Musical Names

“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.” — unknown author

In honor of our music-loving parents we have put together a list of musically-inspired names for your consideration. There are basically three categories we developed for this section. First, we have included names taken directly from musical terms (e.g., Aria, Cadence, Harmony, Lyric) or types of musicians (e.g., Harper, Piper). Secondly, we selected names which are strongly associated with well-known or memorable songs (e.g., Jude, Layla, Michelle, Ruby); and lastly, we picked names that are clearly connected to admired or ϋber-popular musicians (e.g., Elvis, Miles, Parker, Aaliyah, Adele, Mariah, Miley, Taylor, etc).

There are also a couple of more subtle references to music on the list below. For instance, Carmen is the Latin word for “song”, Aria is the Italian word for “song, melody” and Maiko is Japanese for “dancing child”. Sonata is the Italian word for a musical composition and the given name Chantal could be associated with the French chant meaning “song”. Saint Cecilia is the Catholic patron saint of music and musicians (as well as a popular 1970 song by Simon & Garfunkel) and Calypso is a style of Afro-European music which developed on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, originating as a form of communication among the African slaves who weren’t allowed to talk to each other.  The Irish surname Teagan means “little poet” from the Gaelic word tadhg.   Apollo is the Greek god of music and poetry who, along with the Muse of epic poetry, Calliope (kə-LIE-ə-pee), produced a son named Orpheus, considered the finest musician of all ancient Greece. Orpheus’s music was so beautiful and enchanting, it was said to entice the Furies to tears, tame all wild beasts, and even charm inanimate objects such as rocks and trees. Thalia and Erato are two other sister Muses (goddesses of the arts) along with Calliope; these three inspire comedy, erotic poetry and epic poetry, respectively.

If you are a lover of music there are many creative ways you can impart your passionate interest on your child through the form of a given name. Just consider the Australian actress Rachel Griffiths who named her son Banjo in 2003. Her daughters’ names are Adelaide and Clementine which also happen to be female names centrally featured in popular songs by Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, respectively.  Below is a list to help start your musical journey. We will be adding more names soon: