75 Dark Academia Names for Girls and Boys That Invoke Ivy League Gothic

Do you love secret societies, classic literature, and Gothic architecture? Are Harry Potter and Dead Poet’s Society some of your favorite movies? The dark academia aesthetic finds its inspiration in ivy league schools and Victorian style, and it’s growing in popularity.

The dark academic style is experiencing a renaissance on social media. Images of antique globes, decadent bookstores, and writing in coffee shops are popping up on Tumblr and TikTok. 

If you find yourself drawn to the preppy New England look with a touch of goth, dark academia may be a subgenre for you to draw inspiration from. (And If you love the old upper-class boarding school style but are not as into the gothic side of things, check out light academia instead).

If you are expecting, why not draw your baby name inspiration from the dark academia subculture? You know that feeling you get from a character who touches your heart? How special would it be to be reminded of that feeling whenever you say your child’s name?

Related: 50 Dark But Beautiful Names for Baby Girls 

Check out our list of dark academia names for girls and boys. These names invoke ivy league gothic vibes and range from common classic names to unique modern variations.

Dark Academia Names for Girls 

Dark academia names for girls are inspired by ancient greek and roman myths and the natural world. Others are drawn from classic and modern literature.

1. Alexandria - Greek, defending men
2. Alisa - Germanic, noble
3. Anemone - Greek, wind; the flower
4. Aurelia - Latin, golden
5. Beatrix - Latin, voyager 
6. Camilla - Etruscan, unknown meaning; Roman Mythology, a maiden turned warrior; Literature, a protagonist in Donna Tartt’s The Secret History
7. Celeste - Latin, heavenly
8. Circe - Greek, hawk; Roman Mythology, a sorceress in the Odyssey who turned Odysseus's crew into swine
9. Clothilde - Germanic, famed battle
10. Coraline - opera, the main character in Adolphe Adam’s Le toréador; the main character in Neil Gaiman’s novel Coraline.
11. Dahlia - English, the flower
12. Diana - Indo-European, divine; Roman Mythology, goddess of the moon, the hunt, forests, and childbirth
13. Drusilla - Ancient Roman, strong
14. Eden - Hebrew, pleasure, delight
15. Eleanor - Old French, the other Aenor
16. Flora - Latin, flower; Roman Mythology, goddess of flowers and spring
17. Guinevere - Welsh, white phantom
18. Hermione - Greek Mythology, daughter of Kind Menelaus and Helen; Literature, a protagonist at Hogwarts in Harry Potter
19. Ivy - English, the plant
20. Isadora - Greek, gift of Isis
21. Lavender - English, the flower
22. Luna - Latin, moon; Roman Mythology, goddess of the moon
23. Margot - Greek, pearl
24. Myrtle - Greek, evergreen shrub
25. Octavia - eighth; history, wife of Mark Anthony and sister of Augustus
26. Odette - Germanic, wealth; ballet, princess transformed into a swan in Swan Lake
27. Ophelia - Greek, help; Shakespeare, Hamlet’s lover
28. Pilar - Spanish, pillar
29. Robin - English, the bird
30. Rowena - Germanic, joy and fame
31. Violet - Latin, purple
32. Willow - English, the tree

Dark Academia Names for Boys 

Dark academia names for boys find their inspiration in Greek heroes and gods, literary figures, and vintage-sounding names.

1. Ambrose - Greek, immortal
2. Archibald - Germanic, genuine, bold
3. Aspen - English, the tree
4. Atlas - Greek, enduring; Greek Mythology, a titan condemned to carry the world on his shoulders
5. Augustus - Latin, exalted, venerable; history, the first emperor of Rome
6. Brock - Old English, badger
7. Caspian - Literature, a main character in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia
8. Dorian - Literature, the main character in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray
9. Edmund - Old English, rich protection; Literature, a main character in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia
10. Emerson - Old English, son of Emery
11. Francis - Latin, Frenchman
12. Gale - Old English, jovial
13. George - Greek, farmer
14. Henry - Germanic, home ruler
15. Jack - Greek, Yahweh is gracious
16. James - Greek, supplanter
17. Jasper - Hebrew, treasurer
18. Julian - Greek, downy-bearded
19. Lucien - Ancient Roman, light
20. Nathan - Hebrew, he gave
21. Ollivander - Literature, a wand shop owner in the Harry Potter series
22. Percy - Old Norman, the town of Perci
23. Peter - Greek, stone
24. Remus - Roman Mythology, one of the twin brothers who founded Rome
25. Rowan - Old Irish, red
26. Theodore - Greek, gift of God
27. Tobias - Hebrew, Yahweh is good
28. Victor - Latin, victory
29. Vincent -Latin, to conquer
30. Virgil - Literature, writer of the Aeneid
31. Warren - English, animal enclosure

Gender-Neutral Dark Academia Names 

Gender-neutral names are rising in popularity. Drawn from the dark academia aesthetic, these names are perfect for either boys or girls.

1. Avery -Germanic, elf ruler
2. Blair - Scottish, field
3. Briar - English - the thorny plant
4. Brooklyn - Dutch, broken land
5. Darcy - Norman French, from Arcy
6. Fern - English, the plant
7. Haven - Old English, safe place
8. Mallory - Norman French, unfortunate
9. Mavis - Old French, a songbird 
10. Peyton - English, fighting man’s estate 
11. Quinn - Old Irish, reason
12. Rory - Irish, red king

Although it’s hard to say what will be “cool” in the future, it’s possible that your child will grow to love and appreciate their dark academic name one day when you explain its significance. 

For more baby names and inspiration, check out our Baby Name Center.

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