Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 4 pages
of 4
English variation of László, Hungarian
"glorious ruler"
Arguably, an even more Anglicized spelling of László than Laszlo, this stripped back form of the Hungarian name has begun to see occasional use in the US, though the longer spelling is still twice as…
Greek
"generous gift"
Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and…
German variation of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Ilsa is remembered as the radiant but tragic heroine of "Casablanca," and it's having something of a European resurgence.
Latin, meaning unknown
Remus is one of the legendary twins who, with brother Romulus, founded Rome. An unusual yet classic name for the extremely adventurous who can put aside the stereotyped image of Uncle Remus. Though…
French and German
"land brilliant"
Ancient saint's name used for cowardly cartoon lion.
German
"comrade in arms; battle enclosure, battle ground"
Hildegard is an ancient name that sounds it, but it does have sweet short forms Hildie and Hilda to recommend it, as well as several illustrious historical bearers. Strong and striking, it would make…
"ruler with the spear"
Geralt is an antiquated version of the old-fashioned name Gerald, which has been dropping toward the bottom of the US Top 1000 since the early 1940s and finally dropped out in 2021. Geralt is seeing…
Short form of Dorotea or Mattea
"gift of God"
As Theo and Thea get more popular, so do Teo and Tea, short forms of the Latinate variations of Theodore and Matthew -- which include Dorotea and Mattea. But like Theo and Thea, Tea can stand…
"victorious peace"
Also spelled Sigfrid, this hefty German name has an appropriately majestic meaning: "victorious peace". Fittingly, a famous bearer was the English World War I poet and pacifist Siegfried Sassoon.…
Irish
"battle man"
Cahir along with its traditional spelling Cathair is well-used in modern Ireland. Now it's finding a wider audience thanks to The Witcher , though Cahir is the main villain of the series. It was in…
Indian mythological name; Hebrew, Swahili
"scarlet, marvelous"
It would be easy to dismiss this girlish name as invented fluff, but it has roots in several cultures with evocative meanings and references. Shani refers to the "scarlet thread" or theme of a story.…
Literary name, variation of Jennifer or Guinevere, Cornish or Welsh
"white shadow, white wave"
Yennefer is the name of one of the protagists of The Witcher series, first books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and then a video game and now a Netflix series. Yennefer is a powerful fighter and…
Diminutive of Cirilla, Latin
"lordly"
Ciri may sound exactly like the ubiquitous digital Siri, but it's achieving fame in its own right as the familiar name of Princess Cirilla of The Witcher series. The name's meaning is a nod to her…
Gaelic
"nut kernel"
Pretty and soulful name of a goddess from Irish mythology and several Irish saints. Singer Enya, born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, has made the Anglicized spelling familiar. Eithne comes from the vocabulary…
Hungarian
"sultan"
Though a common name in Hungary, with the spelling Zoltán, the relatively rare Z sound is striking to English speakers. Penn Gillette used the Zolten spelling for his son; it was also the name of…
Literary name
Vilgefortz is a character from The Witcher series -- one as unappealing as his name.
Istredd is the name of sorceress Yennefer's former lover in The Witcher series, created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Some sources theorize that the name is related to the Scandinavian royal…
Literary and botanical name
"buttercup"
Jaskier is the original Polish name of the bard character in The Witcher , incorrectly translated in the English versions of the books and video games as Dandelion but really meaning Buttercup. The…
"warrior fighting with a spear"
Last-name-first-name with a romantic but dangerous edge.
"wealthy"
Odo is an ancient Germanic masculine name with rich historical connections. The more modern form is the new fashionable Otto. Most famously associated with Odo of Bayeux, the medieval bishop who…
