Demon Names
Most demon names you’ll hear in films and games come from real sources. Some are Bible verses (Abaddon, Legion), some are medieval and Renaissance demonology (the seven princes of hell and the 72 spirits of the Ars Goetia), and many are much older gods of the ancient Near East, recast as devils by later writers. Beelzebub was once Baal, a Canaanite god, and Asmodeus goes back to the Persian wrath-demon Aeshma.
This page gathers more than 90 demon names with who they were and where they come from, plus demons from Japanese, Hindu, Islamic and Aztec tradition and a set of original names for your own stories. For feminine names, see our female demon names. The flip side lives in fallen angel names and angel names.
Demon Names: browse all lists
The seven princes of hell
In 1589 the German bishop Peter Binsfeld paired a demon with each of the seven deadly sins. His list is still the one most people know.
| Demon | Sin | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Lucifer | Pride | “Light-bringer”; the fallen morning star of Isaiah 14:12 in Latin tradition |
| Mammon | Greed | Aramaic for “wealth” (Matthew 6:24) |
| Asmodeus | Lust | Demon of the Book of Tobit, from Persian Aeshma |
| Leviathan | Envy | Sea monster of Job 41 and Isaiah 27 |
| Beelzebub | Gluttony | “Lord of the flies,” from the Philistine god Baal-Zebub (2 Kings 1) |
| Satan | Wrath | Hebrew for “adversary” |
| Belphegor | Sloth | From Baal-Peor, a Moabite god (Numbers 25) |
Famous demons from scripture and legend
These names show up again and again in literature, horror films and games. Their sources are real, from the Bible to Goethe’s Faust. Also see our evil names.
| Demon | Who they are | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Abaddon | The angel of the bottomless pit; Hebrew for “destruction” | Revelation 9:11 |
| Azazel | The scapegoat figure; a leader of the fallen Watchers | Leviticus 16; Book of Enoch |
| Belial | “Worthless”; a name for the devil or his lieutenant | 2 Corinthians 6:15; Dead Sea Scrolls |
| Legion | The many demons Jesus cast out: “we are many” | Mark 5:9 |
| Moloch | Canaanite god linked to child sacrifice, later a demon | Leviticus 18:21; Milton’s <em>Paradise Lost</em> |
| Mephistopheles | The devil who bargains for Faust’s soul | <em>Faust</em> legend, Marlowe and Goethe |
| Samael | Angel of death and accuser in Jewish lore | Talmud and Midrash |
| Baphomet | Goat-headed figure allegedly worshiped by the Templars | Templar trials; Éliphas Lévi’s 1856 drawing |
| Astaroth | Great Duke of hell, from the goddess Astarte | <em>Ars Goetia</em> |
| Lucifuge Rofocale | Prime minister of hell | <em>Grand Grimoire</em> |
Demons of the Ars Goetia
The Ars Goetia, the first book of the 17th-century Lesser Key of Solomon, lists 72 spirits with ranks and powers. Here are 35 of the best known.
| Demon | Rank | Said to… |
|---|---|---|
| Bael | King | Command 66 legions and grant invisibility |
| Paimon | King | Teach arts, sciences and secrets |
| Beleth | King | Arrive with trumpets on a pale horse |
| Purson | King | Reveal hidden treasure |
| Balam | King | Speak of past and future |
| Zagan | King and President | Turn water into wine |
| Vassago | Prince | Find lost things |
| Sitri | Prince | Inflame love |
| Stolas | Prince | Teach astronomy and herbs; appears as an owl |
| Orobas | Prince | Answer truthfully, in the shape of a horse |
| Seere | Prince | Travel anywhere in an instant |
| Amon | Marquis | Reconcile friends and foes |
| Naberius | Marquis | Restore lost honors |
| Forneus | Marquis | Teach rhetoric and languages |
| Marchosias | Marquis | Fight as a winged wolf |
| Phenex | Marquis | Sing sweetly as a phoenix |
| Andras | Marquis | Sow discord |
| Decarabia | Marquis | Appear as a star in a pentacle |
| Agares | Duke | Teach languages and cause earthquakes |
| Barbatos | Duke | Understand birdsong |
| Eligos | Duke | Foresee wars |
| Focalor | Duke | Drown men and sink warships |
| Gremory | Duke | Appear as a woman riding a camel |
| Dantalion | Duke | Know every person’s thoughts |
| Buer | President | Heal illness |
| Malphas | President | Build towers; appears as a crow |
| Glasya-Labolas | President and Earl | Teach arts and cause bloodshed |
| Furfur | Earl | Raise storms |
| Halphas | Earl | Build towers and supply weapons |
| Andromalius | Earl | Return stolen goods and catch thieves |
| Valefor | Duke | Tempt people to steal |
| Marbas | President | Reveal hidden things and teach mechanical arts |
| Vine | King and Earl | Reveal witches and tear down walls |
| Crocell | Duke | Teach geometry and make the sound of rushing water |
| Shax | Marquis | Steal horses and money |
Demons from world mythology
Nearly every culture has its own demons, and many have very different roles from the Christian devil. For more, see our monster names.
| Name | What it is | Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| Pazuzu | King of the wind demons, also a protector against Lamashtu | Mesopotamian |
| Lamashtu | Demoness who threatens mothers and infants | Mesopotamian |
| Aeshma | Demon of wrath | Zoroastrian |
| Angra Mainyu | The destructive spirit (Ahriman) | Zoroastrian |
| Iblis | The jinn who refused to bow to Adam | Islamic |
| Ifrit | A powerful, fiery class of jinn | Arabic and Islamic |
| Rakshasa | Shape-shifting man-eating demon | Hindu and Buddhist |
| Ravana | Ten-headed king of the rakshasas | Hindu (<em>Ramayana</em>) |
| Mahishasura | Buffalo demon slain by Durga | Hindu |
| Pishacha | Flesh-eating demon of cremation grounds | Hindu |
| Oni | Horned ogre-demon | Japanese |
| Shuten-dōji | The most feared oni king | Japanese |
| Tzitzimitl | Star demon feared during eclipses | Aztec |
| Krampus | Horned companion of St. Nicholas who punishes naughty children | Alpine folklore |
| Abyzou | Demoness blamed for miscarriage | Byzantine |
| Asag | Monster-demon whose presence boils fish in rivers | Sumerian |
Famous female demons
Female demons are a large tradition of their own. Our female demon names page has the full list.
| Name | Who she is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lilith | Night demon and, in later legend, Adam’s first wife | Jewish folklore; Isaiah 34:14 |
| Naamah | One of the four queens of demons | Zohar |
| Agrat bat Mahlat | Queen of demons who rides a chariot | Talmud and Kabbalah |
| Eisheth Zenunim | “Woman of whoredom,” a demon queen | Zohar |
| Lamia | Child-devouring queen turned monster | Greek |
| Empusa | Shape-shifting spirit with a bronze leg | Greek |
| Mormo | Spirit used to frighten children | Greek |
Original demon names for games and fiction
Invented for writers, game masters and players, with the harsh sounds and ancient feel of the real thing. For tiefling characters, try the tiefling name generator.
| Name | Style / vibe | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Azgareth | Ancient, guttural | Arch-demon |
| Vorthul | Heavy, brutal | Pit fiend |
| Nyxaroth | Night-born, sibilant | Shadow demon |
| Maleketh | Cold, scheming | Demon of bargains |
| Zherak | Short, harsh | Imp or minion |
| Bael’zor | Echo of Baal | Demon prince |
| Ixtharis | Exotic, hissing | Serpent demon |
| Kragmor | Brutish | Brute demon |
| Sorvenna | Seductive, elegant | Succubus-type character |
| Ulgrath | Swampy, rotten | Plague demon |
| Carcethus | Aristocratic, cruel | Demon lord |
| Vehlix | Sly, quick | Trickster imp |
| Draemon | Dragon + demon | Draconic fiend |
| Obraxus | Fire and ash | Inferno demon |
| Thessiel | Fallen-angel feel | Fallen demon |
| Grumsk | Comic, small | Goblin-like imp |
How to pick or create a demon name
- Decide on your source: biblical, Goetic, world mythology or fully invented. Mixing them randomly can break the tone of a story.
- For invented names, use harsh consonants (z, x, k, th) and endings like -oth, -eth, -us or -ael.
- Give powerful demons a title (Duke, Marquis, Prince), the way the Goetia does.
- Research before using a sacred name. Some figures, like Kali or Durga’s enemies, belong to living religions.
- Pair your demon with an opposite. Our archangel names make natural foes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most powerful demon name?
In Christian tradition it’s Satan or Lucifer. In the Ars Goetia, Bael is the first and highest-ranked king, commanding 66 legions.
Who are the seven princes of hell?
According to Peter Binsfeld (1589): Lucifer (pride), Mammon (greed), Asmodeus (lust), Leviathan (envy), Beelzebub (gluttony), Satan (wrath) and Belphegor (sloth).
What does Beelzebub mean?
Usually translated “lord of the flies,” from Baal-Zebub, a Philistine god named in 2 Kings 1.
How many demons are in the Ars Goetia?
The Ars Goetia lists 72 spirits. Each has a rank, such as king, duke, prince, marquis, president or earl, plus a seal and powers.
Is Lilith a demon?
In Jewish folklore Lilith is a night demon. Medieval texts made her Adam’s first wife, and she is now one of the best-known female demon names.