Female Vampire Names
The female vampire is older than Dracula. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla seduced Victorian readers a quarter-century before Bram Stoker, and the idea reaches back further still to Lamia and the night-demons of ancient myth. Our list gathers more than 100 female vampire names built on those roots: famous vampiresses, genuine Romanian and Slavic names, Victorian gothic classics, names with dark meanings and a few titled countesses to rule your coven.
Every real-name meaning below is sourced etymology, not invented flavor text. For the rest of the undead family, visit our main vampire names list, the dark girl names collection, or names that mean night.
Famous female vampires in fiction and legend
From Victorian novellas to modern TV, these vampiresses set the tone for the genre. Characters are listed for reference; they belong to their creators.
| Name | Where she’s from | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Carmilla | <em>Carmilla</em>, J. Sheridan Le Fanu (1872) | Also appears under the anagram names Mircalla and Millarca |
| Lucy Westenra | <em>Dracula</em>, Bram Stoker (1897) | Transformed into the “Bloofer Lady” |
| Lamia | Greek mythology | A child-devouring figure later linked to vampiric lore |
| Akasha | <em>The Queen of the Damned</em>, Anne Rice | Mother of all vampires in the Vampire Chronicles |
| Claudia | <em>Interview with the Vampire</em>, Anne Rice | Forever trapped in a child’s body |
| Pandora | <em>Pandora</em>, Anne Rice | A Roman noblewoman turned vampire |
| Drusilla | <em>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</em> | Mad, prophetic and theatrical |
| Selene | <em>Underworld</em> films | A vampire Death Dealer |
| Nadja | <em>What We Do in the Shadows</em> | Comic, Romani-born vampire |
| Pam | <em>True Blood</em> | Dry-witted vampire bar manager |
| Marceline | <em>Adventure Time</em> | The Vampire Queen with a bass guitar |
| Countess Zaleska | <em>Dracula’s Daughter</em> (1936) | Hollywood’s first female vampire lead |
Romanian and Transylvanian female vampire names
Genuine names from Romania, home of the Dracula legend and the real Vlad III. They sound authentic because they are.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ileana | Possibly a form of Helen, “torch” | Romanian |
| Viorica | Little violet | Romanian |
| Anca | Grace (from Ana) | Romanian |
| Sanda | Defender of mankind (from Alexandra) | Romanian |
| Oana | God is gracious (from Ioana) | Romanian |
| Elisabeta | God is my oath | Romanian |
| Ecaterina | Pure (traditional link) | Romanian |
| Doina | A traditional lament song | Romanian |
| Brândușa | Crocus flower | Romanian |
| Codrina | Of the forest (from <em>codru</em>) | Romanian |
| Stela | Star | Romanian |
| Irina | Peace | Romanian / Greek |
| Crina | Lily | Romanian |
| Sorina | Sun | Romanian |
| Letiția | Joy | Romanian |
Slavic and Eastern European vampire names
Vampire folklore is strongest in the Slavic world, where the words upir and vampir were born.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Morana | Slavic goddess of winter and death | Slavic |
| Dragomira | Precious peace | Slavic |
| Ludmila | Favor of the people | Czech / Russian |
| Milena | Gracious, dear | Slavic |
| Zorana | Dawn | Serbian / Croatian |
| Vesna | Spring; a goddess of spring | Slavic |
| Radoslava | Joyful glory | Slavic |
| Svetlana | Light, bright | Russian |
| Mila | Dear, gracious | Slavic |
| Dusana | Soul, spirit | Czech / Slovak |
| Nadezhda | Hope | Russian |
| Tatiana | From the Roman family name Tatius | Russian |
| Valeska | Glorious rule | Polish / Slavic |
| Jadwiga | Battle strife | Polish |
| Zlata | Golden | Czech / Slavic |
| Branislava | Glorious defender | Slavic |
| Anastazja | Resurrection | Polish |
Gothic and Victorian female vampire names
Lace, candlelight and old money. These English and European names were fashionable in the 1800s, the golden age of vampire fiction. See our witchy names for more in this style.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Isadora | Gift of Isis | Greek |
| Lenore | Light (from Eleanor); Poe’s lost love | English / Greek |
| Evangeline | Good news | Greek |
| Ophelia | Help | Greek |
| Cordelia | Possibly “heart” | Latin |
| Rowena | Possibly “famous joy” | Germanic / Welsh |
| Theodora | Gift of God | Greek |
| Genevieve | Woman of the people (possibly) | French / Germanic |
| Lucretia | From a Roman family name, possibly “profit” | Latin |
| Imogen | Possibly “maiden” | Celtic |
| Beatrix | She who brings joy | Latin |
| Octavia | Eighth | Latin |
| Clementine | Merciful | Latin |
| Victoria | Victory | Latin |
| Mathilde | Mighty in battle | Germanic |
| Annabel | Possibly “lovable” | Scottish |
| Adelaide | Noble kind | Germanic |
| Seraphine | Fiery, burning ones | Hebrew |
| Lavinia | Woman of Latium (possibly) | Latin |
| Delphine | Woman of Delphi | French / Greek |
| Eudora | Good gift | Greek |
| Minerva | Roman goddess of wisdom | Latin |
| Ravenna | From the Italian city | Italian |
Female vampire names with dark meanings
Names tied to night, death, blood and shadow. For more, see names that mean death and names that mean shadow.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Lilith | Night creature; demon of Jewish folklore | Hebrew / Akkadian |
| Nyx | Night; Greek goddess of night | Greek |
| Layla | Night | Arabic |
| Hecate | Goddess of witchcraft and crossroads | Greek |
| Morrigan | Great queen or phantom queen; war goddess | Irish |
| Keres | Greek spirits of violent death | Greek |
| Melanie | Black, dark | Greek |
| Nerezza | Darkness | Italian |
| Tenebris | Of darkness | Latin |
| Scarlett | Red cloth | English |
| Belladonna | Beautiful lady; the deadly nightshade plant | Italian |
| Mara | Nightmare spirit (Germanic/Slavic folklore) | Slavic / Norse |
| Umbra | Shadow | Latin |
| Noctua | Night owl | Latin |
| Hel | Norse ruler of the dead | Norse |
| Persephone | Queen of the underworld | Greek |
| Ciara | Dark-haired | Irish |
| Darcy | Dark one (from Irish Ó Dorchaidhe) | Irish |
| Raven | The black bird | English |
| Ebony | Dark wood | English |
Vampire countess and noble title names
Pair a first name with a title and an old-world surname for a vampire queen. These are original combinations for stories and games.
| Name | Style | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Countess Valentina Drăgescu | Aristocratic Romanian | Coven matriarch |
| Lady Seraphine Nocturne | Elegant, musical | Ballroom predator |
| Baroness Ilse von Krähe | Germanic, “of the crow” | Castle ruler |
| Duchess Mirela Vântul | Romanian “wind” | Mysterious elder |
| Madame Cordelia Blackthorn | Victorian gothic | Salon hostess |
| Princess Anca Umbrescu | Shadowy royalty | Heir to the throne |
| Mistress Ravena Moreau | French dark | Secret society leader |
| Lady Evangeline Ashgrove | English gothic | Tragic heroine |
| Countess Zorana Veles | Slavic myth | Ancient bloodline |
| Lady Isolde Ravenscar | English gothic | Moorland manor |
| Dame Octavia Sangre | Spanish “blood” | Blood-cult leader |
| Contessa Lucrezia Nerini | Italian noble | Venetian masquerade |
| Lady Morwenna Gravesend | Cornish and grim | Coastal crypt |
How to choose a female vampire name
- Decide her age: a centuries-old vampire suits Ludmila or Theodora, a newly turned one can keep a modern name.
- Borrow from real Romanian or Slavic names for authentic old-world flavor rather than invented ones.
- Hide a clue in the name, as Le Fanu did with the anagrams Carmilla, Mircalla and Millarca.
- Add a title and surname for nobility: Countess, Lady or Baroness instantly signals power.
- Avoid reusing the big franchise names (Selene, Akasha) for original published work.
Frequently asked questions
Who was the first female vampire in literature?
Carmilla, from J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 novella, is the most famous early female vampire and predates Bram Stoker’s Dracula by 25 years.
What is a good female vampire name?
Strong choices include Carmilla, Isadora, Morana, Lenore and Nyx, which combine elegance with a dark edge.
What are Romanian female names for a vampire?
Genuine Romanian names like Ileana, Viorica, Doina and Codrina give a Transylvanian vampire authentic roots.
Was Elizabeth Báthory a vampire?
No. Elizabeth Báthory was a real 16th-century Hungarian countess accused of killing young women; later legends that she bathed in blood inspired vampire fiction, but they are not supported by trial records.