Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Literary Names
Across 23 pages
of 23
Glinda
Literary name
Glinda is famous as the name of the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz, invented by author L. Frank Baum. but has there ever been a real life, non-fictional Glinda? Not in the US last year. The name may…
Dillamond
Literary name
"people's protection; dill protection"
A character in the Wicked novels and musicals, Dr. Dillamond is a Goat, mentor, and professor. It could blend the Old English element mund meaning "protection" with Dil , a Germanic diminutive…
Pfannee
Literary invention
A minor (female) character in the Wicked book and musical, who is gender swapped for the 2024 movie.
Fiyero
Literary creation
"furious"
Created by Gregory Maguire for his book, Wicked (and featured in the subsequent Broadway musical), Fiyero derives from the word "furious".
Nessarose
Literary invention, combination of Nessa and Rose
"butterfly + rose; gentle + rose; miracle + rose"
A smoosh name used by Gregory Maguire in his book Wicked and the subsequent musical. It blends Rose with Nessa, which can be a short form of Vanessa (or other -nessa names), an anglicized variation…
Frexspar
Literary creation
Used by Gregory Maguire in his novel Wicked along with the Broadway musical adaptation of the same name, Frexspar could be inspired by the word feckless meaning "irresponsible, lacking strength of…
Melena
Dutch diminutive of Magdalena, variation of Melaina or Melina
"from the high tower; black, dark; honey"
A short form of Magdalena in Dutch and a variation of Melaina, Melina, Melinda, Melanie, Milena and similar, Melena is also used for a character in the novel Wicked and the subsequent Broadway…
Poetry
Word name
"literary form with distinctive style, rhythm, and line breaks; as beautiful as a poem"
A lyrical choice with a similar feel to Story and Posy and a similar sound to Penelope. It might refer to either a work of poetry, a collection of poems, or something that is comparable to the beauty…
Romance
English word name
"romance; love story; a medieval story of chivalry"
Romance may initially strike you as too ardent of a name for a baby, but given that Love has been a fast-rising name in recent years — not to mention soundalikes Roman and Romy — Romance is…
Romance
English word name
"romance; love story; a medieval story of chivalry"
Romance may initially strike you as too ardent and whimsical of a name for a baby, but given that the likes of Love and Dream have been a fast-rising name in recent years — not to mention soundalike…
Rosfrith
Old English
"glory, fame, peace and happiness"
Derived from the Old English elements hroð and friþ , Rosfrith is a poetical yet rugged sounding choice, meaning "glory, fame, peace, and happiness". It has been used since at least the 7th century,…
Nidali
Feminine form of Nidal, Arabic
"my struggle, strife; my warrior"
Translating literally to "my struggle", Nidali is an Arabic name which is also interpreted as meaning "my warrior" or "my fighter". It is the feminine form of Nidal and was used in the 2008 novel A…
Boz
Diminutive of Bozhidar, Bosley, Boaz, or others, Slavic, English, Hebrew
"divine; Bosa's field; swiftness"
A multicultural nickname with a number of origins and multiple meanings, particular to the bearer. It can be a short form of Bozhidar, or any other name with the Slavic element "božĭjĭ", meaning…
Lib
Diminutive of Elizabeth or Liberty
"pledged to god; freedom"
A concise and zippy short form of Elizabeth, Liberty or similar, used for the main character in the novel and film adaptation of Emma Donoghue's The Wonder about a nurse sent to observe a girl who is…
Lycidas
Latin for of Lykidas, Ancient Greek
"son of Lykos, son of the wolf"
In Greek mythology, Lykidas was the name of a centaur, however, in its Latin form, it is associated with the 17th century pastoral poem by John Milton who wrote, written in memory of his friend,…
Seneca
Latin surname and Native American
"people of the standing rock"
Seneca's distinguished heritage as the name of the ancient Roman philosopher-playwright who tutored Nero, and of an Iroquois tribe makes this an interesting choice for either sex.
Septimus
Latin
"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…
Serafina
Italian and Spanish variation of Seraphina
"ardent"
Serafina is a name so lovely it's worthy of an angel. But the more stylish spelling today is Seraphina.
Sethe
Egyptian mythological name or variation of Seth, Hebrew
"appointed, placed"
Author Toni Morrison is an acknowledged master of naming, and Sethe, the name of one of the main characters of Beloved , which can be pronounced as Seth or Seth-eh, relates to the male biblical name…
Shakespeare
English
"brandish spear"
This name will forever be associated with the Bard and would likely prove hard to live up to. It might be cool for a pet though.