Special Report

Most Popular Music-Inspired Baby Names

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Parents tend to want their child to have a unique, memorable, or meaningful name. Whether it’s an old family name, a beautiful one borrowed from nature, or a rare name with a distinctive spelling, there are thousands of names to choose from. (Here are America’s most popular nature-inspired baby names.)

Some parents, whether they mean to or not, may name their child after a musical instrument – like Viola, Bell, or Calliope – or choose a name that honors a famous musician. Surnames of rock stars like Bowie, Jagger, and Lennon have become popular baby names in recent years, and it’s hard to imagine their prevalence in the absence of their namesake’s notoriety. Lennon, in fact, is one of the 25 most popular music-inspired baby names (though those others didn’t make the cut this year).

To determine the most popular music-inspired baby names, 24/7 Tempo first reviewed newborn baby name data for 2021 from the Social Security Administration, then identified the names with the highest occurrences that are associated with musical instruments and music theory, as well as songs or famous musicians.

Click here to see the most common music-inspired baby names

Some of the most popular music-inspired baby names saw peaks in popularity at the same time that a star with that name (such as Aaliyah) was at the height of their fame. Others may have jumped in popularity as a tribute after a beloved performer’s death. Some, like Cecilia, Layla, and Delilah, most likely became common due to the success of hit songs with those names. (Here are 25 American names that are popular for the first time.)

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24. Prince
> Babies named Prince in 2021: 969 (969 boys, 0 girls)

The name Prince has been around for hundreds of years and was surprisingly popular in the early 20th century; however it saw a revival in the early ’80s when the singer of the same name was first garnering fame.

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23. Celeste
> Babies named Celeste in 2021: 1,001 (1,001 girls, 0 boys)

A celeste (or celesta) is a sweet-sounding instrument that looks like a small piano and takes its name from the French word for “heavenly.”

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22. Hendrix
> Babies named Hendrix in 2021: 1,342 (1,243 boys, 99 girls)

You can bet that the man Rolling Stone has named the greatest guitarist ever would be an inspiration to parents seeking an edgy musical name.

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21. Nico
> Babies named Nico in 2021: 1,386 (1,351 boys, 35 girls)

Although most babies named Nico are boys, the name is most prominently associated with the German singer who performed with the Velvet Underground in the late ’60s before going solo.

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20. Cash
> Babies named Cash in 2021: 1,404 (1,395 boys, 9 girls)

The name Cash might well allude to the Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash. It began rising in popularity following his death in 2003.

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19. Selena
> Babies named Selena in 2021: 1,443 (1,443 girls, 0 boys)

Despite the current popularity of entertainer Selena Gomez, it was late Tejano singer Selena (Quintanilla) who made the name famous in the early ’90s. During that time, it reached the top 100 most popular girls’ names.

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18. Harmony
> Babies named Harmony in 2021: 1,499 (1,499 girls, 0 boys)

Meaning “perfect agreement” or “a group of simultaneous pitches that sound pleasing together,” Harmony is a musical name one can aspire to live up to.

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17. Lennon
> Babies named Lennon in 2021: 1,667 (1,268 girls, 399 boys)

Perhaps it is the legacy of English musician and activist John Lennon, most famous as a member of the Beatles, that has led to the name Lennon becoming a popular name for boys and girls.

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16. Norah
> Babies named Norah in 2021: 1,710 (1,780 girls, 0 boys)

Although the name Norah was common in the early 20th century, it began to enjoy a resurgence in 2003, the year after singer Norah Jones released her debut album. Its popularity has been rising ever since.

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15. Arlo
> Babies named Arlo in 2021: 2070 (1,975 boys, 95 girls)

A good number of the folks who have named their child Arlo were likely inspired by the rambling folk musician Arlo Guthrie.

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14. Cecilia
> Babies named Cecilia in 2021: 2085 (2,085 girls, 0 boys)

The subject of a hit song by the soft-voiced duo Simon and Garfunkel, Cecilia even has a musical ring to it.

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13. Melody
> Babies named Melody in 2021: 2449 (2,449 girls, 0 boys)

Referencing a harmonious chord sequence, this name has been in fashion for the last 80 years.

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12. Jude
> Babies named Jude in 2021: 2617 (2,491 boys, 126 girls)

It’s hard to hear the name Jude without recalling the 1968 Beatles song “Hey Jude,” which Paul McCartney wrote for John Lennon’s son Julian.

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11. Piper
> Babies named Piper in 2021: 2735 (2,727 girls, 8 boys)

This cheerful name means “pipe or flute player.”

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10. Aaliyah
> Babies named Aaliyah in 2021: 3588 (3,588 girls, 0 boys)

Late singer Aaliyah rose to fame in 1994, the same year that her name hit the charts as one of the top 300 baby names for girls.

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9. Delilah
> Babies named Delilah in 2021: 3735 (3,735 girls, 0 boys)

After the success of the Plain White T’s hit single “Hey There Delilah,” in 2007, the name jumped in popularity and has been rising ever since.

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8. Axel
> Babies named Axel in 2021: 4529 (4,516 boys, 13 girls)

During the early ’90s, the name Axel began rising in fame in the U.S., likely thanks to Guns ‘N Roses singer Axl Rose, though Axel is also a popular old Scandinavian name. It reached the ranks of the top 100 boys’ names in 2018.

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7. Waylon
> Babies named Waylon in 2021: 4,654 (4,624 boys, 30 girls)

The outlaw country singer Waylon Jennings was most popular in the ’70s, and the name Waylon gained prominence during that decade.

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6. Miles
> Babies named Miles in 2021: 5,711 (5,694 boys, 17 girls)

This name, which means “soldier,” may owe its popularity to the legendary jazz trumpeter and improvisational genius Miles Davis.

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5. Layla
> Babies named Layla in 2021: 6,310 (6,303 girls, 7 boys)

A major surge in this name’s popularity came after the release of Eric Clapton’s hit song of the same name, which he wrote after falling in love with his friend George Harrison’s wife, Pattie Boyd. Layla is the name of the heroine of the old Arabic love story about a man who goes insane when he can’t marry his beloved, Layla. (In real life, Clapton did marry Boyd after she and Harrison got divorced.)

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4. Aria
> Babies named Aria in 2021: 6,368 (6,348 girls, 20 boys)

An aria, which means “air” in Italian, is a musical term referring to a vocal solo, usually as a part of an opera.

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3. Dylan
> Babies named Dylan in 2021: 7,252 (6,718 boys, 534 girls)

Dylan as a given name was virtually nonexistent in the United States until 1966, during the height of folk icon Bob Dylan’s fame. Coincidence? We think not.

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2. Harper
> Babies named Harper in 2021: 8,537 (8,388 girls, 149 boys)

The 10th most popular girls name in 2021, Harper first appeared as an English surname that means “harpist” or “one who plays the harp.”

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1. Sebastian
> Babies named Sebastian in 2021: 8,879 (8,867 boys, 12 girls)

Johann Sebastian Bach is hailed as one of the greatest musical composers of all time. It’s likely that the popularity of the name Sebastian is at least partially due to his enduring fame. And if not Bach, then a certain singing crustacean from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” may be to blame.

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