Devilish Names

Greetings, readers!

This past weekend I went to see Robert Eggers' The Witch, an excellent (albeit scary and really unusual) film about a Puritan family dealing with the supernatural. The references to the Devil got me thinking - are there any devilish names in use out there? I found some below!

I'm using data from 2014, since the 2015 records haven't been released yet! The names have been ordered by popularity, greatest to least (the numbers in parentheses show how many babies were given the name).

Lilith (447)
The popularity of cheerful Lily has given this name a boost, but the original Lilith was Adam's first wife in Jewish folklore. She refused to be subservient to him and left him, turning into a demon (I'm personally on her side in this debate). The connotation is preserved mostly in the Jewish tradition, but it's interesting to see such an innocent-looking name with such a diabolic origin story.

Loki (119)
The popularity of the Avengers character has surely boosted this name for both boys and girls. Loki is a trickster god in the Nordic tradition, but his name is attached to certain interpretations of the devil. Aurally and visually, it's a stand-out choice, and it will probably get even bigger as the Marvel movie universe grows!

Leviathan (24)
I can see why this name is especially appealing today - it looks like a mash-up of Levi and Jonathan. The name literally means "twisted", and often references sea monsters (some translate Leviathan as "whale"). In the Old Testament, or Tanakh, Satan appears in the form of a whale, hence the connection. I do like the name, though it's a lot to live up to!

Azazel (12)
Literally meaning "scapegoat", the name is associated with sacrificial rites in Judaism, and some traditions refer to Azazel as a fallen angel. I'm sure a lot of parents choose the name for the cool double-z sound - like Aziz or Aziza - and many are unaware of the demonic link. Still, the name hasn't been used enough for me to predict how it will fair in the future.

Lucifer (11)
The first name I thought of on this list, Lucifer has been recorded almost annually since 2002. The auditory similarity to Lucy or Lucian probably has more to do with its popularity than any devilish reasons. I tend to associate this name with the cat from Cinderella, but the name does have a positive meaning: "light-bearer".

Demon (8)
I'm surprised at the longevity of this name - Demon has been recorded as far back as 1969. It's similar to Damon or Damian - the name of the cursed child in The Omen - but Demon more directly references evil than any of the other names on this list. If anyone has a theory of how this name stayed on the books so long, tell me in the comments!

Yama (6)
The name of the god of the dead in both Hindu and some East Asian mythologies, Yama also translates to "mountain" in Japanese. I'd advise against any Western parents using it - see cultural appropriation - but it's a lovely, friendly name.

Diablo
I'm including Diablo on the list, since it was recorded in 1975 - 5 babies were born that year named Diablo. Recently screenwriter Diablo Cody has jumped on the scene - she picked her name - and it's up for debate whether the name is okay to use.

I have to say, I'm relieved the following names never showed up in data: Satan, Devil, or Beelzebub.

Film Names: Scary Movies

I was raised by Halloween parents.

Those of you who also had Halloween parents will know what I mean. For those of you who didn't - imagine your childhood, but with a lot more costumes, fake blood, and scary movies.

Halloween was our family's big holiday, and we went all-out with decorations, costumes, pumpkin-carving, and more. My sister and I, as a result, are now huge fans of scary movies - to the chagrin of friends and more distant relatives.

Today's post will be about cool names found in Halloween classics - or at least, my favorite classics.

Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, 1931
An indisputable classic, and a personal favorite, the original Frankenstein has influenced countless films over the years. Characters include classic names like Henry, Elizabeth, and Victor, all excellent and established choices. Actor names include the rarer Mae, Boris, Dwight, and Lionel - while Mae and Lionel have reentered the list, are Dwight and Boris too dated?

Dracula, directed by Tod Browning, 1931
I couldn't include Boris Karloff without Bela Lugosi! An early vampire film that of course led to later iterations, Dracula is timeless - and still creepy. Bela for a boy is unusual today, and might be confused with feminine Bella - the boy's version means "white", the girls' comes from Elizabeth, "pledged to God". Mina, a main character's name, is recently starting to rise back up the girls' list.

The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin, 1973
With eerie effects - including green slime - little actress Linda Blair shot into the spotlight in this religious ride through demonic possession. I find it interesting that the two main female characters are Chris and Regan, with gender-neutral names. Actor names include Ellen, Lee, Max, Jack, and Jason - nothing too unfamiliar.

Halloween, directed by John Carpenter, 1978
The beginning of Jamie Lee Curtis' career, Halloween spawned a series of sequels and remakes, with scary killer Michael Myers lurking through them all. A lot of the character names are nicknames - Laurie, Annie, Tommy, Richie - probably because of their young ages. Among the actresses, two have stereotypically male names: Jamie Lee and Kyle.

Poltergeist, directed by Tobe Hooper, 1982
This movie triggers all sorts of relatable fears - clowns, shadows, ghosts, and more. The actors and actresses who played the central family have an interesting mix of names - Scottish Craig, combo JoBeth, French Dominique, classic Oliver, and flower-power Heather. I hadn't seen the director's name before, either; it's pronounced like Toby.

The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed by Henry Selick, 1993
One of my favorite movies of all time, this animated film can be watched at Halloween, Christmas - or any other time of year. Main characters Jack and Sally are my favorite fictional couple, hands down, with timeless names to match. In related name trivia, creator Tim Burton and ex-partner Helena Bonham Carter have a daughter Nell, which continues the matrilineal tradition on Helena's side - Hélène, Elena, Helena, Nell.

Scream, directed by Wes Craven, 1996
The best first 15 minutes of any scary movie, in my opinion. This 90's mashup of real terror and meta-comedy keeps you on the edge of your seat. Again, the female characters have gender-neutral names (why is this?) - Casey, Sidney, Gale, and Tatum. Star Neve Campbell's name means "snow", and it's climbing in the UK along with Gaelic spelling Niamh.

The Blair Witch Project, directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, 1999
The movie that started the "found footage" trend, it's a bit less scary than before the copycats followed - but only a bit. The actors share the names of their characters - Heather, Josh and Mike - which prompted the rumor to be spread that the actors had actually died.

What are your favorite scary movies?

Happy Halloween! Stay costumed and safe this weekend :)