Gangs usually select names that are powerful, frightening or proud. A gang name may display strength, family or origin of the group. Others are named after colors, animals or streets. Others exhibit culture or history. In the real life, the gangs in the US have referred to themselves as the Bloods and the Crips.

Gangs such as the Warriors or the Sharks and Jets of West Side Street are also popularized by movies and TV. Authors, game players, and even children who create stories prefer to use such names.

The gang name is a means of creating an image of a group and making them memorable.

See Also:

• Clan Names

Black Names for Gangs

Associated with the life on the streets of cities, hip-hop style, and well-known bands in the US towns.

• 31 Gang
• 69 Mob
• Almighty Black P. Stone Nation
• Almighty Vice Lord Nation
• Bailey Boys
• Black Disciples
• Black Gangster Disciples
• Black Guerrilla Family
• Black Liberation Army
• Black Mafia
• Black Mafia Family
• Black Spades
• Bloods
• Boss Pimps
• Bounty Hunter Bloods
• Chambers Brothers
• Columbia Point Dawgs
• Crenshaw Mafia
• Crips
• D.C. Blacks
• Decepticons
• Double II Set
• Errol Flynns
• Four Corner Hustlers
• Fruit Belt Gang
• Gangster Disciples
• Hidden Valley Kings
• KUMI 415
• LRGP
• Lucerne Street Doggz
• Miami Boys
• Mickey Cobras
• Money Over EveryThing
• Orchard Park Trailblazers
• Outlaw Gangster Disciples
• Pirus
• Rollin’ 30s Harlem Crips
• Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips
• Savage Nomads
• Savage Skulls
• Schuele Boys
• Sex Money Murda
• Somali Outlaws
• Supreme Team
• Toe Taggers
• United Blood Nation
• Venice Shoreline Crips
• Weather Underground
• Westmob
• Young Boys Inc.
• The Council
• Top 6

Hispanic Latin Names for Gangs

Common in the US with Latino pride, street crews, and cross-border roots.

• 7th Street Gang
• 10th Street Gang
• 18th Street Gang
• 38th Street Gang
• Almight Saints
• Almighty Imperial Gangsters
• Azusa 13
• Barrio Azteca
• Beltrán-Leyva Cartel
• Cali Cartel
• Culver City Boys 13
• Dominicans Don’t Play
• El Monte Flores 13
• Florencia 13
• Fresno Bulldogs
• Ghetto Brothers
• Gulf Cartel
• Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos
• Imperial Gangsters
• Insane Outlaw Gangsters
• Insane Latin Jivers
• Jalisco New Generation Cartel
• Jheri Curls
• Juárez Cartel
• La Familia Michoacana
• La Línea
• La Raza Nation
• Latin Counts
• Latin Eagles
• Latin Kings
• Logan Heights Gang
• Los Caravelas 16
• Los Mexicles
• Los Solidos
• Los Zetas
• Lopers
• Maniac Aztecas
• Maniac Campell Boys
• Maniac Latin Disciples
• Marielitos
• Medellín Cartel
• Mexican Mafia
• Mexikanemi
• MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha)
• Ñetas
• Norteños
• Nuestra Familia
• OVS
• Playboys
• Puente 13
• Puro Tango Blast
• Santa Monica 13
• Sinaloa Cartel
• Spanish Cobras
• Spanish Gangster Disciples
• Sureños
• Temple Street
• The Avenues
• Toonerville Rifa 13
• Trinitario
• Varrio Nuevo Estrada
• Vatos Locos
• Venice 13
• Westside Locos 13
• White Fence

Prison Names for Gangs

Significant in the US because a lot of gangs begin or develop within prisons.

• 211 Crew
• Almighty Vice Lord Nation
• Aryan Brotherhood
• Aryan Brotherhood of Texas
• Aryan Circle
• Asian Boyz
• Barrio Azteca
• Black Guerrilla Family
• Bloods
• Crips
• D.C. Blacks
• Dead Man Incorporated
• European Kindred
• Folk Nation
• Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos
• KUMI 415
• Latin Kings
• Mexican Mafia
• Mexikanemi
• MS-13
• Nazi Lowriders
• Ñetas
• New Mexican Mafia
• Nuestra Familia
• People Nation
• Public Enemy No. 1
• Puro Tango Blast
• Texas Syndicate
• Tiny Rascal Gang
• Trinitario
• United Blood Nation
• Wah Ching
• Zoe Pound
• Sur 13

Native American Names for Gangs

Show Native roots and local pride inside Native groups in the US.

• Native Mob
• Red Skin Kingz
• Indian Posse

Asian Names for Gangs

Associated with Asian gangs such as triads or tongs, which are frequently featured in American films.

• Asian Boyz
• Bahala Na Gang
• Bing Kong Tong
• Black Dragons
• Born to Kill
• Chung Ching Yee
• Flying Dragons
• Fullerton Boys
• Ghost Shadows
• Hip Sing Association
• Hop Sing Tong
• Inagawa-kai
• Jackson Street Boys
• Kkangpae
• Menace of Destruction
• On Leong Chinese Merchants Association
• Ping On
• Pure Azn Thugs
• Satanas
• Snakehead
• Suey Sing Association
• Tiny Rascal Gang
• Tong
• Triad
• 14K Triad
• Bamboo Union
• Big Circle Gang
• Four Seas Gang
• Sun Yee On
• Wah Ching
• Wah Kee
• Wo Hop To
• Wo Shing Wo
• Yakuza
• Yamaguchi-gumi
• Asian Persuasion
• Asian Rascal
• Vietnamese Boyz
• Black Dragons (Chinese/Vietnamese)
• Flying Dragons (Chinese/Vietnamese)
• Jackson Street Boys (Cantonese)
• Wah Kee (Chinese/Malaysian)

Russian Names for Gangs

Associated with the Russian mob films in the US, video games, and crime films.

• Albanian Mafia
• Albanian Boys
• Rudaj Organization
• Bosnian Mafia
• Brothers’ Circle
• Greek Mafia
• Velentzas Crime Family
• Polish Mob
• Romanian Mafia
• Russian Mafia
• Solntsevskaya Bratva
• Serbian Mafia
• Ukrainian Mafia

Irish Names for Gangs

Originate in ancient Irish communities in the history of the US and numerous crime narratives.

• Charlestown Mob
• Dead Rabbits
• Five Points Gang
• Gustin Gang
• Hogan Gang
• Irish Mob
• K&A Gang
• Killeen Gang
• Mullen Gang
• North Side Gang
• Ragen’s Colts
• Roach Guards
• Shirt Tails
• Valley Gang
• Westies
• White Hand Gang
• Whyos
• Winter Hill Gang

Middle Eastern North African Names for Gangs

Seen in news, research, and city life, but less common in US streets.

• Armenian Power
• Abergil crime family
• Chaldean Mafia
• Israeli Mafia
• TAP Boyz
• Turkish Mafia
• The Company

White Other Names for Gangs

Covers biker groups, hate groups, and other gangs in the US.

• 311 Boyz
• 211 Crew
• American Front
• Aryan Brotherhood
• Aryan Brotherhood of Texas
• Aryan Circle
• Aryan Nations
• Aryan Republican Army
• Chicago Gaylords
• Combat 18
• Dead Man Incorporated
• Dixie Mafia
• European Kindred
• Friends Stand United
• Hammerskins
• Imperial Klans of America
• Keystone State Skinheads
• Ku Klux Klan
• The Order
• Peckerwood
• Nazi Lowriders
• Public Enemy No.1
• Simon City Royals
• State Line Mob
• Volksfront
• White Aryan Resistance
• People Nation
• Popes
• Forty-Two Gang
• South Brooklyn Boys
• Almighty Insane Gangster Noble Knights Nation
• Almighty Taylor Street Jousters Nation
• Insane Popes
• Insane Deuces
• Insane Majestics
• Insane 32 Crew
• Almighty Gaylords Nation
• Ghost Face Gangsters

Diverse Names for Gangs

Combination of humorous, imaginative or invented names in games and stories.

• Almighty Saints
• Folk Nation
• Friends Stand United
• High Flyers
• LVM Gang
• Maniac Latin Disciples
• Nation of Gods and Earths
• People Nation
• Supreme Demons
• Ghost Face Gangsters
• Ghost Gangster Disciples
• Almighty Stoned Freaks Nation
• Almighty Simon City Royals Nation

Conclusion

Gang name ideas that are cool and lethal make a group appear tough. They are able to employ dark words, sharp animals, or scary weapons. Such names as Shadow Blades, Black Vipers, or Iron Fangs demonstrate fear and strength immediately.

FAQs

What cultural or ethnic influence should the gang name reflect?

The name must be relevant to the origin of the group such as their culture, family or community so that it is authentic to them.

Does the gang name imply power, mystery or solidarity?

Yes. A name can demonstrate strength to frighten the others, mystery to make the group feel secret, or unity to hold the group close.

Does the gang name serve to intimidate, to be funny or to be symbolic?

It depends. A frightening name indicates power, a humorous name makes people laugh, and a symbolic name bears a special meaning.

What is the significance of the gang name length and pronunciation?

Very important. A brief and simple name is easy to pronounce, write and people recall it quickly.

Is the gang name to be based on geography or history?

Yes, lots of names are named after a street, city or a historical event. This causes the name to seem related to an actual location.