Broadway Names

Names featured in Broadway musicals.
  1. Alison
    • Origin:

      Norman French, diminutive of Alice
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      Alison has been long popular in Scotland and widely used here since the fifties. This more feminine medieval elaboration of Alice had long surpassed the original in popularity, but now sounds a tad dated in the U.S., with Alice having leapfrogged back over Alison, Allison, Alicia and other variations.
  2. Amber
    • Origin:

      Word name, English
    • Description:

      Though perhaps not as currently stylish as Ruby, Jade, or Pearl, Amber has a colorful history (remember the notorious Forever Amber heroine?). Unfortunately, it does come with the "Amber Alert" connotation for modern parents (and their children).
  3. Angel
    • Origin:

      Spanish and English
    • Meaning:

      "angel, messenger"
    • Description:

      As a boys' name, Angel has two distinct name personalities. One is as a perennial favorite Hispanic boys’ name, popular in the US along with Spain, Mexico, and South America.
  4. Anne
    • Origin:

      French variation of English Ann and Hebrew Hannah
    • Meaning:

      "grace"
    • Description:

      The name of the sainted mother of the Virgin Mary was among the top girls’ names for centuries, in both the original English Ann spelling and the French Anne. Both left the Top 100 around 1970 but Anne is still among the most classic names for girls, although others are more likely to choose the original Hannah, the Anna variation, or even Annabel or Annabella.
  5. Arnold
    • Origin:

      English from German
    • Meaning:

      "ruler, strong as an eagle"
    • Description:

      Strange as it may now seem, the venerable St. Arnold was a Greek by birth, a musician who became a member of the court of Charlemagne. The name is said to have been introduced into Britain by the Normans in the form Arnaud.
  6. Benny
    • Bruce
      • Origin:

        Scottish and English from French
      • Meaning:

        "from the brushwood thicket"
      • Description:

        Bruce is a Norman place name made famous by the Scottish king Robert the Bruce, who won Scotland's independence from England in the fourteenth century. It's perennially popular in Scotland, but has been rarely used here for a generation -- though the impact of Bruces Lee, Springsteen, Dern and Willis, as well as Batman's Bruce Wayne -- still lingers. At one time Bruce was so widespread in Australia, it became a nickname for any Ozzie man. An interesting alternative is Brix, the Normandy place name where the Bruce family originated.
    • Boq
      • Charlie
        • Origin:

          English, diminutive of Charles
        • Meaning:

          "free man"
        • Description:

          Charlie derives, of course, from the classic name Charles which, in turn, comes from a German word meaning "free man." Charles became very popular in France during the Middle Ages due to the fame of Charles the Great, also known as Charlemagne. Charley is an alternate spelling.
      • Chip
        • Origin:

          Pet name for Charles
        • Description:

          Only if you're madly nostalgic for sixties TV.
      • Christine
        • Origin:

          French variation of Christina
        • Meaning:

          "Christian"
        • Description:

          Christine was the dominant feminine variation of Christopher forty or fifty years ago, when French E-endings were preferred over As; it was a Top 20 name for several years, from 1966 to 1974. But though it still hangs in on the popularity list, today most any other version would be considered more stylish, from Kristen to Kirsten to Christina herself.
      • Collins
        • Origin:

          Surname derived from Nicholas or Colin
        • Description:

          Though Collins makes the Top 1000 for girls, it sounds strong and handsome for boys too, kind of like the newly-stylish Brooks. The final s updates it from the 80s-ish Colin or the Twilightish Cullen. Might make an innovative honorific for a grandpa Nick.
      • Corny
        • Origin:

          Short form of Cornelius, Latin
        • Meaning:

          "horn"
        • Description:

          Cornelius is one of the Ancient Roman names that is not quite making a comeback, despite having been a Top 200 name in the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Blame Corny, a nickname that is just too joke-worthy.
      • Cosette
        • Origin:

          French literary nickname
        • Meaning:

          "little thing"
        • Description:

          Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables. In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some etymologists believe it's a spin on Colette, originally a female short form of Nicolas.
      • Daniel
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "God is my judge"
        • Description:

          Daniel is one of only a handful of male names that sounds both classic and modern, strong yet approachable, and popular but not cliched. It also has a solid Old Testament pedigree. The only real downside: There are about 10,000 Daniels named each year, making it a less than distinctive choice.
      • David
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "beloved"
        • Description:

          David is an enduring worldwide classic, used from ancient times to the present day.
      • Diana
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "divine"
        • Description:

          Diana, the tragic British princess, inspired many fashions, but strangely, not one for her name. For us, Diana is a gorgeous and still-underused choice.
      • Edna
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "rejuvenation, delight"
        • Description:

          Edna is one of those names that, until what it seemed like a few minutes ago, felt so terminally frumpy that no one could imagine a parent choosing it for an innocent modern baby girl. But with the great upswing in names honoring ancestral family members, several of them being other four-letter, e-ending names, we wouldn't be so sure.
      • Elena
        • Origin:

          Spanish, Italian, German, Greek variation of Helen
        • Meaning:

          "bright, shining light"
        • Description:

          Elena is at its most popular point ever in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal and the overall popularity of El- names. It's more international than Ellen or Eleanor, but still accessible.
      • Elizabeth
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "pledged to God"
        • Description:

          Elizabeth is one of the most popular girls' names of all time, the female equivalent of James or William. Yet Elizabeth has so much going for it—rich history, broad appeal, and timeless style—that no matter how many little girls are named Lizzie, Eliza, and Beth, you can still make Elizabeth your own.