Musician Baby Names

  1. Duran
    • Origin:

      Music name
    • Description:

      The iconic rock group Duran Duran named themselves after the villain of the classic sci-fi movie "Barbarella," Dr. Durand Durand. One bit of free advice: if your last name is Duran, don't name your son Duran.
  2. Garth
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "groundskeeper, enclosure"
    • Description:

      A name that took on a pronounced country twang via Nashville megastar Garth (born Troyal) Brooks.
  3. Loudon
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "from the low valley"
    • Description:

      Singer Wainwright is the third in his family to carry this unusual name.
  4. Berry
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      With the recent arrival of fruit names like Apple and Plum, this more traditional example, symbolic of fertility, might rise in popularity. Photographer Berry Berenson was born Berinthia.
  5. Santana
    • Origin:

      Spanish, condensed form of Santa Ana
    • Description:

      Santana is a saintly name...or Latin rock band. While traditionally masculine, character Santana Lopez on the show Glee showed the name's potential for a girl as well. Sound-wise, it feels like Savannah with a twist.
  6. Autry
    • Origin:

      French surname
    • Meaning:

      "noble strength"
    • Description:

      Loose, lean, and lanky cowboy-sounding names have become a recent trend, but how about the name of a real one--the Singing Cowboy Gene. Autry might be thought of as a masculine spin on the fashionable Audrey or a fresher version of Austin or Auden.

      Some other cowboy surnames from the Golden Age of movie and TV westerns: Boone, Boyd, Cody, Corrigan, Gibson, Hart, Holt, Houston, McCoy and Renaldo.

  7. Shakira
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "thankful, woman of grace"
    • Description:

      The mononymous Colombian-born singer inspired a popularity blip in the 90s and early 00s.
  8. Guthrie
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "windy place"
    • Description:

      Guthrie, one of the most attractive Scottish names that's also a surname, has a particularly romantic, windswept aura, with a touch of the buckaroo thrown in.
  9. Cale
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Caleb or surname
    • Description:

      This up-and-coming single-syllable name has a few famous bearers, including baseballer Cale Iorg and Canadian hip-hop musician Cale Sampson. Sounding like Kale, this name also has a crunchy, hipster vibe.
  10. Jewel
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Just like Flora is for botanicals, Jewel is the generic gemstone name, not used much since the early twentieth century, when it was seen as a symbol of how precious a daughter could be. The French version, Bijou, feels more modern, as do Pearl and Ruby.
  11. Usher
    • Origin:

      Yiddish variation of Asher or English surname from French
    • Meaning:

      "blessed; doorkeeper"
    • Description:

      Strongly associated with the mega-popular single-named singer, who was actually the fourth Usher Raymond in his family. He could start a fad.
  12. Odetta
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "wealthy"
    • Description:

      The memorable folk singer, an early single-name celeb, brought this into the spotlight. The French variation is Odette.
  13. Joss
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Jocelyn
    • Description:

      A short form that could be used independently, a la the singer Joss Stone.
  14. Halsey
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "hallowed island"
    • Description:

      Name of World War II hero that sounds feminine today. Worth update of Holly, Hallie, or cousins.
  15. Nirvana
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "place of great bliss"
    • Description:

      Well, parents are naming their children Eden and Heaven...so why not?
  16. Redding
    • Ramone
      • Origin:

        Musical name
      • Description:

        Ramon is a common Latin male name, but Ramone would clearly be in tribute to the early punk rock group--each of whose members took on the last name Ramone.
    • Mahalia
      • Origin:

        Hebrew, variation of Mahala
      • Meaning:

        "tenderness, affection"
      • Description:

        An underused Biblical name, probably because it's so tightly identified with the Queen of gospel singers, Mahalia Jackson. Other variations include Mahalah, Mahayla, Mahila, Mahilia, Mehalia, Mahali, and Mahalya.
    • Alannah
      • Origin:

        Gaelic
      • Meaning:

        "child"
      • Description:

        This form of Alannah was derived directly from the Gaelic term a leanbh, meaning "child." Though not as popular as the more traditional Alana spelling, it has consistently charted in the US since 2007. Alannah Myles is popularizing this spelling of Alana.
    • Cab
      • Origin:

        English diminutive of Cabell
      • Description:

        Even for lovers of Cab (born, yes, Cabell) Calloway's music, the connection to 'Taxi!' is too strong.