Artistic Baby Names
Updated Mon Sep 25 2023
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Artistic and creative baby names can be found by looking at the names of artists (and architects and designers). They’re a subset of hero names, which convey values and hopes for your child. A name connected to an artist, such as Raphael or Georgia, may inspire creative dreams within your son or daughter.
Along with Raphael and Georgia, other artistic baby names in the US Top 1000 include Armani, Diego, Florence, Jackson, Kenzo, Leonardo, Paloma, and Sullivan. Distinctive artist and designer surnames that could be worn as unique artistic names include Kahlo, Eames, Matisse, and McQueen.
These baby names capture the artists' creative spirit, give your child an international role model, and are cool all at the same time. The following list encompasses both first and last artistic names, which have been drawn from all over the aesthetic map, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Imogen
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"maiden"Description:
Imogen has long been fashionable in England and is gaining favor in the US among stylish parents. Pronounced the British way — the initial i is short as in Kim, as is the final E as in Ken — Imogen is as pretty and classy as it is distinctive.
- Jasper
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"bringer of treasure"Description:
Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.
- Florence
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"flourishing, prosperous"Description:
Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion.
- Georgia
Origin:
English, feminine variation of GeorgeMeaning:
"farmer"Description:
Georgia is so rich, lush and luscious, it's almost irresistible. Georgia's now a rising star among the feminizations of George, helped by associations with the southern state (named for British King George II) and painter Georgia O'Keeffe, with the Ray Charles song "Georgia On My Mind" or maybe "Sweet Georgia Brown" playing in the background.
- Weston
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"western town"Description:
Weston has gone from being a Jane Austenish British surname to a first name with a relaxed American western cowboy feel. Along with other trendy 'n'-ending boys’ names, Weston is rising in popularity, and is now more popular than ever, ranking in the Top 100 since 2021.
- Cole
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"swarthy, coal black"Description:
Cole -- a short name that embodies a lot of richness and depth -- has long been associated with the great songwriter Cole Porter. It's quite popular in Scotland.
- Sullivan
Origin:
Irish surnameMeaning:
"black-eyed one"Description:
Sullivan is a jaunty Celtic three-syllable name, with a real twinkle in its eye. It was immortalized in the 1930s classic film Sullivan's Travels and was chosen for one of Patrick Dempsey's twin boys. Nickname Sully is equally jaunty.
- Vivienne
Origin:
French variation of VivianMeaning:
"life"Description:
Vivienne is an elaborated Gallic version of the name Vivian, chosen first by Rosie O'Donnell for her daughter and then catapulted to superstardom when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie used it for their twin daughter. An adult namesake is the British designer Vivienne Westwood. Rosie O'Donnell also has a daughter named Vivienne, known as Vivi.
- Ansel
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"with divine protection"Description:
Ansel, primarily associated with the great western photographer Ansel Adams, famed for his magnificent photographs of the Yosemite Valley, could make a creative artist-hero choice. For Adams it was a family name – he was named after his uncle, Ansel Easton. And, in turn, Adams was the namesake of young heartthrob Ansel Elgort, son of a photographer.
- Valentina
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"strength, health"Description:
Effortlessly stylish, with plenty of sweetness and strength, Valentina feels like a fresh alternative to Valerie, Victoria, or Vanessa.
- Jackson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Jack"Description:
Jackson is one of those names that's much more popular than you think, coming in near the top of our annual Playground Analysis, which ranks names by grouping all their spellings together. Last year, nearly 17,000 baby boys were named Jackson -- along Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaxxon, Jaxen, Jaxyn, Jaxsen, and Jaxsyn -- which counted together makes it the Number 3 boys' name.
- Raphael
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God has healed"Description:
Raphael is a romantic archangel name that sounds both artistic and powerful. Raphael is also a great cross-cultural choice, with significance for people with both Latinate and Jewish roots, plus plenty of grounding in the English-speaking world.
- Paloma
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"dove"Description:
Paloma is vibrant and ruby-lipped a la jewelry designer Paloma Picasso, but it also suggests peace, as symbolized by the dove. Paloma is a highly recommended striking but soft name, one of the best of the names that mean peace and girls' names starting with P.
- Ford
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dweller at the ford"Description:
The long association to the Ford Motor Company doesn't stand in the way of this being a strong, independent, single-syllable name.
- Ryder
Origin:
British surnameMeaning:
"cavalryman, messenger"Description:
Ryder, one of the current favorite er-ending boys’ names, has been in the spotlight since Kate Hudson and her rocker husband Chris Robinson chose it for their son in 2004. Very popular in several provinces of Canada, Ryder was chosen by John Leguzamo for his son and adorns Boy Meets World star Ryder Strong.
- Elsa
Origin:
German diminutive of ElisabethMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly popular Disney movie Frozen. The name shot all the up to Number 286 (its highest ranking since the 1890s) in the year after the release of the movie, though it's now dropped back down the list in the US.
- Leonardo
Origin:
Italian and Spanish variation of Leonard, GermanMeaning:
"brave lion"Description:
For centuries this name was associated primarily with the towering figure of Italian Renaissance painter-scientist-inventor Leonardo da Vinci, and was scarcely used outside the Latin culture.
- Marin
Origin:
Latin, of the sea"Description:
Marin is a lovely county north of San Francisco, and a lovely baby name on the rise, one which sounds more refreshing than the more familiar Marina.
- Marisol
Origin:
Spanish, contracted form of Maria de la SoledadMeaning:
"Mary of Solitude"Description:
Marisol is a favorite Spanish name for girls, and an excellent candidate to cross the culture line, a la Soledad and Paz.
- Neo
Origin:
Latin or TswanaMeaning:
"new or gift"Description:
This nouveau name of Keanu Reeves's character in The Matrix has not enjoyed the same burst of popularity as its female counterpart, Trinity, but it definitely sounds, well, newer. Neo Rauch is an interesting contemporary German artist.