Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Soap Opera Baby Names
Across 10 pages
of 10
Siobahn
Variation of Siobhan, Irish
"God is gracious"
Variant (mis)spelling of Siobhan.
Sly
English word name, diminutive of Sylvester
A bit too cunning.
Sofie
German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech variation of Sophie or Sophia, Greek
"wisdom"
A streamlined spelling of Sophie, popular in several European nations, including Norway, Czechia, Denmark, and The Netherlands. While English speakers may say this as SO-fee, it may also be said as…
Spence
Short form of Spencer
Spence is occasionally used as a name all on its own and it has more of a sense of completeness than many nickname-names.
Spike
English word name
"a very large nail"
Spike is part mid-century nickname-name, ala Buster or Buck, and part word name, with an all-over cool creative dude feel thanks to directors Spike Lee and Spike Jonze. Mike Myers named his son…
Storm
Word name
Windswept and dramatic, but perhaps asking for trouble. Quite popular in Denmark and Sweden, where it derives from Stromr, which is a fairly common surname. Storm Thorgerson is a famous bearer of the…
Tabitha
Aramaic
"gazelle"
Though never as popular as the name of her Bewitched mother, Samantha, Tabitha has its own quirky, magical charm. The name of a charitable woman who was restored to life by Saint Peter in the Bible,…
Tess
English, diminutive of Theresa
"to harvest"
Cosy and warm but with plenty of substance and strength, Tess is a literary diminutive that works perfectly well as a stand-alone name. Stylish in the Netherlands, it currently sits outside the Top…
Thorne
English
"thorn thicket"
Rose and Briar are popular, and Hawthorn is cool – so why not the equally prickly Thorne? The E ending gives it a surnamey spin à la Hawthorne. Thorne Smith (born James Thorne) was a comic fantasy…
Tico
Short form of Alberto, Spanish
"noble, bright"
Tico is a diminutive of Alberto, but on the soap opera One Life to Live , Tico Santi's full name was Augustico.
Toussaint
French
"all saints"
Has been used in the past by parents wishing to invoke the blessing and protection of all the saints, also given to boys born on November 1, All Saints' Day.
Ursula
Latin
"little female bear"
A saint's name with a noteworthy literary background, including uses by Shakespeare in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Much Ado About Nothing , by Ben Johnson, Walter Scott, Longfellow, D. H. Lawrence…
Valene
Valene is a feminine name with uncertain origins, though it may be related to the Latin word 'valens' meaning 'strong' or 'healthy.' It could also be a variant of Valentine or Valerie. Valene gained…
Van
Van as a feminine name is quite uncommon, as it's more frequently encountered as a male name or surname across various cultures. Of Vietnamese origin, Van can mean 'cloud' and is often used as a…
Venus
Latin
"love, desire"
The name of a heavenly planet and the Roman goddess of beauty and love was an intimidating no-no until tennis champ Venus Williams put an athletic, modern spin on it. Associated with the Greek…
Yuri
Russian variation of George
Common Russian name familiarized here via cosmonaut Yury Gagarin and a character in Dr. Zhivago , but we don't see it ever gaining permanent resident status.
Ziggy
German, diminutive of Siegfried and Sigmund
"victorious peace; victorious protection; victory"
Perhaps the ultimate nicknamey name, Ziggy manages to sound cool, cutesy, spiky, and energetic all at once. It brings to mind the glam-rock of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and the cool vibes of reggae…
Zoila
Greek, “lively”
A unique relative of Zoe via the Ancient Greek name Zoilos, borne by a 4th century BC cynic philosopher.
Adrienne
Latin, feminine variation of Adrian
"man from Adria"
A long-integrated French feminine form of Adrian, now overshadowed by the a -ending version, but still a valid option, with considerable substance and dignity—though these days more parents would…
Ashraqat
Arabic
"splendour, dawned, brightness"
A Top 10 name in Egypt, this bright and shining name derives from the Arabic root sharaqa meaning "to shine, to rise". Rarely used before the late 90s, it was then featured on an Egyptian soap opera…