Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
Basque
"water nymph"
In Basque mythology, Lamina are mermaid-like creatures (they can also have duck tails) who grant wishes.
Greek
"she who disbands armies"
Literary and ancient, Lysistrata is the Latinized form of the Greek Lysistrate and the variation used by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophenes in his comedy of the same name. Set around the…
Mags is typically a diminutive or nickname for Margaret, which derives from Greek 'margarites' meaning 'pearl.' While primarily used as a familiar form, Mags has occasionally been given as a legal…
Ancient Roman
"old"
Casca was a Roman cognomen — a proto-surname — that derived from a word meaning "old." It was seen in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar , and more recently, in The Hunger Games .
English surname
A well-to-do London neighborhood, English surname, and potential route to the nickname May. Mayfair has everything going for it, and yet it couldn't be rarer.
Literary invented name
Suzanne Collins invented this name for a District 12 tribute — Maysilee Donner — who is mentioned in The Hunger Games trilogy and is a main character in the prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping . It may…
English, word name or combination of Mary and Lee, or Scottish place-name
Merrilee has several different origins. It's an alternative spelling of the unusual word name Merrily, as well as a variant of the smoosh name Marilee (Mary + Lee). Merrilee, Merrilees or Mirrlees…
English, plant name
The name of an herbaceous plant in the daisy family. Burdock has never been recorded as a name in the US, but it may provide some woodsy steampunk flair. In Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games prequel —…
Latin
"heavy, dull"
Brutus is the quintessential brute--far too close to the word brutal. And any child with this name would spend much of his life hearing "Et tu." Originally an old Roman family name, borne by Marcus…
Greek, place name
"palm tree; pilgrim"
An ancient city in modern-day Syria, which occasionally makes the roster of girl names. Its etymology is uncertain — locally it is called Tadmor, and Palmyra is the Greek version — but it has…
Invented literary name
Author Suzanne Collins created this soft-spoken Peter variation for one of her heroes in her series The Hunger Games .
Variation of Proserpine, Latin
"bringer of destruction"
The Roman equivalent of Persephone, making her a goddess of spring, and queen of the underworld. Also spelled Proserpine.
