ALLEGRA is a delicate ballet-dancer name; ALLEGRO, which means a fast-paced movement in music, is stronger and more vibrant.

Allegro

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's middle name could make an interesting pick for music-loving parents--if only in middle place. Amadeus is the title of a Peter Shaffer play which became an award-winning film in 1984.
 German-born tennis ace Boris Becker chose Amadeus for the name of his fourth son.

Amadeus

Arabesque

Aria is a multi-cultural name with two extremely popular versions: this more word-like one along with Arya, the spelling used for the feisty young heroine of Game of Thrones. There were about 6400 baby girls named Aria in the US last year alog with 2400 named Arya, which counted together places the name in the Top 10.
 
The light and airy Aria entered the list in 2000 and now ranks among the Top 25 girl names in the US. In Italian, Aria's literal meaning is air, while in Hebrew it's a form of Ari meaning lion. An Aria is a musical term denoting a kind of song or melody, often in an opera.
Aria is a Top 100 name throughout the English-speaking world and also ranks highly in France and several European countries -- though notably not in Italy or Israel. In Persian, Aria is a male name, and in Indian it is considered unisex. 
Aria is also an improbably cool saint's name. Saint Aria (or Arria) of Rome was an early Christian martyr.

Aria

BALLAD

When actress Rachel Griffiths chose this highly unusual name for her son, many assumed it was a bizarre invention. But a noted Australian poet (Griffiths is an Aussie) is known by this name. 

Banjo

These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.

Bell

BERIMBAU

BERLIOZ

Brahms

The musical word name Cadence, seemed to come out of nowhere to zoom up the charts; it rose over 700 spots between 2002 and 2004, and showed up in the Top 200 in 2007. It's gone down in the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular names</a> list since then, though. Some might see it as a feminine relative of the popular Caden. Kadence and Kaydence are also rising.
 An early Cadence sighting was in the 1992 Armistead Maupin novel Maybe the Moon, in which the narrator heroine was a small actress called Cadence Roth, nn Cady. January Jones played a Cadence in American Wedding.

Cadence

Cadenza takes the popular CADENCE and gives it a more operatic flourish.

Cadenza

Calliope is the name of the muse of epic poetry -- and also the musical instrument on the merry-go-round. Bold and creative, it would not be the easiest name for a girl lacking such qualities. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016. While Americans usually pronounce this name with a long I sound and the emphasis on the second syllables, Greeks pronounce it with the emphasis on the third syllable -- ka-lee-OH-pee.


Calliope

This hyper-rhythmic name has two evocative references. In Greek mythology, she was an island nymph, a daughter of Atlas, who delayed Odysseus from returning home. It is also a genre of West Indian music, originating in Trinidad and Tobago and largely popularized in the States by Harry Belafonte. 
 Calypso was the name of Jacques-Yves Cousteau's research ship--and would make a highly dramatic, musical choice.

Calypso

Light and delicate musical name would make an unusual choice.

Cantata

It's usually preceded by the letter 'A'--as in 'a capella'--singing without accompaniment, and probably has never been used as a girl's name, but in this anything-goes naming climate, we're putting it out there as a possibility.

Cappella

Word name with an appealing sound but a trivializing meaning. 

Caprice

Carillon

A Caroline abbreviation that was wildly popular with Mom's generation...or Grandma's. At one time it was a <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">name for baby girls born at Christmas</a>. because of its association with Christmas carols.
 Carol began to get popular at the end of the nineteenth century, but its high point was the late 1930s and 1940s, when it was a Top 10 name, reaching as high as Number 4 in 1941.

Carol

The shimmery Celeste has been solidly in the Top 1000 for as long as data has been recorded. The dainty variation Celesta certainly feels useable as well. Other intriguing variations include Celestia and Celestine.

Celesta

If Viola is a credible girl's name, why not the mellow Cello for a boy. 

Cello

CHANSON

CLARINET

CONCERTINA

Corisande is a very unusual, haunting choice, with the aura of medieval romance--it is found in early Spanish romantic tales, arriving in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century.
 'La belle Corisande' was the poetic name applied to Diane de Poitiers, the beautiful and powerful mistress of King Henry II&mdash;-Henri of Navarre-- of France.
 
 Lady Corisande is the leading character in
Benjamin Disraeli's 1870 novel Lothair, and, more recently, was heard in Annabel Davis-Goff's novel This Cold Country.

Corisande

Django &mdash; the D is silent as most everyone now knows &mdash; the nickname of the great Belgian-born jazz guitarist Django (originally Jean Baptiste) Reinhardt, makes a dynamic musical choice for any jazz aficionado. Reinhardt's nickname "Django" is Romani for "I awake." The name has become more familiar with the release of and acclaim for the Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained.

Django

Cool, musical modern choice, especially as a middle name. 

Drum

ELEGY

An original musical possibilty for a lover of Chopin.

Etude

Great middle name choice for music lovers or those with Scottish roots, also spelled Fyfe.

Fife

Fifer is a musical name that fits in seamlessly with the likes of Harper and Piper, but is much more unusual. It's also a Scottish demonym, referring to an inhabitant of the historic Scottish county of Fife.

Fifer

GALLIARD

GAVOTTE

GLEE

If Melody and Lyric are on your style sheet, the peaceful Harmony, popularized by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, should be too. 

Girls names starting with the "Har" sound like Harper, Harley, and Harlow have been trending in recent years. This musical choice fits right in, and it is no wonder that Harmony has been in the Top 200 since 2014.

Harmony

Some music-minded parents might consider this especially as a middle name, to honor the great Austrian composer. 

Haydn

HYMN

Jazz as a full name is used slightly more often for boys than girls and has a distinctive, well, jazzy feel.  Jazz is also occasionally used as a nickname for Jasper, much more often for Jasmine or Jazlyn. Could work as a middle name. 

Jazz

KOTO

LIBRETTO

LISZT

Ludwig

A musical name with Greek roots, appealing to parents who like such other names as Harmony, Melody, and Cadence. 

Lyric

MADRIGAL

MAESTRO

This bold choice soared in popularity from 2008 to 2013, and now seems to have plateaued. But watch out—the character Major Major Major Major in the classic absurdist novel Catch-22 had a terrible time.

Major

Mandolin may seem like an outlandish choice for a name, but since BANJO has been used as a baby name, all the instruments in the band seem to be auditioning for a place on birth certificates.  This one comes with a real name nickname, MANDY.

Mandolin

Along with August, March is one of the month names perfectly suited to boys. This brisk single-syllable name – which derives from the name of Mars, the Roman god of war – is worth considering as either a first or middle option. As a surname, it brings warm memories of the girls of Little Women, and of twentieth century actor Fredric.

March

Marimba

MAZURKA

MEDLEY

A melodious choice big in the sixties, Melody is now starting to pick up tempo again. It cracked the Top 150 for the first time ever in 2015. Melody is also the name of Ariel's equally curious and more tom-boyish daughter in The Little Mermaid sequel. Read more about Melody and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Melody

MEZZO

Minuet is delicate, dancey, and lacy, with a Masterpiece Theatre feel. Is Minuet a real name? Not really, though similar-sounding <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/162/french-names">French names</a> such as Minette and Manette are.

Minuet

A daring middle name possibility for classical concertgoers. Alternatives are Wolfgang and Amadeus. 

Mozart

MUSETTE

OCARINA

A very distinctive musical choice, but be aware that many people will think you've named your child Oprah. 

Opera

OPERETTA

PARTITA

PASTORAL

If Banjo can be a name, why not Piano?  Could be inspired by prize-winning architect Renzo Piano.

Piano

PICCOLO

Piper is a bright, musical name that entered the list in 1999, one year after the debut of the TV series Charmed, which featured a Piper, and it's been a consistent riser since. Piper Kerman is the memoirist whose prison experiences provided the basis for the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black.
 Piper has been chosen by several celebs for their daughters, including Gillian Anderson and Cuba Gooding, Jr., and is now one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/p">girls' names starting with P</a>.
 One of the first Pipers on the scene was Piper Laurie (born Rosetta), after whom actress Piper Perabo was named.

Piper

PRELUDE

A slim, elegant, silvery surname, Reed could be a banker or a sculptor, and therein lies the appeal of this simple yet distinctive name. The versatile Reed can be seen as a grass-like nature name and a musical name.
 There have been Reeds on Grey's Anatomy and Party of Five, as well as on the big screen in Boogie Nights. Reed Richards was the human name of the scientific genius who became Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four.
 The many notables who wore Reed as a surname include army surgeon Walter, basketball coach Willis, Brady Bunch dad Robert, critic Rex, director Sir Carol, actors Donna and Oliver, and singer-songwriter Lou.
The name can also be spelled Reid.

Reed

Could be seen as extravagantly ecstatic for a baby name, though feel free to rhapsodize about your little girl, whatever her name.

Rhapsody

ROCOCO

RONDO

RUBATO

SAMISEN

SARABANDE

Peaceful and melodic, but a bit pretentious. 

Serenade

Undiscovered musical form melodious enough to be a hit on the name charts. 

Sonata

Makes SONATA even more feminine and musical

Sonatina

Name that makes a dramatic musical statement. 

Symphony

TAMBOURINE

A South American dance style whose name derives from Latin tangere "touch". It's also a popular orange-flavored fizzy drink in the UK, as well as the word for the letter T in the NATO phonetic alphabet.

Tango

An offbeat word name referring to the speed of a piece of music.

Tempo

TESSITURA

THEREMIN

TIMBRE

Timpani

Toccata is delicate and musical yes, but still somehow unappealing.

Toccata

TREMOLO

TRIO

UKULELE

This is an outside possibility for opera-lovers, with the additional eco/color factor.

Verdi

VERISMO

Viola has several positive elements going for it: the rhythm of the musical instrument, the association with the flower, the trending 'Vi' beginning and its leading role in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. 
 In the Bard's gender-bending comedy of identity and disguise, Viola is the appealing, passionate heroine. Later takes on this tale include Shakespeare in Love, with Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola de Lesseps and She's the Man starring Amanda Bynes.
 The most distinguished current bearer is Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress Viola Davis.
 Viola was a Top 50 name from 1899 to 1911, falling off the list in 1972, but is still popular in other countries such as Italy, where it is Number 15. And with Violet not sounding quite as fresh as it did, the strong Viola could find herself back in the running.

Viola

VIOLOTTA

VIVACE

WALTZ

Chef Wolfgang Puck has helped soften this thunderous Germanic name; music-lovers will appreciate its association with Mozart, though the composer's middle name Amadeus is more appealing. 

Wolfgang

ZARZUELA

alexa400's list "Musical Names" of 96 great name ideas: Allegro - ZARZUELA!

Musical Names

musical terms/instruments/composers that could be used as names (more likely middle names)
