Musical names
Every name links to its full page: meaning, origin, and its real popularity curve since 1890.
Cecelia Latin · variant of Cecilia, from Roman clan name Caecilius, related to 'caecus' (blind)
Melody Greek · "song, melody"
Carol French · song of joy
Mavis English · the song thrush (Old French mauvis); first used as a given name by Marie Corelli in 1895
Roman Latin · citizen of Rome (Latin); famously borne by Roman Tam, born Tam Pak-sin (譚百先), hailed as the godfather of Cantopop
Elvis Scandinavian · meaning uncertain, possibly all-wise (Norse Alviss) or Irish Ailbhe
Marley English · place name/surname, "pleasant wood"
Bessie Hebrew · God is my oath (pet form of Elizabeth); famously borne by blues empress Bessie Smith
Jolene English · modern coined name, combination of Jo and the popular name suffix -lene
Stevie Greek · pet form of Stephen/Stephanie, "crown"
Piper English · "pipe player," an occupational surname from the medieval bagpiper and flute player; almost unheard of as a first name before the 1990s, then a spirited favorite of the musical-surname wave. Bright, brisk, and impossible to slow down
Nina European · short form of names ending in -nina, brought into wider Western use from Russia and Italy; forever tied to singer and activist Nina Simone, and not derived from Spanish niña
Lennon Irish · surname Ó Leannáin, traditionally "lover" or "cloak"
Harmony English · from the word "harmony"
Harper English · "harp player," an occupational surname from the medieval minstrel's craft; almost unknown as a girls' first name before the 2000s, then a leader of the musical-surname wave. Literary in association, folk in root, modern in effect
Aria Italian · "air," the Italian word that opera turned into the solo song; also read as a Hebrew name from arye, "lion," and as an old Persian name. Musical by definition, it rose from rarity to the American top 30 in a single 2010s decade
Layla Arabic · "night," from the Arabic layl; the beloved of the seventh-century romance of Layla and Majnun, an impossible love retold for centuries in Arabic and Persian verse and, much later, in Western song. Lush, lyrical, easy everywhere
Miles Germanic · from Germanic Milo, of uncertain meaning; long associated with Latin miles, "soldier"
Aretha Greek · traditionally 'virtuous'; forever tied to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin
Bob Germanic · bright fame (pet form of Robert); famously borne by Bob Dylan and Bob Marley
Kayleigh English · variant of Kaylee; this spelling popularized by Marillion's 1985 song 'Kayleigh'
Lyra Greek · "lyre", also the constellation
Buddy English · friend, pal (affectionate English nickname); famously borne by Buddy Holly
Melodie Greek · variant of Melody, from Greek meaning 'song'
Patsy Latin · noble (pet form of Patricia); famously borne by Patsy Cline
Cadence Latin · rhythm, flow of sound; from Latin cadentia
Karmen Slavic · Slavic spelling of Carmen, from Latin carmen, 'song'
Lyric English · from the word "lyric"
Leila Arabic · night (an alternate spelling of Layla, kept distinct by many families for its own crossover history, including the Eric Clapton song)
Delilah Hebrew · delicate, weak, languishing
Shania Native-American · popularized by singer Shania Twain, who said it means 'on my way' in Ojibwe, though the etymology is disputed
Ariah Italian · modern variant of Aria, from Italian for 'air, melody'
Hendrix Dutch · patronymic surname meaning 'son of Hendrik (Henry)'
Harmoni English · modern respelling of Harmony, from harmonia, concord
Janis English · form of Janice, from Jane, 'God is gracious'; famously borne by Janis Joplin
Kadence Latin · phonetic respelling of Cadence, from Latin cadentia 'rhythm'
Kaydence Latin · phonetic variant of Cadence, from Latin cadentia 'rhythm'
Ariya English · variant of Aria (Italian, 'air, melody') or of Arya
Jagger English · English occupational surname meaning 'carter, peddler'
Nat Hebrew · gift of God (short form of Nathaniel); famously borne by Nat King Cole
Axl Scandinavian · variant of Axel, form of Absalom, 'father of peace'
Chante Modern American · an American coinage echoing French chanter, to sing; not a traditional French given name
Chuck English · American pet form of Charles (from Germanic karl, "man"); famously borne by Chuck Berry
Jazzlyn English · modern coinage blending 'jazz' with the popular '-lyn' suffix
Jovi Italian · from the surname Bon Jovi, roughly 'good Jove'
Kehlani Hawaiian · "sea and sky"
Sade Yoruba · a shortened form used as a given name; famously borne by singer Sade Adu, embraced in Black American families since the 1980s
Symphony Greek · word name from the musical term, Greek for 'sounding together'
Zamir Hebrew · means 'song' or 'nightingale'
Ashanti African · named for the Ashanti people of Ghana; embraced as a proud African heritage name, also familiar via singer Ashanti
Bowie Scottish · surname meaning 'yellow-haired'; popularized by David Bowie
Caydence Latin · modern respelling of Cadence, 'rhythm, flow'
Jaheim English · modern coinage blending 'Jah' (God) and Hakeem; popularized by R&B singer Jaheim
Juelz English · modern respelling of Jewels/Julius; popularized by rapper Juelz Santana
Kaidence Latin · modern respelling of Cadence, 'rhythm, flow'
Omarion Arabic · elaboration of Omar, traditionally 'flourishing, long-lived,' popularized by singer Omarion
Ronen Hebrew · song, joy (Hebrew ron); a modern Israeli favorite
Ronit Hebrew · feminine form of Ron: song, joy; a modern Israeli standard
Shanice English · modern coinage blending the 'Sha-' prefix with a lyrical ending, popularized by 1990s R&B
Sinéad Irish · God is gracious (Irish form of Jane; associated with singer Sinéad O'Connor)
Aarohi Sanskrit · ascending musical scale; a lyrical modern favorite
Amadeus Latin · love of God
Gita Sanskrit · song; evokes the Bhagavad Gita; a grandmother-generation staple in Nepal
Madonna Italian · my lady (Italian title of the Virgin Mary); famously borne by Madonna
Murali Telugu · the flute of Krishna (Sanskrit); shorthand for Muralidhara, the flute-bearer; a warm 1970s-80s cohort classic now mostly seen in the father generation
Thalia Greek · to flourish, blooming; muse of comedy
Yandel Spanish · stage name of Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Yandel, derived from his given name Llandel
Yaron Hebrew · he will sing; a modern Israeli favorite
Bilal Arabic · moisture, freshness
Cher French · dear, beloved
Apollo Greek · god of music and light
Calliope Greek · beautiful voice
Jimi English · supplanter (pet form of James); famously borne by Jimi Hendrix
Keerthana Sanskrit · from kirtana, a devotional song of praise; carries Kerala's Carnatic music tradition, a musical pick of the 2000s cohort
Shira Hebrew · song
Beyoncé African American · modern coinage honoring her mother's maiden name, Beyincé; famously borne by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
Ellington English · from an English place name, 'Elli's town'; famously borne by Duke Ellington
Ge Chinese · song (歌)
Hok-Yau Cantonese · scholarly friend (學友); famously borne by Jacky Cheung Hok-yau, Cantopop's God of Songs
Kaleo Hawaiian · the voice, the sound
Rajamati Newari · heroine of the beloved 19th-century Newar folk song Rajamati; built from Sanskrit raja and mati, royal and minded, but thoroughly Newar as a name; a deep-heritage pick for Newar families
Taraneh Persian · song, melody
Anggun Indonesian · graceful, elegant (also singer Anggun)
Antara Bengali · inner self, one who lives in the heart; also the name for the second section of a Hindustani classical music composition
Fei Cantonese · fragrant, luxuriant (菲); famously borne by singer Faye Wong (王菲), whose English stage name Faye is a phonetic echo of Fei
Icía Galician · the Galician form of Cecilia, and so tied to the patron saint of music
Ka-Kui Cantonese · family colt (家駒); famously borne by Wong Ka Kui, lead singer and songwriter of Hong Kong rock band Beyond, one of Cantopop's most influential musicians
Kalaivani Tamil · a Tamil name for the goddess Saraswati: kalai (Tamil, the arts) joined to Vani (Sanskrit, goddess of speech); a devotional classic of the grandmother generation, often shortened to Vani
Kanon Japanese · a phonetic name echoing the musical term 'canon,' popularized through Japanese pop culture
Knar Armenian · lyre
Kotone Japanese · sound of the koto harp
Kural Tamil · a short couplet, as in the classical ethical text the Tirukkural; also the traditional Tamil name for the tonic note "sa" in classical music
Mahlet Amharic · psalm, song
Mele Hawaiian · song
Myfanwy Welsh · an old endearment, 'my fine one' by one reading, 'my woman' by another; Joseph Parry's choral song keeps it sung wherever Welsh choirs meet, Patagonia included
Orpheus Greek · the darkness of night; legendary musician
Sesilia Samoan · Samoan form of Cecilia, patron saint of music
Sohini Bengali · beautiful, charming, splendid; also the name of a Hindustani classical raga associated with the late evening
Sunil Sinhala · very dark blue, sapphire-blue (Sanskrit); a grandparent-generation classic shared with India; carried by singer Sunil Perera of the Gypsies
Suzu Japanese · bell
Turlough Irish · shaped like Thor, instigator (associated with harper Turlough O'Carolan)
Uxía Galician · well-born (Galician form of Eugenia); carried by the singer Uxía, a central voice in Galician music
Wakana Japanese · harmony, song
Yared Amharic · Saint Yared, founder of Ethiopian Orthodox liturgical music
Yazhini Tamil · a modern coinage from yazh, the ancient Tamil harp of the Sangam bards, with the feminine ending -ini. Pure Tamil rather than Sanskrit, part of the wave of yazh names Tamil parents have favored since the 2000s as a deliberate return to pre-Sanskrit vocabulary; among the most popular girls' names in Tamil Nadu today
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