Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Dance Baby Names
Across 6 pages
of 6
Baila
Yiddish
"white; bashful"
Also written as Bayla, Baila is reminiscent of the Spanish word for "dance". Its meaning is debated: it may come from the Slavic root word for "white", or it may be a form of Bilhah, one of the four…
Ballerina
English word name
"ballet dancer"
Actor Jeremy Sisto put this word name on the map in 2009, when he used it as the middle name for his daughter Charlie.
Basilio
Italian and Spanish variation of Basil, Greek
"regal"
A rare and romantic take on Basil.
Blaize
Variation of Blaise, French
"to lisp, stammer"
A Blaise/Blaze hybrid that maintains neither the history of Blaise nor the wordiness of Blaze.
Cabriole
English from French
"balletic leap, skip"
A cabriole is a classic ballet move that could easily be adopted by dancer as the first or middle name for their child.
Calypso
Greek
"she who hides"
Melodic, rhythmic, and poetic in sound, Calypso is a name with connections to music, mythology, space, and pop culture. A distinctive was to nickname Callie or even Pip, it has that charming -o…
Canary
English
"small bird"
The name of a small yellow bird that hasn't taken off in the way that some of its avian sisters – like Robin, Wren or Lark – have. Given to a small number of girls across the 20th-century, the 2020s…
Charleston
American place-name
"Charles' town"
Lovers of the languid South Carolina city might be attracted to this rich-sounding name. Could make an interesting update on Charles -- and can certainly work for a girl too. Actor Joey Lawrence used…
Chula
Portuguese type of dance
The Chula is a traditional type of dance.
Coppelia
Literary name
Coppélia is the name of the life-sized doll created by Doctor Coppélius in the eponymous 1870 ballet, based on short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann. Coppélius' name may be derived from the Yiddish…
Dancer
English word name
"someone who dances"
A word name that's appealing when applied to a person boogying or doing ballet; a different story in the context of Santa's reindeer.
Dash
Diminutive of Dashiell, meaning unknown
Dash is a nickname that can stand on its own and sounds, well, dashing. Connected these days with Kardashian enterprises. Dash can stand on its own—as is evidenced by its entry into the US Top 1000…
Denis
French from Greek
"god of Nysa"
While Dennis may be more familiar to English speakers, Denis, or sometimes Denys, were the original medieval French forms of the name. Ultimately derived from Dionysius, the Greek god of wine and…
Dulcinea
Spanish
"sweetness"
Miguel de Cervantes invented this elaborate-sounding name -- which roughly translates as "sweetness" -- for the beautiful maiden Don Quixote is obsessed with in his great novel. Even in the fictional…
Duncan
Scottish
"dark warrior"
Duncan is jaunty, confident, and open, a Scottish royal name that's brimming with friendly charm and makes it into our golden circle of names that are neither too popular nor too strange. Popularity…
Eisa
Arabic
"the Lord is salvation"
Eisa is a variation of Isa, Essa, Eesa, or Issa, the Arabic form of Jesus. As a feminine name, it comes from Norse mythology and means "glowing embers."
Falala
African, Fula
"born in abundance"
A wonderful meaning for a bright and musical West African name.
Fei
Chinese
"to dance in the air"
Fei would make a great way to honor Chinese roots in the US, thanks to its similarity to the fast-rising Faye.
Fred
Diminutive of Frederick or Alfred, German or English
"peaceful ruler or wise counselor"
Where have all the Freds gone? We haven't seen many since the days of Flintstone and Munster. But it could be time for a comeback--if you think more of the sophistication of Fred Astaire, and of…
Frisco
Diminutive of Francisco
"free man"
Frisco is a frisky, roguish semi-place-name (San Francisco natives never call it that) that could make a lively, unusual o-ending choice. Frisco is the kind of nickname name sometimes used for cowboy…