Celebrity Names · Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Musician Baby Names
Across 11 pages
of 11
Crosby
Irish
"village with crosses"
Crosby is an attractively laid-back Irish surname with retro musical associations to Bing and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and with a jaunty air. Crosby Braverman was the name of a character on the TV…
Coolio
This is the sort of name a four-year-old would make up for himself.
Bing
German
"kettle-shaped hollow"
When Kate Hudson named her second son Bingham and announced that she would be calling him Bing, it put this zingy nickname name out on the table. Before that, there was only one, further nicknamed…
Coltrane
Irish surname
"descendant of Coltarán"
The great sax player John Coltrane could be a cool naming inspiration for a jazz fan. Plus, it gives you stylish nickname Colt, if you didn't love Colton or Colter. From it's Irish roots, it means…
Beyoncé
American invented name from Louisiana Creole
When superstar Beyoncé was born, her name was truly unique; it was a spin on her mom's maiden name, Biyence, with an accent over the final E. Though we traditionally think of beloved celebrities…
Cobain
Scottish from Norse
Surname that is occasionally used as a given name in tribute to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.
Halsey
English
"hallowed island"
Halsey became famous as a girls' first name via singer-songwriter Halsey, who took her name from Halsey Street in Brooklyn, where she was living when she began writing songs. It's also an anagram of…
Ciara
Irish
"little dark one"
Ciara is very popular in Ireland, more familiar here as the Anglicized Kiera or Keira. The uninitiated will tend to pronounce Ciara as the Italian Chiara, a form of Claire—kee-AHR-a or even…
Bessie
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
After a century of association with horses and cows, this name just could be ready for revival by a fearless baby namer -- after all, it did happen to Jessie and Becky. Bessie has been in use since…
Armstrong
English and Scottish surname
"strong arms"
Last name occasionally used as a first, can be seen as a Lance Armstrong athlete-hero name.
Alanis
Female variation of Alan
"handsome, cheerful"
Singer Alanis Morissette made this twist famous. She was named for her father Alan, who is said to have spotted this version in a Greek newspaper. So far it has been pretty much a one-person name,…
Hall
English occupational name
"worker at the hall"
A simple, self-possessed, somewhat serious surname, which might work better as a middle.
Guthrie
Scottish
"windy place"
Guthrie, one of the most attractive Scottish names that's also a surname, has a particularly romantic, windswept aura, with a touch of the buckaroo thrown in. Guthrie's folkie quality is tied to the…
Chesney
English from French
"oak grove"
A rising surname name for girls — it's overwhelmingly feminine, despite the association with Kenny Chesney.
Gillespie
Scottish
"bishop's servant"
Sometimes heard as a first name in Scotland, particularly among the Campbell clan.
Gershwin
Musical name
The adopted surname of iconic songwriting brothers George and Ira (born Gershovitz) might make a nice musical middle name.
Cher
French
"beloved"
For years there was only one Cher, and then along came the charming heroine of the movie "Clueless." The world now officially has enough Chers in it.
Garth
Norse
"groundskeeper, enclosure"
A name that took on a pronounced country twang via Nashville megastar Garth (born Troyal) Brooks.
Garcia
Spanish and Portuguese
"bear"
This evocative Spanish surname would make an unusual but lively choice for a girl.
French
Surname, place name, word name
Actor French Stewart introduced this one to the lexicon. French is part word name, part place name, and part surname-name, reminiscent of celebrity baby names that reference a nationality rather than…