Musical baby names are timeless. They’re meaningful, and some even indicate good virtues like being lively and energetic. Musical names are also creative, unique, and pleasing to the ears.
There are various inspirations for musical names like musical instruments, terms, and even personalities.
Read on for a full list of music-inspired baby names.
Music-Inspired Baby Girl Names
Allegra
- Meaning: Happy, lively
- Origin: Italian
- Pronunciation: AL-LEG-RUH
- Variations: Allegro
- Description: In music, it is a term to mark the speed of tempo. (1)
Alto
- Meaning: Elevated, high
- Origin: Latin
- Pronunciation: AHL-TO
- Variations: Alta
- Description: In music, Alto refers to the lower female voice or a male falsetto of a similar range. (1)
Arabesque
- Meaning: Ballet pose
- Origin: French, Latin
- Pronunciation: AR-UH-BESK
- Description: Referring to a type of melody that creates an Arabic atmosphere.
Banjo
- Meaning: A stringed musical instrument
- Origin: English, Portuguese, Spanish
- Pronunciation: BAN-JOH
- Description: Banjo is more commonly considered a boy’s name.
Bell
- Meaning: One who rings the bell
- Origin: English, Scottish
- Pronunciation: BELL
- Variations: Belle, Bella
- Description: In music, a bell is a type of percussion instrument.
Brio
- Meaning: Energetic, enthusiastic, lively
- Origin: Italian
- Pronunciation: BREE-OH
- Description: A musical term that refers to an energetic type of music. (1)
Cadence
- Meaning: Beat, rhythm
- Origin: Latin
- Pronunciation: KAY-DUHNS
- Variations: Kadence, Kaydence, Cadenza
- Description: Cadence was one of the most popular baby names for girlsin 2020 when it ranked number 677 in 2020. There were 415 baby girls named Cadence that year. (2)
Calypso
- Meaning: She who hides, derived from an island nymph in Greek mythology
- Origin: Greek
- Pronunciation: KAH-LIP-SOH
- Description: In musical terms, Calypso is a West Indian upbeat music genre.
Cappella
- Meaning: Chapel
- Origin: Italian
- Pronunciation: KUH-PEL-LUH
- Variations: Kapella
- Description: A musical term for singing without musical instrument accompaniment. Usually preceded with a letter “a” for “a capella.” (1)
Caprice
- Meaning: Lively, playful
- Origin: Italian, French
- Pronunciation: KUHP-REES, KUH-PRITZ
- Variations: Capricio
- Description: Refers to a lively piece of music or dance music played freely. (1)
Carol
- Meaning: Joyful song
- Origin: English
- Pronunciation: KAH-ROHL
- Variations: Carolina, Caroline
- Description: Carol is a type of music commonly associated with Christmas.
Celeste
- Meaning: Heavenly
- Origin: French, Latin
- Pronunciation: SEH-LEST
- Variations: Celesta
- Description: This beautiful name for your little girl refers to a musical instrument similar to a small keyboard. It uses hammers to strike the metal bars to create a ringing sound. (1)
Cello
- Meaning: A string instrument
- Origin: Italian
- Pronunciation: CHEL-LOH
- Variations: Chelo
- Description: Cello is the shorter version of the violoncello. It refers to a classical music string instrument that usually plays the bass string section in an orchestra. (1)
- Cello can be used as a first name for boys and girls.
Chanson
- Meaning: French song
- Origin: French
- Pronunciation: SHON-SOHN
- Description: Chanson is a French name that refers to songs from the Middle Ages. (1)
Demi
- Meaning: A musical term that means half
- Origin: Italian, French
- Pronunciation: DEH-MEE
- Variations: Demetria
- Description: Demi is a gender-neutral name that refers to a thirty-second or 1/32 note.
Fantasia
- Meaning: Fantasy
- Origin: English, Spanish, Italian
- Pronunciation: FA-TAY-ZHA, FAN-TA-SEE-AH
- Variations: Fantasie
- Description: Fantasia refers to freestyle or improvised music composition. (1)
Grace
- Meaning: A type of note that adds flair to a musical composition
- Origin: Latin
- Pronunciation: GRAYS
- Variations: Gracia
- Description: In musical terms, grace notes are ornamentations or embellishments of a musical composition. It serves as a “resting note” before gliding quickly into the main musical notes.
Harmony
- Meaning: A word name for being harmonious or united
- Origin: Greek, English
- Pronunciation: HAR-MO-NEE
- Variations: Harmoni, Harmonia
- Description: Harmony refers to a musical arrangement where multiple notes are simultaneously and successfully played together.
- Harmony was the top 175 name for girls in 2020, with 1,611 registered female births. (2)
Harper
- Meaning: Harp player, one who plays the harp
- Origin: English
- Pronunciation: HAR-PUHR
- Description: Harper was the top 10 most popular baby girl name in 2020, with 8,778 registered female births. (2)
- Although less popular, Harper is also being used as a boy’s name. It was the top 970 name for boys in the same year, with 213 registered male births. (2)
Jazz
- Meaning: Energetic, lively
- Origin: English
- Pronunciation: JAZZ
- Variations: Jasmine, Jasper
- Description: Jazz is a musical genre that’s lively and energetic. As a name, Jazz makes a good moniker or an edgy middle name for boys and girls.
Lyric
- Meaning: Words of a song
- Origin: English, Greek
- Pronunciation: LI-RIK
- Variations: Lyra, Lyre
- Description: Lyric is a popular choice for baby girl names in the US. It was the top 412 girl name in 2020, with 756 registered female births. (2)
- Its variation, Lyra, was the top 552 girl name, with 534 registered female births. (2)
Madrigal
- Meaning: Song of unaccompanied voices
- Origin: Latin
- Pronunciation: MAD-RI-GUHL
- Description: Like a capella, Madrigal refers to singing without accompaniment from any musical instrument.
Missa
- Meaning: A religious mass
- Origin: Latin
- Pronunciation: MEE-SAH
- Description: Missa refers to a Christian mass with short musical settings.
Piper
- Meaning: A flute player
- Origin: English
- Pronunciation: PY-PUHR
- Variations: Fifer, Pipere
- Description: In music, a pipe is a tubular wind musical instrument, a type of flute with three holes. The sound that pipes create is similar to birds chirping.
- Piper is a popular name for girls. It was the top 91 baby girl names in 2020, with 2,881 registered female births. (2)
Raga
- Meaning: Color, melody
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Pronunciation: RAH-GUH
- Description: Raga refers to a collection of musical pitches.
Rhapsody
- Meaning: A musical composition
- Origin: French
- Pronunciation:
- Variations: Rapsodie
- Description: Rhapsody refers to a type of music that’s free and radical. It often expresses a national temperament.
Symphony
- Meaning: One who works well with others
- Origin: American
- Pronunciation: SIM-FUH-NEE
- Description: Symphony refers to a musical piece for an orchestra.
- Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony is considered one of the best symphonies of all time. (3)
Viola
- Meaning: Violet, a string musical instrument
- Origin: Latin
- Pronunciation: VIE-OH-LUH, VEE-OH-LUH
- Variations: Violet
- Description: Viola plays the tenor notes in a musical composition. Its range is lower than that of a violin but higher than that of a cello.
- A viola took the leading role in Shakespeare’s romantic-comedy play, Twelfth Night.
What Girl Name Means Melody?
Aria
- Meaning: Song, melody, air (Italian), lioness (Greek), noble (Persian)
- Origin: Hebrew, Italian, Greek, Persian
- Pronunciation: AAR-REE-AH
- Variations: Ariah, Arya
- Description: Aria is a unisex name. Although, it’s less popular as a baby boy name.
Melody
- Meaning: Song, hymn
- Origin: Greek
- Pronunciation: MEL-UH-DEE
- Variations: Meldy, Melodie
- Description: Melody was the top 106 popular girl name in 2020, with 2,498 registered female births. (2)
What Name Means Beautiful Voice?
Calliope
- Meaning: Beautiful voice
- Origin: Greek
- Pronunciation: KA-LEE-OH-PEE
- Variations: Calli
- Description: In Greek mythology, Calliope is the muse of epic poetry. It also refers to the musical instrument on the merry-go-round.
Euphony
- Meaning: Beautiful voice
- Origin: French, Greek, Latin
- Pronunciation: YOO-FUH-NEE
- Variations: Euphonia, Euphonie
- Description: Eu means good, and phon means sound or voice. The Greek word “euphonos” means sweet-voiced or musical.
What Name Means Goddess Of Music?
Diva
- Meaning: Goddess, a celebrated singer
- Origin: Latin, Italian
- Pronunciation: DEE-VUH
- Description: Diva is a moniker originally given to a woman with outstanding singing abilities. This name also connotes someone difficult to please.
Euterpe
- Meaning: Goddess of flutes and music, goddess of lyric poetry
- Origin: Greek
- Pronunciation: YOO-TUR-PEE
- Description: In Greek mythology, Euterpe is one of the nine muses and Zeus’ granddaughter.
What Japanese Name Means Music?
Here are some cross-cultural name ideas for your little one:
Aika
- Meaning: Love song
- Origin: Japanese
- Pronunciation: EYE-KUH
- Description: Aika is commonly used as a girl’s name in Japan.
Kotone
- Meaning: The sound of a harp
- Origin: Japanese
- Pronunciation: KO-TO-NEH
- Description: Kotone is commonly used as a girl’s name in Japan.
Uta
- Meaning: Melody, song
- Origin: Japanese
- Pronunciation: OOH-TAH
- Description: Uta is commonly used as a boy’s name in Japan.
What Names Go Well With Melody?
Since Melody is a triple syllable name, one-syllable middle namesmay go well with it, like Quinn, Jade, Rose, Faith, June, Hope, Ruth, Brooke, Jane, or Paige, to name a few. See more baby girl name ideas here.
Names Inspired By Musical Personalities
Beyonce
- Meaning: Beyond others
- Origin: Creole
- Pronunciation: BEE-YON-SAY
- Description: Popularized by the pop singer Beyonce.
Elvis
- Meaning: All-wise
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Pronunciation: EL-VUHS
- Variations: Alvis
- Description: Popularized by Elvis Presley, who was celebrated as the king of rock and roll.
Hendrix
- Meaning: Home ruler
- Origin: German
- Pronunciation: HEN-DRIKS
- Variations: Henry
- Description: Hendrix was originally a last name. It was popularized by a rock musician, Jimi Hendrix.
Jagger
- Meaning: Peddler of goods
- Origin: English
- Pronunciation: JA-GUHR
- Description: Jagger was primarily a male name. It was popularized by Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the rock band, The Rolling Stones.
Lennon
- Meaning: Blackbird, cloak, lover
- Origin: Gaelic, Irish
- Pronunciation: LEN-NUHN
- Description: Lennon is one of the most popular unisex baby names. It was popularized by John Lennon, a member of a world-famous band, the Beatles.
Madonna
- Meaning: My lady
- Origin: Italian
- Pronunciation: MUH-DAHN-UH
- Description: Popularized by Madonna, who is dubbed the Queen of Pop.
Rihanna
- Meaning: Great queen, goddess of fertility
- Origin: Welsh
- Pronunciation: REE-AN-NUH
- Description: Popularized by the pop star Rihanna.
REFERENCES
(1) https://www.sfcv.org/learn/glossary?gclid=CjwKCAjwopWSBhB6EiwAjxmqDUQzgqjIkMnVQul0mgFEoplfiJLe3QwzSI6T0RjeLNVPNmA7wO1syBoCqHcQAvD_BwE
(2) https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi
(3) https://www.wned.org/radio/wned-classical-945/20-greatest-symphonies/
