Beautiful baby names for boys with dark meanings

If you’re expecting a baby with dark hair or just find the dark side of life super appealing, then these baby names that mean “dark” may just be up your alley.

When you think of boy names that mean “dark,” you might expect to see a ton of names that reflect the horror genre or that simply sound dark on their own. Truth be told, these baby names don’t really sound any different than other names, simply because the meaning is hidden well within the name itself. This makes searching for a baby name with a meaning you feel is valuable so much fun.

Many first names have roots in other cultures and languages, so they can mean things that you can’t really guess at first glance. From Arabic baby names to those with Irish roots, these “dark” baby names are pretty awesome. Maybe one will make its way to your baby name list.

• Adham: This Arabic name means “black”
• Blackburn: Meaning “black brook,” this name is Old English in origin
• Blackwell: Another Old English name, this means “black stone”
• Blagden: Meaning “dark valley,” this name also has Old English roots
• Blake: This popular name means “black”
• Cary: Of Gaelic origins, this means “dark complected”
• Ciaran: This Irish name means “black”
• Coakley: This Old English moniker means “charcoal meadow”
• Colburn: This name also was inspired by coal — its meaning is “coal brook”
• Cole: A Middle English name, this means “swarthy, coal black”
• Colgate: Meaning “dark gate,” this name has Old English roots
• Colley: This Old English name means “dark-haired”
• Darcel: This French name means “dark”
• Dargan: This name comes from an Irish element that means “black-haired”
• Delaney: Meaning “black defiance,” this name comes from Old French
• Dolan: Another Irish name, this means “black-haired”
• Donahue: This Irish name means “dark fighter”
• Donovan: Meaning “dark- or brown-haired chieftain,” this name has Gaelic roots
• Dooley: This charming Irish name means “dark hero”
• Dougal: A Celtic name, this means “dark stranger”
• Douglas: This perennial favorite means “black river”
• Duncan: This classic Scottish name means “dark warrior”
• Grimshaw: A quirky name, this means “dark woods”
• Kerry: This Irish name means “black-haired”
• Kieran: Meaning “black,” this name has Irish and Gaelic roots
• Kolby: Of Old Norse origins, this means “dark-haired”
• Morris: This name stems from a Latin element meaning “dark-skinned”
• Sullivan: This gorgeous Gaelic name means “dark eyes”
• Tynan: This Irish name means “dark”