Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Proof that villain names are just as cool as heros': Namaari was the top debut of 2021 — given to 43 baby girls the year Raya and the Last Dragon premiered. In 2022 it rose to 66 girls, and also…
French from Latin
"russet"
Roux is the name of the dashing Johnny Depp character in Chocolat . Roux is French from a Latin word meaning russet or brownish red; it's also a cooking term for a mixture of flour and butter that…
Greek
"shining, bright"
This spelling of Electra makes this vibrant name less electric and more kinetic.
English and Italian from Arabic and Sanskrit
"void"
Zero has been documented as a given name before, but it's largely familiar as a stage name (such as Zero Mostel, born Samuel Joel Mostel) and comic book and anime characters. Nevertheless, fourteen…
Irish
"unlucky"
Devlin is an Irish name that's fresher and even more devilish than Devin. The earliest written record of this surname occurs in the thirteenth century, when an O'Devlin was appointed Bishop of Kells…
Korean
"real, genuine + friend; precious + friend; excite + universe"
Also written as Jin-u, this simple and charming Korean name has a variety of meanings, depending on which Hanja combinations are used. Possibilities include "real, genuine friend", "rare, precious…
French
"white"
Blanche, which originated as a nickname for a pale blonde and then became associated with the notion of purity, was in style a century ago, ranking in the double digits until 1920. She then had to…
English
"a small salamander"
Rarely used on its own and irrevocably tied to former House Speaker Gingrich -- who was christened Newton.
Evey is a feminine name with multiple potential origins, most commonly functioning as a diminutive of names like Eve, Evelyn, or Genevieve. The name has a sweet, vintage charm with its two-syllable…
Modern invented name
Whether you think of it as Cale with a K, or a pet form of Kalen or Kaleb, this is just the kind of short, synthetic name finding a lot of favor now, but remember -- it's also the name of a vegetable.
"rich"
The Roman god of the underworld, the former ninth planet, a cartoon dog...but not a baby.
Literary name or short form of Jedidiah, Hebrew
"Beloved by the Lord"
Star Wars fans may know the lore behind the origin of the word and the concept Jedi well enough to confidently choose their name for their child. It has to do with balancing the forces of the…
Hindi
"new, novel"
Sleek, and fresh, Navin is a Hindi name that could fit in with the currently popular in/an/en/on-ending boys' names.
Diminutive of Ralph
"wolf-counsel"
Ralphie is one of those short forms that have been out of style for so long it just might have a chance of coming back in, if you can get past seeing it as a desperate attempt to cute-ify a stodgy…
Word name
A name heard in Puritan times -- Cotton Mather was a minister involved in the Salem witchcraft trials -- which really deserves modern consideration as it blends nature and softness into a really…
Arabic, Greek
"shining, radiant; throat"
Lamia is a name with two very different images: from its Arabic roots, it is a bright yet gentle choice with a glowing meaning. As a Greek name however, Lamia appears in mythology as a child-eating…
English, diminutive and surname
Cady is one of those names that sounds popular but is actually rare in this form, given to only a few dozen baby girls in the US last year. Its origins are unclear, and as many possible meanings and…
Word name, various origins
This is an Anglicized form of various names; the Irish Gaelic O Bruic; German, Bruck or Breck, meaning "swamp" or "wood"; Yiddish, Brik, "bridge"; and Slovenian, Bric, "dweller from a hilly place."…
Diminutive of Spanish Francisco
"Frenchman or free man"
Shortening Francisco somehow makes it sound even cooler. Cisco is also the name of a digital security company.
"son of the uncle"
An upscale surname with a nice modern design connection to the creators of the Eames chair and other midcentury furniture classics, Charles and Ray Eames.
