Baby names inspired by musicals:
If you’re a big fan of Broadway, these names might spark an idea for naming your baby.
- Roxie: This girl’s name is the main character in the Broadway hit Chicago.
- Eliza: The main character of My Fair Lady, the film adaptation saw iconic actress Audrey Hepburn in this role.
- Sky: Sky Masterson was a smooth-talking gambler in Guys & Dolls. This could be a sweet name for either gender.
- Adelaide: This heroine of Guys & Dolls could provide inspiration for your little girl.
- Fiyero: The name of Wicked’s male lead could be a neat, unusual name for your little boy.
- Cosette: This girl’s name from Les Miserables is the nickname of one of the central characters.
- Dodger: Artful Dodger (also known as Jack Dawkins), was Oliver Twist’s sidekick in Dickens’ Oliver Twist, which was later turned into a musical.
- Ilse: This girl’s name from Spring Awakening has Hebrew and German origins and means “God is my oath.”
- Jet: Inspired by one of the groups in West Side Story, this could be a cool name for a little boy.
- Magenta: From The Rocky Horror Picture Show, this little girl’s name could be shortened to Maggie or Madge.
Baby names inspired by movies:
Movie buffs might find a winner among these fun, unusual baby names.
- Bastian: This could be a nickname for Sebastian, but this boy’s name is also the main character in The NeverEnding Story.
- Elsa: Frozen’s main character might inspire a name for your baby girl.
- Bianca: This Italian girl’s name means “white,” but it was made popular by Shakespeare’s play (and later movie adaptations), The Taming of the Shrew.
- Cullen: This name got a boost in popularity for boys from the Twilight films.
- Daisy: Let the female lead in The Great Gatsby inspire a name for your little girl.
- Dawson: Jack Dawson was the main male character in Titanic, so this could be a fun name for a little boy.
- Juno: A spunky girl inspired this film by the same name. Perhaps it will spark your interest for naming your daughter?
- Forrest: Forrest Gump made this a cool name for baby boys.
- Indiana: You could choose to name your little boy after Indiana Jones, the namesake adventurer of the films.
- Clementine: Perhaps this character from The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will inspire a name for your baby girl?
Names inspired by The Hunger Games:
This trilogy by author Suzanne Collins offers a wealth of unusual baby names.
- Katniss: Katniss Everdeen, the main character in The Hunger Games, could be a brave and daring choice for your daughter.
- Gale: Though this character in the books and films was male, this could be a gender-neutral name for your child.
- Rue: Though this name means “regret,” the character in the books was admirable, making this an inspiring choice for a baby girl.
- Peeta: Cool for a little boy, this character was Katniss’s partner in the games.
- Primrose: Often called “Prim,” this character was Katniss’s little sister.
- Cinna: Katniss’s fashionable male stylist for the Games has this name, though it could be gender-neutral.
- Lavinia: This Avox servant’s name comes from Latin and means “purity.”
- Cashmere: In the books, this female character was a tribute in the 75th Games. However, this name can be unisex.
- Cato: Another gender neutral name of one of the tributes, this name means “wise” or “good judgement” in Latin.
- Cressida: The director of the rebel’s propaganda, this girl’s name means “golden.”
- Paylor: This could be a gender-neutral name, inspired by Commander Paylor, a leader of the rebel forces.
Names inspired by Harry Potter:
There are so many unusual names inspired by J.K. Rowling’s best-selling books. Here are a few.
- Sirius: The Greek origins of this boy’s name mean “glowing,” but the character is Harry’s godfather.
- Hermione: Hermione Granger was one of the main characters, along with Harry and Ron, so this name for little girl’s would be perfect for a major Harry Potter fan.
- Percy: This name is a nickname for Percival, which in French means “one who pierces the sea.” In the books, he is Ron’s older brother.
- Luna: This Hogwarts witch shares a name with the Roman moon goddess.
- Rubius: Rubius Hagrid had a special fondness for Harry and his friends. This boy’s name means “red” in Latin.
- Minerva: Professor Minerva McGonagall was a Harry Potter character, but in Latin, this name for girls means “intellectual.”
- Remus: Hogwarts professor Remus Lupin is a werewolf in the books, though his first name means “oar” in Latin.
- Fleur: This character was such a beauty that many of the Hogwarts boys developed intense crushes on her.
- Orion: In the books, Orion was Sirius’ father. In Greek mythology, Orion was a brave and mighty hunter.
- Parvati: This character, whose name means “daughter of the mountain,” had a twin named Padma (also a cool name for little girls).
- Pandora: Luna’s mom in the books, this name means “all gifted” in the original Greek.
Baby names inspired by travel:
If places you’ve traveled (or places you want to go!) inspire you, these names are for you.
- Zuma: This boy’s name means “peace.” It’s also a beach in California.
- Sicily: If you love Italy, you could name your daughter after the country’s largest island.
- Nile: This cool name, inspired by Egypt’s key river, would be equally great for girls and boys.
- Avalon: Meaning “island of apples,” this Celtic name is sweet for a baby girl.
- Rio: The Spanish word for “river” is a neat name for a baby boy.
- Odessa: A Ukrainian port city, this name is pretty for a little girl.
- Bronx: One of the New York boroughs, this boy’s name is a fun, modern option.
- Sahara: If Africa fascinates you, name your daughter for the continent’s largest desert.
- York: Love all things England? Name your little boy after this English city.
- Senora: This state in Mexico could inspire a sweet girl’s name.
- Georgia: One of the American South’s states is a cute, old fashioned name for a baby girl. Georgie is a cute nickname.
- Cayman: This Caribbean island is an unusual name for a baby boy.
Science-inspired baby names:
Love all things science? One of these baby names might just fit your little one.
- Curie: Why not name your baby girl after Marie Curie, the scientist who discovered radioactivity?
- Hawking: You could name your little boy after Stephen Hawking, the physicist who discovered the mechanics of black holes.
- Sagan: Consider naming a girl or boy after astronomer Carl Sagan.
- Cori: This girl’s name would honor Gerty Cori, the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
- Dian: This is the unusual spelling of Dianne that marks Dian Fossey, the famous primatologist who studies gorillas in Rwanda.
- Darwin: A boy’s name could honor Charles Darwin, the originator of the idea of natural selection.
- Hedy: Hedy Lamar was as beautiful as she was smart. A Hungarian actress, she also discovered some of the radio technologies that laid the foundation for modern-day bluetooth and wifi.
- Galileo: This boy’s name means “rolling sea” in Hebrew and was the astronomer credited as the father of modern physics. You could also choose Galilea, the name’s feminine form.
- Blaise: This name honors Blaise Pascal, one of the inventors of the mechanical calculator.
- Temple: Name your little girl or boy after Temple Grandin, the American zoologist and pioneer of animal welfare.
- Albert: “Noble and bright” is an apt meaning for this name shared with Albert Einstein, the physicist known for the theory of relativity. Bertie is a cute nickname.
- Anders: Name your son after Anders Jonas Ångström, a famous physicist.
- Atom: Name your little boy for the smallest unit of ordinary matter.
- Dalton: You could name your son after Englishman John Dalton, the first chemist known to theorize the existence of atoms.
Futuristic or space-inspired baby names:
If you love stargazing or science fiction, these names could be for you.
- Ursa: A diminutive of the Latin name Ursula, this girl’s name means “little she bear.” Ursa Major is a prominent constellation in the northern sky.
- Neo: The name of the main character in The Matrix, this boy’s name means “new” or “gift.”
- Bowie: Inspired by David Bowie and his performance in Labyrinth, this could be a cool gender-neutral name.
- Arya: This Game of Thrones name has Persian roots that mean “faithful friend,” a lovely sentiment for a baby girl.
- Lex: Superman’s nemesis Lex Luther might inspire a boy’s name.
- Mace: In English this gender-neutral name means “gift of God,” but you might recognize it from Jedi master Mace Windu in the Star Wars films.
- Elektra: Fantasy and comic book fans will recognize this girl’s name as the love interest of Daredevil.
- Drax: Let this muscled character in Guardians of the Galaxy inspire a boy’s name.
- Echo: From the Greek, this gender-neutral name means “reverberating sound.”
- Tryon: This boy’s name from Game of Thrones has Celtic roots and means “a precious gift.”
- Elora: This girl’s name from the fantasy movie Willow means “other.”
- Xandra: This girl’s name with Dutch roots can also be spelled Zandra and means “defender of mankind.”
Claire Bradley
Looking for other creative, unusual names? Check out Huggies’ Baby Name Finder!
