190 musical baby names, with meanings

We read the musical name lists that rank on Google before writing this one: Moonboon, Appellation Mountain, Nameberry, BabyCenter and the long threads on Reddit's r/namenerds. Almost none of them link a meaning to a source, and a few of the meanings travel from list to list without being true. Chantal is said to mean "song" (it comes from a French place name). Viola is listed as the instrument (it's the Latin word for violet). Reed is filed with the woodwinds (it meant red-haired).

So every meaning here was checked against Behind the Name, Wiktionary, Wikipedia or the original text, and linked. The popularity ranks come from the Social Security Administration's baby name data for babies born in 2025, the newest year it has published.

What are the most popular musical baby names?

Harper is the most popular name with a musical meaning in the US: it was the 16th most common name for baby girls in 2025, and it began as an English surname for a harp player. Aria (26th) is next, then Melody (79th, up from 148th in 2015). Music words barely appear among boys' names; the musical boy names in common use come from musicians, songs and myth, like Miles (44th), Jude (155th), Jett (169th) and Apollo (445th).

Ranks among US girls' or boys' names from the Social Security Administration, for babies born in 2025 and in 2015. "Not in top 1,000" means the name was given too rarely that year to make the list.

Names made from music words

Most of the musical names parents reach for are English or Italian words for parts of music, and most of them became names only in the last hundred years. Aria and Melody are by far the most used. Selah and Calypso are older, and come from scripture and myth rather than a music dictionary.

• Aria (girl). Italian for "air", and the word for a solo song in an opera. It has been a name in English only since the 20th century. Behind the Name
• Melody (girl). From Greek melos, "song", and aeido, "to sing". Behind the Name
• Harmony (girl). From Greek harmonia, "joint, agreement", and so a concord of sounds. Wiktionary
• Lyric (girl or boy). "Songlike", from Greek lyrikos, the word for poetry sung to the lyre. Behind the Name, Wiktionary
• Lyra (girl). Latin for "lyre". The constellation Lyra is said to be the lyre of Orpheus. Behind the Name, Wikipedia
• Cadence (girl). The English word for rhythm or flow, which goes back to Latin cadere, "to fall". Wiktionary
• Allegra (girl). Italian for "cheerful, lively"; allegro marks a quick, bright tempo. Lord Byron gave it to his daughter (1817-1822). Behind the Name
• Octavia (girl). The feminine of the Roman family name Octavius, from Latin octavus, "eighth", the root of octave. Behind the Name
• Symphony (girl). From Greek symphonos, "concordant in sound". Behind the Name
• Sonata (girl). Italian for "sounded": a piece for one or a few instruments. Wiktionary
• Rhapsody (girl). From Greek rhapsoidia, the reciting of epic poetry, built from words for "to sew" and "song". Wiktionary
• Coda (girl or boy). Italian for "tail", the passage that ends a piece of music. Wiktionary
• Carol (girl). A short form of Caroline, though it can also be given for the word carol, a song of joy. Behind the Name
• Selah (girl). A Hebrew word that appears 74 times in the Bible, 71 of them in the Psalms. Nobody knows exactly what it means; it was probably a musical or liturgical mark. Wikipedia
• Jazz (girl or boy). The music. The word's origin is unknown; it first turned up in baseball slang in 1912. Wikipedia
• Calypso (girl). Greek Kalypso, probably "she that conceals", the nymph who kept Odysseus on her island. The Trinidadian song style is a different word that came to be spelled the same way. Behind the Name

What do Melody, Harmony and Octavia mean in music?

A melody is notes heard one after another, the part of a song you can hum. Harmony is notes sounded together. Octavia shares its Latin root, octavus ("eighth"), with the octave: sing up a scale, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do, and the eighth note is the first one again, only higher. A cadence is the pattern of chords that closes a musical phrase, and an aria is a solo song in an opera.

Melody, harmony and the octave are pages of a picture book our co-founder Steve Canfield wrote. Music Theory for Babies gives each one a single line to read aloud: "Notes one after another make a melody. La, la, la!" Later spreads cover the scale, the octave ("The top step sounds like the bottom step, only higher"), harmony and chords, with a detailed folk-art picture on every page for you and your baby to look at together. It's a 28-page paperback for babies to age 3, $12.99 on Amazon, and it suits a baby shower where the parents have already settled on Melody or Harmony.

Names that mean song, music or melody

In English, the music words themselves became the names. Other languages have names that mean song, music or melody, and Hebrew has the most of them here: Shir means "song", Shiri "my song" and Shira "singing". Gita is Sanskrit for "song", Mele is Hawaiian for "song", Ezgi is Turkish for "melody", and Daina means "song" in both Lithuanian and Latvian.

Hebrew names that mean song or singing

• Shira (girl). Hebrew "singing". Behind the Name
• Shiri (girl). Hebrew "my song". Behind the Name
• Shir (girl). Hebrew "song". Behind the Name
• Rina (girl). Hebrew "joy, singing". Behind the Name
• Liron (boy or girl). Hebrew "my song, my joy", from li, "for me", and ron, "song, joy". Behind the Name
• Ronen (boy). From Hebrew ron, "song, joy". Behind the Name
• Rani (boy or girl). From Hebrew ran, "to sing". The Sanskrit Rani, "queen", is a different name. Behind the Name
• Yaron (boy). Hebrew "he will sing, he will shout". Behind the Name
• Zimri (boy). Hebrew, probably "my music". Behind the Name

From India, the Middle East and Turkey

• Gita (girl). Sanskrit "song", the same word as in Bhagavad Gita. Behind the Name
• Sangeeta (girl). Sanskrit sangita, "chorus, music". Behind the Name
• Riya (girl). Sanskrit "singer". Behind the Name
• Shadi (boy). Arabic "singer". The Persian girl's name Shadi, "happiness", is spelled the same. Behind the Name
• Taghrid (girl). Arabic "singing, chirping", as birds do. Behind the Name
• Nagham (girl). Arabic for "tune, melody". Wiktionary
• Terane (girl). Azerbaijani "music, song", also written Tarana. Behind the Name
• Ezgi (girl). Turkish "melody". Behind the Name
• Beste (girl). Turkish "musical composition". Behind the Name

From Europe

• Daina (girl). "Song" in Lithuanian and Latvian. Behind the Name
• Dainius (boy). Lithuanian "poet, singer", from daina. Behind the Name
• Leelo (girl). Estonian "folk song". Behind the Name
• Sointu (girl). Finnish for a chord in music. Behind the Name
• Zamir (boy). Albanian "good voice". Behind the Name
• Doina (girl). Romanian "folk song". Behind the Name
• Eumelia (girl). From Greek eumeleia, "melody". Behind the Name

Japanese names

In Japanese the meaning depends on which characters (kanji) the parents choose, so these are what the name means when written with the characters shown.

• Kanon (girl). 花音, "flower" and "sound". Behind the Name
• Kanade (girl). 奏, "to play music". Wiktionary
• Hibiki (boy or girl). 響, "sound, echo". Behind the Name
• Uta (girl). 詩, "song". Behind the Name
• Wakana (girl). 和奏 can mean "harmony" and "play music". Behind the Name

From Africa, the Pacific and Central Asia

• Mele (girl). Hawaiian "song". It's also the Hawaiian, Tongan and Samoan form of Mary. Behind the Name
• Wangui (girl). Kikuyu, from ngũi, "song leader". In Kikuyu tradition, Wangui was one of the nine daughters of Mumbi. Behind the Name
• Maina (boy). Kikuyu "sing, dance". Behind the Name
• Uyanga (girl). Mongolian "melody". Behind the Name
• Jamyang (boy or girl). Tibetan "gentle song". Behind the Name

Which names come from musicians in myth and scripture?

The oldest musical names belong to gods, Muses and singers in old stories. Apollo was the Greek god of music and played the lyre, and Calliope, "beautiful voice", was the Muse who in most accounts was the mother of Orpheus. In the Bible, Jubal is "the father of all such as handle the harp and organ", and David played the harp for King Saul.

Greek myth

• Apollo (boy). The Greek god of music, song and poetry, who played the lyre. Nobody knows what the name means. Theoi, Behind the Name
• Orpheus (boy). The poet and musician whose lyre charmed Hades, the king of the underworld. Behind the Name
• Calliope (girl). Greek "beautiful voice", the eldest Muse, of epic poetry. It was 451st for girls in the US in 2025. Theoi
• Euterpe (girl). Greek "well pleasing", the Muse of music and lyric poetry, who played the double flute. Theoi
• Erato (girl). Greek "lovely", the Muse of love poetry, shown with a lyre. Theoi
• Polyhymnia (girl). Greek "many hymns", the Muse of sacred song. Theoi
• Terpsichore (girl). Greek "delighting in dance", the Muse of choral song and dance. Theoi
• Melpomene (girl). From Greek melpo, "to sing". She was the Muse of tragedy. Behind the Name
• Aoede (girl). Greek "song", one of the three original Muses. Behind the Name
• Echo (girl). The nymph who could only repeat the last words she heard. Behind the Name
• Linus (boy). The musician who taught the young Heracles the lyre. The name itself means "flax". Behind the Name

Scripture, saints and legend

• Jubal (boy). "The father of all such as handle the harp and organ" (Genesis 4:21). The name means "stream". Behind the Name
• David (boy). The shepherd who played the harp for King Saul (1 Samuel 16:23). The name means "beloved". Behind the Name
• Miriam (girl). Aaron's sister, the prophetess who took a timbrel and led the women in song after the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20-21). Behind the Name
• Asaph (boy). The chief of King David's musicians, who played the cymbals (1 Chronicles 16:5). Twelve psalms carry his name. Wikipedia
• Cecilia (girl). The patron saint of music and musicians, whose feast day is November 22. Wikipedia
• Saraswati (girl). The Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and the arts, who holds a veena. It's used as a given name in India. Wikipedia
• Bragi (boy). The Norse god of poetry. Behind the Name
• Taliesin (boy). Welsh "shining brow", a Welsh bard of the 6th century, part history and part legend. Behind the Name
• Rhiannon (girl). In the Welsh Mabinogion, the Birds of Rhiannon sing at Harlech for seven years, sweeter than any song. Wikipedia

Instrument names, and names of the people who played them

Two of the most popular musical names began as surnames for musicians: Harper for someone who played or made harps, and Piper for someone who played a pipe. A few other surnames and instruments work the same way, and two well-known "instrument" names turn out not to be.

• Harper (girl or boy). An English surname for a person who played or made harps. Behind the Name
• Piper (girl). An English surname for a person who played on a pipe. Behind the Name
• Crowther (boy). An English surname for a player of the crwth, an old Welsh bowed lyre. Wikipedia
• Bell (girl or boy). A surname for someone who lived near the town bell, or who rang it. It's also a spelling of Belle. Behind the Name
• Banjo (boy). The instrument, and the pen name of Banjo Paterson, who wrote "Waltzing Matilda" in 1895. He took it from his favorite horse. Wikipedia
• Celeste (girl). From Latin caelestis, "heavenly". The celesta, the bell-like keyboard instrument invented in 1886, was named after the same word. Behind the Name, Wikipedia
• Viola (girl). Latin for "violet", and the heroine of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. It shares a spelling with the instrument but not a root. Behind the Name

Which bird names are musical?

Wren, Lark and Mavis all come from birds known for their song, and Wren has climbed from 707th for girls in 2015 to 231st in 2025. Robin goes the other way round, since the bird was named after the name.

• Wren (girl). From the English word for the small songbird. Behind the Name
• Lark (girl). From the songbird. The male skylark sings while hovering high over a field. Behind the Name
• Alondra (girl). Spanish for "lark". Behind the Name
• Lærke (girl). Danish for "lark". Behind the Name
• Mavis (girl). An old word for the song thrush, first used as a name by Marie Corelli in her 1895 novel The Sorrows of Satan. Behind the Name
• Philomel (girl). An old poetic word for the nightingale. Behind the Name
• Merle (boy or girl). From French merle, "blackbird". Behind the Name
• Robin (girl or boy). A medieval pet form of Robert. The robin redbreast took its name from the name. Behind the Name
• Linnet (girl). The linnet, a small finch named for the flax seed it eats, or a spelling of Lynette. Behind the Name, Wiktionary
• Finch (boy or girl). From the bird, and an English surname; Harper Lee gave it to Atticus Finch. Behind the Name
• Starling (girl or boy). In 1784 Mozart bought a pet starling that could sing the opening of a tune from his new piano concerto. Wikipedia
• Phoebe (girl). Greek "bright, pure". The eastern phoebe, a North American flycatcher, may be named for its "fee-bee" call. Behind the Name, Wikipedia
• Birdie (girl). Mostly a pet form of Bertha or Bernice, and only sometimes from the word bird. Behind the Name

What is a serinette?

A serinette is a small hand-cranked barrel organ, made in France from about 1730 to teach tunes to pet canaries. The name comes from serin, the French word for a canary. Bird keepers played a young canary the same short air over and over until it sang the air back. A bigger cousin, the merline, did the same for blackbirds, merle in French, the word behind the name Merle.

Our co-founder Steve Canfield named an iPhone app after it and turned the idea around. In Serinette, your baby is the tutor. A drawn bird listens, answers a moment after your baby stops, and within a few sessions sings a first melody made only from your baby's sounds: the note they keep coming back to, and the shapes their voice likes to make. The app calls that note your baby's home note, so along with the name you chose, they end up with a note of their own.

Each week the bird learns again from the sounds your baby is making now, so the song grows with your child, and every version is kept. At bedtime the bird sings it softly while the screen goes dark. There are no ads and no generative AI, nothing your baby says is sent to us, and the first melody is free. Serinette is coming soon to iPhone.

Which composers' names work for a baby?

Most composers are known by their surnames, so the names to borrow are their first names, which are ordinary enough to wear every day. Sebastian, after Johann Sebastian Bach, was the 16th most popular boy's name in the US in 2025. Clara, after Clara Schumann, was 63rd for girls.

Composer names for boys

• Sebastian. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), the German composer of the Brandenburg Concertos. Wikipedia
• Wolfgang. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), born in Salzburg. Wikipedia
• Amadeus. Latin for "love of God". Mozart was baptized with the Greek form, Theophilus, and as an adult usually called himself Wolfgang Amadè. Behind the Name, Wikipedia
• Ludwig. Ludwig van Beethoven, baptized in Bonn in December 1770, died 1827. Wikipedia
• Frederic. Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849), the Polish pianist-composer, born Fryderyk. Wikipedia
• Felix. Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). Felix is Latin for "lucky". Wikipedia, Behind the Name
• Antonio. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), who wrote The Four Seasons. Wikipedia
• Henry. Henry Purcell (about 1659-1695), the English Baroque composer. Wikipedia
• Antonin. Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904), who wrote the New World Symphony while living in America. Wikipedia
• Edvard. Edvard Grieg (1843-1907), the Norwegian composer of Peer Gynt. Wikipedia
• Edward. Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934), the composer of the Pomp and Circumstance marches. Wikipedia
• Gustav. Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) and Gustav Holst (1874-1934), who wrote The Planets. Mahler, Holst on Wikipedia
• Claude. Claude Debussy (1862-1918), who wrote "Clair de lune". Wikipedia
• Maurice. Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), who wrote Boléro. Wikipedia
• Scott. Scott Joplin (about 1868-1917), the King of Ragtime: "Maple Leaf Rag" in 1899, "The Entertainer" in 1902. Wikipedia
• Aaron. Aaron Copland (1900-1990), who studied in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. Wikipedia
• Leonard. Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), conductor and composer, born Louis Bernstein. Wikipedia

Composer names for girls

These women wrote music when it was hard for a woman to get it published or played, and their first names make good namesakes.

• Hildegard. Hildegard of Bingen (about 1098-1179), a German abbess who wrote sacred songs in the 1100s. Wikipedia
• Francesca. Francesca Caccini (1587-after 1641), whose 1625 opera is widely considered the first opera by a woman. Wikipedia
• Barbara. Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677), a Venetian singer who published eight volumes of her own music. Wikipedia
• Fanny. Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847), Felix's sister, who wrote more than 450 works; six of her songs first came out under his name. Wikipedia
• Clara. Clara Schumann (1819-1896), pianist and composer. Wikipedia
• Cécile. Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944), the first woman composer awarded the Légion d'honneur, in 1913. Wikipedia
• Ethel. Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944), who wrote the suffragette anthem "The March of the Women". Wikipedia
• Amy. Amy Beach (1867-1944), whose Gaelic Symphony, premiered in 1896, was the first symphony composed and published by an American woman. Wikipedia
• Florence. Florence Price, whose Symphony No. 1 was played by the Chicago Symphony in 1933, the first symphony by a Black woman performed by a major American orchestra. Wikipedia
• Nadia. Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979), who taught Aaron Copland, Philip Glass and Quincy Jones. Wikipedia
• Lili. Lili Boulanger (1893-1918), Nadia's sister, the first woman to win the Prix de Rome for composition, in 1913. Wikipedia

Names from jazz, blues, country and rock

Naming a baby after a musician gives them a namesake with a story, and often a second name to discover: many of these stars were born with another one. The most used of these names in 2025 were Ella for girls (29th) and Miles (44th) and Waylon (56th) for boys.

If you name them after a star, you can put them on a stage one day: our Pop Star world paints your child, from one photo, as the headliner of a sold-out concert.

Jazz, blues, soul and gospel names

• Ella. Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), the First Lady of Song. Wikipedia
• Billie. Billie Holiday (1915-1959), who was born Eleanora Fagan. Wikipedia
• Nina. Nina Simone (1933-2003), born Eunice Waymon. Wikipedia
• Etta. Etta James (1938-2012), whose name was cut from Jamesetta. Wikipedia
• Aretha. Aretha Franklin (1942-2018), the Queen of Soul. Wikipedia
• Bessie. Bessie Smith (1890s-1937), the Empress of the Blues, born in Chattanooga. Wikipedia
• Mahalia. Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972), the gospel singer. Wikipedia
• Odetta. Odetta Holmes (1930-2008), the folk and blues singer known by her first name alone. Wikipedia
• Louis. Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), the trumpeter and singer. Wikipedia
• Miles. Miles Davis (1926-1991), the trumpeter, and the 44th most popular boy's name of 2025. Wikipedia
• Ellington. Duke Ellington (1899-1974), whose real name was Edward Kennedy Ellington. Wikipedia
• Django. Django Reinhardt (1910-1953), the Romani jazz guitarist, born Jean. Wikipedia
• Otis. Otis Redding (1941-1967), the soul singer. Wikipedia
• Marvin. Marvin Gaye (1939-1984), who added the e to his family name. Wikipedia
• Ray. Ray Charles (1930-2004), born Ray Charles Robinson. Wikipedia

Country and folk names

• Dolly. Dolly Parton (1946-2026), who wrote "Jolene" and "Coat of Many Colors". Wikipedia
• Loretta. Loretta Lynn (1932-2022), the coal miner's daughter, born Loretta Webb. Wikipedia
• Patsy. Patsy Cline (1932-1963), born Virginia Patterson Hensley; Patsy came from Patterson. Wikipedia
• June. June Carter Cash (1929-2003), born Valerie June Carter. Wikipedia
• Johnny. Johnny Cash (1932-2003), who was born J. R. Cash. Wikipedia
• Cash. The surname on its own, 287th for boys in 2025. Wikipedia
• Waylon. Waylon Jennings (1937-2002), born Wayland. Waylon was the 56th most popular boy's name in 2025. Wikipedia
• Hank. Hank Williams (1923-1953), born Hiram. Wikipedia
• Joni. Joni Mitchell (born 1943), born Roberta Joan Anderson. Wikipedia

Rock and roll names

• Elvis. Elvis Presley (1935-1977). Wikipedia
• Presley. His surname, now far more common as a girl's name than Elvis is as a boy's: 225th for girls in 2025. Wikipedia
• Buddy. Buddy Holly (1936-1959), born Charles Hardin Holley. Wikipedia
• Lennon. John Lennon (1940-1980). Lennon ranked for both girls (214th) and boys (808th) in 2025. Wikipedia
• Jagger. Mick Jagger (born 1943) of the Rolling Stones. Wikipedia
• Hendrix. Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970), the guitarist. Wikipedia
• Joplin. Janis Joplin (1943-1970), and Scott Joplin before her. Wikipedia
• Marley. Bob Marley (1945-1981), the reggae singer. Wikipedia
• Bowie. David Bowie (1947-2016), a stage name: he was born David Jones. Wikipedia
• Stevie. Stevie Wonder (born 1950) and Stevie Nicks (born 1948). Stevie climbed from 981st to 203rd for girls between 2015 and 2025. Wikipedia
• Jett. Joan Jett (born 1958), another stage name: she was born Joan Larkin. Wikipedia

Which baby names come from songs?

Songs have been named after girls for as long as there have been songs to sell, so this is the longest list here. The old ones below were all published in 1930 or earlier, which puts them in the US public domain, and many are still sung.

Names from songs before 1900

• Barbara. "Barbara Allen", a ballad old enough that Samuel Pepys heard it sung in 1666. Wikipedia
• Annie. "Annie Laurie", a Scottish song about a real Annie Laurie (1682-1764), sung to a tune Alicia Scott wrote around 1835. Wikipedia
• Susanna. "Oh! Susanna", Stephen Foster, 1848. Wikipedia
• Juanita. "Juanita", words and music by Caroline Norton, 1853. Wikipedia
• Jeanie. "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair", Stephen Foster, 1854. Wikipedia
• Lorena. "Lorena", 1857. The girl in the poem was first called Bertha, and the lyricist changed it because the composer needed a name with three syllables. Wikipedia
• Aura. "Aura Lea", 1861, whose tune Elvis Presley later sang as "Love Me Tender". Wikipedia
• Genevieve. "Sweet Genevieve", George Cooper and Henry Tucker, 1869. Penn Online Books
• Kathleen. "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen", Thomas Westendorf, published 1876. Wikipedia
• Molly. "Molly Malone", first printed in Boston in 1876. Wikipedia
• Bonnie. "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean", first published in 1881. Wikipedia
• Clementine. "Oh My Darling, Clementine", 1884. Wikipedia
• Daisy. "Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)", Harry Dacre, 1892. In 1961 it became the first song sung by a computer's synthesized voice. Wikipedia
• Matilda. "Waltzing Matilda", words by Banjo Paterson, 1895. Wikipedia
• Rose. "My Wild Irish Rose", Chauncey Olcott, 1899. NYPL

Names from songs of 1900 to 1929

• Adeline. "Sweet Adeline", 1903. It was first called "Sweet Rosalie" and renamed after a poster for the singer Adelina Patti. Wikipedia
• Nellie. "Wait 'Till the Sun Shines, Nellie", 1905. Wikipedia
• Danny. "Danny Boy", 1913. Wikipedia
• Liza. "Li'l Liza Jane", printed in 1916 but older, from songs sung before the Civil War. Wikipedia
• Mandy. "Mandy", Irving Berlin, 1919. Wikipedia
• Margie. "Margie", 1920, named after Eddie Cantor's five-year-old daughter. Wikipedia
• Dinah. "Dinah", 1925. The singer Dinah Shore took her stage name from it. Wikipedia
• Ramona. "Ramona", 1928, written for a film of the same name. Wikipedia
• Louise. "Louise", 1929, Maurice Chevalier's first American hit. Wikipedia

Names from songs since the 1960s

• Gloria. "Gloria", Them, 1964, written by Van Morrison. Wikipedia
• Michelle. "Michelle", the Beatles, 1965. Wikipedia
• Eleanor. "Eleanor Rigby", the Beatles, 1966. Eleanor was the 12th most popular girl's name of 2025. Wikipedia
• Ruby. "Ruby Tuesday", the Rolling Stones, 1967. Wikipedia
• Lucy. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", the Beatles, 1967, named after a drawing Julian Lennon made of a classmate called Lucy. Wikipedia
• Jude. "Hey Jude", the Beatles, 1968, which began as "Hey Jules", for Julian Lennon. Wikipedia
• Caroline. "Sweet Caroline", Neil Diamond, 1969. Wikipedia
• Layla. "Layla", Derek and the Dominos, 1970, inspired by the 12th-century Persian poem Layla and Majnun. Layla was 36th for girls in 2025. Wikipedia
• Jolene. "Jolene", Dolly Parton, 1973. Wikipedia
• Angie. "Angie", the Rolling Stones, 1973. Wikipedia
• Rhiannon. "Rhiannon", Fleetwood Mac, 1975. Stevie Nicks took the name from a novel and only learned of the Welsh legend a few years later. Wikipedia
• Iris. "Iris", the Goo Goo Dolls, 1998, named after the singer Iris DeMent. The name is never sung. Wikipedia
• Delilah. "Hey There Delilah", Plain White T's, first released in 2005 and a No. 1 hit in 2007. Wikipedia
• Valerie. "Valerie", the Zutons, 2006, and the Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse cover a year later. Wikipedia

Which musical name meanings are myths?

Several names turn up on musical lists because they sound musical. These are the ones whose real meaning is something else, along with a few stories about musical names that don't hold up.

How do you choose a musical name?

Say the whole name out loud, first, middle and last, the way you'd call it across a playground. Music words carry their own rhythm, so listen to how the beats of the first name fall against the surname: Lyra Montgomery and Harmony Lee move very differently.

Check how common it is. Social Security counted 6,130 baby girls named Aria in the US in 2025 and 3,095 named Melody, so an Aria may share her classroom with another one. Lyra (711) and Calliope (682) are rarer, and Shira, Allegra and Viola didn't reach the top 1,000 at all.

Spelling splits the count without making a name rarer to the ear: Harmony was 276th and Harmoni 1,000th. If a word name feels too bold for every day, Rhapsody, Sonata or Aria can go in the middle. And check the meaning before you commit: several names that sound musical, from Melanie to Reed, mean something else entirely, as the myths table above shows.

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Once the name is picked, our lullaby lyrics page has the full words to 31 classic lullabies, every one in the public domain, for the nights ahead. For more names with sourced meanings, see our fairy names, and for the room itself, personalized kids' wall art covers sizes and hanging heights.

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