Celebrity Names · Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Musician Baby Names
Across 11 pages
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Placido
Italian and Spanish
"serene"
Placido was commonly used by early Christians to convey their serenity in the faith, and it was borne by several minor saints.
Queen
Word name
"queen"
Queen has seen a revival in recent times, reaching its record high in 2018 with 280 births — it has remained steady since then. Previously, Queen saw a peak in the 1920s, but its origins go back even…
Ramone
Musical name
Ramon is a common Latin male name, but Ramone would clearly be in tribute to the early punk rock group--each of whose members took on the last name Ramone.
Ravi
Hindi
"sun; conferring"
A title of the Hindu sun god, made cross-culturally famous by sitar player Ravi Shankar.
Redding
Redding is an uncommon masculine name with English origins, primarily derived from a surname and place name. It historically referred to someone from the town of Reading in Berkshire, England, whose…
Rihanna
Arabic
"sweet basil"
Many will associate Rihanna with the Barbados-born singer, known mononymously by her middle name. During her early years of fame, when "Umbrella" was on the radio and "Take a Bow" was playing through…
Rufus
Latin
"red-head"
Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.…
Sabbath
English word name
"a day of religious observance and abstinence from work"
Sabbath is a faith-inspired word name, like Sunday or Faith, that is attracting some notice since heavy metal musician Zakk Wylde chose it for his son. But then there's the band Black Sabbath, which…
Sade
Finnish, Nigerian and Yoruba, diminutive of Folashade
"rain; honor bestows a crown"
The one-named singer clarified the confusing pronunciation on this one (in her case, it's shah-DAY), but a number of parents have looked for more phonetic spellings. The Finnish version means "rain."
Santana
Spanish, condensed form of Santa Ana
Santana is a saintly name...or Latin rock band. While traditionally masculine, character Santana Lopez on the show Glee showed the name's potential for a girl as well. Sound-wise, it feels like…
Shakira
Arabic
"thankful, woman of grace"
The mononymous Colombian-born singer inspired a popularity blip in the 90s and early 00s.
Shania
Ojibway
"I'm on my way"
This obscure Native-American name owes its very life to country singer Shania Twain, who dropped her original name, Eileen, for it.
Sia
Old Norse
"Victory"
Mia, Gia, and now Sia! Born Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, the Australian singer-songwriter scored a major international hit with "Chandelier" in 2014, and put her short, uncommon name on the radar. Sia…
Sid
Short form of Sidney, French
"Saint-Denis"
Sid originated as a nickname for Sidney, but we like it on its own, a la Sara Quin's and Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen's sons. Sid Vicious, member of the band the Sex Pistols, gives this name a punk…
Sinéad
Irish Gaelic
"god is gracious"
Popular Irish name brought here by singer Sinead O'Connor, could make a striking choice for a child with deep Irish roots.
Smokey
Word name
It has a variety of associations from Smokey Robinson to Smokey the bear, but Smokey still feels a bit comical for a baby.
Stevie
Stevie is a masculine name that originated as a diminutive of Stephen or Steven, meaning "crown" or "garland" from Greek origins. While traditionally a nickname, Stevie gained popularity as a…
Swift
English, Irish
"quick, windblown; bird name"
A word name, a nature name, and a surname, Swift is strongly tied to singer Taylor Swift. It could make a fun and quirky middle name, and there might just be some "Swiftie" parents who choose it in…
Talib
Arabic
"seeker of knowledge"
Talib is a North African name with an admirable meaning, associated with rapper Talib Kweli.
Thelonious
Latinized variation of German Tielo or Till
"people"
One of the coolest of names, thanks to legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Sphere Monk, who inherited this Latin-sounding German name from his father. It has been used very sparingly since the 1960's,…