Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 4 pages
of 4
Hebrew
"rock"
Sela is a Biblical place name, the original term for the city of Petra, which is finding new life through actress Sela Ward, star of several TV series. The young daughter of singer Lauryn Hill is…
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.
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…
Diminutive of Tucker, English
"fabric pleater"
Sharp and preppy. Parents of young children may recognize it as the name of the turtle from the television show Wonder Pets .
"Jehovah is God"
Rarely used in the last two centuries, but might be worth dusting off and holding up to the light.
Deliah is a feminine name that appears to be a variant spelling of Delilah, which has Hebrew origins meaning "delicate" or "weak." In the Bible, Delilah was the woman who betrayed Samson by cutting…
Berber, Tamazight
"moonlight"
Attractive but uncommon name which has been used as a character name in several movies, including The Lion King II and Planet of the Apes . Ziri and Tiziri are variants.
Diminutive of Natasha
See NATASHA.
Dejah is a feminine name that gained recognition primarily through Edgar Rice Burroughs' science fiction series 'John Carter of Mars,' where Dejah Thoris appears as a Martian princess. The name has…
Variation of Erin, Irish
"from the island to the west"
Spelling variation of Erin invented for a character on the science fiction TV show Farscape .
Latin
"goddess"
Once unique to the Zappa family, now you can have your own little prima donna.
"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…
Talyn is a gender-neutral name that has gained usage primarily as a masculine name in recent decades. It has several possible origins: it may be a variant of the Welsh name Telyn meaning 'harp,' a…
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.
Diminutive of Zedekiah
Newer than Zac, cooler than Ed, Ned, or Ted.
Italian, Portuguese and Catalan
"ridge"
This topographical name, more suited to a girl than a boy--though it would inevitably be confused with SARAH--has some distinguished bearers: famous Spanish missionary to Mexico Father Junipero…
Literature
"starlight seen for the last time"
A whimsical choice from the 1923 sci-fi novel Aelita by Aleksey Tolstoy, the name belongs to a Martian princess who lives on Mars in an advanced yet divided society. In the book (and its subsequent…
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…
Tali is a masculine name with multiple cultural origins and meanings. In Hebrew, it means 'dew from heaven' or 'my dew,' suggesting divine blessing and refreshment. In Finnish, it relates to…
Davin as a feminine name is an uncommon variant of the more traditional masculine Davin, which originated as an Anglicized form of the Irish name Dáibhín, meaning 'little beloved one' or 'little…
