The truth about Wicca

Wiccan names

The idea of having Wiccan names is a fairly common one among the Pagan and Wiccan community, but not every understands the nature or purpose of doing so.

First of all, not all Wiccans even do this. Many go by their regular names they were born with and that is all. But it is a pretty common practice to take a new name when you start on this path (or any point along the way really). In some traditions, you may get a name when you join a coven but you can make your own choice if that's not the case.

There are a few reasons why this is done. In some ways, it is a way of protecting your privacy in a time when witchcraft and Pagan religions are not all that well-accepted. It's not as much of a problem today, but it definitely was in the past. So the tradition of taking a coven-only name remains. Some people keep their Craft names secret or only share them with coven-mates. Others may be very open about their Wiccan names. It's up to you.

It is also a way of creating a spiritual identity for yourself, a way to separate your magickal practices from your everyday life. It's also something you can do even if you are not following a true Wiccan path. It's a common enough practice among many other Pagan belief systems.

How you choose a name is up to you. Most people try to choose something that "speaks" to them on a spiritual level, or that has some meaning to it that suits your practice. Some are very fantasy-oriented (Silvermoon Fuzzy-Bunny) but you definitely don't have to go that route if it doesn't appeal to you.

Take some inspiration from Deity names, magickal tools, stars or planets, herbs and plants, crystals or animals. Think about the person you are, the interests you have or the things you want to accomplish. If you're stuck, you can try our online Pagan Name Generator to create a name based on the elements for yourself.

This should be a relatively serious decision and you should put some thought into it. A ritual to "initiate" yourself with your new name is a nice touch once you've come to a decision.