Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Poetic Baby Names
Across 13 pages
of 13
The names
Carew
Welsh
"fort near a slope"
Noted bearers of this surname include a metaphysical poet, a Nobel Prize winner, and a baseball Hall of Famer, so there's plenty of hero-name inspiration.
Catullus
Latin, meaning unknown
Bearded, fusty name of great old Roman lyric poet; just what the bold vanguard baby namer might be looking for.
Ceridwen
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…
Chaucer
English
"maker of breeches"
One of the most distinguished names in literature could become a hero name in a family of poetry-lovers -- or be seen as a trendy new occupational name.
Christabel
Latin and French
"fair Christian"
Though Isabel is a smash hit, Christabel still hasn't been fully embraced. It was originally popularized in England via the Coleridge poem Christabel ("whom her father loves so well") and was given…
Clio
Greek
"glory"
Clio is the name of the ancient Greek mythological muse of history and heroic poetry, one that is rich with modern charm and would make an intriguing choice, especially thanks to its dynamic…
Cliona
Irish
"shapely"
Attached in Irish mythology to a Cliona who was, among other things, an inspirer of poets. Cliona is well-used in modern Ireland, along with Irish form Cliodhna, though it's largely unknown in the…
Crane
English surname
"crane"
This elegant surname has great potential to turn into an unusual first name, especially with its literary associations to both Stephen and Hart Crane. Crane is a surname that originated for a tall…
Cynri
Welsh
A name from ancient Welsh literature: in the poem The Gododdin , the three leaders of the ill-fated army were Cynon, Cynri and Cynrain. To that end, the name might have been invented for poetic…
Dalma
Hungarian, Literature
A literary name, originally created as a male name by the poet Mihály Vörösmarty, that is now in the Hungarian Top 100 for girls.
Danaë
Greek
A Greek goddess of music and poetry, Danaë has a novel yet familiar sound.
Dearbhla
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.
Dervla
Anglicized form of Irish Dearbhla or Deirbhile
"daughter of the poet"
Tongue twister of a name common in Ireland in both its Gaelic and its Anglicized forms. American or British parents looking for an Irish name that's still largely unknown in the outside world might…
Dickinson
English
"son of Dick"
Dickinson is a possibility for Richard's boy, though that Dick nickname is problematic no matter how you get to it.
Diggory
French
"Lost one"
This buoyant name has the same bouncy rhythm as Rafferty and Barnaby, but is virtually unused. It has plenty of literary cred, too: characters in The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and Thomas…
Dove
Color and nature name
"dove, a bird"
Subtle but clear unisex way to signal peace, especially in middle place.
Dryden
English
"dry valley"
Underused literary name (as in the poet John) with a -den ending that's very much in style.
Edda
Norse
"poetry"
This Old Norse girl name has a lovely meaning and a familiar yet distinctive sound.
Egan
Variation of Aidan, Irish
"little fire"
Egan's likeness to the word eager gives this Irish surname a ready-to-please, effervescent energy, and it would make an appropriate substitute for the overused Aidan. This popular Irish surname…
Eithne
Gaelic
"nut kernel"
Pretty and soulful name of a goddess from Irish mythology and several Irish saints. Singer Enya, born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, has made the Anglicized spelling familiar. Eithne comes from the vocabulary…
