Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
English surname, probably related to Bartholomew
"son of the furrow"
Bartleby (that's his last name) the Scrivener is a famous Herman Melville character whose surprisingly powerful refrain was, "I would prefer not to." Or, in the immortal words of any two-year-old:…
Latin
"springlike"
Verne is a masculine name of Latin origin, derived from the Latin word 'vernus,' meaning 'spring-like' or 'flourishing.' This name gained recognition largely through the famous French author Jules…
Variation of Tabitha
"gazelle"
If Abigail's too popular and Tabitha is too...."Bewitched."
Feminization of Volumnius, Latin
"scroll"
Shakespeare used Volumnia as the name of Coriolanus' mother in his tragedy Coriolanus while Dickens used it in Bleak House .
French
"moustached man"
While this name came into being as a Norman-French nickname for a man with whiskers, the name was quickly embraced as a true name by the Victorians and is likely most familiar to you as the name of…
Greek
"beloved sister"
A seriously classic name meaning love , Adelpha is also the name for a genus of butterflies.
Feminine variation of Zephyr, Greek
"west wind"
Zephyr may not be a name often heard in the U.S., but its variations are used throughout Europe. Zephyrine, a cousin in sound and feel if not in fact to such lovely names as Severine and Seraphina,…
English
"long hill"
Classy-sounding surname name usually bypassed in favor of the simpler Landon.
"dead sea"
Other kids might see a teasible connection to mortician or mortuary. Mortimer is an English family name used a few generations ago as an Anglicization of Moses; it was Walt Disney's original choice…
"nobody"
One of the best known early Nemos was the captain in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea , while the more familiar modern one is the animated little orange fish in the Disney movie. Unusual name…
"from the island in the river"
Possible middle name for devotees of detective Sherlock...or the actress Katie.
Modern invented name
Swinging London songbird Petula Clark claims that this name was her father's invention; in any case it hasn't seen much copycat usage.
Irish
"fair-haired"
This is an ancient saints' name well used in Ireland but a rarity here and unlikely to ever reach the popularity of other Finn-ish names. St. Finbarr (the more common spelling) is the patron saint of…
"small plum"
Most ella names are hot, but this is one that won't catch fire because of the disagreeable connotations of prunes.
Evangelene is a feminine name that represents an elegant variation of Evangeline, which derives from Greek elements meaning 'bearer of good news.' This melodious name has roots in both Greek and…
French from German Hedwig
"war"
Haitian writer Edwidge Danticat highlighted this sophisticated, chignon-wearing choice for literate parents.
Welsh
"bird"
This 1950s Welsh bird name sounds less dated than our fifties Robin.
Spelling variation of Cornelius
"horn"
Cornelious is an elaborated spelling variant of Cornelius, a masculine name with ancient Roman roots. The name derives from the Roman clan name Cornelius, possibly stemming from the Latin word…
"the seventh son"
Septimus is one of the more dashing of the birth-order Latin number names that were revived by the Victorians. So even if you don't anticipate son number 7, you might be bold enough to consider this…
French, Breton
"tempest, hurricane"
Corentin is an intriguing saint's name fashionable in France but virtually unknown here-- which you may consider a big plus. St. Corentin possessed a magical fish that regenerated itself each night,…
