Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
TV Character Names
Across 11 pages
of 11
Trixie
Diminutive of Beatrix, Latin
"she who brings happiness"
A sassy, spunky name for the bold parent who doesn't remember Mrs. Ed Norton on The Honeymooners or who's into the nicknames-as-given-names trend sweeping the UK and returning to the US. Trixie is a…
Turtle
Nature name
The kind of nickname name you wouldn't want your own child to get stuck with.
Tyrion
Literary name
Tyrion is one of the many new names entering the lexicon thanks to George R. R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones book. Tyrion's name shares its first two letters with those of his father Tywin…
Villanelle
English from Italian
"pastoral song"
Is Villanelle the new Sonnet? This elaborate name is a form of poetry — an example is Dylan Thomas's Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night — but many know it better as an assassin's codename in the…
Wilfred
English
"desires peace"
Wilfred is one of those Old Man Names that still sounds fusty in the US but is fashionable in the UK. It comes with readymade short forms Will, Wilf, or Fred and might make an adventurous alternative…
Wilhelmina
German and Dutch, feminine variation of Wilhelm
"resolute protection"
Wilhelmina might once have been condemned as a clunky relic best left in the past, but a steadily increasing number of parents are dusting it off for their 21st century babies. A reasonably popular…
Xanthippe
Greek
"yellow horse"
Famous as the long-suffering wife of the philosopher Socrates.
Yasuke
Japanese, meaning unknown
Yasuke was the first African samurai in Japan, who served as a retainer under Oda Nobunaga. He arrived in Japan in 1579 with Portuguese Jesuits and Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano.…
Yennefer
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…
Ziggy
German, diminutive of Siegfried and Sigmund
"victorious peace; victorious protection; victory"
Perhaps the ultimate nicknamey name, Ziggy manages to sound cool, cutesy, spiky, and energetic all at once. It brings to mind the glam-rock of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and the cool vibes of reggae…
Ziva
Hebrew
"life"
A zippy little international name. The Hebrew name relates to the month of Israeli independence, while the Slavic Ziva (also spelled Živa and Siva) is a goddess of love, life and fertility. The name…
Keedie
Invented name, Scottish surname, diminutive of Katherine
"of the red earth; pure"
Like a blend of vintage-style Edie and popular Katie, Keedie is either an invented name, a variant of the Scottish surname Keddy, or possibly a short form of Katherine. In the case of Soprano singer…
Eberwolf
Germanic, pop culture
"boar wolf"
Used for a character in the animated fantasy series, The Owl House , Eberwolf combines two animal related names together.
Sazz
Invented name
Sazz is the gender-neutral name of the nonbinary character played by Jane Lynch in Only Murders in the Building . While a pure invention for television, we can see it catching on ala other character…
Sazz
Invented name
Sazz is a name invented for the nonbinary character played by Jane Lynch in Only Murders in the Building . While no actual babies have received this name yet, they will.
Mithian
Cornish place name
"unknown meaning"
With other Cornish names like Elowen and Jago catching people's attention, the mythical sounding Mithian might prove an unexpected and magical feeling choice. Traditionally called Mydhyan , Mithian…
Captain
English word name
"person in charge"
A commanding word name that feels occupational like Miller, Palmer, and Shepherd, while also fitting in with ambitious choices like Legend, King, Major, Maverick, and Saint. Referring to someone who…
Osita
Short form of Ositadimma, Igbo
"if it starts to get better today it started early"
Derived from the Igbo name Ositadimma, Osita comes from the longer phrase Osi-ta-dị-mma-ọdịbalụ-gboo meaning "if it starts to get better today it started early". A powerful meaning with a simple…
Ulle
Diminutive of Ulrik, Swedish
"rich and noble heritage"
A soft but distinctive Swedish short form of the rugged Ulrik, not to be confused with the Estonian (feminine name) Ülle. It has appeared on characters in the game series The Witcher and in the TV…
Ziigwan
Ojibwe
"it is (early) spring"
From the Ojibwe word for early Spring, Ziigwan has a bright, jubilant sound, reflective of its meaning. Used by the Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region and the northern plains, Ziigwan may be…