Black Horse Names
A true black horse is one of the most striking sights in any barn, whether it's a gleaming Friesian, a jet-black Percheron or a Quarter Horse with a coat like polished ebony. The right name should match that presence. Here are more than 100 black horse names, grouped by theme: night and sky, gemstones and minerals, mythology, famous black horses, words for “black” in other languages, and separate picks for mares and stallions.
True black horses carry the black gene without the agouti gene that makes a bay, and some fade to a rusty brown in the sun. For more ideas, browse our main list of horse names, our black cat names or the shades in our black color names.
Classic black horse names
These are the black horse names you'll hear most often. They're easy to call and instantly recognizable.
| Name | Why it fits | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Midnight | The darkest hour of the night | Any black horse |
| Shadow | A dark shape cast by light | Quiet, watchful horses |
| Raven | The glossy black bird | Mares |
| Onyx | Black banded gemstone | Polished coats |
| Ebony | Dense, jet-black wood | Mares |
| Coal | Black fossil fuel | Hard-working geldings |
| Inky | Black as ink | Small horses and ponies |
| Licorice | Black candy | Sweet-natured horses |
| Pepper | Black peppercorn | Feisty mares |
| Sable | A rich, dark fur; the heraldic word for black | Elegant horses |
| Jet | A black gemstone; also means fast | Speedy horses |
| Smokey | Dark as smoke | Black horses with a brownish sheen |
| Ace of Spades | The black playing card | Competition horses |
| Domino | The black game tile | Black horses with white markings |
| Crow | The black bird | Clever geldings |
| Cinder | A burned-out ember | Horses with a dusty black coat |
| Soot | Fine black powder from a chimney | Scruffy, lovable geldings |
Night and sky names
A black coat looks like a slice of night sky. Our pages of names that mean night and galaxy names have more ideas.
| Name | Meaning | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Eclipse | When the moon blocks the sun; also a famous 18th-century racehorse | Stallions |
| Nightfall | The moment darkness arrives | Mysterious horses |
| Twilight | The last light of evening | Dark mares |
| Nyx | Greek goddess of the night | Mares |
| Nocturne | A night-inspired piece of music | Graceful dressage horses |
| Starless | A sky with no stars | Solid black horses |
| Galaxy | A vast system of stars | Black horses with small white spots |
| Nebula | A dark cloud in space | Mares |
| Orion | The hunter constellation | Stallions |
| Black Hole | Nothing escapes | A fun name for a greedy eater |
| Storm | Dark clouds rolling in | Energetic horses |
| Thunder | The sound of a storm | Powerful geldings |
| Cosmo | From Greek “kosmos,” order, universe | Friendly geldings |
| Vesper | Latin, “evening star” | Mares |
Gemstone and mineral names
Black stones have a shine that matches a well-groomed coat.
| Name | Stone | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | Black volcanic glass | Sleek, glossy horses |
| Jasper | Opaque stone, sometimes black | Geldings |
| Tourmaline | Black tourmaline (schorl) | Unusual show name |
| Hematite | Metallic grey-black mineral | Horses with a steely shine |
| Graphite | Soft black carbon | Grey-black horses |
| Basalt | Dark volcanic rock | Sturdy draft horses |
| Flint | Hard dark stone that sparks | Tough, quick horses |
| Slate | Dark grey stone | Near-black horses |
| Carbon | The element behind coal and diamonds | Modern-sounding name |
| Anthracite | The hardest, shiniest coal | Glossy black stallions |
| Black Pearl | Rare dark pearl; also the <em>Pirates of the Caribbean</em> ship | Mares |
| Opal | Black opal is the rarest kind | Mares with shimmering coats |
Dark names from mythology and legend
Myths are full of shadowy gods and dark horses. See our dark names and Egyptian god names for more.
| Name | Legend | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hades | Greek god of the underworld | Commanding stallions |
| Erebus | Greek god of primordial darkness | Deep black horses |
| Anubis | Egyptian jackal-headed god, often shown black | Loyal geldings |
| Morrigan | Irish goddess of fate and war | Fierce mares |
| Hel | Norse ruler of the dead | Striking mares |
| Loki | Norse trickster god | Mischievous horses |
| Hecate | Greek goddess of magic and crossroads | Mysterious mares |
| Morpheus | Greek god of dreams | Dreamy stallions |
| Hrímfaxi | Norse horse of the night, “frost mane” | Black horses with a frosty mane |
| Púca | Irish shape-shifter, often a black horse | A folklore-lover's pick |
| Kelpie | Scottish water spirit in horse form | Black water-loving horses |
| Nightmare | Originally a demon (the “mare”) that brings bad dreams | A tongue-in-cheek name |
Famous black horses
Real and fictional black horses that became legends. For more racing stars, see our race horse names.
| Name | Famous from | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Black Beauty | Anna Sewell's 1877 novel | The most famous black horse of all |
| The Black | <em>The Black Stallion</em> by Walter Farley (1941) | Arabian stallions |
| Tornado | Zorro's black horse | Dashing geldings |
| Zorro | The masked hero of California legend | Black horses with a white face marking |
| Black Jack | The riderless horse at President Kennedy's funeral (1963) | Dignified horses |
| Fury | The black stallion of the 1950s TV series <em>Fury</em> | Spirited stallions |
| Khan | Mulan's black horse in Disney's <em>Mulan</em> | Loyal geldings |
| Angus | Merida's black Clydesdale in Pixar's <em>Brave</em> | Draft horses |
| Black Bess | Highwayman Dick Turpin's legendary mare | Fast mares |
| Thestral | The black winged horses of <em>Harry Potter</em> | Fans of the books |
Words for “black” in other languages
Translating “black” gives you names that sound elegant without being obvious. Pronunciations are given for the trickier ones.
| Name | Language | Pronunciation / note |
|---|---|---|
| Noir | French | nwahr; also a moody film genre |
| Nero | Italian | NEH-roh; also a Roman emperor |
| Kuro | Japanese | KOO-roh |
| Schwarz | German | shvarts |
| Svart | Swedish and Norwegian | svart |
| Melas | Ancient Greek | MEH-lahs; root of “melanin” |
| Dubh | Irish Gaelic | DOOV; source of names like Duff |
| Kara | Turkish | kah-RAH; also a girl's name |
| Aswad | Arabic | AHS-wad |
| Zwart | Dutch | zvart; nice for a Friesian |
| Preto | Portuguese | PREH-too |
Black horse names for mares
Elegant, mysterious names for dark mares. Some carry meanings tied to darkness or night, like those on our dark girl names page.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Layla | Arabic, “night” | Graceful mares |
| Ciara | Irish, “dark” | Sweet mares |
| Velvet | Soft, deep-piled fabric | Glossy coats |
| Belladonna | Italian “beautiful lady”; also deadly nightshade | Dramatic mares |
| Nightshade | Dark-berried plant family | Mysterious mares |
| Salem | The Massachusetts town of witch-trial fame | Spooky-season foals |
| Wednesday | Wednesday Addams | Serious, sassy mares |
| Morticia | The Addams Family matriarch | Tall, elegant mares |
| Jinx | A bit of bad luck (the fun kind) | Troublemakers |
| Mystique | An air of mystery | Show mares |
| Duchess | A noble title | Regal mares |
| Kali | Sanskrit, “black one” or “time” | Strong mares |
Black horse names for stallions and geldings
Bold names for dark males. Several come from Celtic names that mean “dark,” a theme you'll also find among Irish boy names.
| Name | Meaning / origin | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Kieran | Irish, “little dark one” | Friendly geldings |
| Duncan | Scottish Gaelic, “dark warrior” | Strong stallions |
| Dougal | Gaelic, “dark stranger” | Newcomers to the barn |
| Blake | Old English, “black” (or “pale”) | Sleek geldings |
| Donovan | Irish, “dark” | Handsome stallions |
| Knight | The black knight of legend | Dressage horses |
| Vader | Darth Vader of <em>Star Wars</em> | Imposing stallions |
| Phantom | A ghost; the Phantom of the Opera | Horses who appear out of nowhere |
| Outlaw | A wanted man | Western horses |
| Rogue | A charming troublemaker | Cheeky geldings |
| Baron | Noble title | Friesians and warmbloods |
| Maverick | An unbranded, independent animal | Free spirits |
| Cole | Old English, “coal-black” or “swarthy” | Easy-going geldings |
How to choose a name for a black horse
- Check whether your horse is truly black. Many foals born dark turn grey with age, so a name like Midnight may become ironic by age eight.
- Match the name to any white markings: a black horse with a star suits Galaxy or Vesper, and one with a white blaze might be Domino or Zorro.
- If your black horse fades to rusty brown in summer sun, a name like Cinder or Smokey still fits.
- Think about the breed: Friesians suit Dutch words like Zwart, Percherons suit French words like Noir, and Arabians suit Aswad.
- Say the name out loud with your horse's registered name if they have one, so the pair sounds good together at shows.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good name for a black horse?
Midnight, Onyx, Raven, Shadow, Eclipse and Black Beauty are among the most loved black horse names.
What is the most famous black horse?
Black Beauty, from Anna Sewell's 1877 novel, is the most famous. The Black from The Black Stallion and Zorro's horse Tornado are close behind.
What is a good name for a black mare?
Try Layla (Arabic for “night”), Raven, Ebony, Velvet, Nyx or Ciara (Irish for “dark”).
What breeds of horse are usually black?
Friesians are almost always black, and black is also common in Percherons, Fell ponies, Murgese and many Quarter Horses and Arabians.
What names mean “black” or “dark”?
Kieran, Ciara, Duncan, Dougal, Donovan, Blake, Layla and Kali all have meanings connected to black, dark or night.