How to Choose Your Witch Name: A Complete Guide

Choosing your witch name is a quiet, deeply personal decision. Some witches spend years searching. Others wake up one morning and just know. Either way, the name you pick becomes a kind of spell you cast on yourself — a way of saying "this is who I am in the magical world."

This guide walks you through every method real witches actually use: numerology, meditation, mythology, intuition, and ritual. You will get a working table you can use today, real examples from authors and practitioners, and a clear path to the name that fits you.

What Is a Witch Name (And Why Do Witches Have One)?

A witch name — also called a magical name, craft name, or coven name — is a separate name you use for spiritual and magical work. It is not your legal name. It is the name your magic answers to.

Why Witches Choose a Second Name

Generally, witches have used magical names for centuries, and the reasons matter:

• Privacy. If you are still in the broom closet, a craft name lets you join the Pagan community without exposing your legal identity.
• A psychological switch. Saying your witch name flips your brain into ritual mode. Storm Faerywolf, a published Llewellyn author, calls this liminal consciousness — the threshold state you need for magic to work.
• Sacred separation. Your mundane self pays bills and answers emails. Your witch self casts circles and talks to the gods. The name keeps these two parts of you healthy and separate.
• Power vibration. A name pulled from mythology or nature carries energetic currents. "Aphrodite" channels different power than "Hecate."

Do You Need a Witch Name at All?

Honestly, no. Plenty of skilled witches never use one. However, if the idea does not call to you, skip it. You will not be a "lesser" witch for it. But if you feel the pull — even a small one — that pull is usually worth following.

How to Choose Your Witch Name (Step by Step)

There is no single right method, but most witches end up using some combination of these five. Try each one. The right name usually announces itself through one of them.

Step 1: Start with What Already Calls You

First, make a list — on paper, not in your head. Write down everything that pulls at you spiritually:

• A plant or tree (rowan, willow, mugwort, oak)
• An animal (raven, fox, owl, wolf, hare)
• A stone or crystal (amethyst, obsidian, moonstone)
• A weather pattern (storm, frost, rain, mist)
• A deity or mythological figure (Hecate, Brigid, Cernunnos)
• A color, season, or moon phase
• A natural place (forest, river, hollow, glen)

In fact, most witch names come from combining two of these. Iris Wolfram, a Spells8 forum member, picked her name because "Iris" honors the rainbow goddess (and her own blue hair), while "Wolfram" is Germanic for "wolf-raven" — her two spirit animals. As a result, that is exactly the kind of layered meaning that lasts.

Step 2: Test It with Numerology

Specifically, numerology is the most traditional method — and the most useful filter when you have too many options. In short, the idea is simple — every letter has a number, and your name's number should align with your birth number.

Step 1 — Find Your Birth Number

First, add every digit of your birth date. If your birthday is May 11, 1990, calculate it like this: 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 0 = 26 → 2 + 6 = 8. Your birth number is 8.

Step 2 — Use This Letter Table

Number	Letters
1	A, J, S
2	B, K, T
3	C, L, U
4	D, M, V
5	E, N, W
6	F, O, X
7	G, P, Y
8	H, Q, Z
9	I, R

Step 3 — Calculate Your Name

Add up the letters of your candidate name and reduce to one digit. For "Raven": R=9, A=1, V=4, E=5, N=5 → 9+1+4+5+5 = 24 → 2+4 = 6. Raven = 6.

If your birth number is 6, you have a perfect match. However, if not, two options: pick a different name, or tweak the spelling. "Raven" (6) becomes "Ravenne" (6+5=11→2) — different vibration, same feel.

Step 3: Ask the Gods (or Your Higher Self)

Generally, some of the strongest witch names are given, not chosen. Furthermore, witches who work with specific deities often ask directly for a name through meditation, dream work, or ritual.

The basic method is simple. First, sit at your altar. Light a candle. Ground yourself with three slow breaths. Then say aloud:

"Spirit, show me the name I am meant to carry."

Then, sit in silence for 15-20 minutes. Likewise, names, words, symbols, or images may surface. Importantly, write everything down without judging it. Meanwhile, the name might not arrive that night — it might come in a dream three days later, or while you are doing dishes. Above all, stay open.

The Dark Moon Ritual (When You Want It Faster)

Specifically, the Dark Moon — the night before the New Moon — is traditionally the most powerful time for revealing hidden things. Here is the basic ritual:

• Cast a circle and call your guardian spirits
• Light a black or dark blue candle
• On paper, write: "Reveal to me my true witch name"
• Meditate on the flame for 10 minutes
• Write down every name, word, or image that comes through
• Sleep with the paper under your pillow for three nights
• By the third morning, one option will feel obviously right

Step 4: Speak It Out Loud

In fact, this is the test most witches skip — and the one that saves you from regret five years later.

First, find a mirror. Next, look yourself in the eye. Then, say the name aloud: "I am [Witch Name]."

Meanwhile, pay attention to what happens in your body. A small thrill? A sense of recognition? Or a flicker of embarrassment? In other words, the body knows before the brain catches up. However, if you cringe saying it, the name is wrong — no matter how poetic it looks on paper.

Storm Faerywolf puts it like this: "Does it give you a thrill or a sense of satisfaction or power when you hear it? Good — you are at least on the right track."

Step 5: Live with It for a Week

Before you commit, give the name seven days of trial use:

• Sign your journal entries with it
• Whisper it to yourself before sleep
• Picture introducing yourself with it at a coven meeting
• See if it returns to mind unprompted during the day

However, if after a week it still feels strange, that is real information. Go back to Step 1 and try a different direction. On the other hand, if it feels more like yours than your legal name in certain moments, you have found it.

One Witch Name or Two? The Public vs Private Question

In fact, this is one of the most common questions new witches ask, and the answer surprises people: many witches use two names, not one.

The Public Coven Name

Specifically, this is the name you use socially with other witches — at coven gatherings, Pagan festivals, in online communities, in witchy classes. Generally, it is often more elaborate and easy to remember. "Luna ShadowDancer" or "Iris Wolfram" — these are public names. They introduce you to the magical community.

The Secret Inner Name

On the other hand, this is the name nobody else knows. Not your teacher, not your high priestess, not even your closest coven sister. Therefore, you use it only in solitary ritual, deep meditation, or when speaking directly to your deities. As a result, the secret keeps the name's power undiluted.

What Most Witches Actually Do

Honestly, most witches start with one public name and discover their secret name later — through years of practice, meditation, or a dream they remember on waking. There is no rush. Some witches never have a secret name and do not feel they need one. The point is: you have options.

The 4 Main Types of Witches (And How They Pick Names)

Generally, modern witchcraft recognizes many witch styles, but the four elemental archetypes are the most foundational. Knowing which type you are makes choosing a name much easier.

Earth Witches (Green, Kitchen, Herbal)

For example, if you garden, dry herbs, or cook with intention, you are likely an earth witch. Specifically, names often draw from plants and trees: Willow, Hazel, Rowan, Sage, Briar, Yarrow. Surnames lean toward landscape: Thornhallow, Mossbrook, Wildmoor.

Water Witches (Sea, Moon, Intuitive)

Similarly, if you are drawn to tides, dreams, and emotional currents, you are a water witch. Specifically, names lean toward ocean and night: Morwenna, Selene, Maris, Coral, Naia. Surnames pull from storms: Stormcrest, Tidewatcher, Deepwater.

Fire Witches (Chaos, Transformation, Candle)

Likewise, if you work with candle magic, transformation, or feel a fierce energy in your craft, you are a fire witch. Generally, names are sharper: Pyralis, Ignara, Solara, Ember, Cinder. Surnames carry heat: Emberwrath, Flarecroft, Ashreaper.

Air Witches (Mental, Divinatory, Cosmic)

Finally, if you read tarot, work with stars, or feel drawn to thought and breath, you are an air witch. Names lift toward sky: Astraea, Lunara, Aurora, Celeste, Sylphine. Surnames carry the cosmos: Starveil, Skyborn, Cosmicveil.

Still not sure which type you are? Take our witch name quiz — five questions about your personality match you to one of eight magical archetypes.

How to Choose a Name for the Witch You Already Are

Before you can pick a name, you need to know what kind of witch you are. This sounds obvious but most people skip it.

How to Identify What Kind of Witch You Are

Pay attention to what you do without being told. Do you light candles when you feel stressed? Candle witch. Do you talk to plants? Green witch. Do you remember your dreams in detail and write them down? Dream witch. Are you obsessed with the moon's phases? Lunar witch.

Generally, your witch type usually reveals itself in your habits, not your aesthetic. In other words, the aesthetic comes from Instagram. The habits come from your soul.

How to Check If You Are a Witch at All

Honestly, you become a witch by walking the path, not by being born one. In short, if you feel pulled toward intuition, ritual, nature, dreams, the moon, or sacred energy — and you commit to studying and practicing — you are a witch. That is the only test.

Furthermore, you do not need a teacher, an initiation, or family lineage to be a real witch. You need curiosity, dedication, and time.

What 13 Witches Are Called (And Why the Number Matters)

Generally, a group of 13 witches is traditionally called a coven. Specifically, the number 13 is sacred because it matches the 13 lunar cycles in a solar year — one for every full moon.

However, most modern covens are much smaller. In fact, three to seven witches is more common. Some traditions use 13 as a hard limit; others see it as symbolic. A "coven of one" — a solitary practitioner — is just as valid as any group.

For example, if you are picking a coven name, traditional approaches include nature elements ("The Hollowmoor Coven"), goddess names ("Daughters of Hecate"), or moon phases ("The Waning Light Circle").

Mythological Names Carry Shadows (Read This Before Picking One)

Importantly, this is the part most blog posts skip, and it matters. Specifically, when you take a name from mythology, you inherit the whole figure — not just the parts you like.

The Shadow Sides You Should Know About

• Zeus — King of the gods, but the myths describe him as a serial assaulter
• Hercules — Heroic strength, but he killed his wife and children in a fit of madness
• Lilith — Powerful feminine force, but cast as a demon in Hebrew tradition
• Hades — Lord of the underworld, but he kidnapped Persephone
• Loki — Trickster wisdom, but ultimately triggered Ragnarok

However, none of these are reasons to avoid a name. In other words, they are reasons to know what you are signing up for. For instance, if you pick "Hercules," you might find yourself fighting your own internal madness. As a result, that is the work the name asks of you.

How to Use Mythological Names Wisely

However, if a powerful name calls you despite its shadow, balance it. "Lilith Brightmoor" carries the dark goddess alongside a lighter nature anchor. As a result, the pairing creates equilibrium. Or build a compound name from sounds you like, the way you would build a sigil — taking elements rather than the full mythology.

Cultural Appropriation: Names to Avoid (and Why)

Unfortunately, witchcraft has a real problem with appropriation. Specifically, names get pulled from cultures the practitioner has no connection to, often with no understanding of context. In fact, some of this causes real harm. Below, here is how to stay on the right side.

Names to Avoid Unless You Are Part of the Tradition

• Indigenous American names — Most tribes consider sacred names closed to outsiders
• Voodoo and Vodou names — Closed African diasporic religion with strict initiation
• Yoruba Orisha names — Tied to formal initiation through a priest
• Hindu deity names — Kali, Lakshmi, Durga require lineage and proper context
• Hebrew sacred names — Many are reserved for practicing Jewish mystics

Safe Sources for Witch Names

Generally, you have plenty of options that no one will side-eye:

• Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology (widely public, no closed tradition)
• Celtic and Welsh mythology (especially if it is your heritage)
• Latin and Old English etymology
• Nature words from any culture: plants, animals, stones, weather
• Fictional names from authors like Tolkien, where the worldbuilding is open
• Invented names built from sounds and roots you love

The Google Translate Trap

Specifically, do not use Google Translate to find an "exotic" word from a language you do not speak. In fact, machine translation gets nuance wrong all the time. Witches have ended up with names that mean "lawn mower" or "stomach pain" in the original language. Use words from languages you actually understand.

The Witch Name Initiation Ritual

Once you have your name, claim it formally. Importantly, the ritual does not have to be elaborate — it just has to be intentional. Specifically, the point is to mark the moment when your old identity steps aside.

A Simple Solo Initiation

• Pick a meaningful date — a full moon, new moon, sabbat, or your own birthday
• Cleanse your space with smoke or sound
• Cast a circle and call the four elements
• Light a candle in a color that matches your name's energy
• Speak aloud three times: "I claim the name [Witch Name]. From this moment, I walk the path of [Witch Name]. So mote it be."
• Sit in silent meditation for 10 minutes
• Close the circle, thank the elements
• Sign your magical journal with the new name

What to Do for the First 30 Days

In short, repetition cements the name. Therefore, for the first month after your ritual: sign every journal entry with it, whisper it to yourself before sleep, use it in every private ritual. If you have a public name, start introducing yourself with it in witchy contexts. As a result, the name becomes truly yours through use.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Picking a Name You Will Cringe at in 10 Years

"Lord Heliotropus Apollonius Wolfbane StormWalker" sounded great at 16. At 35, it sounds like a Renaissance fair joke. Specifically, ask yourself: will I still want this name across the room when I am 40? In short, if the answer is unclear, simplify.

2. Stacking Too Many Dark Words

"Nyx Shadowdeath Bloodthorn Voidborn" is over the top. Generally, one strong dark element is enough — let the rest balance with neutral or ancient roots. "Hecate Blackthorn" lands harder than the pileup ever will.

3. Using Cliché Witchy Words Everyone Uses

For example, Real Life Witchery puts it well: stay away from Raven, Stone, Moon, Silver, Willow — unless one of these truly resonates. Otherwise, you will be one of three Willows at every meeting.

4. Apostrophes That Slow Readers Down

"Z'arath" and "Mor'gan" look exotic on paper but they trip people up when spoken. Therefore, stick to clean spellings unless your tradition specifically requires the punctuation.

5. Forgetting to Pair It with a Surname

In fact, a single-word name often sounds incomplete. Specifically, the pairing creates rhythm — soft first name + sharp surname (Hermione Granger), or sharp first name + flowing surname (Bellatrix Lestrange). Browse our witch last names guide for 300+ pairing options.

Real Examples of Well-Chosen Witch Names

In fact, looking at real names that work helps more than any theory.

Luna ShadowDancer

For example, from Fiona Duncan, founder of The Magical Path School. "Luna" is direct moon reference. "ShadowDancer" combines her affinity with shadow work and her literal dance practice. Furthermore, the numerology aligns — "Dancer" calculates to 9, matching her birth number. In short, real meaning, real alignment, real use.

Iris Wolfram

Similarly, from the Spells8 forum. "Iris" honors the Greek rainbow goddess and reflects her blue/purple hair (and LGBTQ+ identity). "Wolfram" is Germanic for "wolf-raven" — her two spirit animals. As a result, layered and meaningful, with both parts honoring different aspects of her self.

Storm Faerywolf

Finally, the Llewellyn author who has written extensively on witch names uses this one publicly. "Storm" reflects his power and temperament. "Faerywolf" honors the Faery tradition he teaches and his wolf spirit ally. Specifically, he uses it as his public, professional name across books and teaching.

What These Names Share

In summary, all three names carry real meaning rooted in something specific. None of them are generic. Moreover, each part of the name was chosen for a reason the witch can articulate. That is the standard to aim for.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose my witch name?

Start by listing what spiritually pulls you — plants, animals, deities, weather. Test candidates with numerology, then speak them aloud. Live with the name for seven days. If it still feels right by the seventh morning, claim it formally with a simple ritual.

What are 13 witches called?

A group of 13 witches is called a coven. The number 13 is traditional because it matches the 13 lunar cycles in a solar year. Most modern covens are smaller — three to seven members is common.

What is a good name for a witch?

A good witch name carries real linguistic meaning, sounds natural when spoken aloud, and feels personal. Examples include Morrigana (Celtic "phantom queen"), Selene (Greek moon goddess), Hecate (Greek goddess of magic), and Cassandra (Greek "shining upon men").

How do I identify what kind of witch I am?

First, pay attention to your habits, not your aesthetic. For instance, do you light candles when stressed? Probably a fire witch. Talk to plants? Green witch. Track moon phases obsessively? Lunar witch. Your real witch type shows up in what you do without being told.

What are the four types of witches?

The four elemental types are Earth witches (green, kitchen, herbal), Water witches (sea, moon, intuitive), Fire witches (candle, transformation, chaos), and Air witches (divinatory, mental, cosmic). Modern witchcraft also recognizes hedge, gothic, fae, and celestial styles.

How do I check if I am a witch?

You become a witch by choosing the path and committing to practice. If you feel pulled toward intuition, ritual, nature, or sacred energy — and you study and practice — you are a witch. No initiation or family lineage is required.

Can I change my witch name later?

Yes. Many witches change their craft name as their practice evolves. Treat your first name as a starting point. If five years from now it no longer fits, hold a release ritual and claim a new one. The name should serve you, not bind you.

Final Thoughts

In short, choosing your witch name is part research, part intuition, part patience. Specifically, the methods above — numerology, meditation, mythology, intuition, ritual — are all real tools that real witches use. However, none of them is "the right one." In other words, the one that works is the one your name comes through.

Finally, if you are still searching, do not force it. Storm Faerywolf, with decades of practice, points out that names should not be rushed. Instead, sit with options. Whisper them. Sleep with them under your pillow. As a result, the right name finds you when you stop chasing it.