Names That Mean Bad Luck

Names that mean bad luck include Mallory (French, unfortunate), Ichabod (Hebrew, no glory), Mara (Hebrew, bitter), Eris (Greek, discord), Ate (Greek, ruin), Dolores (Spanish, sorrows), Taabu (Swahili, difficulty) and Kyo (Japanese, bad luck with the right kanji). Most are old words, not curses.

Quick List

• Mallory: unfortunate, Old French
• Ichabod: no glory, Hebrew
• Mara: bitter, Hebrew
• Marah: bitter, Hebrew
• Eris: discord, Greek
• Ate: ruin, Greek
• Dolores: sorrows, Spanish
• Taabu: difficulty, Swahili
• Dystychia: misfortune, Greek

Girl Names

• Mallory (French): unfortunate
• Mara (Hebrew): bitter
• Marah (Hebrew): bitter
• Dolores (Spanish): sorrows
• Eris (Greek): strife
• Ate (Greek): ruin, folly
• Nemesis (Greek): retribution
• Cassandra (Greek): not unlucky in meaning, but cursed in myth to never be believed
• Pandora (Greek): all gifts, tied to the myth of released evils

Boy Names

• Ichabod (Hebrew): the glory has departed
• Mallory (French): unfortunate
• Tavor (Hebrew, Hungarian): sometimes listed as bad luck, though the meaning is debated
• Ben-Oni (Hebrew): son of my sorrow
• Taabu (Swahili): difficulty
• Shida (Swahili): trouble
• Malvolio (literary): ill will
• Hazard (English): risk, danger

Unisex Names

• Mallory
• Hazard
• Omen
• Tempest
• Calamity
• Misery
• Kyo (Japanese): can mean bad luck with the right kanji

Hebrew and Biblical Names

Biblical names often reflect the pain around a birth.

• Ichabod: glory has departed
• Ben-Oni: son of my sorrow
• Mara: bitter
• Marah: bitter
• Mahlon: sickly
• Chilion: wasting away

Greek Names

Greek has many words for misfortune, and some became names in myth.

• Ate: ruin
• Eris: strife
• Nemesis: retribution
• Dystychia: misfortune
• Atychia: bad luck
• Keres: spirits of violent fate
• Erinys: avenging fury

Latin Names

• Infelix: unlucky, unhappy
• Malus: bad
• Infortunium: misfortune
• Calamitas: disaster
• Fatum: fate
• Dolor: pain

French and English Names

• Mallory: from malheure, unlucky
• Hazard: dice game, danger
• Misery: suffering
• Tempest: storm
• Calamity: disaster
• Doom: fate, ruin

Swahili and African Names

Some African traditions give names tied to the circumstances of birth. These names record the situation. They do not curse the child.

• Taabu: difficulty
• Shida: trouble
• Karaha: unhappiness
• Mgeni: stranger

Japanese Names

• Kyo: bad luck, with the kanji for misfortune
• Aku: evil, bad
• Waru: bad
• Yami: darkness
• Oni: demon

Mythological Names

Many myths link a name to a dark fate or a cursed story.

• Pandora: opener of the jar of troubles
• Cassandra: cursed prophet
• Eris: goddess of discord
• Ate: goddess of ruin
• Nemesis: goddess of retribution
• Moros: doom
• Ker: death spirit

Ominous Word Names

These are modern word names that sound like warnings.

• Omen
• Doom
• Hazard
• Havoc
• Tempest
• Ruin
• Jinx
• Curse

Why Some Names Mean Bad Luck

Some names started as plain words about hardship. Mallory is a good case, since its old French root means unlucky.

Others came from the story of a birth. A baby born during a famine or death in the family might be named for that event.

Some cultures even gave harsh names on purpose. The idea was that an ugly or unlucky name would keep evil spirits away from a child.

Do Names Cause Bad Luck?

No. A name does not control fate. Mallory is a popular name in many countries and few people think about the old meaning.

Meaning is only one part of a name. Sound, family, culture and personal choice matter more.

Names for Characters

Writers like names that suggest a hard past or a dark fate. Good picks:

• Ichabod
• Mallory
• Cassandra
• Dolor
• Ate
• Nemesis
• Omen
• Maral

Names That Mean Good Luck

If you want the opposite, these names mean luck or fortune.

• Felix (Latin): lucky
• Felicity (Latin): good fortune
• Asher (Hebrew): fortunate, blessed
• Fortuna (Latin): luck
• Fortunato (Italian): lucky
• Sachi (Japanese): happiness, good luck
• Bakht (Persian, Urdu): fortune
• Evangeline (Greek): bearer of good news

How to Choose

Check the meaning in the original language. A name can sound dark in English but be gentle elsewhere.

Look at how common the name is today. Mallory and Dolores are well accepted. Names like Doom or Curse are best kept for fiction.

Think about nicknames and school life. A name with a hard meaning is easier to carry when it sounds natural.

FAQs

What name means bad luck?

Mallory, Ichabod, Dystychia and Taabu all carry meanings tied to bad luck, misfortune or hardship.

What does Mallory mean?

Mallory comes from Old French and means unfortunate or unlucky.

What does Ichabod mean?

Ichabod is Hebrew and is usually given as no glory or the glory has departed.

What does Mara mean?

Mara means bitter in Hebrew. In other traditions it also names a demon or a night spirit.

Is Tavor a bad luck name?

Some lists give Tavor the meaning of bad luck, but the meaning is debated. It may simply link to a camp or a mountain name.

Do names really bring bad luck?

No. A name does not decide fate, and most unlucky meanings are just old words that people have forgotten.

What is the opposite of a bad luck name?

Felix, Asher, Fortuna and Sachi all mean lucky, fortunate or blessed.

Which unlucky names are good for fiction?

Ichabod, Nemesis, Cassandra, Omen and Ate work well for dark stories and tragic characters.