Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Names From Theater
Across 11 pages
of 11
Elphaba
Literary invented name
Elphaba was invented by Gregory Maguire for the protagonist of his novel Wicked , which became the long-running Broadway play and then a movie. Elphaba is the name of the Wicked Witch of the West,…
Elvira
Spanish
"white, fair"
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.…
Elyot
Elyot is a masculine name that serves as a variant spelling of Eliot or Elliott. These names derive from the Hebrew Elijah (meaning 'my God is Yahweh') or potentially from the Greek name Helios. The…
Eponine
French literary name
Eponine is attracting new notice via the movie of Les Miserables, based on the book by Victor Hugo. Eponine is the spoiled daughter of Cosette's foster parents whose name, according to the story, was…
Emile
Emile is a masculine name of French origin, derived from the Roman family name Aemilius, which comes from the Latin word 'aemulus' meaning 'rival' or 'emulating'. Popular throughout France and…
Ernest
English from German
"serious, resolute"
Ernest is one of those sober, so-far-out-they're-beginning-to-be-reconsidered Great Uncle names. Ernest recently received a big style boost when Britain's Princess Eugenie chose it for her second…
Eurydice
Greek
"wide justice"
Flowing and intriguing, Eurydice is a name from Greek mythology, borne by the wife of musician Orpheus. After she is poisoned by a snake and condemned to the underworld, Orpheus attempts to rescue…
Evita
Spanish, diminutive of Eva
There's only one Evita.
Fagin
Irish
"rustic"
Forever Dickens's con artist in Oliver Twist .
Fanny
Diminutive of Frances, English from Latin
"from France; free man"
As this word is less often used to mean derriere, it becomes more possible to view Fanny as the kind of appealingly quaint nickname name, like Josie and Nellie, that many parents are favoring now.
Fantine
Latin
"infant"
Fantine is a rarely heard French name except as a character in the Victor Hugo novel Les Misérables .
Faustus
Latin
"fortunate one"
Faustus is a masculine name with ancient Roman origins, derived from the Latin word 'faustus' meaning 'lucky' or 'favorable.' It shares roots with the word 'auspicious' and was used during the…
Fiyero
Literary creation
"furious"
Created by Gregory Maguire for his book, Wicked (and featured in the subsequent Broadway musical), Fiyero derives from the word "furious".
Galinda
Germanic
"soft singing voice"
The original name of Glinda from Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked and the subsequent Broadway musical. She drops the 'a' from her name to honor a goat, who mispronounced her name as a Glinda. As a…
Georges
French form of George, from Greek
"farmer"
The S may confuse English speakers, but it's a French classic.
Gerald
English and Irish from German
"ruler with the spear"
Both a saint's name and a presidential one via Gerald Ford—who was born Leslie—Gerald is a quintessential 1930s-40s name, when it ranked as high as Number 19. Hence all those nice middle-aged and…
Giles
Greek
"young goat"
One of those names that most Americans find just too too tea-sippingly British to consider; its meaning has led to occasional use for Capricorn boys.