100+ Pagan or Witch names and their meanings
Posted by Michelle Gruben on Apr 11, 2019
Looking for the perfect Pagan or witch name? Check out our list of over 100 magickal names drawn from the realms of the occult. Whether it’s for yourself, an animal familiar, or a fictional character, have fun perusing these delightfully witchy monikers.
Christian names have usually honoured Biblical figures and saints, but Pagans prefer to name themselves after nature, folklore, and the gods of antiquity. Many names are drawn from ancient stories and are charged with mythic power. Some of the names on this list didn’t start out magickal, but got that way in modern times through association with famous witches. (This is admittedly a Eurocentric list, since my own background is in classical literature and Western magick. If you are the bearer of a witchy name from another tradition, I’d love to learn about it!)
Many witch names are unisex and others can be adapted to any gender. Creating compound names are one way that Pagans pay homage to sacred objects, spirits, and concepts (e.g., Raven Moonflower or Amethyst Dragonfyre). Try mixing and matching these first names with your favourite nouns and adjectives to create your very own Craft name.
Adelinda - A Germanic name meaning “noble serpent.” A variation is Delinda.
Aine – “Radiance.” Queen of the fairies in Celtic lore.
Aislinn – “Dream or vision.” Irish female name.
Alcina – A Greek sorceress. Title character of an opera by Handel.
Alvin/Alvina – “Elf.” Many “Al-” names related to elfkind, including Alfred/Alfreda (“elf counsel”) and Albert (“bright elf” or “elf ruler”).
Ambrosia/Ambrosius – “Food of the gods.”
Amethyst - Lovely purple stone, known to the ancients for bringing sobriety, wisdom, and protection, especially to travelers.
Angela - “Divine messenger.”
Aradia – Legendary Italian Witch, one of the principal figures in Charles Godfrey Leland’s 1899 work Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches.
Ariadne – “Most holy.” Mythical figure associated with mazes and labyrinths.
Ariel – A Biblical name meaning “Lion of God.” In Disney, a little mermaid. In Shakespeare, a shape-shifting spirit who aids the wizard Prospero. Also the name of the famous poem cycle by Sylvia Plath.
Artemis – Greek virgin goddess of the moon and wild animals.
Arwen – An elven princess in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Arwen is derived from Welsh and means “fine” or “fair.” A masculine form is Arwyn.
Asteria – “Star-like.” Variations include Aster, Astrid, and Astra.
Aura – “Wind,” in Greek. In metaphysics, the word refers to the energy field surrounding the body.
Avalon – Legendary final resting place of King Arthur. Also the setting of a series of fantasy novels by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Awen – “Inspiration.” Symbol of the well of creativity and of the bardic arts.
Bran – Means “Raven” in several Celtic languages. A great historical name with connections to Welsh mythology and Arthurian legend.
Breena – “Faery place.” Variations: Brinna or Briana.
Brigid – Celtic goddess of the forge, healing, and poetry. Beloved in Ireland and around the world, variations of her name include Bridget, Brighid, and Bride.
Calypso – “Hidden.” A nymph who detained Odysseus for many years.
Cassandra – Ill-fated soothsayer of Troy. Cassandra incurred the displeasure of Apollo, who cursed her so that her prophecies would never be believed.
Cedar – An ancient tree associated with wisdom and protection.
Cerridwen – “Fair as the poem.” May also derive from the Celtic word for “cauldron.” A powerful enchantress of Welsh legend, identified with the Wiccan mother goddess.
Charon – As the boatman on the River Styx, Charon ferries souls across to the Underworld. The modern Greek equivalent is Haros.
Chimera – “Dream, phantasm.”
Circe – Greek demi-goddess or witch renowned for her knowledge of herbs and potions.
Corvus – Latin for “raven” or “crow.” A literate alternative to becoming yet another Raven.
Crystal – A name that became popular in the 1980s and 90s. (Witches love crystals!)
Delphine – “Woman from Delphi.” The Delphic oracles were priestesses of Apollo.
Devin – “Musical poet.” A Gaelic boy’s name, now unisex.
Diana – Roman name for the moon goddess, known in European lore as the “Queen of the Witches.”
Draco – “Dragon.” One famous bearer is Draco Malfoy of the Harry Potter series.
Eartha – “Earthly.” From Old English.
Endora – The magical mother-in-law in the TV sitcom Bewitched. Her name comes from the Biblical Witch of Endor who counseled King Saul.
Eris – Greek goddess of Chaos. Patron goddess of the Discordian magickal tradition.
Erzulie – A spirit (or family of spirits) in Vodou. She has many forms and rules over love, beauty, health, and sexual passion.
Faye – “Fairy.” From Old English/Old French. Also Fay, Fae, Faeryn, Fayette.
Fiamma - “Flame.” This Italian word carries the same connotations as “flame” in English, meaning either a (literal) fire or a (figurative) lover.
Foster – “Forest guardian.” From Old English.
Freya – “Noble lady.” One of the most revered of the Norse deities.
Gaia – The personification of Earth, and one of the Greek primordial gods.
Glinda – “Fair” or “good.” The Good Witch of the South in the Oz novels of L. Frank Baum.
Gwydion – Master magician and trickster of Welsh lore. His name means “born of trees.” Famous bearers include the American witch and bard Gwydion Pendderwen (1946–1982).
Hazel – “Hazel tree.” Hazel branches are the traditional material for divining rods.
Hecate – Crossroads-dwelling goddess of witchcraft. Her name may mean either “power” or “far-reaching.” The Greek spelling is Hekate.
Hermione – “Messenger.” A female name derived from Hermes. Popularized as a Witch name by the Harry Potter series, but also appropriate for a Hermetic magician.
Herne – “Horned.” The lord of wild things, identified with the Pagan Horned God.
Holly - This cheery girl’s name is shared with one of the sacred trees of Celtic lore. A male or family name version is Hollis.
Isis - Mighty Egyptian goddess of magick and healing.
Jasmine – A delicate and aromatic flower known for its mystical and aphrodisiac properties. The name is Arabic in origin.
Jinx – “Trick” or “curse.”
Lamia – The Lamia is a child-devouring serpent or monster in Greek mythology. She was once a Libyan queen, but was cursed by Hera for her trysts with Zeus.
Larissa – A Greek sea nymph, also the name of an ancient city in Thessaly.
Leo – “Lion.” Also a sign of the zodiac.
Ligeia – “Shrill” or “whistling.” The name of one the Greek sirens, revived by Edgar Allan Poe in his short story by the same title.
Lilith – Adam’s first wife, according to Hebrew mythology. Lilith is associated with various night demons and flying goddesses.
Lorelei – Freshwater mermaid of the Rhine River. The Lorelei is a temptress who delights in the destruction of fishermen.
Lucia – A Latin name meaning “light”. The masculine form is Lucius.
Lucifer – A provocative name associated with the Christian devil. Lucifer means “light-bringer.”
Luna – “Moon.” Luna Lovegood is a minor character in the Harry Potter series.
Maeve – “Intoxicating.” An Irish warrior queen. Also related to Queen Mab, faery ruler of British folklore. Variations include Mab, Meave, Maeven.
Marisol – Beautiful Spanish name meaning “sea and sun.”
Medea – A Greek witch, the subject of a play by Euripides and a later opera. Medea was of divine descent and used sorcery to defeat her foes.
Melusine – A water spirit from French medieval folklore. Also written as Melusina.
Merlin – Legendary sorcerer of Old Britain.
Minerva - Roman name for the goddess of wisdom. A well-known bearer is Minerva McGonagall, the headmistress of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series.
Miranda – “A marvel.” This name first appeared in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Morgan – Morgan le Fay is a (usually) adversarial figure in the Arthurian legends. Variations include Morgaine or Morgana. A similar-sounding name belongs to Celtic warrior goddess Morrighan.
Morpheus – “Shaper.” Greek god of sleep and dreams.
Nerissa – “Of the sea.” From Shakespeare.
Neve – “Bright.” An Anglicized version of the Irish name Niamh.
Nissa – A Scandinavian name for a brownie, sprite, or friendly elf.
Oberon – “Elf ruler.” A Faery king in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Famous bearers include Oberon Zell (b. 1942).
Ondine – “Mermaid or “Water spirit.”
Orion – A prominent constellation named for the hunter from Greek mythology. One notable Orion is author Orion Foxwood.
Pagan – “Country-dweller.” The most straightforward Pagan name there is.
Peregrine – “Traveler, foreigner, pilgrim.”
Phoenix – Mythical bird that would incinerate itself every 500 years (by most accounts), then rise from the ashes.
Puck – A mischievous forest spirit in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Origin of the adjective “puckish.”
Pythia – One of the traditional titles of the Oracle of Delphi. The Pythia was originally a serpent monster defeated by Apollo.
Raven – One of the most widely-used Pagan/witch names, in various spellings and combinations. Ravens are associated with death, cunning, and secret knowledge.
Rhiannon – Welsh goddess associated with horses. Made popular as a witchy name by the Fleetwood Mac song “Rhiannon.”
Rosemary – “Dew of the sea.” The name refers to the small blue flowers that appear on Rosemary bushes.
Rowan – “Red-haired.” A unisex Celtic name shared with the mystical Rowan tree.
Rowena – A Germanic name, possible derived from the words for “fame” and “joy.” Another name revitalized by the Harry Potter series.
Sabrina – Latin place-name meaning “from Cyprus” or “from the river Severne.” Teenage witch of comics and television.
Sage – “Wise redeemer.” Also a widely-used herb in witchcraft.
Salem – Historic Massachusetts city known for its 17th-century witchcraft trials. The feline familiar of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Samantha – In Hebrew it means something like, “God heard” or “told by God.” In Greek, it may mean “flower.” Samantha owes its witchy cred to Samantha Stevens, the protagonist of the TV sitcom Bewitched.
Sedona – A town in Arizon famed for its energy vortexes, now a thriving New Age community. This pretty name has no known meaning and was probably invented by an early settler in the area.
Selene – Greek goddess of the moon. A variation is Selena, and belongs to Pagan elder Selena Fox.
Shadow – A spirit, ghost, or illusion.
Shasta – An active volcano in California, renowned as a spiritual pilgrimage site.
Shayla – “From the faery place.” Many spellings and variations.
Silver - A magickal metal, sacred to the Moon. Famous bearers include author Silver Ravenwolf.
Sirius – “Glowing, burning.” Also known as the Dog Star, Sirius is the brightest star in Earth’s night sky.
Stella - “Star.” Variations include Estelle and Estrella.
Strega – “Witch” in Italian.
Sybil – “Prophetess” or “Divine counsel.” This name, from ancient Greek, also belonged to the famous English witch Sybil Leek (1917-1982).
Sylvia – “Of the forest.”
Tanith – Phoenician moon goddess whose name means “serpent lady.” Famous Taniths include science fiction and fantasy writer Tanith Lee (1947 – 2015).
Tara – In Irish, a rocky hill. In Sanskrit, a star.
Thurston – “Thor’s stone.”
Titania – “Great one.” The queen of the fairies in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Variations include Tatiana and Tanya.
Urania – “Heavenly" or "daughter of the Sky.” An epithet of Aphrodite and Isis.
Vesta – Roman hearth goddess. Priestesses of Vesta tended the sacred flame in her temples.
Willow – “Willow tree.” Willow is a popular witch character in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/100-pagan-or-witch-names-and-their-meanings
