Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 13 pages
of 13
French or Persian
"long ago or magic, witch"
Queen Jadis, also known as The White Witch, is the main villain in The Chronicles of Narnia . She is the force responsible for freezing Narnia and creating the Hundred Year Winter. Author C.S. Lewis…
Invented literary name
"elfstone"
This attractive name was created by JRR Tolkien for his The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. It was given to Aragorn by Galadriel and later adopted by him as King of Gondor.
Japanese
"aware of emptiness"
Goku is the name of the protagonist of the popular "Dragon Ball" manga series, which was turned into a live action film. The character of Goku is reportedly based on Sun Wukong, the hero of the…
Literary name
The kind of potential baby name dads use to tease moms.
Variation of Tirion or Tyrian, Welsh, Latin, Literature
"kind, gentle, happy; of Tyre; royal purple"
Used by C.S Lewis in his Narnia novels, Tirian is a variation of the Welsh mythology name, Tirion, or the Latin name, Tyrian. From soft-but-strong Tirion, it means "kind, gentle", while from Tyrian…
Welsh, meaning unknown
Menna is used regularly in Wales in modern times. Its origins are uncertain: perhaps created by a poet, or possibly connected with the Menai Strait that separates the island of Anglesey from mainland…
Greek
"from the sea"
An offbeat possible replacement for the overused Melissa and Marisa, Nerissa was used by Shakespeare for Portia's witty confidante in The Merchant of Venice . Queen Elizabeth has a cousin named…
Literature
"starlight seen for the last time"
A whimsical choice from the 1923 sci-fi novel Aelita by Aleksey Tolstoy, the name belongs to a Martian princess who lives on Mars in an advanced yet divided society. In the book (and its subsequent…
Author Sarah J. Maas created the name Amren for a High Fae in her acclaimed fantasy romance series A Court of Thorns and Roses . The author has confirmed she is an Old Testament Angel, and as such,…
Hebrew
"prickly pear"
Term for a native-born Israeli, first brought to notice in Edna Ferber's 1929 novel Cimarron. Prickly pear has been interpreted to mean tough on the outside, soft and sweet within.
Fictional name
"daughter of the forest"
Tauriel is the name of an elf in the film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit , played by Evangeline Lilly. She is the head of the Mirkwood Elven guard, and a companion of Legolas. Her name was…
Invented name
Tissaia de Vries is a sorceress character on the Netflix series The Witcher . The origins of this created name are uncertain, but a quick search will pull up many theories, from a variation of Tess,…
Modern invented name
There aren't many characters in the notoriously amoral world of Game of Thrones with a spotless record of moral righteousness -- but Brienne of Tarth comes close. She's one of the most accomplished,…
Literary and botanical name
Katniss Everdeen is the heroine of the popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, whose name comes from the (very real) edible aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria. Katniss's father tells her…
Welsh
"May hawk"
With a noble air and a distinctive yet familiar sound, Gawain is drawn from Arthurian legend, in which he is one of King Arthur's loyal knights and his nephew. Also appearing as the hero of the 14th…
English
"cliff near a heath"
Heathcliff is the name of the original passionate macho hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights , and also of the cartoon cat. It was chosen by fashionista Lucy Sykes for her son, and inspired the…
"mother's gift"
Medora is a Greek name much less common here than, say, Melanie or Melissa. It has some literary references, including as the beautiful and passionate heroine of Lord Byron's poem The Corsair, and in…
"giant, great one"
This name of the queen of the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream has a delicate, lacy charm similar to Tatiana's, but that first syllable could cause embarrassing problems.
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…
Place-name
While this African place-name is much more popular for boys, nearly 40 girls were named Zaire last year. Among African baby names , this is one of the best-known in the US.
