Name of an Old Testament soldier that's been also used as a girls' name in modern Israel. An alternate spelling is Adinah. Some mistake Adina and Adinah to be the root of Dinah, but the Biblical name Dinah is borne by a different figure and has a different meaning. You can consider the modern short forms Dena and Dina as stemming from either Adina or Dinah.

Adina

He was the legendary son of Venus, hero of Troy and Rome, and broke the heart of Queen Dido of Carthage. Sure, its more challenging than Charlie - but if you're looking this name up, that's probably part of its appeal. 

Aeneas

The name of a king in Greek mythology who led the Greek expedition to Troy to rescue Helen. He was killed by his wife Clytemnestra partly to avenge their daughter Iphigenia, and partly due to her adultery with Aegisthus.

Agamemnon

Agathe is a hugely popular name in contemporary France, even if it's English-speaking counterparts have not yet warmed to the usual English version, Agatha. The French pronunciation is sure to trip up non-French speakers.

Agathe

A name with a rich history in Ancient Greece and Rome, Agrippina was the sister of Caligula and mother of Nero, who had her murdered. The original male version, Agrippa, can also used for girls. The name Agrippina arose in ancient times to further distinguish it as a feminine form of Agrippa.

Agrippina

Aida is a melodic name largely associated with the title character of the 1871 Verdi opera, an enslaved Ethiopian princess who dies to save her people. In the past, her name was rarely heard outside the Latino community, but in the current time of love for all A-starting girls' names, this could very well change.
 Aida did have a period of some U.S. popularity; in 1954, it reached as high as Number 663, but fell off the list in 1976. Aida Turturro played Tony Soprano's sister in The Sopranos.

 Arabic families often pronounce it with two syllables — as EYE-dah — rather than three.

Aida

Alfonso was a royal name in Spain as far back as the 7th century, but it is rarely heard outside the Hispanic community in the US.

Alfonso

Alfredo, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese variation of Alfred, is most familiar as the romantic lead in Verdi's evergreen opera La Traviata. On a less romantic note, Alfredo is also the name of a pasta sauce.

Alfredo

Known from the Menotti opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, this is a subdued and gentle name. 

Amahl

An increasing number of parents are using the Italian word for love as a baby name in the US.

Amore

Angelica is by far the choicest form of the angelic names -- more delicate than Angelina, more feminine than Angel, more modern than Angela. But though Angelica is so lacy and poetic, it lags behind the bolder Angelina (probably for obvious reasons).
 Angelica was introduced to England from Italy in the seventeenth cenury, and is heard in early poetry and plays, including Romeo and Juliet. Angelica Schuyler, played by Renee Elise Goldsberry, is one of the most appealing characters in Broadway sensation Hamilton.
 Anjelica is a variant spelling, as in Anjelica Huston.

Angelica

Anna has become the dominant form of the Ann family, offering a touch of the international to English speakers and a bit more style than the oversimplified Ann or Anne.
 Anna is the Latin form of Hannah, a Hebrew name that derived from root chanan, meaning "grace." European Christians embraced the name for its associations with the Virgin Mary’s mother, Saint Anna — known in English as Saint Anne.
Anna has been used for generations throughout Europe, from Russia to Italy, Spain to The Netherlands. While Hannah and Anna are the most common forms of the name, variations including Annie, Annalise, Anya, Anika, Nancy, and Anais also rank in the US Top 1000.
 
Classic and simple, Anna would be an excellent choice for parents in search of a name that will bridge two different cultures, say Jewish and Italian.
 
In literature, Anna is associated with Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The name was given some fresh life when it was used for the adorable younger sister voiced by Kristen Bell in the animated film Frozen. Three current bearers are actresses Anna Kendrick, Anna Friel, and Anna Paquin.
 
Anya takes it more into international territory, and Anja, even further. Read more about Anna and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Anna

With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, if high-pressure, option. 
 
But if Romeo and Venus are now deemed baby-appropriate, why not Apollo? Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno might inspire some parents. And now that it's been chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, it could take off as their first son's name—Kingston—has.
 Other cool associations include NASA's Apollo program, from 1961-72, that succeeded in putting the first humans on the moon when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their lunar module and walked on the moon's surface. There's also the historic Apollo Theatre in Harlem, on whose stage the careers of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Artetha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, the Jackson 5, and countless others were launched.

Apollo

Torquano Tasso likely invented this name for the magical enchantress who beguiles the crusaders in his celebrated poem Jerusalem Delivered. Armida is also the eponymous heroine of a Handel opera.

Armida

Asteria is an Anglicized spelling of the Greek Astraea or Astraia, the goddess of justice and innocence.  She became the constellation Virgo, so all forms of this name would be especially appropriate for a child born in late August or early September.

Asteria

Abdallo

Abigaille

Achilla

Acis

Admeto

Alceste

Alinda

Almaviva

Almirena

Amida

Andronico

Argante

Ariodante

Armonia

Aspasia

This evocative name of one of the Three Wise Men of the Orient, also spelled Balthasar, may finally be ready for prime time. Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar were the Magi who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus, though their names were not mentioned in the Bible.
 Balthazar, in its various spellings, has been attached to a number of distinguished artists, writers and philosophers of the past; the most prominent contemporary bearer is Balthazar Getty, actor and great-grandson of J. Paul Getty. The iconoclastic modern painter Balthus was born Balthasar.
 Balthazar is well represented in literature. The name appears in no fewer than four Shakespeare plays, is the title of a Lawrence Durrell novel, is the main character of a Balzac novel, and has been seen in everything from a James Bond film to Buffy the Vampire Slayer to The Smurfs to Xbox and online games, and there is a J. P. Donleavy novel titled The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B.

Balthazar

Basilio

In this form, or as Sebastian or as Bas, Bastien is a fashionable Euro name with a possible future in America. 
 There is a one-act comic opera by Mozart titled Bastien and Bastienne.
 An alternate spelling is Bastian, which was used by Jeremy Sisto for his son.

Bastien

Rare French option for girls, but feels familiar thanks to the popularity of Sebastian.

Bastienne

Belinda, cousin of Linda and Melinda, enjoyed a brief return to the Top 1000 from 2005 through 2013, only to fall off again in 2014. A name that some may consider a modern spin on the midcentury popularity queen Linda is in fact a classic with deep and fascinating roots. In Babylonian mythology Belinda was the goddess of heaven and earth, and the name later was used for the heroine of Alexander Pope's satirical poem The Rape of the Lock.
 One of Belinda's meanings is 'beautiful snake' (coined at a time when snakes were a sacred symbol of wisdom and immortality) and it still does seem to have a certain lingering serpentine charm.
 Belinda entered the US popularity lists in 1940, and went on to reach Number 142 in 1961. Both Maria Edgeworth and Anne Rice wrote eponymous novels called Belinda.
 Belinda Carlisle was the lead vocalist in "The Go-Go's."

Belinda

Bajazet

Barbarina

Bartolo

Belcore

Bertarido

Besso

Brünnhilde

Carlino

Carmen has long been associated with the sensuous, tragic heroine of Bizet's opera, based on a novel by Prosper Merimee; more recently it has called to mind two other bombshells: Carmen Miranda (born Maria) and Carmen Electra (born Tara), as well as the great jazz singer Carmen McRae. In the celebrity baby name world, this classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/495/spanish-names-for-girls">Spanish name for girls</a> was used by Hilaria and Alec Baldwin for their daughter.
 She has plenty of childhood references as well: Carmen Elizabeth Juanita Echo Sky Brava Cortez is a character from the Spy Kids trilogy, Carmen Lowell appears in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, Carmen de la Pica Morales was a character on The L Word, and Carmen Sandiego is the clever anti-hero in the Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? computer-game franchise—she was named for Carmen Miranda and the city of San Diego.
 In the Latin community, Carmen is also used as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a>.

Carmen

After half a century, this otherwise feasible name has at last started to lose its link to the friendly ghost; it certainly didn't scare model Claudia Schiffer, who chose it for her son, as did Atomic Kitten Jenny Frost. Iconoclastic namer Jason Lee switched genders and called his daughter Casper. Also related to the revived Jasper, Caspar seems headed towards the path to a similar resurgence.

 Caspar is the name of one of the Three Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus&mdash;-Caspar of Tarsus was the one who brought the gift of gold.

 In the Casper spelling, the name was quite popular in the U.S. near the end of the nineteenth century, peaking in 1889 at Number 332, but it dropped off the list completely in 1933. It still retains its popularity in Scandinavia and Belgium.

 Actor Casper van Dien was the tenth generation in his family to bear the name of his Dutch ancestors, continuing the tradition with his son Casper Robert Mitchum.

Caspar

Cenerentola

Claudio, a most appealing Italian name, is featured in not one, but two Shakespearean plays, ,Measure for Measure and Much Ado About Nothing. While "lame" is the most widely acknowledged meaning, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise-attractive name.

Claudio

A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used.  Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some popularity in the early 20th century when there was a crazy for all things Egypt-related as the ancient tombs were opened and artifacts displayed.  In the US, Cleopatra became a popular silent film in 1917 starring Theda Bara.

Cleopatra

Cloris

In ancient Rome, Cornelia was considered the paragon of womanly virtue, making it a handsome name with an excellent pedigree. It's rare today, so if you want a name no one else is using, somewhat reminiscent of Amelia and the Shakespearean Cordelia, Cornelia should be on your list. Cornelia's short forms might include Cora, Nelia or Nell--anything but Corny.
 The name of the mother of famous second century Roman reformers, Cornelia emerged in England in the seventeenth century, probably brought in by Dutch immigrants. The painter Jan Vermeer had a daughter named Cornelia.
 Cornelia has not made a mark on the U.S. popularity list since 1965--so she's more than due for reconsideration. In the meantime, it's been associated with contemporary socialite Cornelia Guest, giving the name an elite image.

Cornelia

Calisto

Caronte

Cherubino

Cio-Cio-San

Delfa

Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. But at this point in time, there might be some adventurous parents willing to overlook that.
 Jeffrey Eugenides used the name for a character in his novel Middlesex.
 And for those seeking some celestial cred, Desdemona belongs to the Shakespearean Portia Group of satellites, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda and Perdita.

Desdemona

Despina is best known as the clever and wily maidservant character in Mozart's opera Così fan tutte. It is a name of Greek origin, derived from Despoina, who in Greek mythology was the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon. 

 In its native Greece, Despina is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable – DESS-pi-na -– but in Italy, Portugal, and other countries where the name is often found, it's usually pronounced dess-PEE-nah.

Despina

Diana, the tragic British princess, inspired many fashions, but strangely, not one for her name. For us, Diana is a gorgeous and still-underused choice.
 Diana is the Latin name for the Roman goddess associated with the moon, virginity, and hunting; she is the protector of wild animals, represented in myth as both beautiful and chaste.
 Two of her most prominent bearers today are singers Diana (born Diane) Ross and Krall. Fictional Dianas appear in All's Well That Ends Well, Jane Eyre, and Anne of Green Gables.
 Now that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, perhaps this name will finally attract more attention and greater use.

Diana

Dido was the heroine of Virgil's Aeneid and of the opera "Dido and Aeneas," and in Roman mythology the founder of Carthage. A strong ancient name in the Juno mode, but it could have some awkward associations down the line. 
 The English singer-songwriter Dido was born with the equally unusual name Florian Cloud, but was called Dido since childhood.

Dido

Cinderella stepsister type Victorian-valentine name. 

Dorinda

Dalinda

Destino

Dorabella

Dulcamara

This spelling of Electra makes this vibrant name less electric and more kinetic.

Elektra

This spelling of the classic name is found in France, Germany, Greece, and other cultures, and is worn by such notables as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth Shue, Elisabeth Moss, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. The name's pronunciation is usually just like the Z version, but some parents choose this because they want to discourage the Liz or Lizzie short forms and so pronounce it as if it has Lisa in the middle.
 Elisabeth is nicknamed Bethsy in the 2008 film adaptation of Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks, Bep in The Diary of Anne Frank, and Betsy in the Wolverine universe.

Elisabeth

Before there was the campy TV Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Elvira was the long-suffering wife of Don Juan, and remnants of those negative, gothic images still cling to it, though they are fading.
Other references include the romantic film Elvira Madigan, based on a real person, and the main ghostly character in Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, as well as appearances in several operas.
 Elvira was in common use in the US in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, remaining in the Top 1000 until 1981; it's still popular in Scandinavia, ranking Number 39 in Sweden.

Elvira

Emilia is the feminine form of the Roman clan name Aemilius, which derived from the Latin aemulus, meaning "rival." In Shakespeare’s Othello, Emilia is the wife of Iago and confidante of Desdemona. Amelia, although homonymous, has a different root and meaning. 
 
Emilia is rising as an Emily/Amelia alternative. In modern pop culture, Emilia is the name of the main character in The Princess Diaries and the first name of Game of Thrones and Solo star Emilia Clarke.
 Emilia is currently enjoying high popularity across some diverse cultures—it's near the top of the charts in Germany, Finland, Austria, Poland and Chile, and is favored in both English- and Spanish-speaking countries.

Emilia

Ercole

Euridice

Eduige

Egeo

Endimione

Eolo

Erice

Ericlea

Erisbe

Escamillo

Eumelo

Eumete

Eurilla

Eurimaco

Eustazio

Evandro

Can you hear the drums Fernando? Although 58% of Nameberries prefer Ferdinand to Fernando, the Iberian variant has a softer, more romantic feel that makes it a better fit with all those Javiers, Lorenzos and Matteos.

Fernando

Ferrando

A literary name coined by the French playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais for the central character in his plays The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro and The Guilty Mother. It is thought that he based the name on his own nickname. In modern French, the word has come to mean "barber", due to the famous character's profession.

Figaro

Flavio is derived from Flavius, a surname used in Ancient Rome. These family names, or cognomens, were given to distinguish branches of the clan and were chosen based on a characteristic of an important bearer. In this case, the Flavius family patriarch was likely blond-haired.

Flavio

An ancient and dashing princely European name, belonging to one of the Grimaldi princes of Monaco from the 18th and 19th centuries. Florestan is also a character in Ludwig van Beethoven's opera "Fidelio" (1814).

Florestan

The Roman goddess Fortuna personified luck and ruled over fortune and fate. She is often depicted as blindfolded, and remains an important figure in Italian culture today, where a common saying translates to "Luck is blind."
 
Carl Orff's musical work Carmina Burana, based on a collection of medieval songs, begins with the iconic piece "O Fortuna".
 
Fortuna's Greek equivalent is Tyche.

Fortuna

Freia

Farnace

Fenena

Fiordiligi

Frasquita

Fricka

Froh

This name's meaning derives from the material from which the mythical sculptor Pygmalion chiselled his ideal woman - she was carved from ivory. Pygmalion fell in love with his creation and Aphrodite, taking pity on him, brought the sculpture to life. The woman was named Galatea due to her incredibly pale skin. The Pygmalion myth was the inspiration behind the story of "My Fair Lady" starring Julie Andrews on stage and Audrey Hepburn on screen.

Galatea

Elaborate, ultra-feminine variation of Gianna.

Giannetta

Gilda, although related to the words gold and gilded, has definitely tarnished.  It once shimmered with the seductive image of Rita Hayworth in the film Gilda, then was associated with the beloved early Saturday Night Live star Gilda Radner.  In opera, Gilda lives on as the name of the daughter of Rigoletto.

Gilda

undefined's list "Names from Operas" of 258 great name ideas: Adina - Ännchen!

Names from Operas

These are names culled from some of the most influential operas in history. They derive from Italian, French, or Russian origin, taking inspiration from classic literature, poetry, mythology, folklore, and Biblical stories. They are highly unusual but startlingly beautiful.