Musical Baby Names

  1. Banjo
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  2. Canary
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  3. Brio
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "vivacity, zest"
    • Description:

      Musical term with a lot of energy.
  4. Fifer
    • Origin:

      Scottish occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  5. Rock
    • Origin:

      Word name or diminutive of Rocco
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  6. Madrigal
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  7. Adagio
    • Origin:

      Italian, musical term
    • Description:

      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.
  8. Cello
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      If Viola is a credible girl's name, why not the mellow Cello for a boy.
  9. Sonata
    • Origin:

      Music name
    • Description:

      Undiscovered musical form melodious enough to be a hit on the name charts.
  10. Tango
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  11. Blues
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  12. Clarion
    • Origin:

      Word name, English from French and Latin
    • Meaning:

      "trumpet"
    • Description:

      Tuneful variation on the Claire names.
  13. Ramone
    • Origin:

      Musical name
    • Description:

      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.
  14. Symphony
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Name that makes a dramatic musical statement.
  15. Riff
    • Origin:

      English word and musical name
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  16. Gig
    • Origin:

      English slang word
    • Description:

      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.
  17. Minuet
    • Origin:

      French, dance term
    • Description:

      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.
  18. Fife
    • Origin:

      Scottish place name, German, French
    • Meaning:

      "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".
  19. Bell
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "ringer of the bell"
    • Description:

      These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.
  20. Duet
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "music for two"

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