Celebrity Names · Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Spelling variation of Jenson and Danish surname
"son of Jens"
The number one surname in Denmark could make a sophisticated and stylish girl's name. Jensen Huang is the (male) cofounder of AI giant Nvidia.
Spanish and French pet name
Coco came to prominence as the nickname of the legendary French designer Chanel (born Gabrielle) and has lately become a starbaby favorite, initially chosen by Courteney Cox for her daughter Coco…
German
"bold, brave"
Hardy is a spirited and durable un-Germanic German surname that is starting to be used in this country. British fashion designer Hardy Amies (born Edwin) is its best known bearer, and Thomas Hardy…
Diminutive of Cyrus, Persian
"sun"
This evocative short name is suddenly chic — it was recently chosen by Jennifer Lawrence for her baby boy. JLaw's son's name honors Cy Twombly, the influential mid-century American artist. Born Edwin…
Dutch variation of William
"resolute protector"
Common in Holland, the appealing Willem (as in de Kooning and Dafoe) makes William fresh and distinctive.
English
"enclosure"
This simple, elegant name offers something for many kinds of parents, from writers and history buffs to photographers to Pennsylvania dwellers. Most famous bearers are comedian Penn Jillette and…
Greek mythology name
"cairn, pile of stones, boundary marker"
These days, some may think of Hermes as an upscale brand name like Chanel and Porsche (spelled as Hermès), or a strange choice thanks to the parcel delivery company. However, with names from Greek…
French artist name, from diminutive of Simon
A new favorite of the bohemian set, brought to light by actress Monet Mazur, daughter of the artist who designed the Rolling Stones' mouth logo.
Latin
"to give"
The name of the great Italian Renaissance sculptor known as Donatello (but born DONATO), is one that could easily emigrate to modern America, just like sister DONATELLA.
Greek
"security, hostage, pledge"
Homer is a name of two halves, associated with the ancient Greek poet of the epic Odyssey and with the (often) doltish patriarch of The Simpsons . So does that make Homer a classic and scholarly…
French
"yew wood"
On paper, with its stylish ties to fashion legend Yves Saint-Laurent (born Henri), Yves looks great, but the pronunciation--EVE-- could lead to gender confusion. German variation Ivo might be cooler…
Low German variation of Gerhard
An undiscovered cousin of Garrett and Gerard. Gerrit has some merit, especially for its arty credentials as the name of several Old Master painters.
Art name
The surname of the great artist is pronounced the same way as Mathis, the German and French form of Matthew, so it's not a stretch for use as a first name.
British from Latin, or Anglicized form of French
"corner or crow"
This name has not one but two impressive cultural connections: collage artist Joseph Cornell and photographer Cornell Capa--not to mention Cornell University.
Italian, feminine diminutive of Donato
Stylish and dramatic, a la Donatella Versace.
Finnish variation of Eric
"eternal ruler"
Creative gem perfect for an architect's son, in tribute to modern Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen.
Basque, medieval Spanish variation of Ignatius
"fiery"
Inigo, almost unknown in the U.S., is an intriguing choice, with its strong beat, creative and evocative sound, and associations with the great early British architect and stage designer Inigo Jones.…
French nickname and Japanese
"double happiness"
Kiki is one of the Coco-Gigi-Fifi-Lulu bohemian-type French nickname names from the turn of the last century, which have endless energy and sparkle. Artist Kiki Smith is its most well-known…
"with divine protection"
A somewhat solemn appellation, Anselm is a saint's name, connected to the twelfth century archbishop of Canterbury, and in modern times tied to the German neo-expressionist painter Anselm Kiefer.
American place name, Algonquin
"wild garlic"
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have done it again for their third child: Chosen a name that feels iconic yet strangely inevitable. They named North and Saint's younger sister Chicago, after Kanye's…
