Allegra f Italian, English (Rare)Means
"cheerful, lively" in Italian. It was borne by a short-lived illegitimate daughter of Lord Byron (1817-1822).
Alta f VariousPossibly from Latin
altus or Italian/Spanish
alto meaning
"high".
Aoide f Greek MythologyMeans
"song" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of song.
Aria 1 f English (Modern)Means
"song, melody" in Italian (literally means "air"). An aria is an elaborate vocal solo, the type usually performed in operas. As an English name, it has only been in use since the 20th century, its rise in popularity accelerating after the 2010 premier of the television drama
Pretty Little Liars, featuring a character by this name. It is not traditionally used in Italy.
Blanche f French, EnglishFrom a medieval French nickname meaning
"white, fair-coloured". This word and its cognates in other languages are ultimately derived from the Germanic word *
blankaz. An early bearer was the 12th-century Blanca of Navarre, the wife of Sancho III of Castile. Her granddaughter of the same name married Louis VIII of France, with the result that the name became more common in France.
Blondie f English (Rare)From a nickname for a person with blond hair. This is the name of the title character in a comic strip by Chic Young.
Cadence f English (Modern)From an English word meaning
"rhythm, flow". It has been in use only since the 20th century.
Calypso f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Καλυψώ (Kalypso), which probably meant
"she that conceals", derived from
καλύπτω (kalypto) meaning "to cover, to conceal". In Greek myth this was the name of the nymph who fell in love with
Odysseus after he was shipwrecked on her island of Ogygia. When he refused to stay with her she detained him for seven years until
Zeus ordered her to release him.
Caprice f EnglishFrom the English word meaning
"impulse", ultimately (via French) from Italian
capriccio.
Carmen f Spanish, English, Italian, Portuguese, French, Romanian, GermanMedieval Spanish form of
Carmel, appearing in the devotional title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Carmen meaning "Our Lady of Mount Carmel". The spelling has been altered through association with the Latin word
carmen meaning
"song". This was the name of the main character in George Bizet's opera
Carmen (1875).
Carol 1 f & m EnglishShort form of
Caroline. It was formerly a masculine name, derived from
Carolus. The name can also be given in reference to the English vocabulary word, which means "song" or "hymn".
Chantal f French, English, DutchFrom a French surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"stony". It was originally given in honour of Saint Jeanne-Françoise de Chantal, the founder of the Visitation Order in the 17th century. It has become associated with French
chant "song".
Condoleezza f Various (Rare)In the case of the former American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (1954-), it is derived from the Italian musical term
con dolcezza meaning
"with sweetness".
Coral f English, SpanishFrom the English and Spanish word
coral for the underwater skeletal deposits that can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κοράλλιον (korallion).
Deja f African American (Modern)Means
"already" from the French phrase
déjà vu meaning "already seen". It received a popularity boost in 1995 when a character named Deja appeared in the movie
Higher Learning.
Eilonwy f LiteratureFrom Welsh
eilon meaning
"deer, stag" or
"song, melody". This name was used by Lloyd Alexander in his book series
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964-1968) as well as the Disney film adaptation
The Black Cauldron (1985).
Euterpe f Greek MythologyMeans
"delight" in Greek, ultimately from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
τέρπω (terpo) meaning "to satisfy, to cheer". In Greek mythology she was one of the nine Muses, the muse of music and joy. She was said to have invented the double flute.
Gayatri f Hinduism, Marathi, HindiFrom Sanskrit
गायत्र (gāyatra), which refers to a type of hymn or song with a particular meter, derived from
गै (gai) meaning "to sing". The original hymm, also called the
Savitri, is in the
Rigveda and is a dedication to the sun god
Savitr. As a goddess, Gayatri is a personification of this hymn. She is identified with
Saraswati.
Harper f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally belonged to a person who played or made harps (Old English
hearpe). A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote
To Kill a Mockingbird. It rapidly gained popularity in the 2000s and 2010s, entering the American top ten for girls in 2015.
Kalliope f Greek MythologyMeans
"beautiful voice" from Greek
κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek mythology she was a goddess of epic poetry and eloquence, one of the nine Muses.
Kanata m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
奏 (kana) meaning "play music, complete" and
多 (ta) meaning "many", as well as other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciation.
Kotone f JapaneseFrom Japanese
琴 (koto), which refers to a type of musical instrument similar to a harp, combined with
音 (ne) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Ligeia f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
λιγύς (ligys) meaning
"clear-voiced, shrill, whistling". This was the name of one of the Sirens in Greek legend. It was also used by Edgar Allan Poe in his story
Ligeia (1838).
Ling f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
灵 (líng) meaning "spirit, soul",
铃 (líng) meaning "bell, chime", or other Chinese characters that are pronounced similarly.
Lorelei f Literature, EnglishFrom German
Loreley, the name of a rock headland on the Rhine River. It is of uncertain meaning, though the second element is probably old German
ley meaning "rock" (of Celtic origin). German romantic poets and songwriters, beginning with Clemens Brentano in 1801, tell that a maiden named the Lorelei lives on the rock and lures boaters to their death with her song.
... [more] Mahala f EnglishVariant of
Mahalah or
Mahalath. It has occasionally been used as an English Christian name since the Protestant Reformation.
Melody f EnglishFrom the English word
melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek
μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with
ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".
Melpomene f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
μέλπω (melpo) meaning
"to sing, to celebrate with song". This was the name of one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy.
Miillaaraq f GreenlandicPossibly from Greenlandic
millalaarpoq meaning
"drone, hum (of an insect)" combined with the diminutive suffix
-araq.
Naenia f Roman MythologyMeans
"incantation, dirge" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of funerals.
Petula f English (Rare)Meaning unknown, created in the 20th century. The name is borne by the British singer Petula Clark (1932-), whose name was invented by her father.
Philomela f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Φιλομήλη (Philomele), derived from
φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend" and
μῆλον (melon) meaning "fruit". The second element has also been interpreted as Greek
μέλος (melos) meaning "song". In Greek myth Philomela was the sister-in-law of Tereus, who raped her and cut out her tongue. Prokne avenged her sister by killing her son by Tereus, after which Tereus attempted to kill Philomela. However, the gods intervened and transformed her into a nightingale.
Piper f English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute). It was popularized as a given name by a character from the television series
Charmed, which debuted in 1998.
Polymnia f Greek MythologyMeans
"abounding in song", derived from Greek
πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and
ὕμνος (hymnos) meaning "song, hymn". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of dance and sacred songs, one of the nine Muses.
Rei f JapaneseFrom Japanese
鈴 (rei) meaning "bell",
麗 (rei) meaning "beautiful, lovely" or
玲 (rei) meaning "the tinkling of jade". This name can also be formed by other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Rubab f Arabic, UrduFrom an Arabic word referring to a type of stringed musical instrument. This was the name of the wife of the Prophet
Muhammad's grandson
Husayn.
Sang m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
常 (sang) meaning "common, frequent, regular" or other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character.
Saraswati f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"possessing water" from Sanskrit
सरस् (saras) meaning "fluid, water, lake" and
वती (vatī) meaning "having". This is the name of a Hindu river goddess, also associated with learning and the arts, who is the wife of
Brahma. She appears in the Vedas.
Savitri f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"of the sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hymn in the
Rigveda dedicated to
Savitr, a sun god. This is also the name of Savitr's daughter, a wife of
Brahma, considered an aspect of
Saraswati. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata it is borne by King Satyavan's wife, who successfully pleas with
Yama, the god of death, to restore her husband to life.
Selah f BiblicalFrom a Hebrew musical term that occurs many times in the Old Testament Psalms. It was probably meant to indicate a musical pause.
Setsuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
節 (setsu) meaning "section, period, verse, melody" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also be possible.
Tinker Bell f LiteratureCreated by the writer J. M. Barrie for a fairy character, first introduced in his 1904 play
Peter Pan. Her name refers to the fact that she is a mender of pots and kettles (a tinker) with a voice like a tinkling bell.
Tuba f Arabic, TurkishFrom the name of a type of tree that is believed to grow in heaven in Islamic tradition. It means "blessedness" in Arabic.
Viola f English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, SlovakMeans
"violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy
Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke
Orsino, she attempts to convince
Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.
Wakana f JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (wa) meaning "harmony, peace" and
奏 (kana) meaning "play music, complete", as well as other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Wangui f KikuyuFrom Kikuyu
ngũi meaning
"song leader". This is one of
Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wren f English (Modern)From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English
wrenna.
Yin f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
银 (yín) meaning "silver, money",
音 (yīn) meaning "sound, tone" or
荫 (yīn) meaning "shade, shelter, protect", as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.