Pisces is a water sign and its symbol is the fish. Apropos, the sign’s ruling planet is Neptune, named after the Roman god of the sea (Poseidon was his Greek counterpart). Obviously there’s a lot of water symbolism with respect to Pisces, so first we thought it might be helpful to list a few names whose meanings reflect the sign’s primary element (water):
WATER-INSPIRED NAMES FOR PISCES BABY BOYS:
Adrian – means man from Hadria, an Italian town probably named after the Adriatic Sea
Bo – The Chinese character æ³¢ (pronounced "bo") means "wave"
Bryson – From the Gaelic meaning "vigorous sea"; developed as a nickname for a hearty sailor
Clinton – The surname is taken from a place name; a settlement on the River Glyme
Dylan – Dylan is a character in Irish mythology known as "son of the wave"
Fisher – Fisher is a surname derived from an occupation name signifying a fisherman
Jonah – A character in the Bible who is saved by a whale
Jordan – In reference to the River Jordan, it’s meaning (flowing down) comes from Hebrew
Kai – The Hawaiian word for "ocean, sea"
Kelvin – Kelvin is a river which flows through Glasgow, Scotland
Kendall – A surname derived from a place name in the valley of the River Kent, England
Lake – A body of large, still water not connected to an ocean or sea but much bigger than a pond
Lamar – La mer means ‘the sea" in French
Lincoln – A surname derived from a place in England; the name has Celtic roots meaning "lake"
London – Also a place name with Celtic roots meaning "a bold and wild river too wide to cross"
Makai – Makai means "toward the sea" in Hawaiian
Morgan – Comes from an Old Welsh (Celtic) name Morcant meaning "sea circle"
Moses – As a baby, Moses was famously "saved from the water"
Ocean – An ocean is a huge body of salt water which covers most of the earth’s surface
Remy – From the Old French meanings "oarsman"
River – A river is a flowing body of water
Ronin – RÅnin (浪) is a Japanese name meaning "wave man"
Seamus – Really this is the Irish equivalent to James, but it does contain the word "sea"!
Sidney – An English surname-turned-first-name that means "wide river meadow"
Zaire – This is the former name of the Congo River in Africa, Zaire is a name that the Portuguese came up with. It was their interpretation of the Bantu word “nzere” meaning “the river that swallows all rivers”
WATER-INSPIRED NAMES FOR PISCES BABY GIRLS:
Adriana – means a woman from Hadria, Italy, a town probably named after the Adriatic Sea
Chanel – A French surname (as in CoCo) meaning "water pipe" (think: channel, canal)
Chelsea – Really this is a fashionable district in London that happens to contain the word "sea"!
Cordelia – Most likely from an Old Welsh name meaning "daughter of the sea"
Dylan – Dylan is a character in Irish mythology known as "son of the wave"
Guadalupe – Guadalupe is a place name in central Spain and means "river of the wolf"
Haven – A place of sanctuary originally derived from the Olde English "hæf" meaning "sea"
India – The country of India is named after the people of the Indus River Valley
Jocelyn – From Germanic meaning "to pour, flowing water"
Jordan – In reference to the River Jordan, it’s meaning (flowing down) comes from Hebrew
Kai – The Hawaiian word for "ocean, sea"
Kairi – This Japanese-inspired name means both "sea" and "nautical mile"
Kelsey – Kelsey originated from an Olde English masculine name (CÄ“olsige) meaning "ship’s victory"
Kendall – A surname derived from a place name in the valley of the River Kent, England
Lake – A body of large, still water not connected to an ocean or sea but much bigger than a pond
Larissa – A character in Greek mythology with whom the sea god, Poseidon, falls in love
London – A place name with Celtic roots meaning "a bold and wild river too wide to cross"
Mara – Mara is the modern Irish word for "sea"
Marina – From an Old Roman name, Marius, from the Latin meaning "of the sea"; it’s also a safe basin for boats
Mary – One of Mary’s nicknames is "star of the sea"
Mira – Mira or Meera (मीरा) comes from the Sanskrit (Hindu) meaning “sea, ocean”
Morgan – One of Morgan’s etymological meanings is "sea circle"; it’s also the name of a character in Celtic mythology
Rayne – One theory is that Rayne comes from the Olde English word "regn" meaning "rain"
Regan – A name used by Shakespeare that also might mean "rain"
River – A river is a flowing body of water
Sabrina – Also a character in Celtic mythology, Sabrina gave her name to the River Severn
Shannon – Ireland’s longest river means "old wise river"
Sydney – An English surname-turned-first-name that means "wide river meadow"
Yaritza – A diminutive of an ingegenous Brazilian name referring to The Lady of the Lake
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Aside from all the names mentioned above that are strongly connected to water, there are other ways you can name your little Pisces in keeping with the symbolism of his/her sign. There are certain positive character traits associated with the Pisces such as wisdom and intuitiveness, dreaminess, creativity and imagination, free-spiritedness and spirituality, helpfulness and kindness, not to mention compassion, friendliness and sweetness! Here are some name ideas that bring out those wonderful characteristics:
BABY BOY NAMES THAT REFLECT TRAITS OF THE PISCES:
Alden – From an Olde English masculine name (Ealdwine) meaning "old friend"
Bodhi – A Buddhist concept of enlightenment and awakening
Charles – From the Germanic Karl meaning "free man"
Cody – Cody is the Anglicization of Cuidighthigh, an Old Irish nickname for a helpful person
Dakota – Dakota comes from the Lakota Sioux language meaning "friend, ally"
Darwin – This surname originated from an Olde English nickname (Deorwine) meaning “dear friend”
David – A Biblical Hebrew name meaning "beloved, darling"
Elvis – Elvis comes to us from the Old Norse meaning ‘all wise"
Ezra – Another Biblical Hebrew name meaning "help"
Jason – Jason comes from the Greek meaning ‘the healer"
Jonathan – Jonathan is a biblical character symbolic of friendship
Josiah – Josiah is an Old Testament figure whose name means "God heals"
Khalil – Khalil means "bosom friend" in Arabic
Nasir – Nasir means "helper, supporter" in Arabic
Raymond – A Germanic name meaning "wise counsel"
Ronald – Ronald comes from the Old Norse name Rögnvaldr meaning "wise ruler"
Sage – The name Sage is synonymous with wisdom
Teagan – We get this name from the Irish-Gaelic; it means "storyteller, poet"
BABY GIRL NAMES THAT REFLECT THE TRAITS OF THE PISCES:
Amanda – Amanda comes from Latin and means "loved, worthy of love"
Amy – From the Old French meaning "beloved"
Annabel – A Scottish form of the Old French Amabel meaning "loveable"
Cara – Cara is the Irish-Gaelic word for "friend" and the Italian word for "dear, cherished"
Carissa – Equivalent to the word "charity" as in "generous love"
Caroline – The female form of Carl from the Germanic "karl" meaning "free (wo)man"
Charity – Charity is a Christian virtue; and a notion of "generous love"
Charlotte – The female form of Charles from the Germanic "karl" meaning "free (wo)man"
Dakota – Dakota comes from the Lakota Sioux language meaning "friend, ally"
Dulce – This is the Spanish word for "sweets" as in "candy"
Esme – From the Old French meaning "esteemed, loved"
Frances – As the female form of Francis (meaning Frenchman), the term French (meaning "of the Franks) comes from the Old French "franc" meaning "free, liberal, generous"
Kendra – Is often considered a modern form of the Welsh name Cynwrig meaning "wise ruler"
Laurel – The laurel crown was worn as a symbol of wisdom, honor and accomplishment
Liberty – Essentially synonymous with "freedom"
Malaya – Malaya is the Tagalog (Filipino) word for “free, freedom”
Naomi – Naomi comes from the Bible; in Hebrew it means "pleasant, sweet"
Pamela – Pamela most likely means "sweetness"
Ruth – Ruth means "friend, companion" in Hebrew; ideals her Biblical character epitomized
Sage – The name Sage is synonymous with wisdom
Teagan – We get this name from the Irish-Gaelic; it means "storyteller, poet"
Wendy – J.M. Barrie may have invented this name in "Peter Pan”; from a nickname (“fwendy”) meaning friend.
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There are also names that provide certain symbolic meaning consistent with the Piscean personality. For instance, the masculine name Valentino (or female Valentina) are practically synonymous with the notions of romantic love. Same with the red Rose. The sign of Pisces is one of the most romantic of the twelve sun signs, so these names seem fitting as well. Here are a few more names that make us think of the Pisces persona:
SYMBOLIC NAMES FOR THE PISCES BABY BOY:
Amare – In Latin, "amare" means "to love"
Braden / Brady – The Gaelic word “bradán” means "salmon"; a fish which symbolized wisdom to the ancient Celtic people
Cedric – Ultimately from an ancient Celtic name (CaratÄcos) from an element meaning "love"
Lennon – This surname comes from an Irish-Gaelic personal name (Leannáin) meaning "lover"
Marcus / Mark – Marcus and Mark are named after Mars, the Roman god of war; the Piscean month of March was named for him
Ronan – A name from Celtic mythology, Ronan means "little seal"
Stephen – Stephen is notable as the first Christian martyr; every little Pisces as a little martyrdom in him
SYMBOLIC NAMES FOR THE PISCES BABY GIRL:
Mina – In Sanskrit MÄ«na (मीना) means “fish” and is the name of the twelfth astrological sign Pisces on the Hindu zodiac
Hazel – Hazel is a tree that symbolizes knowledge and creativity
Ivy – Ivy is a climbing vine that symbolizes friendship
Willow – The willow tree symbolizes adaptability and intuition
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Lastly, we thought it was fitting to mention names of both literary characters and real-life historical figures who have come to represent unrequited love and/or star-crossed lovers. Again, Pisces is a very romantic sign and there’s no stronger form of romance than that which cannot be. The sentimental and dreamy fish would appreciate these stories of love never quite fully realized:
ROMANTIC LOVE STORY NAME IDEAS FOR THE PISCES BABY GIRL AND BOY:
Angelica was the object of Orlando’s desire in the late 15th / early 16th century works by Italian poet Matteo Maria Boiardo called Orlando Innamorato and Orlando Furioso. Orlando is a heroic warrior during the Crusades and Angelica is the woman who causes his ultimate distraction!
Beatrice Portinari was Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s lifelong muse. His chivalrous love for her is the subject of “La Vita Nuova” (1295), and later she served as Dante’s guide through Paradise in his “Divina Commedia” (1321). The poet referred to Beatrice as “la gloriosa donna della mia mente” (the glorious lady of my mind). Dante’s intense and abiding love for Beatrice would remain unrequited and she died at the young age of 24.
The Roman poet Ovid used the name Corinna as the object of his ultimately unattainable desires in his book “Amores” (published over 2,000 years ago!)
The Greek god of music and poetry, Apollo, went mad for Daphne after Eros mischievously stung him with his arrow. Daphne was finally transformed into a laurel tree in order to escape Apollo’s unwanted advances.
Deirdre and Conor are memorable characters from Celtic mythology. She, the ill-fated wife. He, the prideful husband. The Ulster King Conor stashed Deirdre away as a baby so he could marry her when she grew older. Only problem: when she matured into the most beautiful woman of all of Ireland, she fell in love with his nephew instead!
The Biblical story of perhaps the ultimate femme fatale, Delilah, and her betrayal of Samson is perhaps the first example in history of so-called star-crossed lovers. Delilah made a quick buck off the Philistines for selling Samson out, but Samson showed them all in the end.
Elaine of Astolat is a romantic figure in Celtic/Welsh Mythology, in the well-known and much beloved legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. Poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson later immortalized her after the publication of “The Lady of Shalott” which details her unrequited love for the knight Sir Lancelot.
In the early 12th century France, the real-life Héloïse d’Argenteuil and Pierre Abélard embarked on a hot-and-heavy medieval love affair which resulted in a pregnancy. The girl’s uncle (a priest) had Pierre’s "man parts" chopped off and Héloïse was sent to a nunnery (Pierre lived out the rest of his life as a monk). Although unable to consummate again (for obvious reasons), the two ex-lovers turned hermits still wrote passionate letters to one another.
American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalized the name Evangeline in his 1847 epic poem “Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie” which details the story of lost love during the Great Upheaval (when the warring British expelled the Catholic French from their home in Acadia). Evangeline spent her whole life searching for Gabriel. In the end, she finds him – but the reunion is bittersweet to say the least.
Francesca da Rimini is famously immortalized in Dante Alighieri’s epic early 14th century masterpiece, The Divine Comedy. She and her lover, Paolo Malatesta, are consigned to the second circle of hell for their adultery. Francesca is modeled upon a real-life person, the beautiful daughter of an Italian nobleman, who was said to have been tricked by her father into marrying Gianciotto Malatesta for political reasons, when it was his brother, Paolo, whom she loved. She became Paolo’s mistress and her husband, discovering the deceit, killed them both. In his journey through the Inferno, Dante asks his guide if he may speak to the doomed lovers. Francesca tells him her tale, how they were inspired by reading of the love between Lancelot and Guinevere, and in all innocence, began their affair.
Ah, Sir Lancelot and Guinevere are figures from Celtic mythology. It was their adulterous affair which brought down Camelot, the symbol of the Arthurian world. Guinevere was the beautiful wife of King Arthur, and Sir Lancelot was one of his most cherished knights. Even their loyalty to the king could not stop their desire for one another.
In ancient Greek times, Helen‘s abduction by Paris set in motion the mythological Trojan War. She was the beautiful Spartan Queen and he was the Prince of Troy. It was her lovely face that was said to have launched a thousand ships. It would also bring an end to Troy.
There’s yet another famous Celtic mythological love story involving Tristan and Isolde. When King Mark of Cornwall sent his nephew, Tristan, to fetch his future bride (Isolde), things went sideways. The two youngsters inadvertently drank one of those medieval love potions and fell madly in love with each other. Needless to say, old King Mark wasn’t too happy about this turn of events.
Perhaps the Be-All-End-All story of star-crossed lovers is owed to William Shakespeare. In his tragic play about Romeo and Juliet, two youngsters who come from feuding families, their love is thwarted from the get-go. The story can best be summed up by the play’s final two lines: “For never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo”.
Laura de Noves was the real-life name of the young woman generally conceded to be the muse of Italian poet, Francesco Petracco (“Petrarch”). In the 14th century, Petrarch abandoned the priesthood, so distracted was he by his desire for Laura. She apparently aroused all his passionate love which he was unable to reconcile with his religious expectations. Since Laura was a married woman, Petrarch’s love would remain unrequited. Therefore, Laura is often associated with a beautiful woman loved, but one who is out of reach.
Did you know that Eric Claptan’s song Layla was actually inspired by a true Arabian love story, that of Qays and Leila? When Qays is denied Leila’s hand in marriage, and the two are prohibited from seeing one another, poor Qays does what any romantic does: he descends into madness.
One of the most memorable pairings in all of American literature can be found in Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel Gone with the Wind. Yes, we are indeed talking about the irrepressible Miss Scarlett O’Hara and her match made in heaven, the dashingly handsome Mr. Rhett Butler. Only problem: the calculating Scarlett keeps him hanging for far too long; when she finally succumbs and falls in love (for real in love), old Rhett no longer "gives a damn".
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So there we have it. Just a few name ideas. We hope you find the perfect name for your own little fish!
