Names from the Arts and Pop Culture · Cool Baby Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Greek
"water nymph,"
Possibility for a girl born under one of the water signs -- Cancer, Pisces, or Scorpio.
Swedish or Cornish
"fairy"
Pixie is a cute -- quite possibly too cute -- name that suddenly feels possible thanks to the craze for names that contain the letter x. Though its origin may be uncertain, a pixie is internationally…
Fruit name
British-born novelist Plum Sykes has taken this rich, fruity name out of the produce section and put it into the baby name basket. It's more appealing than Apple, more presentable than Peaches. The…
Turkish
"fairy tale, fable"
Icelandic
"elf of the sun"
This modern Icelandic name combines the elements alfr meaning "elf" and sol meaning "sun" to create something reminiscent of folktales and epic poetry. It's a rare choice, but has been approved as a…
Irish
"beautiful sheen"
An ancient Aoibheann was the mother of Saint Enda, and Aoibheann remains popular in Ireland today, sometimes with its Anglicized spelling Eavan.
Spanish
"elf army"
The final o adds a good measure of attractiveness. Álvaro is well-used Spanish saint's name with a lot of flair that could definitely cross over to more general usage. It reached its peak in the…
"nymphs"
In Greek mythology, nymphs of the breezes.
Diminutive of Brandon
"broom-covered hill"
A little heavy on the fiber content; we prefer Bram. But Bran is also the Celtic god of the underworld, whose symbol is the raven. It's probably not a coincidence that George R.R. Martin chose this…
German
"elfin vision"
A little too close to Cruella.
Literary name
"lover of the sea"
In The Lord of the Rings , Eärendil is a half-Elven seafarer whose ship turns into a star. J.R.R. Tolkien based his name off of the Anglo-Saxon Ēarendel, a variation of Aurvandill, a Germanic…
Quenya
"the elf friend"
The name of a character in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings legendarium. He was the father of Isildur and Anárion, last lord of Andúnië, and the first High King of Arnor and Gondor.
Short form of Elfrida or Elfrieda
Elf is an adorable nickname for the otherwise-clunky Elfrida or Elfrieda. Elf was used for the tragic sister in Miriam Toews' novel All My Puny Sorrows .
English
"elf power"
Form of Elfrida
The name of the mother of Aethelred the Unready was once common among the Anglo-Saxon nobility, and was briefly revived during the 19th century, only to be lost once again to history. However, with…
Form of Elfrida that has an old-fashioned sound you just might find cool.
"elf, secret lore"
This German name has a whimsical meaning- a combination of "elf" and Runo, meaning "secret lore".
Anglo-Saxon
"spearman"
A pared-down version of the Anglo-Saxon names Æthelgar and Ælfgar. It's very rarely used, but might appeal for the connection to English classical composer Edward Elgar, or just for its distinctive…
"surname and place name"
A preppy surname and place name derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Ælfweard "elf guardian" + the -by suffix, meaning "village, homestead". Ellerby feels like a quirkier Ellery or Emery.
English surname and place name
"farmstead, village"
