Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 13 pages
of 13
Hungarian, meaning unknown
Zalán is a very trendy name for boys in Hungary, although its origins are unclear. Zalán's use as a name may be inspired by the Zala River or Zala region, both in Hungary. 19th century Hungarian poet…
English, literature
"flowers and honey"
Florimel is an English name created by Edward Spencer for his poem, The Faerie Queene .
Latin for of Lykidas, Ancient Greek
"son of Lykos, son of the wolf"
In Greek mythology, Lykidas was the name of a centaur, however, in its Latin form, it is associated with the 17th century pastoral poem by John Milton who wrote, written in memory of his friend,…
Old English, place name
"swan stream, swan river, swan island"
This Old English name feels as if it could have stepped out of a fantasy novel, but it may be just similar enough to Everett and Elliot that it could work in the real world. Derived from the elements…
Greek
"glory"
Cleïs, also spelled as Cleis, is an Ancient Greek name, likely derived from Kleio, either as a diminutive form, or to more closely resemble the word from which it comes, kleos . A relative of Cleo,…
Italian and Portuguese diminutive of Alberto, German
"noble and bright"
Both elegant and playful, this elaborate form of Alberto has been in use since at least the 13th century and was popular as a stand alone name in Brazil in the first half of the 20th century. It was…
"quick water; virtue"
This name was invented by the Cretan writer Vikentios Kornaros for the love interest of his 17th-century romantic epic poem, Erotokritos . Considered one of the greatest — if not the greatest – works…
Historical, Italian, Spanish, Persian
"Parisian; like a fairy"
Poetic and ornamental, Parisina appears as the central figure of a work by Lord Byron in 1816, which went on to inspire operas by Mascagni and Donizetti. The figure behind the name, Laura Malatesta,…
Welsh
"blessed peace"
A feminine form of the poetic Heddwyn, this Welsh name combines the elements hedd and gwyn to form a name that means "blessed peace". The masculine variant was notably used by the Welsh-language…
A bold Welsh name with a gentle meaning, Heddwyn is notably associated with the poet Ellis Humphrey Evans, who died at Passchendaele during World War One. He used Hedd Wyn as his Bardic name, having…
Hispanic, Hebrew
"flax; forest; spirit, soul + God is with us"
Notably borne by singer, writer, film-maker, and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, this distinctive double-barrelled name is a poetic choice. It comes from the poem Nana roja para mi hijo Lin Manuel ("Red…
Literary name, French
"to love, respect"
A poetic choice that may appeal to those who like Esmé but also the likes of Guinevere, Isolde, and Eluned, Esmerée is the name of a beautiful princess of Wales in Arthurian legend. The character…
The name of a beautiful princess of Wales in Arthurian legend, Esmeree appears the French romance poem Le Bel Inconnu (The Fair Unknown) written by Renaut de Bâgé in the 12th-century. In the poem,…
Welsh form of Adam
Adda is the name of the first man in the Welsh Bible, but it is rarely used in its homeland nowadays. Once you know how to pronounce it, it's a soft-sounding name that would make an interesting…
"help"
A masculine form of the poetic Ophelia, this name derives from Ancient Greek in which it means "help, advantage". The more familiar feminine form appears in Shakespeare's Hamlet and in the US and UK…
Russian
"immortal"
Russian form of the Greek name Athanasius, borne by renowned 19th century Russian poet Afanasy Fet.
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…
Finnish
"the only one"
What a lovely name for the much-longed for daughter - no wonder Aino is in the Top 5 in Finland, whence the name originates. Like other popular Finnish names, Aino is short and avoids the ubiquitous…
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…
"very golden or noble"
Aneirin is the original form of the more common Aneurin (which was a mistaken spelling used after the 17th Century). Aneirin was one of the first great Welsh poets who flourished in the 6th Century.…
