Hauntingly beautiful baby names you haven't heard before

When it comes to baby names, poetic darkness isn't, admittedly, a quality most parents are looking for. Nevertheless, the world abounds with deliciously enigmatic and ghostly names, whether they hail from classical Gothic literature or from the kind of classical mythology that's always fraught with memorable drama. 

The word "haunting," of course, can mean anything from unforgettably beautiful to mythically or paranormally symbolic. One might think of Edgar Allan Poe's indefatigable heroine Ligeia, or perhaps of the dearly departed Lenore of The Raven fame. Others might think of Mina Harker of Dracula, or of novelist Sheridan Le Fanu's iconic vampire Carmilla, who also went by the anagrams Mircalla and Millarca, to disguise her identities throughout the centuries. Some might think of Bewitched darling Tabitha. Or even of the fairly popular name Colby, which means "coal town," or "dark town" — an aspect that gives it an evocative, "whistling past the graveyard" kind of folklore appeal.

In any case, dark names can be every bit as poetically beautiful as light and angelic ones, so read on for a list of gems that just might be perfect for your little one. Even if they're not a Halloween baby-proper.

Pronounced "Heck-a-tee," this ancient and epic name is both catchy and powerful. According to mythology, Hecate (sometimes spelled Hekate) was a goddess who was associated with witchcraft, magic, doorways, creatures of the night, and the moon itself. However, she was also a guardian of crossroads. Moreover, as the ancient Greek poet Hesoid pointed out, she was a great supporter of "warriors, athletes, hunters, horsemen, herdsmen, shepherds, fishermen, and children."

Hecate also notably appears in Shakespeare's Macbeth, brimming with ominous tidings: "I have a lot to do before noon/An important droplet is hanging from the corner of the moon." Fans of Showtimes' now unfortunately defunct (but hit) series Penny Dreadful will also be familiar with Hecate Poole, the shapeshifting but ultimately decent (if conflicted) witchy seductress who falls in love with Josh Hartnett's Ethan Chandler, himself an occasional werewolf.  

With its Shakespearean, mythological, and pop culture associations, then, Hecate is a sure winner. And you can pretty much rest assured that no other kid in the school (or on the block) is going to have the name, so if it's uniqueness you're after, Hecate might just be the perfect moniker for your own adorable little witchy goddess.

Pronounced "E-on-thee" (or according to preference, "Eye-on-the") this lovely Greek name, which means "purple flower," is both versatile and rich in literary history. The versatility factor comes from the abundance of purple flowers the world has to offer. Since Ianthe only references a flower color, and not a specific type of blossom, the name can refer to anything from lilacs to violets to lavender to wisteria to hydrangeas. 

Ianthe was also the daughter of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley — she was one of his few surviving children — and he wrote a number of poems for her, including 1831's To Ianthe: "More dear art thou, O fair and fragile blossom/Dearest when most thy tender traits express/The image of thy mother's loveliness." Interestingly, Shelley's close friend and poet Lord Byron also nicknamed one of his muses, Lady Charlotte Hardy, Ianthe; he dedicated a celebrated poem to her.

Ianthe is also the name of the daughter of famed counter-cultural novelist Richard Brautigan, who perhaps had Shelley's daughter in mind when he collaborated in naming his own child. Too, Ianthe is a Greek ocean nymph, according to Behind the Name. As of 2017, it was the 589th most popular moniker on Nameberry. 

With its meaning of "fruitful, fertile," this fantastic Irish baby name, which looks like "dare" with a twist but is actually pronounced "daw-ra," has rich roots in Irish mythology, most notably in the epic poem The Cattle Raid of Cooley. 

Behind the Name charts show Daire as being a pretty steadily popular name in Northern Ireland from 2001 to 2015. It's also unique because its spelling contrasts so fascinatingly with its actual pronunciation: as in other Irish names like the female Saoirse (which is actually pronounced "Sear-sha), it takes the eye on an entirely separate journey from the palate. 

In fact, its pronunciations may be legion: according to other sources, it can be pronounced, by turns, as "de-rye-ah" (English), "dairy" (English UK) or just flat-out "dare" (Canadian). In any case, it's kind of a shape-shifting name, and everyone knows that shapeshifting things are generally haunted. In a whimsical way. 

This wonderful Irish baby name comes to us from cats, and particularly from the famous, and ancient, Irish poem Pangur-Ban, which was written by a monk about his beloved white feline. The word "ban" means "white," in Gaelic. The poem has been translated by many scholars over the years, including poet W.H. Auden and the late, august Irish poet Seamus Heaney.

But the name is also great for a baby for another reason. The legend of the monk and his cherished cat has been adapted into an acclaimed children's picture book, which is designed for preschool-aged children. Pangur-Ban also features in the 2009 children's film The Secret of Kells. So to sum it up, the name is charming as all get-out all the way across the board. 

It's also really rare: Nameberry doesn't even have any stats on it. And as far as "haunting" goes, what ghost can be better than the ghost of an angelic white cat?

Freya (or Freyja, as you prefer) is yet another powerful warrior name for a powerful warrior girl. The mythological Freya was a revered Norse goddess who presided over "love, fertility, battle, and death," according to legend. She was the daughter of the sea god Njord, and had a fabulous mode of transportation in the form of a chariot drawn by cats. 

Fierce as she was, she was also sentimental, and was known to weep tears of gold. And as far as death went, her privileges were indeed profound. She got to decide which fallen soldiers would enter her particular segment of heaven (a variation of Valhalla) after their heroic deaths. She was also revered for her beauty, and known for her many lovers.

The name Freya literally translates to "noble woman," and Nameberry calls it "one of the fastest rising names of the past few years," which probably means you have, in fact, heard of it. As of 2013, it's been climbing the charts in the US, which must mean that its haunting quality is becoming even more haunting.