Korean Names That Mean Demon: BEST Demonic Names in Korean Culture 2026

Looking for Korean names that mean demon, but worried that a random name online may have the wrong meaning?

That worry is fair because Korean folklore has many ghosts, spirits, evil beings, and supernatural creatures, but most are not ordinary Korean personal names.

This guide explains the difference and gives you real Korean folklore terms, their meanings, pronunciation, and cultural background so you can choose a dark name without making up Korean meanings.

Table of Contents

Understanding Korean Demon Names

The first thing to know is that 귀신 (gwisin) does not mean only “demon.”

Korean sources use the word for a wide range of supernatural beings, including spirits of the dead and frightening supernatural beings.

Words such as 마귀 (magwi) and 악마 (akma) are closer to the English idea of “demon” or “devil,” while folklore has many more detailed categories.

That is why calling every Korean supernatural being a demon can give readers the wrong idea.

Historical Context of Demon Names in Korea

Traditional Korean beliefs included many kinds of spirits connected with death, illness, places, weather, family life, and unlucky events.

Some were feared, some were respected, and some had both helpful and harmful sides.

도깨비 (dokkaebi) is a good example.

It is often translated as a goblin or demon, but Korean folklore describes the dokkaebi as a supernatural being with both positive and negative traits.

Why Koreans Use Demon Names: Cultural Beliefs and Superstitions

These terms were not usually chosen as normal baby names.

They belonged to folklore, ritual language, stories, beliefs, and supernatural traditions.

So if you want a name for a character, game, story, username, or creative project, a folklore term can work well.

Using one as a real Korean personal name is a very different matter.

Popular Korean Names That Mean Demon

Here is the important correction.

The following are Korean supernatural names and terms, not a list of 30 traditional Korean baby names meaning “demon.”

마귀 (Magwi): demon or devil.
악마 (Akma): devil or demon.
귀신 (Gwisin): ghost or supernatural spirit.
악귀 (Akgwi): evil spirit.
사귀 (Sagwi): harmful or evil spirit.
잡귀 (Japgwi): miscellaneous or wandering ghost.
객귀 (Gaekgwi): spirit of someone who died away from home.
왕신 (Wangsin): a spirit associated with an unmarried woman who died young.
손각시 (Son-gaksi): ghost of an unmarried woman.
손말명 (Sonmallyeong): another term connected with the unmarried female ghost tradition.
처녀귀신 (Cheonyeogwisin): virgin or unmarried woman’s ghost.
몽달귀신 (Mongdal-gwisin): ghost of an unmarried man.
도령귀신 (Doryeong-gwisin): another name for the unmarried male ghost.
총각귀신 (Chonggak-gwisin): bachelor ghost.
삼태귀신 (Samtae-gwisin): another name for the unmarried male ghost.
두억시니 (Dueoksini): a fierce and harmful type of spirit in Korean folk belief.
도깨비 (Dokkaebi): Korean supernatural being often compared with a goblin.
불도깨비 (Bul-dokkaebi): fire associated dokkaebi.
거인도깨비 (Geoin-dokkaebi): giant dokkaebi.
도깨비불 (Dokkaebibul): mysterious light associated with dokkaebi folklore.
수비 (Subi): a wandering or accompanying spirit in folk belief.
수부 (Subu): a spirit term found in Korean folk religious traditions.
영산 (Yeongsan): a term used for a type of wandering or troubled spirit.
뜬것 (Tteungeot): a wandering harmful spirit.
손 (Son): a harmful spirit believed to move according to days and directions.
호구신 (Hogusin): a spirit linked with smallpox beliefs.
마마 (Mama): an old term used in connection with disease spirits.
역신 (Yeoksin): a spirit associated with epidemic disease.
저퀴 (Jeokwi): a harmful spirit associated with illness.
정귀 (Jeonggwi): a spirit linked with illness.
우두지신 (Udujisin): a spirit connected with smallpox traditions.
불가사리 (Bulgasari): legendary creature famous for eating metal.
구미호 (Gumiho): nine tailed fox from Korean legend.
물귀신 (Mulgwisin): water ghost.
달걀귀신 (Dalgyalgwisin): egg ghost, a modern frightening ghost image.

Not every entry above means “demon.”

That distinction matters.

Korean folklore has a much wider supernatural vocabulary than the single English word demon.

Korean Mythology: Famous Demons with Names

Dokkaebi (도깨비): Mischievous Spirits

Dokkaebi is one of the best known supernatural beings in Korean folklore.

It is not simply a Korean version of Satan.

Stories describe dokkaebi as strange supernatural beings that can bring fortune, cause trouble, play tricks, or interact with humans.

Korean folklore also records different forms and names connected with dokkaebi.

Gwisin (귀신): Vengeful Ghosts and Spirits

Gwisin is a broad word.

It can refer to ghosts or spirits rather than one specific monster.

Some Korean traditions focus on spirits of people who died with unresolved feelings or under difficult circumstances.

Gwishin-nae (귀신내): A Name to Treat Carefully

Gwishin-nae should not be presented as a standard Korean “demon king” name.

That claim appears in some online name lists, but it does not have the same solid folkloric support as terms such as gwisin, dokkaebi, or mongdal-gwisin.

Leaving questionable names out is better than giving readers a made-up meaning.

Male vs. Female Korean Demon Names

Masculine Demon Names in Korean

Korean folklore includes spirits associated with unmarried men.

몽달귀신, 도령귀신, and 총각귀신 describe related ideas.

Traditional stories connect these spirits with men who died unmarried, sometimes because of unresolved longing.

Feminine Demon Names and Their Meanings

손각시, 손말명, 왕신, and 처녀귀신 belong to traditions about unmarried women who died before marriage.

These stories reflect older ideas about marriage, death, family, and unresolved feelings.

They should be treated as folklore, not as statements about modern Korean women.

Modern Usage: Korean Names with Dark Meanings

How Korean Parents Use Demon Names Today

A Korean parent would not normally choose 마귀 or 악마 as an ordinary baby name simply because the words sound dark or cool.

Korean personal names usually work through established given names and, in many cases, Hanja meanings.

The National Institute of Korean Language notes that Korean names have their own naming and writing conventions, including rules around Hanja used in names.

Contemporary Korean Culture and Demonic Symbolism

Dark supernatural terms are much more natural in fiction, games, webtoons, horror stories, usernames, and character names.

That gives you more creative freedom.

A fictional character called Magwi can sound threatening without pretending that Magwi is a common Korean first name.

Korean Demon Names in Pop Culture

Demon Names in K-Dramas and Korean Cinema

Korean entertainment often borrows ideas from gwisin, dokkaebi, shamanic traditions, and legendary creatures.

Modern stories may reshape older folklore to fit romance, horror, fantasy, or comedy.

Anime and Gaming: Demonic Korean Name Usage

Games often use short Korean words because they are easy to remember.

A term such as Akgwi can work well for a villain, while Gumiho fits a character tied to fox mythology.

The creative use does not mean the term is a traditional personal name.

Korean Music and Entertainment Industry

Dark Korean words can also work as stage concepts, song titles, character identities, or fan names.

The safest approach is to explain the original meaning before giving the word a creative use.

Linguistic Breakdown: How Korean Demon Names Are Formed

Hangeul Characters Associated with Demons

귀 (gwi) is strongly linked with the idea of ghosts or spirits in words such as 귀신 and 악귀.

악 (ak) carries the idea of evil or wickedness in words such as 악마 and 악귀.

마 (ma) appears in 마귀 and is linked with the meaning of a demon or devil.

Hanja in Demon Naming

Some supernatural terms use Hanja, which can give readers extra clues about meaning.

For example, 鬼 is the Hanja connected with “gwi” in terms such as 귀신.

This is one reason a Korean word should not be judged only by how it sounds in English.

Phonetic Patterns in Dark Korean Names

Korean words are built around syllable blocks.

Magwi, Akma, and Gwisin are short because each is made from clear Korean syllables.

Korean does not use English style word stress in the same way, so avoid forcing a heavy English stress pattern onto every syllable.

Regional Variations of Korean Demon Names

Seoul and Urban Demon Name Traditions

Modern Seoul is not a separate system of “demon names.”

Urban speakers may know traditional folklore terms through books, films, television, games, and online culture.

Rural and Provincial Demon Name Folklore

Regional traditions can be much richer.

Korean folk belief includes different names for spirits and different local stories.

The 손 tradition, for example, connects a harmful spirit with particular directions and days.

Comparing Korean Demon Names to Other Asian Cultures

Japanese Demon Names vs. Korean Names

Do not treat oni and dokkaebi as exact translations.

Both can be frightening supernatural beings, but their cultural histories are different.

Chinese Demon Terminology and Korean Adaptations

Korean religious and literary traditions have long interacted with Chinese language and Buddhist culture.

That helps explain why Hanja appears in many supernatural terms.

Vietnamese and Southeast Asian Comparisons

Other Asian cultures also have rich ghost and spirit traditions.

The better comparison is to study each culture on its own terms rather than treating every supernatural being as the same kind of “demon.”

Spiritual and Religious Perspectives on Demon Names

Buddhism and Korean Demon Naming Practices

Buddhist ideas became deeply connected with Korean religious history.

Yet Korean folk belief cannot be reduced to Buddhism alone.

Shamanism and Dark Spiritual Names

Korean shamanism, or Muism, has an especially important place in traditions about spirits, rituals, illness, death, and protection.

The history of Korean spirit belief is broad and includes both helpful and harmful supernatural beings.

Christianity’s Influence on Korean Demonic Terminology

Christian translations helped make words such as 악마 useful for discussing the idea of a devil or demon in a Christian context.

That does not mean older Korean folklore and Christian demonology are identical.

Complete List of Korean Demon Names with Pronunciations

A-M Korean Demon Names

Akgwi: 악귀, evil spirit.
Akma: 악마, demon or devil.
Bulgasari: 불가사리, legendary metal eating creature.
Bul-dokkaebi: 불도깨비, fire dokkaebi.
Cheonyeogwisin: 처녀귀신, unmarried woman’s ghost.
Dalgyalgwisin: 달걀귀신, egg ghost.
Dokkaebi: 도깨비, Korean supernatural being.
Doryeonggwisin: 도령귀신, unmarried male ghost.
Dueoksini: 두억시니, fierce harmful spirit.
Gaekgwi: 객귀, spirit of someone who died away from home.
Geoin-dokkaebi: 거인도깨비, giant dokkaebi.
Gumiho: 구미호, nine tailed fox.
Gwisin: 귀신, ghost or spirit.
Hogusin: 호구신, disease related spirit.
Jeonggwi: 정귀, illness related spirit.
Japgwi: 잡귀, miscellaneous wandering spirit.
Magwi: 마귀, demon or devil.
Mulgwisin: 물귀신, water ghost.
Mongdal-gwisin: 몽달귀신, unmarried male ghost.

N-Z Korean Demon Names

Sagwi: 사귀, harmful spirit.
Samtaegwisin: 삼태귀신, another unmarried male ghost term.
Son: 손, harmful spirit linked with days and directions.
Son-gaksi: 손각시, unmarried female ghost.
Sonmallyeong: 손말명, another traditional female ghost term.
Subu: 수부, spirit term found in folk belief.
Subi: 수비, accompanying or wandering spirit.
Tteungeot: 뜬것, wandering harmful spirit.
Wangsin: 왕신, spirit associated with an unmarried woman.
Yeoksin: 역신, epidemic related spirit.
Yeongsan: 영산, wandering spirit term.

This list is best used for fictional characters, game characters, usernames, story ideas, and dark creative projects.

It should not be read as a list of ordinary Korean first names.

How to Pronounce Korean Demon Names Correctly

Tone and Syllable Emphasis Guide

Korean does not work like English stress patterns.

Say each syllable clearly.

Magwi is roughly “ma-gwi.”

Akma is roughly “ak-ma.”

Gwisin is roughly “gwi-sin.”

Common Mispronunciations to Avoid

Do not turn gwi into a long English “guy.”

Do not add extra syllables that are not present in the Korean spelling.

Romanization is only a guide, so listening to a native Korean speaker is the best way to check pronunciation.

Are Korean Demon Names Actually Used for Babies?

Superstitions Surrounding Baby Naming

Traditional Korean beliefs around naming were more complex than simply choosing a scary word.

Some folk traditions connected names, spirits, health, luck, and protection.

That does not mean modern Korean parents commonly give babies names meaning “demon.”

Legal and Social Implications

A word that works beautifully for a fantasy character may sound strange or negative as a real person’s name.

If you are naming a real baby, check the Korean spelling, meaning, Hanja, and social use with a native Korean speaker before making the choice.

If you are naming a fictional character, you have much more room to use folklore terms creatively.

Conclusion: The Fascinating World of Korean Demonic Names

Looking for a Korean demon name becomes much easier once you know the difference between a real personal name and a Korean folklore term.

Words such as Magwi, Akma, Gwisin, Dokkaebi, Akgwi, and Son-gaksi give you very different dark themes.

Some describe evil spirits, some describe ghosts, and some belong to older stories about supernatural creatures.

The most useful choice depends on what you are naming.

For a horror character, Dueoksini can give a harsher folklore feel.

For a mysterious fantasy character, Dokkaebi or Gumiho may fit better.

For a darker ghost story, Gwisin or Mulgwisin can work well.

The key is to keep the original Korean meaning intact instead of turning every supernatural word into a fake baby name.

That small bit of care makes your choice feel much more believable and respectful of Korean culture.

FAQs

1. What Korean name means demon?

Magwi (마귀) means demon or devil, while Akma (악마) is another Korean word for demon.
Both are better treated as supernatural terms than common Korean baby names.

2. What is the Korean word for a demon or evil spirit?

Akgwi (악귀) means an evil spirit, while Gwisin (귀신) usually refers to a ghost or supernatural spirit.
The exact meaning depends on the Korean word and its cultural context.

3. Is Dokkaebi a Korean demon name?

Dokkaebi (도깨비) is a Korean supernatural being often compared with a goblin, not simply a demon.
It can be mischievous, frightening, or even helpful in Korean folklore.