Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Names From Theater
Across 11 pages
of 11
Mimi
Diminutive of Mary, Miriam, and others
Sweet, nicknamey name belonging to the tragic heroines of both La Bohème and Rent . Mimi might feel too slight for many parents to use on the birth certificate, but as a short form, it's one of the…
Mitch
Mitch is a masculine name that originated as a diminutive of Mitchell, which itself began as a surname derived from the name Michael, meaning "who is like God?" in Hebrew. Mitch emerged as a…
Oedipus
Greek
"swollen foot"
Sure to give a complex.
Olga
Slavic variation of Helga, Norse
"holy"
This Slavic form of the Norse name Helga is a classic in many Slavic countries, including Russia and Poland, where it currently ranks within the Top 100 girl names. It has historically ranked among…
Pierpont
English and Norman surname
"stone bridge"
Sharp surname with Norman roots — it originally denoted a person from any of four places called Pierrepont in Normandy.
Pippin
Variation of Pepin
"awe-inspiring"
Super-sweet name that was the title of a Broadway play -- but best known as a type of apple. The Dutch variation is Pepijn is finding some popularity in that country, where short nickname names are…
Polina
Russian and Basque, feminine variation of Paul
This version of the more familiar Paulina is occasionally used in the US, though some may see it as relating more to the word pole than to the classic Paul.
Polly
English variation of Molly, diminutive of Mary, Hebrew
"bitter"
An alternative to the no-longer-fresh Molly, the initial 'P' gives Polly a peppier sound, combining the cozy virtues of an old-timey name with the bounce of a barmaid. Associated with Tom Sawyer's…
Prior
Prior is a masculine name with Latin origins, derived from the word 'prior' meaning 'former' or 'previous.' It was traditionally used as an occupational surname for someone who held the position of…
Proctor
Latin
"official, administrator"
With the new fashion for occupational names, we may hear more of this one.
Pyotr
Russian variation of Peter
For Americans, may prove too much of a twist on Peter.
Raoul
French variation of Ralph
"wolf-counsel"
Raoul, with its unique three-vowel middle, rolls off the tongue in an appealing way. Raoul is one of the French names that sounds infinitely more romantic and attractive than the somewhat harsh…
Raynell
Raynell is a feminine name with Germanic and French influences, combining elements of names like Rayne (from 'raginaz' meaning 'counsel' or from the word for rain) and the feminine suffix '-elle' or…
Reno
Place name
Reno Sweeney is the heroine of the Cole Porter musical Anything Goes , played on Broadway by Ethel Merman, Patti Lupone, and Sutton Foster. While Reno was not used for any baby girls in 2022, it's…
Riff
English word and musical name
"a short repeated phrase in popular music"
Riff is the name of the leader of the Jets in West Side Story , drawn from the musical word for a repeated phrase in a song. A tragic character in the musical, but a jaunty sounding name with the…
Rita
Spanish, Hindi
"pearl; truth, order"
One of the glamour girl names of the Rita Hayworth 1940s, Rita was once a Top 50 name and stayed on the SSA list until 2002. The name Rita still has enough Latin zip to be a lively, revivable short…
Romaine
French
"a Roman"
In this country, likely to conjure up visions of leafy lettuce.
Roxie
Diminutive of Roxanne
Audacious offshoot of Roxanne, the wayward heroine of the musical Chicago.
Rusty
Short form of Russell
Though as a formal name Rusty is a little, well, rusty, it spent half a century among the Top 1000, departing only in 1995. Only 45 baby boys received the name in the US in one recent year and it's…
Ruzan
Armenian literature, meaning unknown
Literary and theatrical, Ruzan has its roots in the 1882 play Ruzan , a historical drama by the Armenian author Muratsan. As a contemporary baby name, it has a lot to stand on: its similarity to…