80 Last Names That Mean Dark (Dark Last Names)

The concept of darkness has always fascinated people across different cultures worldwide. It symbolizes various things, from nighttime and secrets to depth and the mysterious.

Many family names have their roots in words that bring to mind darkness, both in a literal and figurative sense.

These surnames often came from physical characteristics, jobs, locations, or links to myths that had to do with shadows, night, or even dark-colored traits.

This list looks at real last names from different languages that mean something related to “dark.”

Dark Last Names

Dolan – Irish surname from Ó Dubhláin, meaning “descendant of the dark one.”

Donaghue – Irish surname derived from Donnchadh, meaning “brown warrior” or “dark warrior.”

Melanin – Modern surname derived from melas (Greek for black), associated with dark pigmentation.

Ciaran – Irish surname variant meaning “the dark one” or “black-haired.”

Kuroishi – Japanese surname meaning “black stone.”

Moreno – Spanish surname meaning “dark-skinned” or “brunette.”

Noctis – Latin-based surname meaning “of the night.”

Dunmore – Scottish surname meaning “great dark one” or “fort of darkness.”

Brunet – French surname meaning “dark-haired,” from brun, meaning brown.

Devlin – Irish surname from Ó Doibhilin, possibly meaning “unlucky” or “dark fate.”

Maury – French surname from maurus, meaning “dark-skinned” or “Moor.”

Kuroyama – Japanese surname meaning “black mountain.”

Tarnow – Polish surname related to “dark woods” or “black soil.”

Cerny – Czech surname meaning “black” or “dark.”

Kage – Japanese surname meaning “shadow.”

Nocte – Latin-inspired surname meaning “by night” or “at night.”

Cullen – Irish surname that can be linked to “dark-haired” or “descendant of Cuileann.”

Murphy – Irish surname that may stem from muir (sea) + dubh (dark).

Le Noir – French surname meaning “the black” or “the dark one.”

Charbonnier – French occupational surname meaning “charcoal maker,” tied to darkness and coal.

Dunkel – German surname meaning “dark” or “gloomy.”

Raven – English surname associated with the black-feathered bird of darkness and mystery.

Tenerife – Spanish surname possibly tied to volcanic “dark lands.”

Swart – Afrikaans and Dutch surname meaning “black.”

Tarn – English surname referring to a “dark mountain lake.”

Douglass – Scottish surname from dubh glas, meaning “dark stream.”

Lail – German surname meaning “night” or “twilight,” symbolic of darkness.

Nightshade – English surname from the dark, poisonous plant—mystical and ominous.

Zwartjes – Dutch diminutive surname meaning “little dark one.”

Murakuro – Japanese compound surname (rare) meaning “village of black.”

Kurozawa – Japanese surname meaning “black swamp” or “dark marsh.”

Sombra – Spanish surname meaning “shadow” or “shade.”

Dunhill – English surname meaning “dark hill.”

Melano – Italian surname from melas, meaning “black” or “dark.”

Tarnovsky – Eastern European surname meaning “of the dark lake.”

Dusky – English surname referring to someone with dark features or shadowed complexion.

Obscura – Latin-rooted artistic surname meaning “dark” or “hidden.”

Nocturne – French musical surname meaning “related to the night.”

Ebon – English poetic surname from “ebony,” symbolizing deep, dark blackness.

Darcy – Irish and French surname meaning “dark one” or “from the dark.”

Dougal – Scottish surname from Dubhghall, meaning “dark stranger.”

Donovan – Irish surname from Ó Donnabháin, meaning “descendant of the dark-haired one.”

Blake – English surname that paradoxically meant both “dark” and “pale,” depending on dialect.

Kieran – Irish surname from Ciarán, meaning “little dark one.”

Dubois – French surname meaning “from the dark woods.”

Moreau – French surname derived from maurus, meaning “dark-skinned” or “Moorish.”

Duffy – Irish surname from Ó Dubhthaigh, meaning “descendant of the dark one.”

Morrow – Irish and Scottish surname possibly derived from mor, meaning “dark-skinned.”

Maurer – German surname from maur, referencing the Moors, symbolizing darkness.

Melani – Italian surname from Greek melas, meaning “black” or “dark.”

Delano – French surname meaning “of the night” or “darkness.”

Dunlop – Scottish surname possibly meaning “muddy hill” or “dark hollow.”

Kauravas – Epic Indian surname associated with night-born warriors from the Mahabharata.

Ciar – Gaelic surname element meaning “black” or “dark.”

Kuroda – Japanese surname meaning “black rice field.”

Zalman – Yiddish variant of Solomon, sometimes interpreted as “dark peace.”

Nacht – German and Yiddish surname meaning “night.”

Chiaroscuro – Italian surname referencing light and dark contrast in art, symbolic of darkness.

Mori – Japanese surname that can mean “forest,” often a dark and mysterious setting.

Nigro – Italian surname meaning “black” or “dark-skinned.”

Noir – French surname directly meaning “black” or “dark.”

Zwart – Dutch surname meaning “black” or “dark.”

Czarny – Polish surname meaning “black” or “dark one.”

Schwarz – German surname meaning “black,” a common surname tied to dark coloring.

Neri – Italian surname from nero, meaning “black.”

Noche – Spanish surname meaning “night,” symbolizing darkness.

Karasu – Japanese surname meaning “crow,” a bird often associated with darkness.

Sable – French and English surname meaning “black” or “dark fur.”

Tenebris – Latin-based surname meaning “darkness” or “gloom,” poetic and rare.

Kuro – Japanese surname meaning “black” or “dark.”

Bran – Welsh surname meaning “raven,” a dark-feathered and mystical bird.

Dunbar – Scottish surname meaning “castle of the dark hill.”

De Noir – French surname meaning “of the black/dark.”

Tynan – Irish surname from Ó Teimhneáin, meaning “descendant of the dark one.”

Moor – English surname referring to dark-skinned or Moorish ancestry.

Czerny – Slavic surname meaning “black” or “dark one.”

Umbra – Latin-rooted surname meaning “shadow” or “darkness.”

Fusco – Italian surname meaning “dark” or “swarthy.”

Swartz – Variant of Schwarz, meaning “black” or “dark.”

Closing Remarks

Last names that mean dark have symbolic references and rich cultural history throughout different origins. I hope you enjoyed reading our work and keep visiting our site for more last names related topics.