I have a black horse named “Blackie” but if you’re in the market for a new horse, but feel like there’s nothing out there that suits your needs, then don’t worry. There are plenty of names that will work well, sometimes you just need to think outside the box.
Black horses are not just for Halloween. Black is the most common color of horse found in nature, with up to 25% of all horses being black or dark brown. The prevalence of black horses makes it tricky when choosing a name for your new four-legged friend!
Names for black horses are often restricted to just one or two words. If you’re looking for a name that means something, try one of these:
Shadow – The word shadow is used as the opposite of light and describes an object blocking another from receiving light. Shadow can also mean dark, gloomy, or sinister. This horse’s color could be described as all three of those things!
Coal – Coal is a type of carbonaceous rock that forms when dead plants are buried in watery mud at the bottom of bodies like lakes or seas. This black horse would make sense with this name because it shares many similarities with coal!
Midnight – A time when everything has gone to sleep and there isn’t anything happening; a perfect description.
If you find one word names a little too boring, then other options like Stormy Nights, Midnight Starlight, Coal Miner’s Daughter are variations that would work well as names for black horses.
Below is a list of other single names for your black horse that would work well.
- Bucephalus – A warhorse ridden by Alexander the Great
- Stormy – from the movie Seahorse
- Blackjack – The last US Army cavalry horse
- Topthorn – from the War Horsenovel written by Michael Morpurgo
- Panther – the swift four-legged animal
- Black Gold – winner of the 50th Kentucky Derby
- Kuro – black in Japanese language
- Byerley Turk – one founder of modern thoroughbred bloodlines
- Black hawk – the black swooping bird
- Midnight Sun – an influential sire
- Zeus – Greek god of thunder
- Hades – the Greek god of wealth
- Alastor – Hades’ stallion
- Crow – blackbird often seen in deserts
- Fusang – the mysterious Chinese tree of life
- Aether – the son of the Greek god of darkness
- Erebus – the Greek god of darkness
- Ares – the Greek god of war
- Knight – from Knights Templar
- Omanyama – black in Zulu language
- Nwa – black in Haitian Creole
- Gunpowder – the horse from Sleepy Hollow
- Khan – Fa Mulan’s horse
- Ace of Spades – named after the black suit card in a deck
- Condor – a black scavenger bird
- Bagheera – the black panther from the movie Jungle Book
- Bramble – the thicket of blackberry bushes
- Hanere – darkness/mysticism in Punjabi language
- Sorcerer– a wizard as seen in Harry Potter movies
- Batman– the DC superhero popular in comics
Deciding on a name for a black horse
The basics of naming a black horse are an important part of its identity. A good name can shape the personality and mindset of your horse, so it’s worth taking some time to find one that fits them well.
The most common reason for naming a black horse is because of the association with luck and good fortune. In many cultures around the world, black horses are seen as symbols of power and success. Their connection to death doesn’t seem to factor into these beliefs but some cultures do name them after gods of death or darkness such as Hades from Greek mythology or Hela from Norse mythology.
Names for black mares and fillies
- Empress
- Queen
- Black Betty
- Black Dahlia
- Gypsy
- Storm
- Blackberry
- Black Rose
Names for black stallions and geldings
- Beau
- King
- Captain
- BlackJack
- Angus
- Boots
- Gatlin
- Gunner
