Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Sci-Fi Baby Names
Across 4 pages
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Galen
Greek
"calm, healer"
Many will associate this name with Galen of Pergamon, the second-century physician considered to be the founding father of medicine. A more recent reference is Star Wars character Galen Erso. The…
Joelle
Feminine variation of Joel, Hebrew
"Jehovah is his God"
Joel is one of those boys’ names that's never been super-popular yet has never been UNpopular either -- it's been in the Top 400 in the US since we started keeping statistics in 1880. So it's…
Jubal
Latin
"ram's horn"
This unusual name might be a possibility for musical families: Jubal was credited in Genesis with the invention of the lyre, flute, harp, and organ. It also has a jubilant feel through its sound and…
Kaidan
Kaidan is a masculine name with multiple potential origins, most commonly associated with Japanese and Gaelic roots. In Japanese, it can mean "mysterious story" or "ghost story," while as an…
Katniss
Literary and botanical name
Katniss Everdeen is the heroine of the popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, whose name comes from the (very real) edible aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria. Katniss's father tells her…
Kerr
Scottish
"someone who lived near wet ground"
When actress Deborah Kerr entered the scene, there was a great debate over her name's pronunciation. Car or Ker. Your choice.
Keyan
Arabic, Kurdish, Persian
"existence, being, essence; king, leader; universe, cosmos"
Approachable and grounded, Keyan is a name with several powerful meanings. From its Arabic roots, it is a Quranic name, meaning "essence, entity" or "existence", while from its Kurdish and Persian…
Korben
Spelling variation of Corbin, English and French surname
"crow, raven"
Korben is a spelling that gets some attention since Bruce Willis's character name in The Fifth Element was Korben Dallas.
Lazarus
Latinized Greek variation of Hebrew Eleazar
"God is my helper"
Lazarus is a name that looks as if it could possibly be raised from the dead, just like its biblical bearer. Look for it in the next wave of Old Testament revivals that transcend their long-bearded…
Londo
Invented name
Could be an interesting alternative to London, now that that one is firmly on the girl's side. Londo Mollari is a character from the TV show Babylon 5 .
Lyta
Variation of Lita
Spelling variation of Lita.
Mal
Diminutive of Malcolm, Scottish
"devotee of St. Colomba"
A nickname for Malcolm that at one point ranked independently on the US Top 1000. It still exists as an affectionate pet form, but you’re unlikely to hear a Malcolm introduce himself as Mal.
Mazikeen
Invented name
"harmful spirits"
Neil Gaiman invented this name for a character in his comic book Sandman . It can now be seen on the TV show Lucifer . The name was inspired by the Hebrew term Mazzikin , which refers to sinister…
Motoko
Japanese
"resourceful child"
Motoko Kusanagi, perhaps the best known association to the name, is a character from the sci-fi anime and manga series The Ghost in the Shell . She's a strong, wise, and independent cyborg who…
Moya
Irish variation of Máire or Mary, Spanish place name, Zulu, Sotho, Lala
"beloved, bitter; estate of Modius, estate of measure; spirit, wind"
A multicultural choice with a distinctive sound, Moya may appeal as a unique alternative to Maia/Maya or Mia. Given to a handful of girls each year in the US, it is more commonly heard in the UK or…
Neo
Latin or Tswana
"new or gift"
This nouveau name of Keanu Reeves's character in The Matrix has not enjoyed the same burst of popularity as its female counterpart, Trinity, but it definitely sounds, well, newer. Neo Rauch is an…
Pallas
Greek
"youth, young woman"
An overlooked name from Greek mythology, Pallas is both an epithet for the goddess of wisdom and a name in its own right, borne by a daughter of the sea god Triton who was raised alongside the…
Reaver
Literary invented name
Reaver sure sounds like an occupational surname, thanks to its -er ending and similarity to names like Reeve, but it is actually a name invented by science fiction writers. The first documentation of…
Ren
Japanese
"water lily, lotus"
In Japan the lotus is the Buddhist symbol of purity and perfection. In the US, Ren can also be short for Lauren or Renee, but it could be misspelt as the more popular Wren.
Riddick
Variation of Reddick, Scottish
Variation of Reddick, recognizable as the name of Vin Diesel's character in the Riddick film series, based on the Chronicles of Riddick books.