Names that mean crow or raven fascinate me because the birds carry two opposite reputations at once: a bad omen on one side, the sharpest mind in the sky on the other. I keep coming back to that tension. It gives a name real weight without making it feel heavy or theatrical.
Corvids turn up in almost every mythology I read, from Odin’s two scouts to the Morrigan’s battlefield crows and the three-legged guide of Japanese legend. People reach for these names because the birds feel familiar and slightly unsettling, and that mix is rare in a name you’d want to say every day.
Below you’ll find boy, girl and unisex picks, then Celtic, Norse and Japanese groups, blackbird words, feather names and midnight colors. Every entry connects to a crow, a raven or that glossy black feather, so these names that mean crow or raven stay honest instead of just dark and moody.
Top Names That Mean Crow or Raven in 2026
This table sorts the main styles of names that mean crow or raven so you can spot your lane before reading the full lists. Use it as a quick map, then jump to whichever style catches your eye.
| Name Style | Source | Vibe | Best For |
| Direct Raven Names | Latin, French | Bold, classic | Baby boys |
| Welsh and Irish Raven | Celtic legend | Mythic, strong | Fantasy fans |
| Norse Raven Names | Old Norse | Fierce, wise | Viking lovers |
| Japanese Crow Names | Shinto myth | Quiet, sleek | Calm personalities |
| Blackbird Names | European words | Soft, musical | Girls, pets |
| Feather Names | Many languages | Light, airy | Unisex babies |
| Night and Midnight Names | Global | Moody, elegant | Daughters, characters |
| Short Modern Picks | Mixed | Crisp, edgy | Usernames, pets |
| Mythic Bird Names | World myth | Rare, dramatic | Writers, gamers |
| Wisdom Names | Norse, Greek | Thoughtful | Scholars, writers |
What Do Crow and Raven Names Symbolize?
Why Ravens and Crows Read Differently
Ravens are larger and often live alone or in pairs, while crows are smaller and gather in flocks. That’s why folklore gives ravens the secrets and crows the cleverness and community.
Omens and the Battlefield
In Irish legend, the Morrigan and Badb appear as crows over battlefields. In Norse myth, Huginn and Muninn bring Odin the day’s news. Welsh tradition remembers Bran the Blessed, whose name means raven. Both birds gathered where fighting had been, so omen and menace became linked.
Light, Sun and Transformation
Japan’s three-legged yatagarasu guided the legendary first emperor, and Chinese and Korean tales place a three-legged crow inside the sun. In Pacific Northwest stories, Raven steals the light for the world. Greek myth has Apollo’s white crow turning black. One bird can mean death in one culture and creation in another.
Intelligence and Memory
Crows use tools, remember faces and solve problems. Odin’s ravens fit this too: Huginn means thought and Muninn means memory. A name that means crow or raven says clever without announcing it.
What This Means for Naming
Add the glossy feathers and you get mystery, adaptability and freedom. When someone picks one of the names that mean crow or raven, they’re rarely choosing doom. They’re choosing the bird that sees the most.
Boy Names That Mean Crow or Raven
Boy names that mean crow or raven lean on Latin, French and old Germanic roots, which makes them sound classic rather than costume-like.
Top Picks
- Corbin — Old French, little raven
- Corvus — Latin word for raven
- Bertram — Germanic, bright raven
- Orev — Hebrew word for raven
- Wolfram — Germanic, wolf-raven
Latin and French Raven Boys
- Corbett
- Corbyn
- Corvin
- Corvinus
- Corvo
- Corbet
- Corbeau
- Cuervo
- Corneille
- Corbinian
Old Germanic and Hebrew Picks
- Ingram
- Gundram
- Raban
- Rabanus
- Oreb
- Rabe
- Raaf
English Place and Bird Names
- Rookwood
- Crawford
- Crawley
- Crowell
- Crawshaw
- Crowe
- Rooke
- Corax
- Korax
My pick for everyday use is Corbin: it sounds ordinary until someone learns it means little raven.
Girl Names That Mean Crow or Raven
Girl names that mean crow or raven are rarer, so the strongest ones pair a clear bird link with a gentle sound. Where the raven link is thin, I’ve learned at night.
Top Picks
- Coronis — Greek, crow-linked nymph
- Corvina — Latin, raven-like
- Hrefna — Old Norse raven name
- Ravyn — Modern raven spelling
- Corone — Greek word for crow
Modern Raven Spellings
- Rayven
- Raeven
Night and Midnight Girl Names
- Layla
- Nisha
- Ratri
- Yamini
- Rajani
- Yalda
- Sawda
- Melanie
- Melanthe
- Celaeno
- Selene
- Vesper
- Shyama
- Kajal
- Kali
- Ciara
- Nótt
- Nera
- Asteria
- Shabana
- Lilith
Coronis has the most dramatic backstory here, though Ravyn is easier to introduce at a school gate.
Unisex Names Inspired by Crows and Ravens
Unisex names that mean crow or raven need only a bird, a stone or a shadow to work for any child.
Top Picks
- Raven — The classic choice
- Crow — Bold, simple bird name
- Corbie — Scots word for crow
- Merle — French for blackbird
- Quill — Dark feather pen
Stone, Ink and Soot
- Onyx
- Coal
- Kohl
- Cinder
Soft Dusk Names
- Dusk
- Kerry
Corvid Cousins
- Pica
- Magpie
Raven itself still feels the most natural to me: short, familiar and not tied to one gender.
Names That Mean Black Bird or Dark Feather
Not every dark bird is a crow, and the blackbird words below borrow the same glossy mood in softer, more musical shapes.
Top Picks
- Merula — Latin for blackbird
- Amsel — German for blackbird
- Mirlo — Spanish for blackbird
- Merlo — Italian for blackbird
- Merel — Dutch for blackbird
More Black Bird Words
- Ouzel
- ʻAlalā
- Gagak
- Kunguru
- Uwak
Feather Names
- Plume
- Pluma
- Piuma
- Penna
- Fjer
- Fjäder
- Feder
- Wiyaka
- Ala
- Aile
Fair warning: Piuma and Pluma mean plain feather in Italian and Spanish, so they suggest lightness more than omens.
Names Inspired by Raven Intelligence and Wisdom
Ravens earned their clever reputation partly through Odin’s two scouts, whose names mean thought and memory.
Top Picks
- Huginn — Odin’s raven of thought
- Muninn — Odin’s raven of memory
- Hugh — Germanic mind or thought
- Mnemosyne — Greek memory goddess
- Mímir — Norse wise rememberer
More Thinker Names
- Hugo
- Frode
- Alvis
- Snotra
- Sage
- Sophia
- Odin
- Minerva
- Metis
Wisdom Names Across Cultures
- Vidya
- Prajna
- Medha
- Hikmat
- Satoshi
- Chie
- Vidur
- Solon
Hugh was a pleasant find, since it looks plain yet shares an ancient root with the thinking raven Huginn.
Names Connected to Crows, Omens, and Transformation
Crows and ravens turn up wherever people read signs, change shape or tell stories about fate, and these names follow them there.
Top Picks
- Lenore — Poe’s raven poem
- Grip — Dickens’s pet raven
- Apollo — Myth: crow turned black
- Yeil — Tlingit trickster Raven
- Shani — Hindu Saturn, crow-linked
Sun Crows and Crow Sages
- Samjoko
- Jinwu
- Kakabhushundi
- Poe
Mythic Birds of Rebirth
- Phoenix
- Sirin
- Gamayun
- Simurgh
- Huma
- Benu
Seers and Omen-Readers
- Auspex
- Augur
- Sibyl
- Cassandra
- Calchas
- Mopsus
- Tiresias
Fate and Death Figures
- Morana
- Hel
- Thanatos
- Nemesis
- Moira
- Urd
- Verdandi
- Skuld
Lenore is the name here that does the most storytelling.
Celtic Names Associated With Crows and Ravens
Celtic names that mean crow or raven grow out of Welsh and Irish legend, where Bran, the Morrigan and Badb shape the whole tradition.
Top Picks
- Bran — Welsh and Irish raven
- Branwen — Welsh, fair raven
- Fiachra — Irish word for raven
- Brandubh — Irish, black raven
- Morrigan — Irish battle-crow queen
Goddesses and Legends
- Badb
- Macha
- Cathubodua
- Bendigeidfran
- Morfran
- Afagddu
- Cigfran
Dark-Haired Gaelic Names
- Ciarán
- Kieran
- Duff
- Doyle
- Dougal
- Douglas
- Duane
- Fiach
- Fiachna
- Fiacre
Honestly, Branwen is the one I’d hand to anyone who wants a raven name with real mythic depth.
Norse Names Inspired by Ravens and Their Legends
Norse names that mean crow or raven come straight from the Old Norse word hrafn, and Odin’s companions give the list its story.
Top Picks
- Hrafn — Old Norse raven
- Hrafnhild — Raven plus battle
- Hrafnkell — Icelandic saga name
- Rafn — Danish and Icelandic raven
- Korp — Swedish for raven
Battlefield Names
- Hild
- Gunnhild
- Brynhild
- Ragnhild
- Hildur
Odin’s Companions
- Freki
- Geri
- Sleipnir
Worth a look: Hrafnhild joins the raven word to hildr, meaning battle, and it still reads smoothly.
Japanese Names Associated With Crows and Black Birds
Japanese names that mean crow or raven start with karasu, and the sacred three-legged yatagarasu gives the tradition its legend.
Top Picks
- Karasu — Japanese word for crow
- Yatagarasu — Three-legged guiding crow
- Karasuma — Crow circle surname
- Kuroba — Black feather surname
- Kurohane — Black feather
Black, Night and Shadow
- Kuro
- Kage
- Yami
- Yoru
- Kurayami
- Yozora
- Tsuki
- Tsukiyo
- Mayonaka
- Kuroda
Kuroba stands out because its two kanji simply mean black and feather, so the meaning is right there.
Names for Crows and Ravens From Around the World
Crow and raven names appear in languages from Finnish to Cherokee, and each one shows how a culture saw the bird.
Top Picks
- Kuzgun — Turkish for raven
- Voron — Russian for raven
- Kalanu — Cherokee for raven
- Gavran — Serbo-Croatian raven
- Korppi — Finnish for raven
Europe
- Vran
- Vrana
- Kruk
- Havran
- Holló
- Varis
- Varnas
Americas, Arctic and Oceania
- Kangi
- Gagu
- Kagagi
- Tulugaq
- Fala
- Waa
Black and Night Across Cultures
- Siyah
- Aswad
- Krishna
- Shyam
- Shyamal
- Karahan
- Tariq
- Nishant
- Nishi
- Pango
Kuzgun and Voron suit surnames that already carry a hard consonant.
Rare Names Inspired by Raven Feathers and Midnight Colors
When the bird itself feels too literal, rare names that mean crow or raven can borrow a color or a shadow word to keep the mood.
Top Picks
- Sable — Heraldic black
- Obsidian — Volcanic black glass
- Ebony — Dark, glossy wood
- Midnight — Deep night color
- Azabache — Spanish word for jet
Shadow and Night Words
- Umbra
- Ombra
- Ombre
- Sombra
- Minuit
- Erebus
- Eclipse
- Nightshade
- Twilight
- Shadow
- Penumbra
- Umbriel
- Ebon
Night in Other Languages
- Pō
- Usiku
- Hesperus
Sable lands well on both people and pets, which is more than most black-colored names can claim.
Short and Modern Names With Crow-Related Meanings
Short names that mean crow or raven are easy to spell, easy to call across a park, and easy to keep for life.
Top Picks
- Rook — Small corvid cousin
- Nyx — Greek night goddess
- Jet — Glossy black stone
- Corb — Romanian word for raven
- Ravn — Danish for raven
Two and Three Letters
- Wu
- Mo
- Hei
- Ink
- Nox
Four and Five Letters
- Kara
- Ciar
- Hane
- Khar
- Noir
Jet and Rook are my quick favorites for pets, while Nyx fits a daughter just as well.
Names That Mean Crow or Raven Symbolize Mystery, Adaptability, and Freedom
Crows adapt to cities, forests and farmland alike, so names about wind, tricksters and free spirits carry the same restless energy.
Top Picks
- Rune — Secret, whispered knowledge
- Enigma — Greek for riddle
- Zephyr — Soft west wind
- Proteus — Shape-shifting sea god
- Eleutheria — Greek goddess of freedom
Free Spirits
- Azad
- Azadeh
- Ozgur
- Hurriya
- Liberty
- Skye
- Sora
- Hayate
- Kaze
- Tsubasa
- Nomad
- Boreas
- Aeolus
Tricksters and Shapeshifters
- Anansi
- Reynard
- Puck
- Hermes
- Eshu
- Maui
- Loki
- Coyote
- Kokopelli
Words That Whisper Mystery
- Arcana
- Oracle
- Cipher
- Nocturne
- Gloaming
- Sphinx
Zephyr clicks for me because it moves like a bird even when it’s only a word.
Names That Mean Crow or Raven: Meanings and Origins
This table pins down the meaning and origin behind twelve of the best names that mean crow or raven in this guide.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
| Corbin | Little raven | Old French |
| Bran | Raven | Welsh, Irish |
| Branwen | Fair raven | Welsh |
| Corvus | Raven | Latin |
| Orev | Raven | Hebrew |
| Hrafn | Raven | Old Norse |
| Karasu | Crow | Japanese |
| Kuzgun | Raven | Turkish |
| Voron | Raven | Russian |
| Merula | Blackbird | Latin |
| Fiachra | Raven | Irish |
| Kalanu | Raven | Cherokee |
How to Choose a Name Inspired by Crows or Ravens
Choosing among names that mean crow or raven goes faster when you make four small decisions in order, and none of them needs more than a minute of thought.
- Pick your angle. Decide whether you want the bird itself (Corbin, Rook), a legend (Bran, Huginn) or only the mood (Sable, Nyx).
- Check the origin. Karasu is Japanese and Corvus is Latin, so match the name to a heritage you can pronounce and respect.
- Say it with the surname. Trust your ear, and if the rhythm trips, try a close variant such as Corbett for Corbin.
- Look at short forms. Bertram becomes Bert, Branwen becomes Bran, and Corbin becomes Cor.
Worked example: say your surname is Hale and you want a Welsh feel. Bran Hale is crisp but clipped, Branwen Hale flows beautifully, and Bendigeidfran Hale is a mouthful. The middle one wins.
If you’re stuck between two finalists, pick the one whose meaning you’d still enjoy explaining in ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best names that mean crow or raven?
Corbin, Bran, Corvus, Branwen and Orev top the list, each with a clear crow or raven root.
Which Celtic name means raven?
Bran is the classic Welsh and Irish pick, and Fiachra is a gentler Irish option.
Is Raven a unisex name?
Yes. It’s used for boys and girls alike, so it suits any child.
Are there Japanese names that mean crow or raven?
Karasu means crow, while Yatagarasu names the three-legged crow of Japanese myth.
Do crow names and raven names symbolize different things?
Ravens lean toward prophecy and wisdom, while crows suggest adaptability and community.
How do I choose between names that mean crow or raven?
Check the origin, say each finalist with your surname, then compare nicknames.
Conclusion
By the end of this list, one truth was obvious — names that mean crow or raven never feel generic, because each one arrives with a myth, a landscape or a language behind it. The bird people once feared became the bird they trusted with prophecy, and that doubleness is why these names keep finding new families.
Before you decide, look at the nicknames and short forms. Corbin shrinks to Cor, Branwen to Bran, Bertram to Bert and Hrafnhild to Hrafn. Say each version aloud over a few days, and you’ll hear which one still sounds like the person you’re picturing. If a nickname lands better than the full name, that tells you something useful.
About the Author
I’m Elena Morgan, a writer at Namespearl. I spend my days comparing name origins and checking what each one really means. This guide to names that mean crow or raven is here to save you time and leave you with a short list worth keeping. Choose the one that sticks and make it yours.
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