Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
English, diminutive of Katherine
"pure"
Friendly mega-popular short form of Katherine that has definitively replaced Kathy, Katie is often given on its own. Going forward, though, Katie is more stylishly clipped itself to the grownup Kate.
Greek
"lover of horses"
Spelling variation of Philip. Exactly as many baby boys were named with the single 'l' spelling in 2017.
Arabic
"servant of Allah"
Abdullah is an alternative transcription of the name Abd Allah, which translates to "servant of Allah". Popular across throughout the Muslim world, it ranks in the Turkish Top 100 and the UK Top 200.…
Scandinavian from Latin
"greatest"
Magnus is a Latin name, literally meaning "greatest," that has a Scandinavian feel. It dates back to Charlemagne being called Carolus Magnus, or Charles the Great. Norwegian king Magnus I, named…
Diminutive of James
"supplanter"
Every other little kid's name in 1957 but few Jameses are called Jimmy today; they're more often James or Jamie.
Irish
"cloud"
Always the top spelling of the name; Neil peaked in the 1950s, but then enjoyed a second coming following the fame of such Neils as astronaut Armstrong and singers Sedaka, Diamond, and Young. Now…
Spanish, Portuguese and Italian
"pretty"
Linda will live forever in baby name history for toppling Mary from its four hundred year reign as Number 1. Queen of Names in 1947, Linda has fallen even further in favor than Mary today. Still,…
Short form of Isabelle or French
"beautiful"
Belle has nothing but positive associations, from "belle of the ball" to "Southern belle" to the heroine of Disney's Beauty and the Beast . As if this weren't enough good things, Belle is also one of…
English and French from Latin
"dark-skinned"
In the USA, Maurice was in the Top 200 for most of the 20th century; since 1990, however, it has been on a slow and steady decline. This name has the potential for some old-school cute nicknames such…
English variation of Helen
"torch; shining light"
An medieval English form of Helen, the sensitive but clear-eyed Ellen has swung in and out of style for centuries, often alternating with the parent name. Ellen was the more common in medieval…
English, diminutive of William
"resolute protection"
Cute kid with freckles, bouncing a Spalding ball. Cool couple Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton put the name Billy Burton on their son's birth certificate. While the classic William, name of the…
German diminutive of Elisabeth
"pledged to God"
Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly…
Anglicized form of Irish Caitlin
Kathleen is the early Irish import version that came between Katherine and Kaitlin, and which hasn't been used in so long it's almost beginning to sound fresh again. It was a surprise pick by one of…
French variation of Peter
"rock, stone"
One of the most familiar — if not stereotypical — Gallic names. Pierre was a Top 5 name in France from the 19th century through 1940 and is now on a steady decline in its native land. In the US,…
"charioteer"
Both offbeat and upbeat, this evocative traditional Irish name that runs through Celtic mythology is known here via award-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy (born Charles). The author's adopted name is…
German, Dutch, and Scandinavian, diminutive of Johannes
Though familiar to all via such childhood icons as Hans Brinker, Hans(el) and Gretel, and Hans Christian Andersen, few Americans have chosen this name for their sons because of its intractably Old…
English, Celtic, Welsh
"friend or white"
It is popularly claimed that the name Wendy was invented by Sir James Barrie in 1904 for the big sister character in his play Peter Pan , which was followed by the classic novel in 1911. Barrie…
Variation of Amy, French
"beloved"
Amy was a 1970s favorite, and French spelling Aimee peaked in the same decade. Today, about 1500 baby girls are still named Amy every year in the US, versus about 150 named Aimee. Aimee Teegarden is…
German diminutive of Hans
"God is gracious"
Those "Where's Gretel?" jokes will get old pretty fast.
Diminutive of Judith, Hebrew
"He will be praised or woman from Judea"
Judy was the nickname of choice for almost all the Judiths born in the 1940s and 50s; today's little Judiths are much more likely to be called Judith -- or, possibly, Jude.
