Musician Baby Names

Destined to remain a one-person name -- in this country anyway.

A simple, self-possessed, somewhat serious surname, which might work better as a middle.

When British rocker Steven Patrick Morrissey decided to use his last name alone, it became a viable option for baby namers, a lot cooler than Morris or Maurice, with the nice three-syllable lilt of of such other Irish surnames as Finnegan and Flanagan. It can also be spelled Morrisey.

Naples-born Enrico Caruso was one of the greatest opera singers of all time. Recordings of his powerful singing voice are still in circulation today, nearly 100 years after his death.

One Fergie was an aberration. But two women with that nickname -- the duchess and the Black Eyed Pea -- might make a trend.

Double exposure: 1970s rock sensation (Mamma Mia) and scholar/diplomat name in Israel.

This spelling of Winton has gotten considerable buzz via jazz musician Wynton Marsalis.

One celebrity baby Pilot put this occupational choice into the pool -- together with the middle name Inspektor, something we wouldn't advise following.

Even if you love Brian Eno, this doesn't make the most melodic name.

It has a variety of associations from Smokey Robinson to Smokey the bear, but Smokey still feels a bit comical for a baby.

The singer known as Pink (born Alecia) brought this hue onto the name-possibility palette, especially as a middle choice. Could Pink be the next Blue?

Used as a first name for a handful of girls every year, Joplin could be seen as a distant cousin of other -lin names, like Caitlin, Brooklyn and Braelynn. We think it works even better as a musical middle name possibility for fans of Janis... or Scott. Both great connections — albeit very different from one another.

This obscure Native-American name owes its very life to country singer Shania Twain, who dropped her original name, Eileen, for it.

Solemn but soaring name with patriotic symbolism.

Sabbath is a faith-inspired word name, like Sunday or Faith, that is attracting some notice since heavy metal musician Zakk Wylde chose it for his son. But then there's the band Black Sabbath, which gives the name a more devilish twist. While there's nothing intrinsically male or female about Sabbath as a first name, it squeaked onto the Social Security roster for five boys in 2012, but was not recorded for girls. Sabbath comes from the word for "day of rest" in many ancient cultures.

One of the original techno-punk bands of the late seventies, but even the most devoted fan has to admit that was a long time ago.

Cardi B is the stage name of the rapper born Belcalis Almanzar. The name Cardi originated as a short form of Bacardi, a nickname the musician got because her sister is named Hennessy, after the cognac. The B, she says, stands for a range of things, depending on the day, including Belcalis and Bacardi. Cardi is one invented name that's found instant fame and could go much further. For now, it's definitely one of the most talked-about girl names starting with C.

Opera star Domingo was responsible for giving this popular Latin name its green card. It was commonly used by early Christians to convey their serenity in the faith, and it was borne by several minor saints.

Actor French Stewart introduced this one to the lexicon. French is part word name, part place name, and part surname-name, reminiscent of celebrity baby names that reference a nationality rather than simply a place, such as Moroccan.