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Vampire Last Names: 80 Gothic Surnames for Your Characters
A vampire’s surname should sound old, a little elegant and slightly dangerous. This list of vampire last names starts with the famous names from 200 years of vampire fiction, then gives 60 original gothic surnames you can use freely. It also covers anime vampires and has a generator for more vampire names. It is part of our demon names collection.
By James Henry · Last updated: October 2026
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Famous vampire surnames from fiction
These names built the vampire image. They belong to their stories, so use them as inspiration, not as your own character’s name.
| Surname or name | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Ruthven | The Vampyre, John Polidori | 1819 |
| Varney | Varney the Vampire (penny dreadful) | 1840s |
| Karnstein (Carmilla) | Carmilla, Sheridan Le Fanu | 1872 |
| Dracula | Dracula, Bram Stoker | 1897 |
| Orlok | Nosferatu (film) | 1922 |
| Alucard | “Dracula” backwards, used in film and later in Hellsing | 1943 onward |
| Collins (Barnabas) | Dark Shadows (TV) | 1960s |
| de Lioncourt (Lestat) | Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice | 1976 |
| Cullen | Twilight, Stephenie Meyer | 2005 |
| Salvatore | The Vampire Diaries, L. J. Smith (novels; TV series 2009) | 1991 |
Folklore words often used as surnames in fiction: Nosferatu, Strigoi (Romanian undead spirit), Upir (Slavic vampire), Lamia (Greek monster) and Vrykolakas (Greek undead).
Dates are from the original publication or release.
60 original vampire last names
Invented for GujoAnimes and free to use. Some modern ones are also ordinary English surnames.
| Style | Surnames |
|---|---|
| Aristocratic | Vaelmont · Duskmoor · Ravencourt · Morvaine · Ashenford · Nocterre · Blackmere · Sanguinet · Vesperault · Gravencourt · Thornevale · Mordrayne · Velvetine · Crimsonwold · Hollowmere |
| Gothic nature | Nightshade · Briarwood · Wolfsbane · Hemlock · Mistvale · Ravenmoor · Ashgrove · Bramblewick · Fogmere · Duskwood · Moonhallow · Cinderfell · Yewdale · Thornwick · Gravemoss |
| Old-world Latin style | Noctis · Mortevane · Umbravel · Cruorin · Tenebrael · Obscuris · Vespertil · Lunaris · Sangrave · Draekmor · Velacroix · Nyxhaven · Corvane · Ebonhart · Silvermourn |
| Modern sleek | Black · Vale · Crane · Graves · Crowe · Hale · Sterling · Stone · Wolfe · Frost · Ash · Grey · Knight · Raven · Locke |
What the roots mean: nox / noct- is Latin for night, umbra for shadow, cruor for blood, tenebrae for darkness, and vespertilio for bat.
Why we skip some “vampire” surnames
Many lists label real family names from Hungary, Romania or Russia (such as Kovács, Rădulescu or Volkov) as “vampire names” just because of Dracula’s Transylvania. These are ordinary surnames carried by millions of people today, so we leave them out. Invented gothic surnames give the same mood without stereotyping a real culture.
Anime characters who are vampires
Anime has its own vampire tradition. Well-known anime characters who are vampires include:
- Alucard (Hellsing)
- Shinobu Oshino (Monogatari series)
- Nazuna Nanakusa (Call of the Night)
- Kaname Kuran (Vampire Knight)
- Krul Tepes and Ferid Bathory (Seraph of the End)
- Noé Archiviste (The Case Study of Vanitas)
Anime vampire names often mix a European surname with a Japanese given name, or use kanji like 夜 (night), 血 (blood) and 月 (moon). Switch the generator to Anime style for names such as Tsukishiro Yoru (moon castle + night) or Akaba Rinne (red feather + cycle of rebirth).
Tips for naming a vampire
- Match the age: a 500-year-old vampire suits an old-world name; a newly turned one keeps a modern name.
- Use a house name for vampire families: “House Vaelmont” sounds like a dynasty.
- Mix soft and hard sounds: Velvetine (soft) vs Draekmor (hard) changes the mood.
- Avoid famous names like Dracula or Cullen for your own lead.
Need a first name too? Use dark names or the last name generator.
Vampire last names by style
Original vampire last names for stories, games and roleplay, grouped by the kind of vampire family they suit:
| Style | Last name ideas | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Old aristocrats | Vardenmoor, Ravencourt, Blackwell | castles and old money |
| Eastern European | Dravescu, Morvanya, Karvelic | classic gothic legend |
| Victorian | Ashcombe, Hollingsworth, Grimsby | fog and gaslight |
| Modern city | Sterling, Vance, Nightingale | sleek and hidden in plain sight |
| Romantic | Rosemont, Velloure, Saint-Clair | tragic love stories |
| Feral | Thornwick, Gaunt, Marrow | hunters of the night |
| Anime | Kurogane, Tsukishiro, Yamikawa | Japanese names with dark kanji |
Vampire first and last name pairs
| Full name | Character idea |
|---|---|
| Lucien Vardenmoor | an ancient count who hates modern life |
| Elodie Saint-Clair | a romantic who turned for love |
| Silas Gaunt | a feral hunter in the woods |
| Mara Dravescu | the youngest daughter of an old clan |
| Julian Sterling | a vampire running a nightclub |
| Tsukishiro Rei | an anime vampire student with a secret |
Build a vampire family
- Founder: who turned first, and where they came from.
- Crest and colour: a bat, a rose or a moon, often in red, black or silver.
- Rules: never feed in your own city, or never turn a child.
- Rivals: another vampire clan or a family of hunters.
- Secret: a weakness, a lost member or a broken oath.
A family with a history makes every vampire with that last name feel connected.
Vampire naming tips
- Old names suit old vampires. A centuries-old vampire may still use a name from their birth era.
- New names hide the truth. Some vampires change their last name every few decades to avoid suspicion.
- Use place names. Many gothic families are named after estates or villages.
- Mind the cliché. Avoid names that copy very famous vampires too closely.
Why use our vampire last names list?
This list of vampire last names gives you surnames inspired by gothic literature and folklore, plus original names with meanings, anime vampire names and a generator. Writers, game masters and roleplayers use these vampire last names to build whole families with history, so every character feels part of a darker world.
More dark and demon names
Frequently asked questions
Character names from books, films and anime are trademarks or copyrights of their owners and are listed here for reference only.