Vampire Diaries names come from the best-selling young adult book series turned smash-hit series on The CW. While the original show ended its run in 2017, spinoff The Originals lasted until 2018, and its spinoff, Legacies, ended in 2022.
That’s quite a run. But then again, vampires live forever, right?
Like many a supernatural series, other creatures mix in, including witches and werewolves. And while some of them answer to fairly anonymous names, the three series have offered up dozens of appealing names – many of which are now rising in use for mere mortals.
Vampire Diaries is the latest in a long list of television series with a supernatural aspect that also involve navigating high school, college, or young adult life. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Charmed, the list goes on. Vampire Diaries was developed by Kevin Williamson, also known for the Scream film franchise.
Before we dive in, a confession: I’ve never seen the show. I know, I know – what am I doing with my time? So I can’t promise that this is spoiler-free, and if you’re a superfan and I get anything wrong? Please let me know!
Table of Contents
VAMPIRE DIARIES NAMES: GIRLS
AMARA
I’ve seen Japanese, Igbo, and even Mongolian roots listed for this name. But we’re talking vampires, so I suspect the Sanskrit or Greek meaning that matters here: immortal. In Greek, the word amarantos means unfading; it’s been used as a given name for centuries. In the series, Amara’s name is spot on. She’s the very first in a line of mystical, powerful women. And while the name offers a very on-trend sound, it also looks like the show deserves credit. Amara leaps in the ratings after the character’s storyline aired.
APRIL
There’s something innocent about spring-time April. Appropriately, this name belongs to a character with no ties to the supernatural … until she returns to her hometown.
BONNIE
As a Bonnie sounds sweet. And while the Vampire Diaries character is known as helpful and compassionate, Bonnie Bennett is also a powerful witch with plenty of backstory. That lends her charming given name a little bit of muscle. The character has appeared in the lion’s share of the series’ episodes, and probably gets credit for the name’s rise, too. Though other factors, like the Toy Story character named Bonnie, are part of the picture, too, as is our love of names like Sadie and Millie.
CAMILLE
In Virgil’s Aeneid, the name Camilla belongs to a warrior. But Camille became famous thanks to Greta Garbo’s star turn as the title character of the novel penned by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The Dumas-Garbo Camille meets a tragic end. Both stories echo in Camille O’Connell’s storyline on the first of two spinoffs, The Originals. It’s not the reason the name has gained modestly, necessarily – we’re all about Camila and Millie, lately – but it probably hasn’t hurt.
CAROLINE
Caroline Forbes is one of Elena’s best friends in Mystic Falls, and her life becomes wrapped up in all things supernatural, too.
DAVINA
Another name from The Originals, Davina’s rise tracks more closely with the character’s 2013 introduction. Of course, it helps that Ava and Olivia were already established as Top Ten favorites when we met the powerful witch. While the name has never been common in the US, it’s the feminine form of a long-standing masculine classic: David. I’ve yet to write about Davina, but check back and I’ll update when I do.
ELENA
The original series hinges on Elena Gilbert, a teenage girl living in Mystic Falls, Virginia. The drama involved her love for two vampire brothers and her status as part of an ancient line. In the books, Elena was a mean girl. But the series made her friendly and approachable … and audiences loved it. Doubtless the character is a big part of the reason the name soared in the rankings following the series’ debut. But with history galore, and a very on-trend sound, Elena might’ve been a hit even without the series. (And other pop culture uses, like Disney’s Elena of Avalor, also deserve credit for the name’s rise.) Actress Nina Dobrev played the role of Elena, as well as Elena’s doppelgänger, a vampire named Katherine Pierce.
GEORGINA “GEORGIE”
I’ve called Georgia a sweet spot name, familiar – but not too common. Georgina takes the name in a longer, lovelier direction. And Georgie fits right in with Charlie and Alex and Jo. So I’ve been waiting for Georgina to gain in use. But the character appeared in just one season, not nearly long enough to return this name to the US Top 1000.
HOPE
In many ways, Hope heralded in the current class of virtue names for girls, from Grace to Felicity. But that means the name peaked in use right around the year 2000 – well before LJ Smith’s series became a household name. (Though the first books appeared as early as 1991.)
NADIA
Like many Vampire Diaries characters, Nadia appeared with centuries of backstory. But her name feels very twenty-first century. Parents in the US embraced it after a young Nadia Comaneci made Olympic history in 1976. And the name fared well for decades, reaching the Top 200 by 2004. But that means it wasn’t fresh and new when the show debuted. However, it’s still a great name, with a hint of glamour.
OLIVIA “LIV”
Firmly established as a Top Ten name when we met Olivia Parker, the Vampire Diaries couldn’t boost this name any further. And yet, Liv – the character’s preferred nickname – did rise dramatically once we met the witch. The Norse name Liv developed separately from Olivia; it originally meant protection, but is now associated with the word for life. Both seem appropriate for Liv’s story.
REBEKAH
One of the original vampires, Rebekah is sister to Klaus Mikaelson. They’ve been around for ages, and the slightly old school spelling of her name emphasizes all that history.
SABINE
Sabine and Davina belonged to the same New Orleans coven on The Originals. She appears in fewer episodes, so maybe it’s not surprising that her unusual name remains rare. It’s a name dripping in history – the name originally referred to a tribe, and the Romans famously kidnapped several Sabine women.
SOPHIE
The name Sophie rose along with Sophia and Sofia. Yet another witch from The Originals, Sophie Deveraux is drawn into the thick of the action when her niece, Monique, is involved in a ritual gone wrong. Sophie makes a logical choice for a New Orleans-born woman; its gently French, just like so many of the names on The Originals. But it’s also tough to untangle the name’s popularity due to the series from our general affection from the name family.
SYBIL
It’s on Downton Abbey. It’s on The Vampire Diaries. And yet, the name remains in style limbo, even while Cora and Marigold and Elena and Davina catch on. What gives? Well, first, Sybil has gained modestly in use. And while the period drama Sybil is a saint, the modern supernatural thriller Sybil is a villain. (Though that doesn’t always matter.) Both appear in a relatively small percentage of episodes, so that’s probably an even more significant fact. In any case, it’s a tailored, familiar, but rare name for a daughter, ancient in origin, but timeless in appeal.
VAMPIRE DIARIES NAMES FOR BOYS
ALARIC
Count Alaric among the names boosted by the series. The name of a Visigoth leader who sacked Rome back in the early 400s, it’s reasonable to assume anyone with the name would be quite ancient, indeed. But when we first meet him, Alaric Saltzman appears to be a regular(ish) history teacher. No question the character helped boost the name. It was given to a few dozen boys prior to the series, and made it all the way into the US Top 1000 following the character’s introduction.
ATTICUS
When we first meet Atticus Shane, he’s a professor at Whitmore College. And while the character is mainly featured in the fourth season, I think this name matters. Remember when Go Set a Watchman’s 2015 release threatened to make parents regret naming their sons after the principled hero of To Kill a Mockingbird? The name didn’t miss a beat, and I think that’s because other characters – from Vampire Diaries to Downton Abbey – had given us other ways to think about the name.
BEAU
Handsome, energetic, and gently Southern, Beau belongs in New Orleans. Except this character isn’t part of that storyline. He’s originally from England, circa the turn of the twentieth century. The character debuts late in the Vampire Diaries’ run, when the name was already spiking in use.
ARCADIUS “CADE”
Yet another villain, Arcadius serves as the Vampire Diaries’ equivalent of Lucifer himself. Maybe that’s why Arcadius has yet to catch on. Or maybe it’s just too different for parents to consider. Cade, on the other hand, has fared well in recent years, a name with a modern vibe and connections to lots of other names.
CONNOR
With all these vampires, inevitably a vampire hunter will show up – and he does, in the role of Connor Jordan.
DAMON
One of the two brothers at the heart of the original love triangle, Damon Salvatore is played by actor Ian Somerhalder. The Salvatore brothers grew up in Mystic Falls – back in the 1860s. Over a century later, he falls in love with Elena, repeating history in more ways than one.
DORIAN
Dorian has appeared all three shows: Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies. The name’s meaning is debated, but one possibility seems appropriate for the show: exile or wanderer. It brings to mind Top 100 picks like Julian and Adrian.
ELIJAH
One of the vampires that started out on The Vampire Diaries before leaping to The Originals.
ENZO
Enzo first appears in the fifth season of the series, and we quickly learn how he became a vampire. His full name is Lorenzo, but he’s nearly always called just Enzo. Maybe the name is rising quickly because of its cool, on-trend sound. Or maybe it’s down to pop culture uses like this one.
FINN
We meet Finn on The Originals, a character first born in the tenth century. He’s mostly a bad guy, or maybe he’s just misunderstood. With a wildly famous – and heroic Finn in the Star Wars universe – not to mention real life figures, this name doesn’t scream vampire. But the character is one more opportunity for parents to hear this brief, appealing name.
JEREMY
Elena’s younger brother, Jeremy Gilbert, is also drawn into the complexities of life in Mystic Falls.
KIERAN
I think Kieran is one of those undiscovered gems. The Irish spell it with a C – Ciaran – but that’s pretty all-but unknown in the US. In the series, the names belongs to a New Orleans priest who knows about the things that go bump in the night on The Originals. Like other Vampire Diaries names, it’s gained modestly in use over the last few years, but remains under the radar.
KOL
Kol – spelled that way – first appeared on the Vampire Diaries before moving to The Originals. The character clearly inspired some parents to consider the spelling; 50 boys were named Kol in 2022, peak usage. But Kol owes much of its success to our affection for Cole and unconventional spellings.
LUCIEN
Lucian ranks in the current US Top 1000, but Lucien? The French form of the name has been out of favor for years. It’s a pitch perfect name for a vampire living in New Orleans, though we first meet the character in medieval France, where the name makes every bit as much sense. I’ve yet to write about Lucien, but check back and I’ll update when I do.
MALACHAI “KAI”
Parents have fallen for globe-spanning nature name Kai, and that’s led to a search for longer options that include the sound. The unrelated Malachi, a Biblical patriarch, fits the bill. On Vampire Diaries, they use the spelling Malachai, adding an ‘h.” The character is yet another villain, but it’s possible that Malachai “Kai” Parker deserves credit for some of the names’ rise. Another phenomenon: the spelling Malakai is climbing, as parents embrace the idea of using the two unrelated names together.
MATT
Another Mystic Falls native, Matt Donovan appears in all three of the shows in the Vampire Diaries universe.
NIKLAUS, KLAUS
Mant a vampire show features werewolves, too. In this universe, Klaus Mikaelson is one of the hybrids – half-vamp, half-wolf. He’s also considered an original vampire, meaning he’s been around for a long time. While Klaus feels rather Christmas in the US right now, Niklaus has an appealing classic-by-way-of-Europe vibe.
RAFAEL
Handsome Rafael comes from the third series, Legacies. He’s a werewolf, and a student at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted, founded by characters you’ll recognize from earlier installments of the Vampire Diaries universe. Raphael is a trending favorite, a traditional choice enjoying a comeback.
STEFAN
Stefan Salvatore was played by actor Paul Wesley. The other Salvatore brother competing for Elena’s attention, Stefan was always the good one. As names go, Stefan is a European version of Stephen/Steven that sounds just right for an immortal vampire – but isn’t particularly popular today.
TYLER
When the series opens, Tyler Lockwood is a Mystic Falls football player. He’s quickly caught up in the town’s events, and becomes a werewolf.
Would you consider any of these Vampire Diaries names for a child? What character names have I missed?
First published on October 1, 2019, this post was revised on October 31, 2024.