Ghost Names: 100 Haunting & Ethereal Ideas for Fantasy

A ghost's name should drift like mist and ache like an old sorrow — haunting, ethereal, and faintly mournful, the kind of name that sounds like it's being whispered down an empty corridor at midnight. Ghosts in fantasy are restless spirits and sorrowful specters, vengeful phantoms and lingering souls: echoes of the dead bound to the living world by grief, unfinished business, or a death too violent to rest. A ghost's name needs that cold, lingering quality — often an old-fashioned name from the era they died in, sometimes a sorrowful or eerie word, the kind of name that carries a chill and a story. Where a living name is warm, a ghost's name lingers — faded, melancholy, and not quite of this world.

The haunting beauty of ghost names is the sense of a life half-remembered. A ghost might be a sorrowful lady weeping in a ruined manor, a vengeful spirit seeking justice, a child-ghost lost in the dark, or a faded specter who's forgotten their own name — and the name should carry that ethereal, melancholy, slightly chilling quality, an echo of who they were before they died.

Below are 100 ghost names — haunting and ethereal — sorted by style, plus a quick how-to. Whether you're naming a sorrowful specter, a vengeful phantom, or a lingering soul, there's a hauntingly beautiful name here. Tips at the end.

Sorrowful & ethereal ghost names

Faded, melancholy, and old-fashioned — these suit weeping ladies, lingering souls, and mournful specters:

Lenore, Eveline, and Cordelia carry that mournful, ethereal ghost quality — old-fashioned, lovely, and faintly sorrowful, perfect for a weeping lady lingering in a ruined manor. Ophelia (the tragic drowned figure) is ideal for a drowned spirit, while Lenore has a built-in poetic, haunted ache.

Vengeful & eerie ghost names

For vengeful phantoms, angry spirits, and chilling specters — names with a colder, more sinister edge:

Morrigan, Corvina, and Mourne lean into the vengeful, eerie side — phantoms bound by wrath rather than sorrow. Wraith and Sorrow are stark, atmospheric word-names that suit a pure, chilling specter, while Dolora ("sorrow") carries a cold, grieving menace for a vengeful lady who died wronged.

Ghostly titles & haunt-names

Many ghosts are known not by their living name but by a haunt-name — what the living call the spirit that haunts a place:

the Grey Lady, the Weeping One, the White Lady, the Hollow Man, the Wailing Bride, the Faceless, the Drowned Girl, the Pale Watcher, the Lady in Black, the Restless One, the Whisper, the Forgotten, the Mourner, the Shade of [place], the Bleeding Lady.

A haunt-name is how a ghost passes into legend: the Grey Lady, the Weeping One, the Lady in Black. These work beautifully when a ghost's true name is lost or unknown — the living name a spirit by their appearance, their sorrow, or the place they haunt, and the haunt-name becomes the story whispered for generations.

Faded & forgotten ghost names

For ancient, faded specters who barely remember themselves — names that feel half-erased and old:

Ash, Mist, Echo, Pale, Faye, Hollow, Whisper, Grey, Dust, Wisp, Shade, Fenn, Marrow, Dim, Silt, Fade, Hush, Vale, Wane, Cinder.

Echo, Mist, and Whisper make hauntingly minimal ghost names — single faded words for a specter so old they've nearly dissolved into the place they haunt. Wisp and Fade suggest a ghost barely clinging to form, while Echo is perfect for a spirit that only repeats a fragment of who they were.

How to name your ghost

Haunting, ethereal, and faintly sorrowful:

• Use old-fashioned names. A ghost died in another era — period names (Lenore, Edith, Lavinia, Cordelia) instantly evoke the time they lived and the centuries they've lingered.
• Lean melancholy or eerie. Sorrowful names (Lenore, Eveline) for weeping spirits; colder, darker ones (Morrigan, Corvina, Wraith) for vengeful phantoms.
• Try a haunt-name. "the Grey Lady," "the Weeping One" — when a true name is lost, the living name a ghost by their sorrow, appearance, or haunt.
• Use faded word-names for the ancient. Echo, Mist, Whisper, Fade — minimal, half-erased words suit a specter who's nearly forgotten themselves.
• Carry a story. A great ghost name hints at how they died or why they linger — grief, vengeance, a drowning, a betrayal — adding an echo of the life behind the haunting.

A great ghost name should drift like mist and ache like an old sorrow — haunting, ethereal, and faintly mournful, carrying an echo of the life behind the haunting. Use an old-fashioned name from the era they died, lean melancholy or eerie depending on their nature, or give them a haunt-name whispered by the living, and your ghost will feel every inch the lingering, sorrowful echo of who they once were.

Match the name to why they linger

The most haunting thing about a ghost — and the key to naming one — is why they linger, because a spirit is usually bound to the living world by something unresolved. The classic is the sorrowful lingering soul — the gentle, grieving spirit bound by loss, a broken heart, or unfinished business, suiting a mournful, old-fashioned name (Lenore, Eveline, Cordelia) or a haunt-name like the Grey Lady. The name should ache. Then there's the vengeful phantom — the angry spirit who died wronged, murdered, or betrayed, lingering to seek justice or revenge, fitting a colder, darker name (Morrigan, Corvina, Dolora) with menace beneath the sorrow.

There's also the faded or forgotten specter — the ancient ghost who's lingered so long they've half-dissolved, barely remembering their own name, suiting a minimal, erased word-name (Echo, Mist, Whisper, Fade). And there's the child-ghost — the small, lost spirit whose innocence makes the haunting especially poignant (Wren, a sweet old-fashioned name). Don't forget the specter of place either — a ghost so tied to a manor, battlefield, or crossroads that they're known only by a haunt-name (the Lady in Black, the Drowned Girl, the Shade of the Hollow). Deciding why your ghost lingers — grief, vengeance, fading, lost innocence, or a bond to a place — instantly tells you how sorrowful, how vengeful, or how faded the name should be. Pick the reason, carry the story in the name, and your ghost will feel like a true lingering echo of a life rather than a generic spook.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good ghost names?

Great ghost names include Lenore, Eveline, and Cordelia (sorrowful specters), Morrigan, Corvina, and Wraith (vengeful phantoms), and faded word-names like Echo, Mist, and Whisper (ancient spirits). Use old-fashioned period names, lean melancholy or eerie, or give the ghost a haunt-name like "the Grey Lady."

What are good haunting or sorrowful ghost names?

Sorrowful ghost names include Lenore, Eveline, Cordelia, Ophelia, and Mirabel — old-fashioned, lovely, and faintly mournful, perfect for a weeping lady or lingering soul. Ophelia (the tragic drowned figure) suits a drowned spirit, and Lenore carries a built-in poetic, haunted ache.

How do I make up a ghost name?

Use an old-fashioned name from the era the ghost died (Lenore, Edith, Lavinia), lean melancholy for sorrowful spirits or colder/darker for vengeful ones (Morrigan, Wraith), and try a haunt-name ("the Grey Lady") when the true name is lost. Faded word-names (Echo, Mist) suit ancient specters who've forgotten themselves.

What are good ghost haunt-names or titles?

Ghost haunt-names include the Grey Lady, the Weeping One, the White Lady, the Hollow Man, the Drowned Girl, and the Lady in Black — what the living call a spirit by its appearance, sorrow, or haunt. They work beautifully when a ghost's true name is lost, becoming the legend whispered for generations.

What are good vengeful or scary ghost names?

Vengeful ghost names include Morrigan, Corvina, Mourne, Dolora, and word-names like Wraith and Sorrow — colder and more sinister, for phantoms bound by wrath rather than grief. They suit a spirit who died wronged and lingers to seek justice or revenge, with menace beneath the sorrow.

Should a ghost name sound old-fashioned?

Often, yes — a ghost died in another era and has lingered for years or centuries, so an old-fashioned, period name (Lenore, Edith, Cordelia, Lavinia) instantly evokes when they lived and how long they've haunted. It adds an echo of the life behind the spirit. For ancient or faded ghosts, minimal word-names (Echo, Mist) work even better.

🔗 More Fantasy Name Guides You'll Love

Go name your ghost

Mournful Lenore, vengeful Morrigan, faded Echo, or a manor-haunt known as the Grey Lady — there's a haunting, ethereal name here for your ghost, drifting like mist and aching like an old sorrow, an echo of the life behind the haunting.

👉 Open the free Fantasy Name Builder to summon one by vibe — sorrowful, vengeful, or faded, in a click, no signup. ⚔️

Which one sent a chill down the corridor? That's your ghost. Now let them linger.