60 Mysterious Names for Fictional Cults (+ 5 Real Cults)

Role-playing game expert Jason Garvin provides expert advice to help you name your fantasy cult

Co-authored by Jason Garvin and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: December 11, 2025 Fact Checked

• Fantasy
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• Cool
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• Funny
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• Choosing a Name
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• Real Cults
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• Cult Name Generator

|Show more |Show less

A cult is a group with unusual and extreme beliefs and practices, usually centered around a charismatic leader. Adding a cult to your TTRPG or fantasy world is a great way to include a mysterious subplot, and it’s important to choose a name that matches the cult’s practices. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of cool and funny names for your fictional cult with expert advice from role-playing game expert Jason Garvin and American urban legends podcaster Chelsey Weber-Smith. We’ve also listed some of the most infamous cults in history and included a cult name generator if you need more inspiration.

Fictional Cult Name Ideas

Role-playing game expert Jason Garvin suggests choosing a name for your fantasy world’s cult that’s based on their ideology, goals, or deity they worship. Some examples include:

• The Whispering Veil
• The Crimson Moon
• The Black Star
• The Daughters of the Eternal Moon
• The Redeemed
• The Court of the Four Winds

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Fantasy Cult Names

1. 
   Pick a mysterious name for your cult. If your cult is going to play a big role in your TTRPG or another fictional world, choose a name that’s dark and mysterious. Try to avoid using the word “cult,” as you likely don’t want it to be obvious to your characters…. Here are some examples:

   • The Whispering Veil
   • The Hidden Flame
   • The Eternal Dawn
   • The Crimson Moon
   • The Silver Key Brotherhood
   • The Celestial Circle
   • The Veiled Hand
   • The Order of the Void
   • Keepers of the Forgotten Truth
   • The Black Star
   • The Obsidian Enclave
   • The Golden Serpents
   • The Starlight Covenant
   • The Iron Rose
   • Followers of the Twin Moons
   • The Fellowship of the Frozen Flame
   • The Labyrinthine Path
   • The Raven’s Shadow
   • The Luminaries
   • The Order of the Sable Star

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Jason Garvin is a role-playing game expert and COO of Total Escape Games, a gaming business that carries a broad collection of role-playing games, board games, paints, and collectible card games.

   Chelsey Weber-Smith is an American urban legends podcaster and host of the podcast, American Hysteria, which covers topics like moral panics, urban legends, and conspiracy theories.
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Section 2 of 5:

Cool Cult Names

1. 
   Choose a cool name that reflects their beliefs. If you’re playing a serious game or writing a serious story, give your cult a cool name that shows just how powerful they are. Make sure your name somehow ties into the cult’s beliefs and practices. Here are some examples:

   • The Shroud of Silence
   • The Daughters of the Eternal Moon
   • The Weavers of Night
   • The Path of the Waking Dream
   • The Sanguine Circle
   • The Gilded Hand
   • The Veiled Prophets
   • The Midnight Watchers
   • The Iron Covenant
   • The Scarlet Sisterhood
   • The Voidwalkers
   • The Golden Seraphs
   • The Infinite Tapestry
   • The Tempest’s Eye
   • The Dreamweavers
   • The Court of the Four Winds
   • The Redeemed
   • The Black Earth Society
   • The Final Dawn
   • Children of the End

Section 3 of 5:

Funny Cult Names

1. 
   Choose a silly cult name if you’re just goofing around. Whether you’re playing D&D, a fun video game like Cult of the Lamb, or starting a pretend cult with your friends, choosing a funny name can show that the cult shouldn’t be taken seriously. Consider one of the following if your cult isn’t an actual threat:

   • Dank Disciples
   • This Is Not a Cult
   • The Cult of the Underwhelming
   • The Ministry of Pointless Information
   • The Assembly of the Unread Emails
   • The Grand Union of the Very Confused
   • Cult Fiction
   • Cult-de-sac
   • Join for Free Hugs
   • Disciples of the Saltless Fry
   • Prey for Salvation
   • Margaritaville
   • Jokes & Cloaks
   • The Roaring Hyenas
   • Go Away!
   • Free Cake
   • Global Nation of Noobs
   • The Mighty Vegetarians
   • Bacon Lovers
   • The Brave Followers of Mr. Giggles
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Section 4 of 5:

Expert Tips for Choosing a Cult Name

1. 1
   Choose a name based on the group’s figurehead or deity. If the cult in your fantasy world worships a specific deity, Garvin says it's a great idea to include it in the name. For instance, if your characters worshiped a deity called "Szarth," you might name the cult "The Cult of Szarth” or "Szarth's Faithful."

   • Garvin suggests representing the members of the cult with a body part to give it a mysterious or unsettling vibe. For instance, you might call it "The Hand of Szarth" or "The Eyes of Szarth."
   • Or, Garvin recommends using a descriptor to refer to the members of the cult, like “The Order of Szarth,” “The Cult of Szarth,” or “Followers of Szarth.”
2. 2
   Base the name on the cult's goals or ideology. For instance, if the characters in the cult want to destroy the world, Garvin suggests a name like "The Order of the New Age" or "The Cult of Oblivion." While you can get as poetic or metaphorical as you like, Garvin says the “name needs to be recognizable and relate their goal to potential new members” as “cults are often looking to recruit new members.”

   • Garvin recommends doing some worldbuilding to help you come up with a name. For instance, did a ruler give your character an infamous title, or did they choose the name themselves?
   • Garvin says to think about how other characters in your fantasy world feel about the cult, too. Does the group inspire fear or respect?
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Section 5 of 5:

Real Cult Names

1. 
   Learn about real cults and their practices. Unfortunately, there have been numerous cults throughout history, many of which have committed heinous crimes. Weber-Smith says some of the most infamous cults in the United States include Jonestown, Heaven’s Gate, Scientology, and the Manson family. If you’re creating your own fictional cult, consider studying some of these real-life cults to better understand the inner workings of these groups:

   • The Manson Family: A group led by Charles Mason, notorious for a series of murders in 1969.
   • People's Temple: Better known as Jonestown, a group that committed mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978, led by Jim Jones.
   • The Branch Davidians: A group that gained notoriety after a deadly standoff with federal agents in 1993.
   • The Church of Scientology: A religion founded in the 1950s that many consider to be a cult.
   • Heaven’s Gate: A religious movement notorious for its 1997 mass suicide in which followers believed an alien spaceship would take them to a higher evolutionary level.

Cult Name Generator

1. Cult names for your next story or game

   Every fictional cult or organization needs a compelling name—especially when that organization promises eternal life or cosmic truth. Whether you need a name that sounds dark and mysterious, inspiring and prophetic, or just plain hilarious for your next tabletop RPG, writing project, or satirical masterpiece, you’ve come to the right place.

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