Musical Baby Names

  1. Rhapsody
    • Origin:

      French, musical term
    • Description:

      Could be seen as extravagantly ecstatic for a baby name, though feel free to rhapsodize about your little girl, whatever her name.
  2. Ornette
    • Origin:

      Musical name
    • Description:

      Long associated with jazz great Ornette Coleman, this name's main problem is that almost all other ette-ending names -- from Annette to Paulette -- are unequivocally feminine.
  3. Mozart
    • Origin:

      German musical name
    • Description:

      A daring middle name possibility for classical concertgoers. Alternatives are Wolfgang and Amadeus.
  4. Canary
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "small bird"
    • Description:

      The name of a small yellow bird that hasn't taken off in the way that some of its avian sisters – like Robin, Wren or Lark – have.
  5. Allegro
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "brisk, sprightly"
    • Description:

      ALLEGRA is a delicate ballet-dancer name; ALLEGRO, which means a fast-paced movement in music, is stronger and more vibrant.
  6. Serenade
    • Origin:

      Music name
    • Description:

      Peaceful and melodic, but a bit pretentious.
  7. Ahuli
    • Origin:

      Cherokee
    • Meaning:

      "drum"
    • Description:

      Ahuli's pleasant beat makes it a striking option for a son.
  8. Tempo
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "time"
    • Description:

      An offbeat word name referring to the speed of a piece of music.
  9. Troubadour
    • Origin:

      French word name
    • Meaning:

      "lyric poet"
    • Description:

      In medieval France, a troubadour was a knighted lyric poet who composed and sang songs about courtly love. As a baby name, Troubadour makes a romantic and stately choice for a child, although this bold choice may be better relegated as a middle name.
  10. Gig
    • Origin:

      English slang word
    • Description:

      In addition to being the term for a job performing music, Gig has been used as a name, as in onetime actor Gig Young--who was born Byron but took his stage name from a character he played.
  11. Arabesque
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "ornate design"
    • Description:

      Fanciful, edging toward bizarre.
  12. Raga
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit, musical term
    • Meaning:

      "color or melody"
    • Description:

      Raga is musical, yes, but that 'rag' syllable worries us.
  13. Toccata
    • Origin:

      Italian, musical term
    • Description:

      Toccata is delicate and musical yes, but still somehow unappealing.
  14. Chord
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "three musical notes played together"
    • Description:

      Chord may be considered a variation of the cowboy-cool name Cord, or an independent musical name. Actor Chord Overstreet, of Glee fame, introduced this name to many American parents.
  15. Techno
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "relating to technology"
    • Description:

      We count Techno among the weird celebrity baby names, and yet we have to admit that it's the perfect choice for a child of Grimes and Elon Musk.
  16. Etude
    • Origin:

      French,"study"
    • Meaning:

      "study"
    • Description:

      An original musical possibilty for a lover of Chopin.
  17. Manzie
    • Origin:

      Music name
    • Description:

      Manzie was an obscure one-person name until Woody Allen used it for his young daughter, named after jazz drummer Manzie Johnson. Johnson played with another jazz musician, Sidney Bechet, whose last name Allen used for his other little girl.
  18. Chanson
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "song"
    • Description:

      This musical name would have to be spoken with a French accent--otherwise it would sound like a trendy boy's name, a la BRANSON.
  19. Neylan
    • Origin:

      Turkish; Gaelic, English
    • Meaning:

      "flute player; descendent of Niall; at the island"
    • Description:

      Neylan — a name of uncertain origins — seemingly came out of nowhere in 2023. Given to 122 girls, it was used five times more often than it was in the previous year, when it was given to just 25 babies. Mormon women's activist and author Neylan McBaine may played a role in introducing parents to this name.
  20. Opera
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      A very distinctive musical choice, but be aware that many people will think you've named your child Oprah.