still kept in Scandinavia, where a girl in a white robe and red sash wears a wreath of candles and stands for the sun returning after the long dark. That image of a girl crowned in flame is why Lucia belongs on a list of magical names. It suits a white witch far better than any goth-adjacent pick. Lucy and Lu keep it everyday. The Italian pronunciation gives it real music and the English one keeps it plain, so the name travels well either way.
59. Lucius
Lucius is an old Roman name meaning light, and it carries both religious and literary history, appearing in scripture and in Apuleius’s ancient novel about a man turned into a donkey by magic. Harry Potter readers know it as Lucius Malfoy, Draco’s father, a wealthy and thoroughly unpleasant wizard. That is the rare case where the villain makes a name more attractive rather than less, because the villain has excellent taste. It sounds patrician and a little cold, which suits a warlock perfectly, though Luce and Lu warm it up on a small boy.
60. Mark
Mark comes from the Latin Marcus, tied to Mars, the god of war, so it reads as warlike beneath its very ordinary surface. Most people meet it first as the evangelist who wrote the second Gospel, which makes it one of the most familiar names in English. Its place on this list belongs to Mark Eadicicco, a New York psychic, medium, and witch respected in the city’s pagan community as a tarot reader. That is a genuinely modern warlock namesake rather than a fictional one. One syllable, no nickname needed, and no explanation required at school.
61. Matilda
Matilda is the English form of the German Mathilda and means battle-mighty, which is a fine thing to hand a small girl. Roald Dahl gave it its most famous bearer in Matilda Wormwood, the bookish child who discovers she can move objects with her mind, and telekinesis counts as magic in most households. Real-world namesakes keep it current, including Gordon Ramsay’s daughter Matilda, born in 2002. Tilly, Tilda, and Mattie all sound like different children. The name is long, warm, and full of nickname potential, which is why the vintage revival grabbed it early. A soft ending on a three-syllable name makes it one of the easiest long girls’ names for a child to grow into.
62. Max
Max is usually a short form of Maximilian, from the Latin for greatest, but it has stood on its own for decades now. Fantasy fans will remember Miracle Max from The Princess Bride, the retired miracle worker played by Billy Crystal, who is essentially a wizard with a bad attitude. The name is short, friendly, and impossible to mispronounce in any language, which matters more than people admit. It works on a toddler and on a surgeon, the real test of a name. If you want the magical theme almost invisible, Max is the quietest option here.
63. Merlin
Merlin is the wizard every other wizard is measured against, sorcerer and mentor to King Arthur and the shaper of his whole story. The name is Welsh, a Latinized version of Myrddin, and reads as sea fortress. Despite fifteen centuries of legend it sounds far less intimidating than the other ancient wizard names, closer to Marlon and Merritt than to Saruman. A merlin is also a small, fast falcon, which gives the name a nature reading for parents who want one. It is used just often enough in the United States to be recognizable and rare enough to turn heads.
64. Mira
Mira is one of those rare names that exists independently in several languages, read variously as admirable, peace, world, ocean, or female ruler. It is at home in Spanish-speaking countries, across the Middle East, and in India, which makes it a genuinely global choice. In Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada it comes from the Sanskrit for sea or ocean, and it belonged to a 16th century Indian princess who gave her life to the devotion of the god Krishna. Mira is also a real variable star in the constellation Cetus, one that brightens and fades on a cycle. The magical credential comes from the teen novel Mira, Mirror, narrated by the enchanted mirror from Snow White. Meera is the spelling you will meet just as often, and neither version starts an argument at the school gate.
65. Neville
Neville arrived in England as a Norman place name meaning new town and became a noble surname before parents borrowed it. It never caught on in the United States and is uncommon even in Britain, so it feels unclaimed. Harry Potter gave it the best possible character arc in Neville Longbottom, the anxious Hogwarts student who turns out to be one of the bravest wizards in the story. That makes it a name about growing into your courage, which is a lovely thing to wish on a son.
66. Nicholas
Nicholas is a Latinized form of a Greek name built from Nike, the goddess of victory, giving it the sense victory of the people. Nicholas appears in the New Testament, gave the world Saint Nicholas, and has been a literary favorite for centuries, with Nick, Nico, and Cole covering every style a boy could want. Its warlock turn came in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, where Nicholas Scratch is a charming and thoroughly untrustworthy warlock. The real-world alchemist Nicolas Flamel adds another layer for Harry Potter readers.
67. Nora
Nora is Irish, read as light, and grew out of longer names like Honora and Eleanora. It is fresh, brief, and easy to say in any accent, which explains its steady climb with American parents. Supernatural television keeps borrowing it, with Noras appearing in both The Vampire Diaries and True Blood, usually as someone with power and secrets. The h-spelling Norah is equally established, so decide early which one you want on the paperwork. It is the most usable name in this section by some distance.
68. Ommin
Ommin comes from Star Wars, where he is a Sith sorcerer descended from the Dark Lord Freedon Nadd, which makes him a wizard in everything but title. The name was invented for the stories and has no wider etymology, so it belongs to that small group of names whose whole history is fiction. Two soft syllables make it far friendlier than most dark-side names, closer to Owen than to Vader. It is essentially unused as a given name in the United States. If you want a deep-cut reference that nobody will decode, Ommin is your pick.
69. Ondine
Ondine, often spelled Undine, names the water spirits of European legend, built on the Latin word for wave. German folklore tells of an Ondine who fell in love with a mortal and cursed him when he proved unfaithful, and medicine borrowed her name for Ondine’s curse, a rare and serious breathing disorder. That is a heavy footnote for such a delicate name, and worth knowing before you choose it. The sound itself is beautiful and unmistakably French, in the same family as Celine and Nadine.
70. Ophelia
Ophelia comes from Greek and means help, though for centuries parents heard only Shakespeare’s drowned heroine in Hamlet. That association is finally loosening. The witch in the Japanese animated series Puella Magi helped, and the name climbed from No. 979 among American girls in 2015 to No. 373 by 2018. Effie, Lia, and Phee are all waiting as nicknames. It has the sound parents want right now, long and vowel-rich, sitting comfortably beside Amelia and Cordelia.
71. Oscar
Oscar has both Irish and Norse roots and is read as God spear, champion warrior, or deer lover. Its wizard credential is excellent: Oscar was the real first name of L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz, the humbug behind the curtain, and the short form Oz is about as on theme as a nickname gets. Most people will think of the film award or a green grouch in a trash can, which keeps the name light-hearted. It is one of the strongest old-fashioned boy names in the current revival, popular across Europe and rising steadily in the United States.
72. Pallando
Pallando is one of the five Istari, the wizards Tolkien sent into Middle Earth to help free its people from Sauron, and like Alatar he mostly stayed off the page. His story sits in the margins of the War of the Ring, which gives the name an appealing mystery, and the rhythm is soft and Italian-sounding, much gentler than Saruman or Radagast. As a first name it is a lot to explain, so many Tolkien families use it in the middle slot and let Pal or Lando do the talking.
73. Percy
Percy started as a French surname taken from the place name Percy-en-Auge, and it later became a short form of the Arthurian Percival. It is genuinely adorable on a baby and still respectable on an adult, a balance most vintage boys’ names never manage. Literature has been generous to it, from Percy Weasley in Harry Potter to the demigod hero of the Percy Jackson series, whose full name is Perseus. The Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley is the best known real bearer. That gives the name mythology, magic, and poetry in one package. It is climbing again in Britain and still unusual in the United States.
74. Peter
Peter means rock, the name Christ gave to the apostle who became keeper of the gates of heaven, and it has never left use since. Storytellers love it for children’s fantasy, giving us Peter Pan, Peter Rabbit, and Peter Pettigrew, the wizard in Harry Potter whose betrayal starts everything. So the name manages to be both the most dependable choice on this list and the home of one of its best villains. It is short, universal, and translates into almost every language without damage.
75. Phoenix
Phoenix belongs to the mythical bird that burns and rises again from its own ashes, a symbol of immortality that supernatural fiction has never tired of. The indie game Wizard of Legend uses the character name Phoenix Talon, and the bird itself is central to the Harry Potter books. Its best-known human bearer is Joaquin Phoenix, star of Gladiator and Joker, and it is also the capital of Arizona. Nix and Fen are the nicknames worth knowing. As a first name it works for a boy or a girl and has climbed fast for both, which makes it one of the few genuinely unisex picks here.
76. Poppy
Poppy names the red flower that grows in disturbed ground and stands for both remembrance and sleep, which is a strange and lovely pairing. In the Harry Potter books Madam Poppy Pomfrey is the matron of the hospital wing, the witch who patches up every injured student. The name is enormously popular in Britain and still fresh in the United States, so American parents get charm without a crowded classroom. It suits a redhead beautifully and a serious child unexpectedly well. There is no nickname because none is needed.
77. Priscilla
Priscilla comes from the Roman Prisca and carries the sense of ancient or venerable, and it appears in the New Testament as an early church figure. Its place on this list is Salem history: Priscilla Gould was the matriarch of a Massachusetts family whose children were all accused of witchcraft in the 1692 trials. It is formal enough to want a nickname, and Cilla and Prissy are the traditional pair. The full version has held a steady spot with American parents for generations and reads as capable and slightly imposing, which is why fiction keeps handing it to women who run things.
78. Prospero
Prospero is Shakespeare’s sorcerer, the deposed Duke of Milan in The Tempest who raises a storm and bends an island to his will after his brother Antonio steals his throne. The name itself is Latin and means fortunate, which is a wry joke given the plot. No other name on this list belongs so completely to one wizard. It is theatrical, four syllables of pure opera, so a plain middle name and surname help balance it, and the shorter Prosper is a gentler alternative.
79. Puck
Puck is the shape-shifting sprite Shakespeare borrowed from English folklore for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where he causes most of the trouble and none of the harm. In older tales he goes by Robin Goodfellow and sits somewhere between fairy, demon, and nature spirit depending on who is telling it. The name once read as a neo-hippie name, then the television show Glee attached it to a bad boy, and now it mostly reads as bold. One syllable, no nickname, and a great deal of personality. It is the most purely mischievous name here.
80. Radagast
Radagast means tender of beasts and is the fifth of Tolkien’s Istari, the wizard who chose animals and woodland over war councils. While the others fought for kingdoms he kept a low profile and looked after the living things nobody else noticed, which makes him the gentlest wizard in the legend. The sound is rough and consonant-heavy, so it lands better in the middle slot for most families, with Rad and Gus waiting up front. That is a genuinely appealing character to name a child after, and a rare one on a list this full of villains.
81. Raven
Raven takes its name from the largest member of the crow family, a bird that folklore has always treated as clever, watchful, and slightly ominous. Its warlock namesake is real: Raven Grimassi wrote extensively on Stregheria, the Italian witchcraft tradition, and served as a co-directing elder of the Willow Tradition of Witchcraft. His book Old World Witchcraft: Ancient Ways for Modern Days is still widely read in craft circles. The name reads as boyish here but is used for girls at least as often, so expect both. Rave and Ravi are the shortenings that work. Two syllables, one very recognizable bird, and no explaining to do anywhere.
82. Raymond
Raymond is Germanic and translates as wise protector. It reached England with the Normans and spread during the Crusades, then had a very long American run before slipping out of fashion, helped back into memory by reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond. Its craft credential is major: Raymond Buckland is widely called the father of American Wicca for bringing Gardnerian practice to the United States. Between the Crusades and Wicca, few names cover this much religious ground, and Ray is one of the great short forms.
83. Remus
Remus is the twin who helped found Rome with Romulus and then died at his brother’s hand, which is a great deal of tragedy for five letters. Harry Potter readers know Remus Lupin, the werewolf professor and one of the kindest adults in the series, whose name is a double wolf joke. The sound is close to Rasmus and Remy, so it feels current rather than archaic. It is rare in the United States and instantly recognizable to anyone who has read either Roman history or Rowling.
84. Rincewind
Rincewind is Terry Pratchett’s most beloved failure, a would-be wizard at Unseen University who never managed to pass his exams and survives everything anyway. The name was invented for the Discworld books and has no etymology beyond Pratchett’s ear for comic sound. As a first name it is a great deal to ask of a child, and most fans keep it as a middle name or a family joke. Wind and Rince are the only real short forms. Choose it if the reference matters more to you than the roll call.
85. Robin
Robin began as a medieval pet form of Robert, built from Germanic elements meaning fame and bright, and it doubles as the name of a garden bird. England gave it Robin Hood, and folklore gave it Robin Goodfellow, the household sprite better known as Puck, which is a genuine magical pedigree. The web novel Warlock of the Magus World keeps that thread going for modern readers. It swung toward girls for a few decades and is now drifting back to the middle, so it reads as pleasantly unisex, and Rob and Robbie are always there. A bird, an outlaw, and a household sprite inside five letters is good value for one name.
86. Ron
Ron is the short form of Ronald or Ronson, from a Norse compound about a ruler taking counsel. It spent decades as a solidly middle-aged name and then Ron Weasley made it belong to children again, giving the Harry Potter books their most loyal and most human wizard. One syllable is the whole appeal here: nothing to spell, nothing to explain, and nothing that needs shortening, which is why it works so well as a middle name carrying a quiet reference.
87. Rubeus
Rubeus comes from the Latin rubeus, meaning red, the same root behind ruby and rubric. Harry Potter readers know exactly one Rubeus: Hagrid, the half-giant gamekeeper of Hogwarts and the warmest character in the whole series. Naming a child after Hagrid is a statement about kindness rather than power, which sets it apart from the Albus and Severus crowd. The sound is soft and rolling, and it hides the perfectly usable nickname Rue. It is genuinely unused in the United States, so your Rubeus would be the only one.
88. Sabrina
Sabrina is the Latin form of Habren, the original Welsh name of the River Severn, and Geoffrey of Monmouth tells of a princess named Sabrina who drowned in it. So the name is a river, a legend, and a lost girl all at once, which is more magic than most witch names can claim. Today it is common across Western Europe and permanently attached to teenage witches on television, from the sitcom to Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The sound is soft and spell-like rather than harsh, which is why fiction keeps reaching for it. Bri, Brina, and Bina all work as nicknames.
89. Saruman
Saruman the White is head of Tolkien’s wizard order and the great turncoat of The Lord of the Rings, a scholar of enormous power who talks himself into serving the enemy. He lives in Middle-earth during the Third Age and does more damage with words than with spells. The rhythm is stately and slightly Eastern-sounding, closer to Suleiman than to any English name, and Saru and Roo soften it for a child. As a baby name it is an unmistakable villain reference, which some families love and others will not risk.
90. Scott
Scott is about as plain as an origin gets: it simply meant a person from Scotland. It was a favorite with American parents through the 1960s and has been resting quietly ever since, which puts it right at the edge of revival territory. Its craft credential is significant, though, because Scott Cunningham wrote the books that introduced solitary Wicca to a generation, translating dense pagan theory into something a beginner could actually use. That makes an ordinary name one of the most influential on this list. One syllable, no spelling questions, and a real piece of craft history sitting behind it.
91. Seamus
Seamus is the Irish form of James and carries the same sense of supplanter. It is a strong pick for parents who want a popular Irish name without landing on Sean, which is everywhere. Harry Potter gives it Seamus Finnigan, the half-blood wizard whose spells have a habit of exploding, which is exactly the kind of friend a child would want. The Nobel poet Seamus Heaney supplies the grown-up namesake. Americans will need to be told it starts with a sh sound, and after that it is easy.
92. Selene
Selene is the Greek moon goddess herself, sister of the sun god Helios, and she is also known by the names Phoebe and Cynthia. Because the moon governs so much of witchcraft, artists and writers hand all three names to their witches again and again, and Selene is the most direct of them, with nothing standing between the name and the moon. It sounds close enough to Selena and Celine to be familiar while still being the original, and Lene and Lena are the natural shortenings.
93. Selma
Selma’s origin is genuinely unsettled, and the onomastic record gives its meaning as simply unknown. It may be a clipped form of Anselma, and it may instead come from James Macpherson’s 18th century Ossian poems, in which Selma is the name of Ossian’s castle. A name that might have been invented by a poet is a good name for a witch. It is at home in English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Icelandic, and Zelma is the variant spelling. It was long dismissed as old-fashioned and is now climbing again, especially in Sweden. A Selma turns up in the first Nanny McPhee film as Mrs Selma Quickly, and another appears as a seeress in Beowulf retellings, while Salma Hayek and Selma Blair keep the sound in circulation.
94. Severus
Severus is the Latin word for stern pressed into service as a name, and it belonged to Roman emperors long before it belonged to a potions master. Most readers meet it as Severus Snape, the coldest and most argued-over wizard in the Harry Potter books, whose whole character turns on the gap between how he behaves and what he is doing. That makes the name a small essay on judging people too early. It is severe by design, so a warm middle name balances it, and Sev is far friendlier than the full version.
95. Stella
Stella is Latin for star, and Sir Philip Sidney coined it as a given name for his sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella, which reads as star lover and his star. A name invented by an Elizabethan poet is about as romantic an origin story as English offers. The magical credit goes to Bubble Witch Saga, where Stella is the child-friendly witch at the center of the game. Stell and Stellie are the only shortenings anyone needs. It has been solidly popular with American parents for two decades now and shows no sign of tiring.
96. Talon
Talon is the English word for a bird of prey’s claw, and it reached English through Norman French from the Latin talus, meaning anklebone. Despite that fierce image the name has done well simply because it ends in the same fashionable n sound as Mason and Jaxon. The indie game Wizard of Legend has a character called Phoenix Talon, though Talon Phoenix arguably sounds better as a real name. It is modern rather than mythological, which makes it the most contemporary pick on this list.
97. Vera
Vera reads two ways depending on the language: faith in Russian and truth in Latin, and both suit a child. It has the clean, spare sound that the vintage revival keeps rewarding, and it is coming back with parents who want something short but not cute. Fictional witches carry the name often, especially in manga, anime, and comic franchises, where it signals someone quietly formidable. The whole name is two syllables and needs no nickname, though Vee is there if you want one. It also has real designer credibility thanks to Vera Wang.
98. Willow
Willow names the graceful, water-loving tree that gave English the adjective willowy, and it has become one of the most popular nature names of the last twenty years. Its witch credentials are the best on this list: Willow Rosenberg in Buffy the Vampire Slayer starts as the shy one and grows into the most powerful witch in the story, and then has to reckon with how much she leans on magic. That arc is why the name means something to a whole generation. Celebrity parents pushed it further, and it has stayed genuinely likeable throughout. Will and Willa work as shortenings. A tree, a redemption arc, and two easy syllables is a great deal of name for very little effort.
99. Zelda
Zelda has two competing explanations: a feminine form of the Yiddish Zelig, and a clipped form of the Germanic Griselda, which is where the old reading of gray battle maid comes from. Either way it sounds like nobody else, which is why fantasy writers and game designers keep using it. Zelda Spellman began in the Archie comics and reappeared as the strict aunt in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Nintendo’s princess needs no introduction. Zelda Fitzgerald anchors it in literary history. It is finally climbing the American charts again after decades away.
100. Zephyr
Zephyr is the Greek god of the west wind, the gentlest of the four wind brothers and the one that brought spring. The word itself still means a light breeze, so the name carries its own definition around with it. Video games and children’s books use Zephyr for wizards constantly, since a wind name suits someone who moves things without touching them, and its real-world namesake is Zephyr Benson, son of the actors Karla DeVito and Robby Benson. The z opening makes it feel modern even though the myth is ancient, and Zeph is an excellent nickname.
Tips for Finding a Baby Name
Choosing a baby name isn’t easy for everyone. Yes, some lucky moms-to-be have already picked a name before conceiving. Others find it a disconcerting task, full of doubts and possible regrets.
To help make this decision simpler, we’ve collected some tips for you here:
- Emphasize sound: Sound is critical, so the name should flow and not be a tongue-twister. Get your potential candidates and see how each sounds with your last name.
- Age-appropriateness: Good names are like wine, getting better with age. Steer away from names that might sound ridiculous for an adult.
- Avoid trends: Many trends pass, leaving your little one with a strange, perhaps inappropriate name. Always consider how the name ages.
- Don’t modify spellings: One mistake parents can make is modifying a name’s spelling. This can lead to confusion, with your child continually explaining why his name is spelled Jaxon and not Jackson.
- Be creative: Don’t get intimidated into going safe. It’s okay to be creative and pick a rare name. Just ensure that it doesn’t provide obvious opportunities for teasing or a lifetime of explanations.
- Second name: Using an unusual name as a second name is often the best idea. However, whichever way round they’re named, having a second name gives your child an option later in life to easily change their moniker.
- Consider abbreviations: Most children have their names shortened or are given a nickname by their peers. Be wary of possible mishaps on this front. Donald Keyes, for instance, will probably be known as Don Keyes.
FAQs
Abracadabra, Your Baby’s Name Will Be
Settling on a name is one of the few decisions that follows a person for life, which is why it feels so heavy. It would be much easier if a clap and a spell would do it.
What makes this theme so workable is the range. Charlotte, Harry, James, and George are as ordinary as names get, so the magic stays your private joke. Hecate, Rincewind, and Saruman announce themselves from across a room, and they make excellent middle names when the first name needs to stay quiet.
Say your favorites out loud with your surname, test the nicknames a schoolyard would invent, and remember that a second name is always there as a way out if your child ever wants one.
