83 Names That Mean Trickster | Plus Mischief, Cunning, and Deceit
Names that mean trickster are perfect for parents who enjoy pranks, your creative writing, naming characters in tabletop gaming, online handles, and more!
Enjoy our roundup of all the names that mean mischief, deceit and cunning.
Names That Mean Trickster for Boys
A-M
- Amaguq– Inuit trickster and wolf god
- Anansi– trickster god from African and Caribbean folklore who often takes the form of a spider
- Bart, Bartholomew- for everyone’s favorite prankster from The Simpsons
- Cegorach– trickster god from Warhammer 40k
- Curupira– Brazilian genie who protects the trees and animals of the jungle through trickery
- Dennis– as in Dennis the Menace
- Dionysus- Greek god of wine, madness and ecstasy, known for his unpredictability
- Dolon– means bait or trickery in Greek. Similar Greek names are Dolios, Dolos, and Dolus
- Dyl– Dyl Ugluspegill was an Icelandic folk hero known for his trickery
- Eshu– Yoruban spirit of chaos and trickery
- Hermes– Greek trickster and messenger god
- Hiylar– Turkish (Karachay-Balkar) for trick, cunning
- Hobomock– a Native American trickster and death spirit
- Jacob– biblical patriarch known for tricking his father into blessing him instead of his elder brother
- Jareth– from the film The Labyrinth
Related post: More nerdy names
- Kokopelii– trickster flute player of southwestern Native American tribes
- Loki- Norse god of trickery known for his magic and shapeshifting
- Maui – mythological Hawaiian trickster
- Maximon– trickster folk deity from Mayan culture
- Moritz– German trickster folk hero
N-Z
- Nasreddin– Turkish legend based on a real man known for his trickery
- Odysseus- Greek hero famed for his cunning ways of tricking his enemies, like the Trojan horse
- Oliddamara– god of music, wine, revelry, and trickery in Dungeons and Dragons
- Pan– and other satyrs- are known for their pranks and practical jokes
- Patrick– contains the word trick
- Peter– Sly Peter is a mythic trickster in Bulgarian folklore
- Pedro– Pedro Urdemales is a Latin American trickster folk hero
- Premysl– Slavic for trick or strategy
- Prometheus- in Greek legend, he tricked Zeus and stole fire to give to humans
- Pumphut– Slavic gnome famous for his tricks
- Reynard- Reynard the Fox is a trickster figure in fables
- Simeon– Maximon (see above) is sometimes known as San Simeon
- Sosruko– Caucasian trickster god
- Syrdon– Iranian (Ossetian) trickster character
- Tokoloshe– trickster from Zulu mythology
- Yehl– Tlingit creator and trickster god
- Zomo– Trickster rabbit in Nigerian folklore
Related post: Names that mean crow
Names That Mean Trickster for Girls
- Eris– Greek goddess of strife and discord
- Indra– Hindu king of gods known for trickery
- Kuma Lisa- fox and trickster in Bulgarian folklore
- Mestra– from Greek mythology could change her shape at will and used her powers for trickery
- Narada– trickster character from Hindu and Indian mythology
- Robin– trickster and mischievous person in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Ruse– enough said
- Sarka– maiden in Czech legend known for her cunning
- Sigyn– Loki’s wife
- Sivanah– patron goddess of illusions, tricksters, and those who keep secrets
Related post: magic names and dream names
- Thokk– Loki once adopted this name while disguised as an old woman
- Trixie– need we explain?
Related posts: Names that mean fox and Names that mean Hunter
Surnames that Mean Trickster
- Beffa– Italian nickname for a practical joker
- Coyote– known as a trickster in many Native American cultures
- Discord
- Fox– the slyest animal
- Pratt- Old English for prank or trick
- Quandt– Old German for prankster, joker
- Raven– a trickster figure in the folklore of the indigenous people of the American Northwest
- Treacher– derived from a word meaning trickery. Shares the same root as treachery
Related post: Names that Mean Dark Magic
Japanese Names That Mean Trickster
- Kitsune– these mythological and intelligent foxes are known for their cunning and tricks
- Susanoo– trickster from Japanese mythology
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Names that Mean Cunning
Names meaning cunning are perfect trickster names!
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Alcimede
The female name Alcimede means mighty cunning in Greek. She was also the mother of Jason who quested for the golden fleece.
Archimedes
Archimedes comes from the Ancient Greek words for master and cunning. The most famous person named Archimedes was a Greek physicist, and inventor, and is still considered to be one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.
In T. H. White’s novel The Once and Future Kingdom, Merlin’s pet owl is named Archimedes.
Cheirisophus
Cheirisophus is another Greek name! It means cunning in his handicraft.
Daedalus
Daedalus is Greek for to work cunningly.
You might remember him from the myth of Daedalus and his son Icarus, who were trapped in the minotaur’s labyrinth. They escaped by building wings out of wood and wax to fly away.
Find more name ideas: Names that mean Trap or Trapper
Diomedes
Another Greek name, Diomedes combines the terms for “of Zeus” and “cunning.”
In Greek mythology, he was a hero of the Trojan war and a renowned warrior.
Ganymede
Ganymede is Greek for glad and cunning. He was a handsome Trojan prince who shares his name with the planet Jupiter’s largest moon.
Lekomir
Lekomir means he who uses his cunning to make peace. It’s an old Polish name.
Likomira
And Lekomira is the feminine version of Lekomir above.
Medea
Medea is Greek for plan, counsel, cunning. She is also a sorceress from Greek mythology who uses her magic to assist Jason and the Argonauts on their quest for the golden fleece.
Metis
Meaning wisdom, skill, cunning, Metis was the Greek goddess of wise counsel.
In some times and regions, she was also a trickster goddess.
Ancient Greeks highly regarded the concept and trait of metis, the combination of wisdom and cunning
This is my favorite name that means cunning!
Nikomedes
Nikomedes means cunning victory, and was also the name of an early saint.
Perimede
The name Perimede is Greek for very cunning.
Sly
When it comes to cunning names, does it get any simpler than Sly? This could also be a nickname for Sylvester.
Find more names ideas: Names that mean Liar
Tyrion
The manipulative Imp from Game of Thrones certainly inspires cunning.
It’s possible that Tyrion‘s name comes from an ancient rock- a great fit for a Lannister born at Casterly Rock!
Vasag
Vasag is Armenian for treacherous.
Wiley
While it seems pretty obvious, Wiley comes from the same English word.
Wily: full of wiles : crafty
–Merriam Webster
The river Wylye in southern England may have inspired this name, and means tricky in Celtic.
Find more name ideas: Names that mean Snake and Names meaning Disaster
Names that Mean Mischief
These names meaning mischief include perfect boy and girl names that mean troublemaker.
Afet
The name Afet comes from the Azerbaijani word for mischief.
Bongull
Bongull is an Old Norse name for males meaning blighter, rascal.
Csintalan
Csintalan is Hungarian for mischievous, naughty.
Gavroche
If you’re looking for mischievous boy names, look no further than Gavroche. It’s French slang for street urchin or mischievous child and is found in Les Miserables.
Gvansta
Gvansta is Georgian for mischievous, wild.
Naiche
Naiche is Apache for mischief maker.
Pettai
In Estonian, Pettai means “up to mischief”
Related post: Names that Mean Thief and Names that Mean Alone
Sinoe
Sinoe may come from the Greek word for mischief. I think this is the most beautiful name meaning mischief!
What names mean deceit?
These names that mean deceit make perfect names for tricksters.
There are only a few names that mean deceiver out there.
Bullard
Bullard comes from the Middle English word for fraud, deceit.
Clooney
Clooney is Irish for deceitful. This is my favorite of the names meaning deceit- it just inspires the look of a roguish character, don’t you think?
Cluanach
This name is Irish for deceitful, rogue, flattering. It is the original form of Clooney.
Dolion
Along with Dolios, Dolon, Dolopion, and Dolos, Dolion is Greek for cunning, deceitful.
Related posts: Demon Names and Names that mean Trickster
Shinso
Japanese for heart, mind and manipulate, operate. While this name means manipulative, it certainly fits the theme!
Related post: boy names that mean dark magic
Yap
Yap comes from Middle English and means deceitful, devious, shrewd
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Wrap up- Names That Mean Trickster
I hope you’ve enjoyed our roundup of names that mean trickster, cunning mischief and deceit. They’re perfect names for mischievous characters and names for tricksters!
Looking for more inspiration? See this list of fictional tricksters on Wikipedia.