Melodious Names

Word names are very cool right now, but one type of word names has long been popular - musical names. No, not characters from musical theatre, but those names based on music and musical terms. This includes as classics Carol and Viola right through to new kids on the block such as Rhapsody and Sonnet.

Musical names have what I like to think of as the smile factor. People love music; and when they hear a name that makes them think of music or a certain piece of music that they adore, it brings a smile to their face. To have the smile factor a name needs to be instantly recognisable, and related to something joyous and positive. Musical names in particular also sound melodious, making them even more attractive.

There are many to choose from, but here are my top picks. Please excuse the fact that they are mainly girls names, I just feel that the softer, lyrical feel of these names tend to work best as girls names.

Aria - I first saw Aria (spelt this way) when it appeared as the name of one of the main characters on 'Pretty Little Liars'. I was immediately captivated by it, and it seems I was not alone. Aria was virtually unheard of until the 1990's, but since 'Pretty Little Liars' started airing in 2010 the name has skyrocketed. Aria is Italian in origin and means 'little melody'. Which leads me to.....

Melody - this is one of my favourite for the beautiful sound of the name. Melody is Greek and means 'song'. Melody is a huge hit now, but was last spiked in the 60's, when it was possibly favoured by "hippie" parents due to it's soft, gentle nature. It even has geek cred! In 'Doctor Who' it is the given name of Amy Pond's daughter, who grew up to be - spoilers - the enchanting River Song.

Cadence - Cadence sounds full of olde world charm, but has enjoyed it's biggest popularity only recently. Cadence has a few of the 'buzz' sounds for modern parents - the "kay" sound at the start (think Kayley, Kayla) the "aden" sound in the middle (think Aidan, Jayden, Brayden) and an "e" at the end. Never mind that it has the work dense in it, people will just notice the cute nickname of Cady. Cadence is Latin and means 'beat or rythm'.

Harmony - almost seems old fashioned these days, and while is less popular than my above examples, it has still enjoyed the same recent spike in popularity that the other musical names above are experiencing. I have to admit, most of my love for this name came from the ditsy, usually horrible but often well meaning character in the 'Buffy' and 'Angel' TV series'. And many will associate the name with her, but this is still a lovely choice if you love the trend but don't want one of the most common ones.

Lyric - Also experiencing a recent jump in popularity, this is one that works well on boys and girls, although is much more popular for girls. I'd be tempted to use Lyric for a boy, as it has the stronger "ric" ending, but Lyrical on a girl to make it a bit more melodious.

Love the idea of a musical name but want one that isn't quite as popular, or one of these just isn't your style? Here's a few more suggestions to get your imagination working - make your own mind up whether you'd use them for a boy or a girl!
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Zenobia

'Queen Zenobia's Last Look Upon Palmyra', painting by Herbert Gustave Schmalz

I've seen this name mentioned lately and find myself strangely drawn to it. One of the main attractions of the name Zenobia is that it is exotic sounding, without being too weird. It evokes images of perfume scented nights in the African desert. It is queenly, and quietly calm and regal because it starts with the word Zen.

Zenobia (pronounced ze-NOH-bee-ah) is most famous for being the name of a Queen of Palmyra in the 3rd century. She was said to be descended from Cleopatra, led a revolt against the Roman Empire and ruled Egypt until she was defeated and taken as a hostage to Rome by Emperor Aurelian. Pretty cool, right?

As a name, Zenobia has Greek origins and means 'the life of Zeus'. It has been used for characters in books, operas, movies and a ballet. It has also flirted with celebrity baby name fame, as Tina Fey chose it as the middle name for her first daughter Alice Zenobia, honouring her mother who is also named Zenobia. It's also one of the few examples of a longer girls name that isn't frilly sounding (such as names ending with etta, ella, bella or issa), which can be good for parents after a longer name to make a full name flow better but not necessarily after an "old fashioned girly-girl" name.

Likely to be more often used as an adventurous middle name for a plainer first name, Zenobia shouldn't be overlooked as a potentially fantastic first name with some great nickname potential. Bee, Bia, Zee, Zia or Zen could all be cute but spunky shorter versions for those willing to give it a try. It would certainly be a distinctive name for any little girl, would age well and wouldn't be instantly thought of as belonging to girls from a certain decade in fifty years time.

Finnick



Latest news is Sam Claflin will play Finnick Odair

Admittedly, I was trying to avoid writing about any of the names from 'The Hunger Games'. Before I read the series, I couldn't understand why Katniss was suddenly one of the most searched names on Nameberry.com. However I am now a convert, after reading all three books in lightning speed. Well, for me anyway - after all, I took three months to read the latest Games of Thrones book, but three weeks to read all three of 'The Hunger Games' books as I could hardly bring myself to put them down. But enough of my ranting about how much I loved the books. There are many fantastic names in 'The Hunger Games' but for now I just want to focus on my favourite from the books - Finnick.

The character Finnick Odair doesn't make an appearance until the second book, but is one of the most complex characters of the series. From flirt, to enemy, to ally, survivor to lover, Finnick is (to borrow a phrase from a famous ogre) like an onion. He is strong yet vulnerable. I think many people who have loved the books have fallen in love with Finnick Odair. And as we have all experienced, when we associate a name with someone we love, even if it's a character from a book, the name becomes extremely attractive by association.

It's also starting to see some real world use - I've seen announcements on the Internet for a Finnick Cameron, and a Milo Finnick Alexander. Both great uses of pairing an unusual name with more established names to balance it out.

Okay, so not everyone will be on board with Finnick. A lot of people immediately see 'finnicky', which is not a desirable trait to be associated with. Others feel that the name is far too intrinsically tied to the books. And that as a victor, he was a killer etc etc and it would leave a child open to teasing.

But I think as the next two movies are released the name will become more and more acceptable. Finnick has the benefit of the ready made nicknames Finn and Nick, and with Finn and Flynn racing up the popularity charts (in Australia Flynn was #25 in 2011 while Finn was #34) Finnick could become a very usable alternative. Or if you prefer a more subtle nod to the character, Odair is also an option, a more 'namey' sounding alternative to Dare.

Now I'm just interested to see who they finally lock in the play Finnick Odair on the big screen, along with thousands of other fans.