Baby Names
From spooky to sweet, Halloween devotees will fall for these holiday-inspired names.
Halloween isn’t for everyone. Plenty of people prefer to skip right over the ghoulish month of October in favor of Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities. But for the number of nostalgic devotees, these Halloween names for babies are a spooktacular way to honor the holiday they love the most. Alternatively, if you’re expecting an October baby around the 31st, a Halloween-inspired baby name may be just what the doctor (Frankenstein) ordered.
As Romper previously reported, there are typically fewer births that happen on Halloween than on other holidays like Valentine’s Day. Whether that’s through sheer will or coincidence has yet to be determined, but having a Halloween baby name picked out if your due date is near the holiday just makes sense. While you probably aren’t actually going to call your child Casper (after the friendly ghost), names like Jack and Annabelle are certainly spooky choices straight from classic Halloween movies. Options like Autumn and Jack are also Halloween-adjacent without being too over-the-top.
Being born on a holiday like Halloween can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on how you look at it. One of my friends from college was born on October 31 and she absolutely loves to celebrate both her birthday and the holiday simultaneously, going all out with orange-and-black everything, creepy costumes, and the like year after year. If you also love witches and vampires, scary stories, skeletons, and things that go bump in the night, check out this list of Halloween-inspired baby names to fill your heart with ghoulish delight.
1Salem
There is perhaps no area with more of a Halloween connection than the town of Salem, Massachusetts where the infamous Salem witch trials took place. The baby name Salem gives a giant nod to the witch-centered holiday without outright naming your baby after a witch.
2Jason
Jason, the chainsaw-toting star of the Friday the 13th movie franchise, is a name that is just perfect for babies born on Halloween or babies whose parents just can’t get enough of the holiday. With the name Jason, your kid will never have to wonder what their Halloween costume will be — it will forever include a hockey mask.
3Annabelle
One more recent horror movie franchise character that sparks fear deep in the heart of even the most devoted Halloween fans is the possessed doll Annabelle from The Conjuring and subsequent sequels bearing the doll’s name. Ironically, the name itself means “loving.”
4Autumn
One baby name that just encompasses everything about the fall season — Halloween included — is Autumn. If Halloween makes you think of piles of red, yellow, and orange leaves scattered across sidewalks while costumed kids run door to door gathering candy, the name Autumn is a beautiful choice.
5Jack
A not-so-scary, but still Halloween-related baby name to consider is Jack. Whether the name makes you think of the glowing smile from a Jack-o-lantern or Jack Skellington himself, it’s a fantastic choice for parents who want something that signifies the holiday without being too obvious.
6Sabrina
Anyone who grew up in the ‘90s knows that Sabrina the Teenage Witch is the epitome of Halloween fandom. The Netflix show The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is yet another witchy twist on the tale of a half-witch teenager bearing the name. It’s a stellar name choice for Halloween-born babies.
7Harvey
Harvey is the last name of the doctor and his daughter in the classic Halloween film about a friendly ghost, Casper. Harvey is also the name of the love interest in the ‘90s version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, so it has several Halloween-related connections.
8Sally
It does not matter one bit that some fans consider The Nightmare Before Christmas to be more of a Christmas movie than a Halloween film — the name of the main character, Sally, is still a Halloween baby name.
9Addam
The Addams Family is one of the most legendary Halloween families that exists in television and film, so why not name your baby Addam in honor of the iconic cast? Sure, the unique spelling may not make sense to some, but it will set your baby Addam apart from all of the other Adams out there.
10Agatha
When it comes to Halloween-inspired names, Agatha is most often associated with the family-friendly film, Halloweentown. But, when Agatha Harkness (aka the hilarious Kathryn Hahn) burst onto the small screen as WandaVision’s powerful dark witch who survived the Salem witch trials, she became an instant fan-favorite. I’m sure there will be plenty of costumed Agathas running around this Halloween.
11Buffy
Halloween lovers can take their fandom to a whole new level with the baby name Buffy, after Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The name Buffy is actually also one of the many nicknames for the name Elizabeth.
12Hazel
If you want a baby name that can stand alone or be strongly associated with the Halloween season, Hazel could be a great fit. Hazel is a color synonymous with fall — think browns, oranges, and even greens swirled together. The name itself also has a rather witchy vibe.
13Raven
There is just something eerie about the jet black feathers of a raven, a bird often associated with death and Halloween culture in Western society, according to The Audubon Society. Raven as a baby name could also serve as a subtle shout-out to the Ravenclaw house in Harry Potter.
14Willow
The baby name Willow has a definite creepy vibe that reminds me of the giant willow trees blowing ominously in the wind around a graveyard in just about every Halloween movie that exists. The name itself means “willow tree,” so if your child doesn’t turn out to be a Halloween fan, perhaps they will just be a lover of nature instead.
15Draco
The Halloween scenes in the Harry Potter books and movies are some of the most memorable and enchanting of the entire series. Slytherin's Draco Malfoy may not be the character that every Potterhead is scrambling to name their child after, but the name Draco itself is certainly chilling enough to make this list of Halloween baby names.
16Wednesday
Another Halloween baby name with ties to The Addams Family is Wednesday. The name is certainly unique and casts a vibe that is ghoulish, yet can still be fun. Plus, a name like Wednesday means that your baby girl can totally rock jet black, braided pigtails year-round without it being weird.
17Candy
This Halloween baby name is pretty self-explanatory. If your favorite part of Halloween is the chocolate-covered goodness your kids come home with after a night of trick-or-treating, Candy is a pretty sweet name choice.
18Clarice
Is there anything that sparks more fear than replaying Anthony Hopkins’ chilling performance in the thriller The Silence of the Lambs? Just the way he says the name “Clarice” makes me want to crawl right out of my skin. Which, of course, means it’s a perfectly creepy Halloween-inspired baby name. Bonus: the name Clarice means “bright, clear” like a crisp Halloween night.
19Damien
One of the creepiest names on this list is the name Damien, the son of Satan himself in the original 1976 horror flick, The Omen. Just thinking about the name makes me shiver. But if Halloween is your thing, this name might be exactly what you’re looking for.
20Cat
The name Cat has definite ties to Halloween with a black cat being such a significant symbol for bad luck and creepy magical creatures. Just browse any Halloween decor aisle and you’re sure to find a plethora of black cat decorations. Personally, I love the name Cat as a nickname for longer, beautiful names like Catherine, Caterina, or even Cassandra.
21Sage
If you aren’t burning some sage on the outskirts of a haunted graveyard on All Hallows’ Eve, do you really even love Halloween? This witchy name is perfect for a little ghoul born on October 31 who may or may not grow up to dabble in the art of crystal healing and reading tarot cards.
22Norman
Without the character of Norman Bates, there would be no Psycho and certainly no Bates Motel. The name Norman means “northerner,” but for those who truly love Halloween, the name also has a bit of fear behind it.
23Michael
Yes, Michael sounds like a common name, but for fans of the spookiest holiday, the name is automatically associated with the cult-favorite holiday movie franchise Halloween. There may not actually be a scarier character than Michael Myers himself.
24Sarah
Did you really think that you would get through this entire list without a nod to the greatest Halloween trio of them all? While any of the three Sanderson sisters’ names (Winifred, Sarah, Mary) would be a perfect baby name in a family who loves Hocus Pocus, the name Sarah also means “princess.” So, your October-born baby can be Sarah, the princess of Halloween.
25Cullen
There’s a lot of crossover between Twilight fans and people who love Halloween, so the baby name Cullen could celebrate either fandom. And if your partner is more into Christmas than Halloween, just let them know that Cullen means “holly tree.”
26Blair
It’s an iconic scary movie, and beloved by those who like a good spook on Halloween, but I still have to watch The Blair Witch Project mostly through my hands covering my eyes. As a baby name, Blair is a subtle nod to spooky season without being outright scary.
27Eve
Eve means “life,” so while it’s an uplifting choice for a baby girl, if your little one is born on Halloween, it’s a great tribute to the celebration of All Hallows’ Eve.
28Wolf
Nature-inspired baby names on Halloween? Why not, right? Strong and powerful, the baby name Wolf can evoke images of a wild dog howling at the mood. (It was also the name of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott’s baby, before they changed it.)
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