Names from the Arts and Pop Culture · Nature, Place and Word Names
Musical Baby Names
Across 5 pages
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Maraca
Musical name
Maraca sounds more like a name than Banjo, so why not? It's rhythmic and, well, musical, so might make an adventurous choice.
Marimba
Spanish, Music name
Can you hear the beat?
Minuet
French, dance term
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.
Mozart
German musical name
A daring middle name possibility for classical concertgoers. Alternatives are Wolfgang and Amadeus.
Opera
Word name
A very distinctive musical choice, but be aware that many people will think you've named your child Oprah.
Ornette
Musical name
Long associated with jazz great Ornette Coleman, this name's main problem is that almost all other ette-ending names -- from Annette to Paulette -- are unequivocally feminine.
Piano
Music name
If Banjo can be a name, why not Piano? Could be inspired by prize-winning architect Renzo Piano.
Piper
English occupational name
"one who plays the pipes or flute"
Piper's rising popularity for girls makes it an unlikely masculine choice.
Raga
Sanskrit, musical term
"color or melody"
Raga is musical, yes, but that 'rag' syllable worries us.
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.
Rego
Portuguese
"ditch, channel"
A surname that could become a first, an alternate to the already-taken REGIS.
Rhapsody
French, musical term
Could be seen as extravagantly ecstatic for a baby name, though feel free to rhapsodize about your little girl, whatever her name.
Rock
Word name or diminutive of Rocco
"rock or rest"
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.
Seraphine
French from Hebrew
"burning ones"
Seraphine is the Gallic version of the angelic name Seraphina. But while Seraphina has been rising rapidly since Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck chose it for their second daughter, Seraphine has been…
Serenade
Music name
Peaceful and melodic, but a bit pretentious.
Sonata
Music name
Undiscovered musical form melodious enough to be a hit on the name charts.
Sonatina
Italian, musical term
Makes SONATA even more feminine and musical
Symphony
Word name
Name that makes a dramatic musical statement.
Tango
Spanish
"touch"
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…
Techno
Greek
"relating to technology"
We count Techno among the weird celebrity baby names , and yet we have to admit that it's the perfect choice for a child of Grimes and Elon Musk. In musical terms, techno is a style of electronic…