Emo is a subgenre of punk music that emerged in the 1980s. You can recognize it by its melancholy and overly emotional lyrics. I’m a millennial mom, so I am all too familiar with emo bands, emo names, characters, and other figures in pop culture. My Chemical Romance and Mayday Parade were on repeat on my iPod Nano back in the day.
Get in touch with your angsty inner teenage self with this list of 130 emo names and their meanings. Older generations know that it wasn’t just a phase. Browse the best options for emo names you can use for a new baby while reminiscing about your thick eyeliner and punk music days. If you know, you know.
13 Emo Girl Names
Are you looking for the right fit for a girl? Then, take a look at this list of emo girl names. A wide variety of emo baby names to choose from will take you back to the days of wearing all black.
1. Alice — This is a name of German origin meaning “noble” or “exalted.”
2. Amethyst — This is a variety of purple quartz. The name means “not drunk” in Greek.
3. Autumn — A Latin name for “fall” or “season of the harvest.”
4. Cambria — This name means “of the people” in Welsh. It is inspired by the band Coheed and Cambria.
5. Delilah — In Hebrew, this emo name means “delicate.”
6. Ebony — This emo girl’s name is of Latin origin, meaning “deep black wood.”
7. Jade — A Spanish name, Jade means “precious gemstone.” The color of jade is a deep green.
8. Kat — This emo name means “pure” in Greek and is a short form of Katherine.
9. Luna — One of the most popular emo names for girls, Luna is Latin for “moon.”
10. Norah — There are several spellings of this name. It is Hebrew for “light.”
11. Orchid — This is an English name for the flowering plant that symbolizes beauty and strength.
12. Scarlett — This fiery emo name means “red” in French.
13. Willow — Not only is it the same name as the willow tree, but it is also an Old English word for “freedom.”
14 Emo Boy Names
Many emo baby names are unique, making them excellent options for a boy. If you want to be reminded of when you rebelled against authority or rocked out to your favorite emo band, look here for some inspiration.
1. Atticus — A Greek name meaning “man from Attica.”
2. Axel — This common emo name for boys means “father of peace” in Scandinavian.
3. Bastian — This short form of Sebastian is of German origin and means “venerable.”
4. Dexter — This is a Latin name for someone right-handed.
5. Drake — This is a short and simple emo name meaning “male duck” in English and “dragon” in Old Norse.
6. Ezra — This name means “helper” in Hebrew.
7. Grey — This simple emo name is of English origin and is used for someone with grey hair.
8. Lincoln — An English name for “lake colony.”
9. Onyx — This is the English name for a black gemstone that also means “claw” in Greek.
10. Orion — This emo name from Greek mythology means “rising in the sky.”
11. Osiris — This was the lord of the underworld in Egyptian mythology.
12. Ryland — This old English name means “where rye is grown.”
13. Ryker — This is a unique emo name that means “rich” in German.
14. Trace — Of English and Irish origins, this name means “brave.”
18 Emo Nonbinary Names
These names have no gender, making them the perfect choice for our list of emo nonbinary names. There are several reasons to choose a nonbinary name for your little one, and we have plenty of options here!
1. Ash — This nonbinary name is of English origin and means “ash tree.”
2. Blake — This English emo name can mean “dark” or “fair-haired.”
3. Blaze — A Latin name that means “fire.”
4. Cameron — This is a Scottish Gaelic name meaning “crooked nose.”
5. Casey — The meaning of this gender-neutral emo name is “vigilant” in Irish Gaelic.
6. Charlie — Of German origin, meaning “free man.”
7. Dakota — This is a Native American name that originates from the Sioux tribe and means “friend” or “ally.”
8. Dani — The meaning of this emo nonbinary name is “God is my judge” in Hebrew.
9. Devin — An Irish name that means “poet.”
10. Echo — This is a unique nonbinary name that means “reflected sound” in Latin and Greek.
11. Harley — This Old English name means “the long field” or “hare meadow.”
12. Jagger — This name is derived from the Middle English word “jag,” which means “to pack or load.”
13. Jesse — This Hebrew emo name means “God exists.”
14. Jet — This emo name means “black stone” in English.
15. Lennon — An Irish name that means “lover.”
16. Reign — This English emo name means “rule.”
17. Shadow — This English name means “shade from the sun.”
18. Skyler — This English name with origins in German and Dutch can mean “sky” or “scholar.”
21 Emo Characters From Anime and Manga
If you are an anime and manga fan, you have likely encountered many emo characters. These are some of our favorites, and we included where you can find them.
1. Akeno — The emo character Akeno Himejima in the series “High School DxD” is a fallen angel.
2. Crona — The character Crona is the master of the demon sword in the anime “Soul Eater.”
3. Gaara — You can find the character of Gaara in the “Naruto” anime series.
4. Kaneki — Kaneki is one of the emo characters in the dark anime “Tokyo Ghoul.”
5. Light — Light Yagami is the main character of the anime and manga called Death Note.”
6. Mikasa — Mikasa Ackerman is one of the central characters of the series “Attack on Titan.”
7. Nana — The title character of the series “Nana” is the singer of a punk band named Nana Osaki.
8. Otosaka — The main protagonist, Yuu Otosaka, is from the anime series “Charlotte.”
9. Ulquiorra — Ulquiorra Cifer is an antagonist in “Bleach.”
10. Rei — One of the teenagers in “Neon Genesis Evangelion” is Rei Ayanami.
11. Rin — The main character of “Blue Exorcist” is Rin Okumura.
12. Rukia — Another character that can be considered emo is Rukia Kuchiki from “Bleach.”
13. Sam — One of the main characters in the popular series “Danny Phantom” is Sam Manson.
14. Sasuke — In “Naruto,” Sasuke Uchiha is an emo character on a mission to protect his village and avenge his clan’s murder.
15. Touka — Touka Kirishima is a powerful ghoul and an essential character in “Tokyo Ghoul.”
16. Uta — This is an emo and ghoul from “Tokyo Ghoul.”
17. Vegeta — This is a mighty warrior and popular character in the “Dragon Ball” franchise.
18. Vinsmoke — This character is known as Black Leg in “One Piece.”
19. Yumi — In the series “Charlotte,” Yumi Shirayanagi is an emo high school student.
20. Zeref — An emo and evil mage named Zeref Dragneel can be found in the “Fairy Tail” series.
21. Zero — In “Vampire Knight,” Zero Kiryu is a vampire hunter.
12 Emo Movie Characters
Did you know several movie characters are emo? This list of emo movie characters includes cult classics and some lesser-known titles.
1. Donnie — This name is inspired by the film’s title character “Donnie Darko.”
2. Edward — The emo movie “Edward Scissorhands” title character is very popular.
3. Eric — In “The Crow,” Eric Draven is the main protagonist.
4. Jack — One of the most famous emo animated films is “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” the main character is Jack Skellington.
5. Janis — One of the supporting characters of “Mean Girls” is an emo student named Janis Ian.
6. Jasper — This is one of the members of the Cullen clan in the “Twilight” series of films and books.
7. Lisbeth — In both the novel and film of the same name, Lisbeth Salander is the main character of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” series.
8. Lydia — One of the main characters of the cult classic “Beetlejuice” is Lydia Deetz.
9. Nancy — An emo witch who is a main character of “The Craft” and a minor character in “The Craft: Legacy.”
10. Ramona — An emo character named Ramona Flowers is one of the main characters of the film, manga, and soon-to-be animated series “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.”
11. Sally — This is Jack Skellington’s love interest in “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
12. Wednesday — Wednesday Addams of “The Addams Family” is one of the most well-known emo characters.
13 Gothic Names From Literature
Did you know that characters from gothic literature are considered emo as well? Many are dark and brooding, which embodies the nature of someone who is “emo.” Below are some well-known literary characters that fit the description.
1. Bellatrix — A character from the “Harry Potter” series is a witch and Death Eater.
2. Desdemona — This is a character from the play “Othello” by William Shakespeare.
3. Draco — A character and antagonist from the “Harry Potter” series.
4. Dracula — Bram Stoker wrote the novel with the title character “Dracula.”
5. Edgar — One of the most famous poets is Edgar Allen Poe.
6. Guinevere — In Arthurian legend, Queen Guinevere is the wife of King Arthur.
7. Horace — Author Horace Walpole was best known for writing the first example of a Gothic novel called “The Castle of Otranto.”
8. Ophelia — A character in William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
9. Raven — “The Raven” is one of the most famous literary works of Edgar Allen Poe.
10. Rebecca — Daphne de Maurier wrote the gothic novel “Rebecca” in the 1930s.
11. Tempest — This name is inspired by the play “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare.
12. Tristan — This is one of the title characters of the medieval gothic romance novel “Tristan and Isolde.”
13. Victor — For the character of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, created by Mary Shelley.
22 Emo Singers
Emo music has existed for decades but thrived in the late 1990s and early 2000s. From Silverstein to The Used, you will find the most iconic singers from emo bands in this category.
1. Ashlee — Ashlee Simpson is a former emo singer from the early 2000s.
2. Avril — Avril Lavigne is a punk rock and emo singer.
3. Ben — Ben Gibbard is the lead singer of the band Death Cab for Cutie.
4. Bert — Lead singer of one of the most popular emo bands, The Used.
5. Chris — For lead singer Chris Carrabba from the band Dashboard Confessional.
6. Brendon — Brendon Urie is known for his solo work and band Panic! At the Disco.
7. Davey — Emo rock band AFI features lead singer Davey Havok.
8. Denis — Asking Alexandria’s most recent lead singer is Denis Stoff.
9. Derek — Mayday Parade was definitely on your emo playlist, and their lead singer is Derek Sanders.
10. Gerard — The lead singer of the band My Chemical Romance is Gerard Way.
11. Hayley — Hayley Williams sings for the band Paramore.
12. Joel — The lead singer of the emo band Good Charlotte is Joel Madden.
13. Jordan — The lead singer of the band New Found Glory is Jordan Pundik.
14. JT — From the lead singer of the early 2000s band Hawthorne Heights, JT Woodruff.
15. Kellin — Kellin Quinn is the lead singer of the emo and hardcore band Sleeping with Sirens.
16. Oli — Singer and songwriter Oli Sykes is the frontman for the band Bring Me the Horizon.
17. Pierre — The emo band Simple Plan recently made a comeback, and their lead singer is Pierre Bouvier.
18. Ronnie — The lead singer of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is Ronnie Winters.
19. Ryan — Emo singer Ryan Key is the frontman of Yellowcard.
20. Shane — Another trendy band is Silverstein, and the lead singer is Shane Told.
21. Tom — The lead singer for both Angels and Airwaves and Blink 182 is Tom DeLonge.
22. Travis — The frontman Travis Clark is the lead singer for We the Kings.
17 Emo Nicknames
We’re getting more whimsical in this section! These emo nicknames come from social media. If you are familiar with AOL, many of these are inspired by screen names and usernames. Names like Helena (inspired by a song by My Chemical Romance) and Broken Angel (sometimes seen as xBrokenxAngel — we used a lot of x’s back then) were very common.
1. Anonymous
2. Black Rose
3. Broken Angel
4. Darkness
5. Dark Angel
6. Dusk Soul
7. Ember
8. Fallen Tears
9. Helena
10. Ink Heart
11. Mayhem
12. Midnight Riot
13. Nightshade
14. Rave
15. Rebel
16. Star
17. Yoshi
Get in touch with your former teenage self and dive into this list of emo names and meanings. There are so many unique baby name options to choose from that can bring them back into the new generation. You should check out Spooky Halloween Names, Badass Boy Names, or Short Girl Names for even more baby name ideas.
