Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
Word name
"short novel; short piece of music"
The name given to a short novel, often light, romantic and sentimental, a novelette is longer than a short story but shorter than a novella or novel, while still having a complete narrative. In music…
Italian
"diamond"
Diamante was a commonly used feminine name among Italian Jews in the Middle Ages. Today, it's more popular for boys than girls in the US.
Octavo is a masculine name with Latin origins, derived from the Latin word 'octavus' meaning 'eighth.' Historically, the name was often given to the eighth child born in a family or to a child born…
Word name or medieval English form of Otto, German
"a lyric poem; wealthy"
Ode could be part of the extended Otto/Otis family, or it might be a literary term, referring to an elaborate lyric poem, such as Keats's Ode to a Nightingale. .
Turkish
"story"
Word name from the Latin
"eight"
In literature, the Ottava rima is a form of poetry consisting of eight line stanzas and the rhyme scheme ABABABCC. Originating in Italy, it is typically used for epic and narrative poetry, with…
French
"page, attendant"
Strictly for the girls.
English word name
Along the same lines as Fable or Madrigal, Parable is a cute choice for literary families. It might also be considered as a pseudo-biblical name, given the fame of the Biblical parables.
A paradox is a statement that while seeming true contradicts itself. With the less-than-pleasant "Doxy" as an obvious nickname, Paradox is perhaps a better name for a cat than a baby.
Pen is a concise masculine name with multiple origins and meanings. As a standalone name, it can be derived from the Welsh element 'pen' meaning 'head' or 'chief,' suggesting leadership. It may also…
Far-fetched, but friends can always call him Phil.
"poetry"
This old-fashioned word for poetry has some antiquated charm but doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
Irish
"daughter of the poet"
Dearbhla along with its Anglicized form Dervla are both well-used in modern Ireland. There was a medieval Saint Dearbhla. The spelling Deirbhile is also used.
Welsh
"beautiful as a poem; crooked women"
A mythological Welsh name with an intriguing sound, Ceridwen appears in several Welsh legends, in which she is an an enchantress and the owner of the cauldron of poetic inspiration. She is also…
Press is an uncommon masculine name that originated as an English surname. It likely derived from occupational roots, referring to someone who operated a press (such as a wine press, printing press,…
The term Quarto comes to us from the Latin for "four", but it is used as a term in literature to describe a book from the early days of printing that was a particular size. An obscure and potentially…
In literary circles, this name will be immediately recognized as a reference to the poetic stanza; outside such circles, this name may cause confusion for names like Coltrane or Cobain.
"song or stanza"
A canto is a literary term denoting a long passage in a poem. Dante's Divine Comedy is broken into such cantos. As a name, Canto packs in literary credentials with pithy punch.
English
"scribe"
Heard in a sixties spy movie, The Quiller Memorandum , this uncommon occupational name has an offbeat charm.
Quintain is a rare masculine name with medieval origins. Historically, a quintain was a training device used by knights for jousting practice, consisting of a post with a rotating crosspiece. The…
