Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Movie Character Names
Across 11 pages
of 11
Zee
Invented name
As a nickname for one of the longer Z-starting choices, maybe, but not as a name unto itself.
Zero
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. Seven boys were called…
Zinaida
Russian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian form of Zenaida, Greek
"life of Zeus; dedicated to Zeus"
A name is a bright, sharp sound and an air of antiquity, Zinaida is associated with genus of white-winged doves, a first-century saint and doctor, and the highest of the Greek gods. This particular…
Zissou
Invented name
Superfans of auteur Wes Anderson may now consider Zissou as a baby name option, ever since Kieran Culkin and Jazz Charton used it for their daughter (birth name Kinsey Sioux). It's a clear homage to…
Zuzu
Czech diminutive of Susan
"lily"
This sizzling nickname Zuzu is heard every Christmas as the name of Jimmy Stewart's little girl in "It's a Wonderful Life," but we love it all year round as a lively alternative to double names like…
Maudeline
Variation of Magdalene, or combination of Maude + Madeline
"from Magdala, from the high tower; strength in battle + high tower"
Sensitive and elegant, but with a hint of vintage clunkiness, Maudeline can be considered a form of Magdalene, or a compound name, blending Maude with Madeline (also a variant of Magdalene).…
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,…
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…
Glinda
Literary name
Glinda is famous as the name of the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz, invented by author L. Frank Baum. but has there ever been a real life, non-fictional Glinda? Not in the US last year. The name may…
Dillamond
Literary name
"people's protection; dill protection"
A character in the Wicked novels and musicals, Dr. Dillamond is a Goat, mentor, and professor. It could blend the Old English element mund meaning "protection" with Dil , a Germanic diminutive…
Pfannee
Literary invention
A minor (female) character in the Wicked book and musical, who is gender swapped for the 2024 movie.
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".
Nessarose
Literary invention, combination of Nessa and Rose
"butterfly + rose; gentle + rose; miracle + rose"
A smoosh name used by Gregory Maguire in his book Wicked and the subsequent musical. It blends Rose with Nessa, which can be a short form of Vanessa (or other -nessa names), an anglicized variation…
Boq
Literary invention
The name of a Munchkin in L Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz , who plays a much larder role in the spin off Wicked novels and musical. The meaning of the name is unknown, but it could come from Bock, a…
Zenon
Pop cultural invention
Used in the novel and subsequent Disney movie Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century , Zenon is typically a masculine name of Greek and Polish origin, however, in the book and film, it was used for a girl…
Moana
Maori, Samoan
"deep ocean, sea"
This Maori name, often heard in New Zealand, is an attractive, evocative choice for lovers of the ocean made famous – perhaps too famous – by the Disney heroine. Moana was also an alternate name for…
Simea
Feminine form of Simon or Simeon, variation of Samea, Hebrew, Arabic
"to hear, to listen; high, elevated; name of God"
A rare feminine form of Simon, Shimei, or Simeon, Simea also appears in the 2024 Disney movie, Moana 2 . In this case, the name is a twist on Samea (the director David Derrick Jr's daughter's name)…
Simea
Feminine form of Simon or Simeon, variation of Samea, Hebrew, Arabic
"to hear, to listen; high, elevated; name of God"
A rare feminine form of Simon, Shimei, or Simeon, Simea also appears in the 2024 Disney movie, Moana 2 . In this case, the name is a twist on Samea (the director David Derrick Jr's daughter's name)…
Matangi
Hindu, Sanskrit, Polynesian
"goddess of music, knowledge, wisdom and the arts; breeze, wind"
Matangi a Hindu goddess and an aspect of Parvati, the Divine Mother. She rules over speech, knowledge, music, and the arts and worshipping her is said to allow people to control their enemies and…
Kele
Hopi, Hawaiian "sparrow hawk; the sound, call, equal, cart"
"sparrow hawk; the sound, call, equal, cart"
Kele is both a Native American name, used by the Hopi people to mean "sparrow hawk", and a name of Hawaiian origin. In the latter case, it sometimes appears as part of a name, usually in a Hawaiian…