Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 23 pages
of 23
English, South African
"linden or lime tree valley; lake in the valley"
Lynda and Linden meet Kendall and Randall in this surname-style choice, familiar in South African, owing to its use by author and activist Olive Schreiner in her 1883 novel, The Story of an African…
Literature, Italian
"little chief; little headstrong one"
The name of one of warring families in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , Capulet might appeal to those who enjoy names that are literary and unique. Capulet likely comes from the Italian capo ,…
Literature, French
"pointy hill"
The family name of Shakespeare's Romeo, Montague has a touch of old-fashioned grandeur about it. With clunky-cute nickname Monty and similar sounds to Montgomery, it has been used as a given name…
Variation of Hieronymos, Literature, Ancient Greek
"sacred name"
A bold name, best known as the central character in the 16th century classic play The Spanish Tragedy or Hieronimo goes mad again by Thomas Kyd. In the play Hieronimo enacts his revenge for the death…
Short form of Persephone and Seraphina
"bringer of destruction; ardent, fiery"
Similar to popular Sophie and vintage Effie, and a nickname for rising stars Seraphina and Persephone, Sephy is one you might begin to hear more often. Most notably appearing in Malorie Blackman's…
Popular culture, literary invention, "narrow; chaos"
"narrow; chaos"
Several names that are used in the popular book series Throne of Glass have been gaining attention in recent years, including Celaena and Aelin, and though Chaol has yet to join them, it may be one…
Armenian literature, meaning unknown
Literary and theatrical, Ruzan has its roots in the 1882 play Ruzan , a historical drama by the Armenian author Muratsan. As a contemporary baby name, it has a lot to stand on: its similarity to…
English, German
"son of Wilkin; resolute protection"
Wilkins is a surname style name, derived from Wilkin, itself a diminutive form of the strong classic William. Used quietly in the US across the 19th century, it may be one to consider if you want…
Variation of Shadrach, Akkadian, Biblical
"command of Aku"
A variation of Shadrach, an old Akkadian name borne by the Babylonian god of the moon. It appears in the Old Testament, as the Babylonian name of Hananiah (who was saved by God from a burning…
Historical, Italian, Spanish, Persian
"Parisian; like a fairy"
Poetic and ornamental, Parisina appears as the central figure of a work by Lord Byron in 1816, which went on to inspire operas by Mascagni and Donizetti. The figure behind the name, Laura Malatesta,…
English
"path to a triangular piece of land"
While Caraway-with-one-R brings to mind nature and herbs, the double R variant is reminiscent of Nick Carraway, the narrator of the classic novel The Great Gatsby . With its trendy surname feel and…
While Carraway brings to mind Nick Carraway, the narrator of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , there is no reason why this cool surname-name wouldn't work on a girl. Modern and stylish, with a…
"hollow clearing; people of the woodland clearing"
Originally used as a habitational surname for someone from a town of the same name in the North of England, Bingley is perhaps best associated with the good-natured Charles Bingley in Austen's Pride…
Variation of Alexander, English, Greek
"defending men"
Sleek and poetic, Alisander is a Medieval form of Alexander, notably appearing in Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur . An appealing choice to those who like the strength of Alexander, the literary…
"deer meadow; doe in the clearing"
Slightly rugged and windswept, Hindley notably appears in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights , borne by the elder son of the Earnshaw family. The name of two English towns, it combines the Old English…
Form of Chryseis, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, "gold"
"gold"
A variation of Chryseis, this form was created by the 14th-century Italian poet Giovanni Boccaccio in work Il Filostrato , in which she is the faithless lover of the Trojan Troilus. While some…
Estonian, Finnish, Prussian, Arabic
"poem, verse; peace; safe"
Gentle and warm, Salme is a multicultural name with several different roots. As a Prussian, Estonian, and Finnish name, it is used as a contracted form of the Biblical Salome, lending it the lovely…
Literature, Welsh
"white lily, blessed lily"
Possibly inspired by the Welsh feminine name, Liliwen, Liliwin is a masculine name, notably appearing in the seventh novel of the The Cadfael Chronicles by Ellis Peters. In the 1983 book The…
Nature name, English from French
"blue"
A fresh nature name — Bluet is a dainty, low-growing plant with small, light blue flowers — that feels like a mix of jazzy word-name Blue and trendy surname Truett.
English, Cornish, Bretton
"enclosure of Lon; Parish of Huon"
A surname style choice that likely originated from a place in Cornwall, the exact etymology of the name is unknown, though "enclosure of Lon" or "farmstead of Lon" have been suggested, Lon referring…
