Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 4 pages
of 4
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…
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 .
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…
English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Buffy was a one-time sorority girl with a roommate named Muffy, then a fearless vampire slayer, though still basically fluffy. You might think of Buffy as the feminine version of Chip or Bud -- an…
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…
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…
Italian
"beautiful flower"
An attractive enough name, but for die-hard Star Wars fans only.
Diminutive of Lodewikus, Afrikaans
Short form of the Afrikaans name Lodewikus.
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…
Zhora is a masculine name with diverse cultural origins. In Russian contexts, it functions as a diminutive of names like Georgy, meaning 'farmer' or 'earth-worker.' In Armenian usage, it can be…
Variation of Lita
Spelling variation of Lita.
"wise man"
Obscure Japanese pick, recognizable to fans of the 1989 Japanese science fiction horror film Tetsuo: The Iron Man .
Astrological name; Latin
"scorpion"
Scorpius is the constellation that the Scorpio zodiac sign originates from. It was given its venomous name due to the constellation's resemblance to a scorpion's tail.
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.
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…
