Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Sci-Fi Baby Names
Across 4 pages
of 4
The names
Aelita
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…
Aeryn
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 .
Amidala
Italian
"beautiful flower"
An attractive enough name, but for die-hard Star Wars fans only.
Ayala
Hebrew
"doe, gazelle"
This animal-themed name is among the most popular for girls in contemporary Israel. Parents who want to move beyond the mega-popular Aliyah and sisters might want to consider Ayala. The male form is…
Bail
Bail is an uncommon masculine name with multiple potential origins. It could derive from the Old French 'baile' meaning 'bearer' or guardian, or from the Scottish surname Bail, which may have…
Davin
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…
Diva
Latin
"goddess"
Once unique to the Zappa family, now you can have your own little prima donna.
Dutch
Word name
"relating or belonging to The Netherlands"
If Holland works for a girl, why not Dutch for a boy? Well, one reason is that Holland is a place name and Dutch is used to describe someone or something from The Netherlands, but we digress. Dutch…
Flash
Word and comic book name
Flash Gordon makes this a superhero name, but Flash might just appeal to modern parents looking for one of the new active boys' names, ala Ace and Breaker and Ranger. We'd recommend something more…
Gaius
Latin
"to rejoice"
Stately Gaius (pronounced GUY-us) was in the name of many ancient Romans, including Julius Caesar. Little-used before the year 2000, it now feels like a fresh possibility in the revival of Latin…
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.
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…