Musical Baby Names
- Banjo
Origin:
Word nameMeaning:
"string instrument"Description:
When Australian actress Rachel Griffiths chose this highly unusual name for her son, many assumed it was a bizarre invention, but noted Australian poet and writer of Waltzing Matilda, Banjo Patterson, is known by this name. Sprightly and musical, it could blend in with Bruno, Benjamin and Joey.
- Canary
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"small bird"Description:
The name of a small yellow bird that hasn't taken off in the way that some of its avian sisters – like Robin, Wren or Lark – have.
- Brio
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"vivacity, zest"Description:
Musical term with a lot of energy.
- Fifer
Origin:
Scottish occupational nameMeaning:
"piper"Description:
Fifer is a musical name that fits in seamlessly with the likes of Harper and Piper, but is much more unusual. It's also a Scottish demonym, referring to an inhabitant of the historic Scottish county of Fife.
- Rock
Origin:
Word name or diminutive of RoccoMeaning:
"rock or rest"Description:
Rock definitely has a macho image, if a somewhat caricatured one, ala The Rock. But with the rise of word names and also of tough guy names, Rock feels more plausible than it did a generation ago.
- Madrigal
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"song for unaccompanied voices"Description:
Madrigal might be a pretty and highly distinctive choice for a child of a musical family--or for the parent looking for a less conventional path to the nickname Maddie than Madeline or Madison . Definitely more striking than Cadence or even the increasingly popular Aria.
- Adagio
Origin:
Italian, musical termDescription:
The literal meaning of Adagio is 'at ease.' Adagio's use for a slow musical passage or ballet is contradicted by its lively sound and feel.
- Cello
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
If Viola is a credible girl's name, why not the mellow Cello for a boy.
- Sonata
Origin:
Music nameDescription:
Undiscovered musical form melodious enough to be a hit on the name charts.
- Tango
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"touch"Description:
A South American dance style whose name derives from Latin tangere "touch". It's also a popular orange-flavored fizzy drink in the UK, as well as the word for the letter T in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
- Blues
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"slow, sad, songs of lamentation; a music genre of black American folk origin"Description:
While Ivy Blue has made the color a more popular choice for girls, Blues — as in the musical style — could feel more masculine. While some may find it a sad and gloomy choice, thanks to the phrase "having the blues", the musical connection gives it greater potential. It could make for a laid-back name that oozes cool and works as an alternative for those wanting to avoid more obvious choices like Indigo or Hendrix.
- Clarion
Origin:
Word name, English from French and LatinMeaning:
"trumpet"Description:
Tuneful variation on the Claire names.
- Ramone
Origin:
Musical nameDescription:
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.
- Symphony
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Name that makes a dramatic musical statement.
- Riff
Origin:
English word and musical nameMeaning:
"a short repeated phrase in popular music"Description:
Riff is the name of the leader of the Jets in West Side Story, drawn from the musical word for a repeated phrase in a song. A tragic character in the musical, but a jaunty sounding name with the vibes of Ridge, Riggs, Raffy, and Lyric too.
- Gig
Origin:
English slang wordDescription:
In addition to being the term for a job performing music, Gig has been used as a name, as in onetime actor Gig Young--who was born Byron but took his stage name from a character he played.
- Minuet
Origin:
French, dance termDescription:
Minuet is delicate, dancey, and lacy, with a Masterpiece Theatre feel. Is Minuet a real name? Not really, though similar-sounding French names such as Minette and Manette are.
- Fife
Origin:
Scottish place name, German, FrenchMeaning:
"path; small shrill flute"Description:
Also spelled Fyfe, this zippy sounding name would make a great middle name choice for music lovers or those with Scottish roots. The name has a double meaning: it is both a Scottish place name, likely derived from fiamh meaning "path", and also the name of an instrument, which takes its name from the German Pfeife and the French fifre meaning "pipe".
- Bell
Origin:
English and Scottish occupational nameMeaning:
"ringer of the bell"Description:
These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.
- Duet
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"music for two"
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