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Names of Demons: 60 Demon Names From Folklore, Grimoires and Fiction

Looking for demonic names for a story, a game boss or a D&D campaign? This guide collects 60 names of demons: 20 from the Ars Goetia, 20 from world folklore and religion, and 20 original names you can use freely. Each one comes with its source or rank. You can also generate your own with the demon name tool below.

By James Henry · Last updated: October 2026

Names of demons from folklore and grimoires

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What are demons?

Demons are malevolent spirits found in many religions and folk traditions. The English word comes from the Greek daimōn, which once meant any spirit or divine power, good or bad. Over centuries, especially in Christian Europe, it came to mean an evil spirit. Different cultures describe very different beings: Mesopotamian night spirits, Japanese oni, Jewish legends of Asmodeus, and the ranked demons of Renaissance grimoires.

This page treats demons as figures of folklore, literature and games. Where a name belongs to a living religion, we note its origin with respect.

20 demon names from the Ars Goetia

The Ars Goetia is the first part of the Lesser Key of Solomon, a grimoire that lists 72 spirits, each with a rank. Its order and spellings differ from an older list, Johann Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, and many names have several spellings because of repeated translation. These are the first 20 in the Goetia’s order:

#NameRank in the Goetia
1BaelKing
2AgaresDuke
3VassagoPrince
4Samigina (Gamigin)Marquis
5MarbasPresident
6ValeforDuke
7AmonMarquis
8BarbatosDuke
9PaimonKing
10BuerPresident
11GusionDuke
12SitriPrince
13BelethKing
14LerajeMarquis
15EligosDuke
16ZeparDuke
17BotisPresident and Earl
18BathinDuke
19SallosDuke
20PursonKing

Source: Wikipedia, List of demons in the Ars Goetia. Asmodeus also appears, as King “Asmoday”, at #32.

Demon ranks in the Ars Goetia with example names

20 demon names from world folklore and religion

NameTraditionKnown as
AsmodeusJewish legend (Book of Tobit)demon of lust and wrath
BeelzebubBiblical and Christian tradition“Lord of the Flies”, a prince of demons
MammonChristian traditiondemon of greed
BelphegorChristian demonologydemon of sloth
LeviathanHebrew Bible, later demonologysea monster, later a demon of envy
AbaddonHebrew Bible, Book of Revelationthe destroyer, angel of the abyss
AzazelBook of Enochleader of fallen Watchers
BelialHebrew and Christian textsworthlessness, later a demon
AstarothEuropean demonologya Great Duke of Hell
Molochancient Canaanite deity, later demonizedidol of fire
MephistophelesFaust legendthe devil’s agent who bargains for souls
Baphomet19th-century occult imagegoat-headed figure
PazuzuMesopotamiandemon of the southwest wind
Angra Mainyu (Ahriman)Zoroastrianthe destructive spirit
Aka ManahZoroastriandemon of evil mind
MaraBuddhistthe tempter who tried to stop the Buddha
RakshasaHindu and Buddhist epicsshape-shifting man-eating spirit
OniJapanese folklorehorned ogre-demon
KrampusAlpine folklorehorned figure who punishes naughty children
LuciferChristian traditionthe fallen morning star

Female demons such as Lilith, Lamashtu and the succubus have their own page: female demon names.

Names of fallen angels

In Jewish and Christian tradition, some demons were once angels. Two sources shaped most fallen-angel names:

  • The Book of Enoch names the leaders of the Watchers, angels who came to earth, including Shemyaza (Semjaza) and Azazel.
  • John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667) gives a whole cast of fallen angels: Satan, Beelzebub, Moloch, Belial and Mammon.

Lucifer, “light-bringer”, is the best-known name and comes from the Latin for the morning star.

20 original demon names for your story

These are invented for GujoAnimes. Use them freely, but search once before publishing in case a game or book uses one.

Vexmorrah · Kaelzeth · Ashgrave · Orrikai · Draventh · Morwyx · Zhal’kor · Nyxthera · Belzareth · Varkhul · Skareth · Ombrael · Ulmorra · Grimveil · Xeruth · Malvok · Seradrix · Kozzrath · Ithmaul · Vorhaxis

How to make a demon name

  1. Borrow the sound of old names: hard consonants (k, z, x, th) and endings like -oth, -ael, -rax, -is.
  2. Add a rank and a domain: “Varkhul, Duke of the Seventh Ash” feels older than Varkhul alone.
  3. Avoid copying real names from living religions for evil characters in a commercial project.
  4. Say it aloud. If players can’t pronounce it, they’ll nickname it anyway.

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Names of demons by theme

Writers often look for a demon name that matches a specific idea. These original names were built for fiction and games, grouped by theme:

ThemeDemon name ideasFeel
FireAzkareth, Pyrrhon, Cinderathburning, wrathful
ShadowUmbrael, Noctivar, Velkarothhidden, patient
PlagueMorrigax, Pestilor, Vurmothrot and sickness
GreedAurovex, Mammareth, Coinbanegold and hunger
DeceitLiraveth, Mendax, Twistelcharming liars
FrostGlacioth, Rimevar, Hollowfrostcold and cruel
DreamsSomnareth, Nyxial, Velhypnoswhispers in sleep

Demon ranks and titles

In grimoires such as the Ars Goetia, demons are given noble titles like king, duke, prince, marquis, earl and president. Using a title makes a demon feel ancient and powerful, even in a modern story:

  • King or Queen: the ruler of a whole legion.
  • Duke or Duchess: a powerful commander.
  • Marquis: a guardian of borders and gates.
  • Earl or Count: a cunning noble with secrets.
  • Knight: a demon warrior who serves a higher lord.

Example: “Velkaroth, Marquis of the Silent Gate” sounds far more dangerous than “Velkaroth” alone.

What makes names of demons sound dark

  • Hard consonants. K, Z, X and V give a harsh sound: Kazrith, Vexor.
  • Ancient endings. -oth, -ael, -ax and -iel sound old and otherworldly.
  • Latin roots. Words like nox (night), mors (death) and umbra (shadow) add meaning.
  • Rhythm. Two or three syllables are easy to say and remember.

Using real demon names respectfully

Many names of demons come from religious texts and folklore that are still meaningful to people today. If you write about real figures such as those from the Ars Goetia or world mythology, research where the name comes from and avoid mixing up different traditions. For a completely free creative choice, use the original names and the demon name generator on this page.

Why research names of demons?

Knowing the names of demons from folklore, grimoires and fiction helps writers, game masters and artists create villains that feel grounded in real traditions. This guide gives you the famous names with their origins, plus original names you can use freely, so you can choose the right level of history and imagination for your story.

Frequently asked questions

The Ars Goetia lists 72 spirits. The first are Bael, Agares, Vassago, Samigina, Marbas, Valefor, Amon, Barbatos, Paimon and Buer.

Malevolent spirits in many religions and folklores. The word comes from the Greek daimōn, which originally meant any spirit.

Lucifer, Azazel and Shemyaza from Enochic tradition, and Beelzebub, Moloch, Belial and Mammon in Milton’s Paradise Lost.

Names from old folklore are public domain. Specific characters from modern books, films or games may be protected, so create original names for commercial work.

No. It is a reference for writers, gamers and fans of folklore.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Henry

Editor, GujoAnimes

James writes and updates the watch-order guides, name generators, quizzes and character lists on GujoAnimes. Release dates and episode counts are checked against official studio and distributor announcements, and pages are revised when a new season, film or correction comes in.

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