What names have meanings connected with music?
Melody and Shira are names connected with music. Melody uses the English word, while Shira means "singing" in Hebrew.
Explore the names below and follow any name to its full history.
Taraneh Persian · song, melody
Melody Greek · "song, melody"
Rena Hebrew · song, joy
Wakana Japanese · harmony, song
Mahlet Amharic · psalm, song
Gita Sanskrit · song; evokes the Bhagavad Gita; a grandmother-generation staple in Nepal
Mele Hawaiian · song
Shira Hebrew · song
Riya Sanskrit · singer; graceful
Carolina Portuguese · feminine form of Carolus, the Latin form of Charles, from the Germanic word karl, "man"; North Carolina and South Carolina take their names from King Charles I
Ge Chinese · song (歌)
Ronen Hebrew · song, joy (Hebrew ron); a modern Israeli favorite
Melodie Greek · variant of Melody, from Greek meaning 'song'
Carol French · song of joy
Ronit Hebrew · feminine form of Ron: song, joy; a modern Israeli standard
Apollo Greek · original meaning unknown; the name of the Greek god of music, prophecy and healing
Setsuko Japanese · child of verse and melody
Keerthana Sanskrit · from kirtana, a devotional song of praise; carries Kerala's Carnatic music tradition, a musical pick of the 2000s cohort
Zamir Hebrew · means 'song' or 'nightingale'
Anggun Indonesian · graceful, elegant (also singer Anggun)
Ariah Italian · modern variant of Aria, from Italian for 'air, melody'
Ariya English · variant of Aria (Italian, 'air, melody') or of Arya
Vaino Finnish · from Väinämöinen, the wise old singer-hero of the Kalevala; the epic name likely derives from väinä, "a wide, slowly-flowing river or strait" (ASCII form of Väinö)
Aria Italian · Italian for air; an operatic solo; distinct from the separate Persian name of the same spelling
Karmen Slavic · Slavic spelling of Carmen, from Latin carmen, 'song'
Omarion Arabic · elaboration of Omar, traditionally 'flourishing, long-lived,' popularized by singer Omarion
Rhianna Welsh · From Rhiannon, the mythological Welsh queen and horse goddess of the Mabinogi, popularized recently by song and celebrity
Sesilia Samoan · Samoan form of Cecilia, patron saint of music
Wing-Yi Cantonese · varies by characters: often 穎怡, clever and content, or 詠儀, graceful song; everywhere among Hong Kong girls born in the 80s and 90s
Litzy Spanish · modern coinage, popularized by Mexican pop singer Litzy
Kayleigh English · variant of Kaylee; this spelling popularized by Marillion's 1985 song 'Kayleigh'
Shantell Modern American · an Americanized spelling of Chantal, a French surname from cantal, stony ground, sometimes linked instead to chant, song
Ji-eun Korean · wisdom and grace in common hanja. Birth name of the singer IU (Lee Ji-eun) and a staple of the ji- generation born in the 1980s and 90s, the cohort now giving its own daughters newer ji- names like Ji-ah and Ji-woo.
Tamia African American · modern coinage, popularized by R&B singer Tamia; likely an elaboration of Tammy/Tamara
Melba English · modern coinage from the stage name of opera singer Nellie Melba, after Melbourne
Tyrese African American · modern coinage, popularized by actor/singer Tyrese Gibson
Yared Amharic · name of Saint Yared, traditionally credited with creating the music used in Ethiopian Orthodox worship
Somi Korean · small beauty (worn by singer Jeon Somi)
Folasade Yoruba · honor confers a crown (the name the singer Sade carries)
Shania Native-American · popularized by singer Shania Twain, who said it means 'on my way' in Ojibwe, though the etymology is disputed
Joleen Modern American · a respelling of Jolene, a 20th-century coinage using the -lene suffix, later popularized by Dolly Parton's 1973 song
Tammi Modern American · A respelling of Tammy, a pet form of Tamara or Thomasina, popularized as its own name by 1950s film and song.
Latoya African American · modern coinage using the 'La-' prefix pattern, popularized in part by singer La Toya Jackson
Rolland Germanic · variant spelling of Roland, from Hrodland, famous land, hero of the medieval Song of Roland.
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
Ekin Uncertain · name borne by Ekin Cheng; his English spelling closely echoes his Cantonese given name Yee-kin, but no broader etymology is verified
Tae-yang Korean · sun (worn by singer Taeyang of BIGBANG)
Basia Polish · diminutive of Barbara, said BA-shah. The -sia ending is the tenderest register of Polish diminutives, Basia from Barbara as Zosia from Zofia and Kasia from Katarzyna, and jazz singer Basia charted in 1980s America under the diminutive alone; proof the home form can stand on its own abroad.
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