300+ Names That Mean Trickster, Thief, or Mischief (Meanings)

Quick honest version up front. “Names that mean trickster,” “names that mean thief,” and “names that mean mischief” are usually the same search even when the words differ. People are looking for a name with a clever, sneaky, or chaotic energy, for a baby, for a story character, for a D&D rogue, or just because the word “Loki” doesn’t quite fit. So this guide covers all three clusters in one place, with real meanings, real origins, and real depth.

If you want one quick answer: good trickster names usually fall into three buckets. Mythological tricksters like Loki, Hermes, and Eris. Modern names with sneaky/sly meanings like Reynard (the fox), Apate (Greek for deceit), and Sly. And famous fictional thieves and pranksters like Robin (Hood), Carmen (Sandiego), or Lupin.

Below: 300+ names sorted into 14 categories, including dedicated sections for thief names, deceiver/liar names, manipulation and disguise names, mischief names, last names that mean trickster, and a deeper-than-usual mythology section. Plus a curated Top 10 list at the start if you don’t want to read the whole thing.

Top 10 Best Names That Mean Trickster

If you only read one section, this is it. The ten most usable, recognizable, and rich-with-story names from the full list below.

1. Loki, Norse trickster god. Universally recognized post-Marvel.
2. Reynard, Medieval European folklore fox; literally “strong counsel” but synonymous with cunning.
3. Hermes, Greek god of thieves, messengers, and travelers.
4. Maui, Polynesian demigod-trickster, hero of the Moana film.
5. Anansi, West African and Caribbean spider-trickster of countless folktales.
6. Eris, Greek goddess of strife and discord.
7. Puck, Shakespeare’s mischievous fairy from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
8. Apate, Greek goddess of deceit, fraud, and trickery.
9. Kitsune, Japanese fox-spirit shapeshifter.
10. Briar, English, “thorny patch,” softer trickster pick with edge.

These ten names are the highest-leverage starting point. The rest of the article goes deeper.

Boy Names That Mean Trickster, Thief, or Mischief

Each name with its origin and meaning so you actually know what you’re choosing.

1. Loki, Norse, name of the trickster god
2. Hermes, Greek god of thieves and messengers
3. Mercury, Roman counterpart to Hermes
4. Reynard, Medieval French/European, “strong counsel”; the trickster fox of folklore
5. Maui, Polynesian demigod-trickster
6. Anansi, Akan (West African), spider-trickster of folktales
7. Coyote, Native American trickster spirit (used across many tribes’ mythologies)
8. Prometheus, Greek Titan who tricked Zeus to give fire to humans
9. Pan, Greek god of the wild, often mischievous
10. Lugh, Irish, “shining one”; Celtic trickster-warrior god
11. Robin, English, “bright fame”; calls back to Robin Hood
12. Fox, English; the universal trickster animal
13. Puck, Old English, “mischievous spirit”; Shakespeare’s fairy
14. Till, German, after Till Eulenspiegel, medieval prankster
15. Bugs, English nickname-style, after Bugs Bunny
16. Finn, Irish, “fair-haired”; after Finn MacCool
17. Jack, English; of beanstalk and giant-tricking fame
18. Houdini, After Harry Houdini, master of escape and illusion
19. Autolycus, Greek, “the wolf itself“; grandfather of Odysseus, master thief
20. Dolos, Greek, spirit of trickery and guile
21. Aladdin, Arabic, “nobility of faith”; the famous folk hero who steals before redemption
22. Arsène, French, after Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief of French fiction
23. Flynn, Irish, “son of the red-haired one”; after Flynn Rider
24. Lando, After Lando Calrissian, charming scoundrel
25. Lupin, French/Latin, “wolf-like”; also the famous fictional thief
26. Locke, English, “fortified place”; carries trickster vibes through The Lies of Locke Lamora
27. Sly, English, direct; “cunning”
28. Wily, English, direct; “crafty, sly”
29. Dodge, English, “to evade”; nickname/first-name option
30. Ezel, Hebrew, “noble cloud”; carries trickster connotations from biblical context
31. Gambit, English/French, “opening move”; the Marvel character is the obvious reference
32. Keoki, Hawaiian form of George; trickster-coded in some Hawaiian folklore
33. Maki, Japanese, “true rope”; phonetically trickster-sounding
34. Roguen, Modern English variant on “rogue”
35. Slade, English, “valley”; sounds sharp, fits the genre
36. Vex, Latin, “to plague” or “torment”; a darker pick
37. Jasper, Persian, “treasurer”; carries hidden-treasure connotations

Girl Names That Mean Trickster, Thief, or Mischief

1. Eris, Greek, “strife”; goddess of discord
2. Apate, Greek, “deceit”; goddess of fraud and trickery
3. Laverna, Roman, goddess of thieves and frauds
4. Lila, Sanskrit, “play” or “divine play”; concept of cosmic mischief
5. Vixen, English, “female fox”
6. Esmeralda, Spanish, “emerald”; the cunning protagonist of The Hunchback of Notre Dame
7. Kitsune, Japanese, “fox”; the shapeshifting fox-spirit
8. Pandora, Greek, “all-gifted”; the original myth of opening forbidden things
9. Morgana, Welsh, “sea-circle”; Arthurian sorceress and trickster
10. Nimue, Welsh, the Lady of the Lake who tricked Merlin
11. Scheherazade, Persian, “city-born”; the storyteller-trickster of One Thousand and One Nights
12. Carmen, Latin, “song”; the elusive Carmen Sandiego
13. Trixie, English, diminutive of Beatrix; literally “trickster”
14. Pippi, Swedish; after Pippi Longstocking
15. Saga, Norse, “story” or “seeing one”; goddess associated with storytelling and cleverness
16. Echo, Greek, “sound”; the mountain nymph who tricked Hera
17. Faye, English, “fairy”; mischievous magical being
18. Briar, English, “thorny patch”; thorny-rose mischief energy
19. Morgaine, Variant of Morgana
20. Akko, Japanese, “bright child”; trickster-coded in anime culture
21. Calypso, Greek, “to conceal”; the nymph who hid Odysseus
22. Sycorax, Shakespeare’s witch in The Tempest
23. Ursula, Latin, “little bear”; the Disney villain trickster
24. Wednesday, English; gothic-trickster popularized by Addams Family
25. Imogen, Celtic, “maiden”; carries clever-fox connotations
26. Ondine, French, “wave”; the water spirit who tricks mortals
27. Phaedra, Greek, “bright”; the figure of mythological deception
28. Selene, Greek, “moon”; quiet huntress with trickster overlap
29. Atalanta, Greek hunter-heroine famous for trickery in races
30. Maeve, Irish, “intoxicating”; the cunning queen of Connacht in Irish myth
31. Astra, Greek, “star”; with a witchy-trickster overlay in modern fiction
32. Hex, English, “curse”; bold and unusual
33. Romi, Hebrew, “exalted”; phonetic mischief charm
34. Ravenna, Latin, “raven-like”; trickster-bird connection
35. Selma, Norse, “divine helmet”; trickster-coded in some folklore

Unisex Names That Mean Trickster

1. Raven, English, the trickster bird across multiple cultures
2. Rebel, English, direct
3. Ruse, French, “to dodge”; literally “trick”
4. Sly, English, direct
5. Sage, Latin, “wise one”; clever but understated
6. Phoenix, Greek; mythical firebird
7. Nix, Germanic, water spirit known for trickery
8. Jester, English, “court fool”; smartest person in the room
9. Faye, English, “fairy”
10. Echo, Greek
11. Devlin, Irish, “fierce”; sounds devilish
12. Ash, English/Norse; ash tree is associated with trickery in Norse myth
13. Ariel, Hebrew, “lion of God”; the trickster sprite in The Tempest
14. Quinn, Irish, “wisdom”
15. Rowan, Gaelic, the rowan tree associated with witchcraft
16. Wren, English, the small clever bird
17. Magpie, English; the bird associated with stealing shiny things
18. Cipher, Greek/Arabic, “zero” or “secret code”
19. Hex, English, “curse”
20. Indigo, Greek, the deep blue color, night-coded

Names That Mean Thief, Robber & Bandit

This is the cluster the brief specifically asked about. Names that mean thief with real origins.

1. Hermes, Greek god of thieves
2. Mercury, Roman counterpart
3. Laverna, Roman goddess of thieves
4. Autolycus, Greek, “the wolf itself“; mythological master thief
5. Cacus, Latin, “bad”; mythological cattle-thief slain by Hercules
6. Arsène, French, after the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin
7. Lupin, Latin/French, “wolf-like”; the same fictional thief
8. Robin, English; Robin Hood, prince of thieves
9. Aladdin, Arabic, “nobility of faith”; the folk hero who begins as a street thief
10. Carmen, Latin, “song”; Carmen Sandiego, the world’s most-wanted thief
11. Flynn, Irish, “son of the red-haired one”; Flynn Rider in Tangled
12. Lando, After Lando Calrissian, scoundrel
13. Bilbo, Old English; The Hobbit’s burglar
14. Selina, Greek, “moon”; Selina Kyle is Catwoman
15. Catwoman, English; the name itself works as bold pick
16. Locke, English; Locke Lamora, fantasy-novel master thief
17. Sly, English, direct
18. Larcin, French, “larceny”; rare but striking pick
19. Diebold, Germanic, originally “people’s hold” but phonetically “thief-bold”
20. Rasputin, Russian, “crossroads”; carries thief-mystic connotations
21. Han, Korean/Chinese; Han Solo, Star Wars smuggler-thief
22. Gambit, Marvel’s Cajun thief
23. Conrad, Germanic, “bold counsel”; carries cunning-thief connotations through fiction
24. Hatori, Japanese, “feather-taker”; surname-as-given-name pick
25. Skuld, Norse, “debt” or “future”; Norn associated with hidden purposes

Names That Mean Deceiver, Liar & Two-Faced

The PAA goldmine: “names that mean deceit,” “boy names that mean liar,” “names that mean two-faced,” “names meaning deceit” all live here.

1. Apate, Greek goddess of deceit
2. Dolos, Greek spirit of trickery and lies
3. Pseudologos, Greek, “false speech”
4. Loki, Norse trickster god, also the great liar in his myths
5. Iago, Spanish form of Jacob; Shakespeare’s master deceiver in Othello
6. Mordred, Welsh, “moderate” but synonymous with treachery via Arthurian myth
7. Brutus, Latin, “heavy”; betrayer of Caesar
8. Judas, Hebrew, “praised”; biblical betrayer
9. Cassius, Latin, “empty”; Shakespeare’s manipulator in Julius Caesar
10. Macbeth, Gaelic, “son of life”; Shakespeare’s regicidal usurper
11. Mephisto, Greek/Latin, the demon of Faust
12. Lucifer, Latin, “light-bringer”; the archetypal deceiver
13. Belial, Hebrew, “worthless”; biblical figure of lawlessness
14. Maleficent, Latin, “evil-doing”; the Disney version
15. Vortigern, Brittonic, “great king”; the legendary British king of Arthurian betrayal
16. Ananias, Greek, “yahweh has been gracious”; biblical liar struck dead for deceit
17. Sapphira, Hebrew, “sapphire”; Ananias’s wife in the same biblical story
18. Sinon, Greek, “harmer”; the Greek who tricked Troy with the wooden horse
19. Janus, Latin, the two-faced Roman god of beginnings, gates, and duality
20. Bifrons, Latin, “two-faced”; rare pick

Names That Mean Cunning, Sly & Sneaky

The smarter-than-they-look cluster. Names that mean cunning and names that mean sneaky with real meaning behind each.

1. Reynard, French, “strong counsel”; the cunning fox of medieval folklore
2. Odysseus, Greek, “wrathful”; epithet “the cunning”
3. Ulysses, Latin form of Odysseus
4. Athena, Greek, “goddess of wisdom and strategy”
5. Minerva, Roman counterpart of Athena
6. Daedalus, Greek, “skillful one”; the crafty inventor
7. Adlai, Hebrew, “God is just”; carries clever connotations
8. Renart, French variant of Reynard
9. Akiva, Hebrew, “to follow”; trickster-coded in Talmudic stories
10. Sigrun, Norse, “victory rune”; cunning Valkyrie
11. Kenna, Scottish, “born of fire”; clever connotations
12. Hugh, Germanic, “mind” or “spirit”
13. Sophia, Greek, “wisdom”
14. Vivian, Latin, “lively”; quick wit
15. Wesley, English, “western meadow”; carries clever connotations through fiction
16. Eloise, French, “healthy” or “wide”; the troublemaking character
17. Prudence, Latin, “caution and wisdom”; ironic-clever choice
18. Vex, Latin, “to torment”
19. Sycamore, Greek; carries hidden-cunning connotations through folklore
20. Verity, Latin, “truth”; ironic-clever pick
21. Cyrus, Persian, “young” or “lord”; Cyrus the Great famous for political cunning
22. Athanasius, Greek, “immortal”; legal-strategic cunning connotations

Names That Mean Mischief, Mayhem & Trouble

Different vibe from cunning. Names that mean mischief lean toward chaos and energy rather than calculation.

1. Loki, Norse trickster god of mischief
2. Eris, Greek goddess of strife
3. Puck, Old English, “mischievous spirit”
4. Mayhem, English, direct
5. Mischief, English, direct
6. Lila, Sanskrit, “divine play”
7. Arlecchino, Italian, the harlequin trickster of commedia dell’arte
8. Patch, English, jester/trickster diminutive
9. Dobby, English; the mischievous Harry Potter house-elf
10. Stitch, English; the alien trickster of Lilo & Stitch
11. Rascal, English, direct
12. Scamp, English, mischievous child
13. Imp, Old English, “young shoot”; small mischievous creature
14. Pixie, Cornish, the small troublemaking fairy
15. Sprite, Latin, “spirit”; troublemaking fairy
16. Gremlin, English, mischievous creature of WWII airman folklore
17. Hobgoblin, Old English, mischievous goblin
18. Rapscallion, English, mischievous person
19. Huck, English; after Huckleberry Finn
20. Romulus, Latin, founder of Rome with his trickster brother Remus
21. Riot, English, direct
22. Havoc, English, direct
23. Chaos, Greek, “void” or “primordial state”
24. Discordia, Latin counterpart of Eris
25. Ate, Greek, “ruin” or “delusion”; goddess of mischief and folly

Names That Mean Manipulation, Disguise & Imposter

The shape-shifting and deception cluster.

1. Proteus, Greek, “first”; sea god famous for shape-shifting and deception
2. Janus, Latin, two-faced god of duality
3. Wolverine, English, the relentless tracker (also Marvel)
4. Kamen, Japanese, “mask”
5. Voldemort, French, “flight from death”; the master manipulator (literary)
6. Iago, Spanish, the master manipulator in Othello
7. Cassius, Latin, “empty”; Shakespearean manipulator
8. Sinon, Greek, “harmer”; the Trojan Horse deceiver
9. Vetala, Sanskrit; spirit known for inhabiting and tricking the dead
10. Mystique, French, “mystery”; the Marvel shape-shifter
11. Doppel, German, “double”
12. Phantom, Greek, “fleeting appearance”
13. Cipher, Arabic, “zero” or “secret code”
14. Mirage, French, “to wonder at”; the optical-illusion concept
15. Chimera, Greek; mythological hybrid creature
16. Disguise, English, direct
17. Veil, Latin, “to cover”
18. Façade, French, “front”
19. Illusio, Latin, “illusion”
20. Charlatan, French, “babbler”; carries fraud connotations as bold pick
21. Iblis, Arabic, the Quranic deceiver figure

Mythological Trickster Gods (The Comprehensive Roster)

Beyond the obvious Loki and Hermes, the deeper mythological cuts. Naming after a god gives you a name with 1,000+ years of story.

Norse

• Loki, the trickster god
• Útgarða-Loki, a giant trickster who out-tricks Loki himself
• Sleipnir, Loki’s eight-legged horse offspring
• Saga, goddess of stories

Greek

• Hermes, god of thieves, travel, messengers
• Eris, goddess of strife
• Apate, goddess of deceit
• Dolos, spirit of trickery
• Momus, god of mockery and ridicule
• Atē, goddess of mischief and ruin
• Pseudologos, spirit of false speech
• Prometheus, Titan trickster who stole fire
• Autolycus, mortal master thief

Roman

• Mercury, Hermes counterpart
• Laverna, goddess of thieves
• Discordia, Eris counterpart
• Janus, god of duality and two-facedness
• Vacuna, Sabine goddess with trickster connotations

African

• Anansi, Akan/West African spider trickster
• Eshu, Yoruba trickster god
• Hare (Sungura), East African trickster
• Khonvoum, Bambuti hunter god with trickster overlap
• Ananse, variant spelling of Anansi

Native American (varies by tribe; respect the source)

• Coyote, across many Plains and Western tribes
• Raven, Pacific Northwest peoples
• Iktomi, Lakota spider trickster
• Wisakedjak, Cree
• Nanabozho, Ojibwe

Polynesian / Pacific

• Maui, Polynesian demigod
• Pekoi, Hawaiian trickster

Slavic

• Veles, god of the underworld and cattle, with trickster overlap
• Domovoi, household spirit who can be mischievous

Celtic

• Lugh, Irish, “shining one”
• Bricriu, Irish; “Bricriu of the Poison Tongue,” noble troublemaker

Aztec

• Tezcatlipoca, “smoking mirror”; god of trickery and night

Japanese Names That Mean Trickster

A focused section since the Japanese cluster has its own search volume.

1. Kitsune, “fox”; the shapeshifting spirit
2. Tanuki, “raccoon dog”; the shape-shifting trickster of folklore
3. Inari, fox deity (use respectfully, Inari is a major Shinto kami)
4. Susanoo, storm god famous for breaking heaven’s order
5. Hoshi, “star”
6. Kage, “shadow”
7. Nezumi, “rat”; trickster animal in folklore
8. Obake, “shape-shifting spirit”
9. Kaito, “sea, ocean”; used for phantom thieves in fiction (Kaitou Kid)
10. Hotaru, “firefly”
11. Yuki, “snow”; quiet and elusive
12. Kuro, “black”
13. Mizu, “water”; flowing and elusive
14. Sora, “sky”
15. Akira, “bright, clear”
16. Saru, “monkey”; the trickster animal in Japanese folklore
17. Tora, “tiger”; bold trickster
18. Senpai, used in fiction for crafty older students
19. Yokai, supernatural being category
20. Zenko, “good fox”; the benevolent kitsune

Last Names That Mean Trickster, Sneaky, or Sly

Almost no other guide covers this and the search intent is real.

1. Reynard / Reynaud, French, “strong counsel” (the fox)
2. Fox, English/Welsh
3. Lupin, French, “wolf-like”
4. Wolf / Wulf, Germanic, “wolf”
5. Wilder, Germanic, “wild”
6. Slade, English, “valley dweller”
7. Larson, Scandinavian; “Lars’s son”; carries trickster cultural heritage
8. Diebold, Germanic
9. Fraser, Scottish; “from the strawberry place,” but carries clever-clan connotations
10. MacGyver, Scottish; the inventor-trickster surname
11. Lupo, Italian, “wolf”
12. Fuchs, German, “fox”
13. Volpe, Italian, “fox”
14. Skarsgård, Swedish, “shore-fortress”; carries trickster-actor cultural weight
15. Hood, English, surname connecting to Robin Hood

Famous Fictional Thieves & Tricksters

A deeper roster than most lists, organized by source.

From Marvel and DC Comics

• Loki (Marvel)
• Mystique (Marvel)
• Catwoman / Selina Kyle (DC)
• Gambit / Remy LeBeau (Marvel)
• Riddler / Edward Nygma (DC)
• Joker (DC)
• Harley Quinn (DC)
• Punisher / Frank Castle (Marvel, vigilante trickster)
• Black Cat / Felicia Hardy (Marvel)

From Disney and Animation

• Aladdin
• Maui (Moana)
• Stitch (Lilo & Stitch)
• Genie (Aladdin)
• Flynn Rider (Tangled)
• Bugs Bunny
• Roger Rabbit
• Pinky and the Brain
• Megara (Hercules)

From Books and Novels

• Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit)
• Locke Lamora (The Lies of Locke Lamora)
• Kaz Brekker (Six of Crows)
• Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl series)
• The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland)
• Puck (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
• Iago (Othello)
• Robin Hood (medieval ballads onward)

From Film and TV

• Han Solo (Star Wars)
• Lando Calrissian (Star Wars)
• Carmen Sandiego
• Sherlock Holmes (the deductive trickster)
• Moriarty (his nemesis)
• Sawyer (Lost)
• Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones)
• Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)
• Lupin (Arsène Lupin, multiple film and anime adaptations)

From Anime and Manga

• Hisoka (Hunter x Hunter)
• Light Yagami (Death Note)
• L (Death Note)
• Killua (Hunter x Hunter)
• Kaitou Kid (Detective Conan / Magic Kaito)
• Lupin III (the original anime gentleman thief)

From Video Games

• Sly Cooper
• Garrett (Thief series)
• Geralt (The Witcher)
• Ezio (Assassin’s Creed)
• Joker (Persona 5)

How to Pick a Trickster Name

Three quick rules.

1. Match the energy. Loki is mythological-cool. Trixie is bouncy-cute. Iago is genuinely sinister. They all “mean trickster” but they all hit differently.
2. Check the cultural source. If you pick from a tradition that isn’t yours, lean toward names with broad mythological awareness (Loki, Hermes) rather than sacred figures (Inari is a Shinto deity, not just a fox name).
3. Say it five times out loud. With your last name. With “Dr.” in front. As an adult signing an email. The really cool one at first reading sometimes loses energy by repetition five.

Frequently Asked Questions

What names mean trickster?

Names that mean trickster include mythological picks like Loki (Norse), Hermes (Greek), Maui (Polynesian), Anansi (West African), and Eris (Greek). Modern picks: Reynard, Trixie, Puck, Sly, Wily.

What is a male name that means deceit?

Strong male names that mean deceit include Dolos (Greek spirit of lies), Apate (Greek personified deceit), Iago (Shakespeare’s deceiver), Cassius (Shakespearean manipulator), Mordred (Arthurian betrayer), Sinon (the Greek who tricked Troy), and Loki (Norse trickster).

What is a good trickster name?

The strongest good trickster names with rich story behind them: Loki, Reynard, Hermes, Maui, Anansi, Eris, Puck, Apate, Robin (Hood), and Carmen (Sandiego). All are recognizable enough to carry weight without explanation.

What name means malice?

Names with malice or evil meanings include Maleficent (Latin “evil-doing”), Mordred (Arthurian betrayer), Belial (Hebrew “worthless”), Lucifer (Latin “light-bringer,” the deceiver), and Iblis (Arabic deceiver figure). For something gentler, Vex (Latin, “to plague”) and Bane (Old English, “doom”) work as bolder edge-coded picks.

What names mean thief?

The most direct names that mean thief: Hermes and Mercury (gods of thieves), Laverna (Roman goddess of thieves), Autolycus (mythological master thief), Robin (after Robin Hood), Carmen (after Carmen Sandiego), Lupin and Arsène (after Arsène Lupin), Bilbo (Tolkien’s burglar), and Locke (after Locke Lamora).

What are Japanese names that mean trickster?

The most direct Japanese names that mean trickster are Kitsune (fox), Tanuki (raccoon dog), Saru (monkey), Kaito (used in fiction for phantom thieves), and Obake (shape-shifting spirit). For girl-coded options: Yuki, Hoshi, Hotaru.

What are last names that mean trickster?

Last names that mean trickster or sneaky include Reynard / Reynaud (the fox), Fox, Lupin, Lupo, Volpe, Fuchs, Wilder, Slade, Wolf, and Hood (after Robin Hood).

Is Loki a good name for a baby?

Loki has become a fully usable baby name post-Marvel, charting in the US Top 1000 as of the 2020s. The mythological character is a complex trickster, not purely a villain, which softens the connotation. Pair with a softer middle name if you want to balance the energy.

Final Thoughts

Names that mean trickster, thief, or mischief all do the same job in different keys. Trickster names lean mythological. Thief names lean fictional. Mischief names lean playful. Pick based on which key fits your kid (or character).

The names that age best are the ones with story already attached. Loki is recognizable across generations. Reynard carries 800 years of European folklore. Carmen Sandiego still gets nostalgia points across multiple generations. The throwaway “feels sneaky” picks rarely outlast the trend that produced them.

Whatever you land on, somewhere in these 300+ trickster name ideas there’s the right one. Read the list, sleep on it, and go with whichever one is still in your head the next morning. That’s almost always the keeper.

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