Names That Mean Dance

Baila

Yiddish

"white; bashful"

Also written as Bayla, Baila is reminiscent of the Spanish word for "dance". Its meaning is debated: it may come from the Slavic root word for "white", or it may be a form of Bilhah, one of the four…

Mai

Japanese, French, Welsh, Vietnamese, Navajo

"dance; May; cherry blossom; coyote"

Cross-cultural winner.

Fei

Chinese

"to dance in the air"

Fei would make a great way to honor Chinese roots in the US, thanks to its similarity to the fast-rising Faye.

Ceilidh

Scottish Gaelic

"social gathering, dance party"

From a Scottish Gaelic word meaning "visit", a ceilidh today usually means a gathering with traditional Scottish or Irish music and dances. The spelling could be an issue, depending on where you…

Maiko

Japanese

"dance child"

Commonly borne by Gen X women in Japan.

Jive

English

"dance"

Sundance

English

"sun dance"

Long synonymous with the American outlaw Harry Longabaugh, aka The Sundance Kid, who got his nickname from the town of Sundance, Wyoming, where he was incarcerated as a teenager. The place name…

Minuet

French, dance term

Minuet is delicate, dancey, and lacy, with a Masterpiece Theatre feel. Is Minuet a real name? Not really, though similar-sounding French names such as Minette and Manette are.

Allemande

Word name

"German Dance"

An Allemande is a renaissance musical form meaning 'German dance" - Handel composed many famous allemandes. As a name, Allemande has the advantages of being unusual whilst still having a history, and…