Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Poetic Baby Names
Across 13 pages
of 13
Akam
Tamil
"love"
Despite its attractive meaning, this name is very rare in the States: it has only appeared twice in the US charts, in 2006 and 2020. Akam is a genre of Classical Tamil poetry, and the ring name of…
Morven
Scottish, poetic place-name
"the big gap"
In the Ossianic poems written by James Macpherson in the 1760s, Morven is the name of the Fingal's kingdom, Fingal being the hero, likely inspired by Fionn mac Cumhaill of early Gaelic legend. It…
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…
Catullus
Latin, meaning unknown
Bearded, fusty name of great old Roman lyric poet; just what the bold vanguard baby namer might be looking for.
Audre
Audre is a feminine name that represents a variant spelling of Audrey, derived from the Anglo-Saxon name Æðelþryð, meaning 'noble strength.' This unique spelling gained some recognition through the…
Carroll
Anglicized variation of Irish Cearbhall
"hacking with a weapon"
This name was consistently in the boys' Top 200 until WW2. It's a name with so many dimensions to it: the hyper-masculine meaning, the surname-as-firstname trendiness, and the softer sound and…
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…
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.
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…
Cullen
Irish
"holly tree"
Cullen is an appealing Irish surname name that upped its cool factor considerably when it became the Twilight family name of Edward et al. It's considerably less popular than it was at its peak in…
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.
Danae
Greek
An intriguing mythological name whose one challenge might be pronunciation questions. In Greek myth, Danae, a goddess of music and poetry, was the mother of Perseus by Zeus, who appeared to her in…
Danaë
Greek
A Greek goddess of music and poetry, Danaë has a novel yet familiar sound.
Auden
English
"old friend"
The poetic, soft-spoken Auden has recently started to be considered as a first name option, used for both sexes, appreciated for its pleasing sound as well as its link to the distinguished modern…
Annabel
Scottish variation of Amabel
"loving"
Annabel is a spirited name that embodies quirky British gentility. Appearing in Scotland as early as the twelfth century, where it was a royal name, it also recalls the romantic Edgar Allan Poe poem…
Caoilte
Irish
"slender"
In Irish legend Caoilte or Caílte was a warrior of the Fianna and their foremost poet.