When it comes to naming babies, there are a few methods people tend to take. Going for a family name is definitely the most traditional, but sometimes it means being stuck with really, really profoundly boring or ugly options (I'm sure great-grandma Ethel was absolutely charming and lovely, but there's no way most modern parents want to name their kid "Ethel").
Another great option for naming a baby is to choose among names that connect to a passion of the person (or people) who are having the baby. So for moms-to-be who are considering names and love classical music, selecting from a name that brings that to mind can be wonderful. At the least, if the baby is named for a classical music figure, when the kid is screaming their fool head off and driving us crazy, we can be reminded of that scene in Amadeus and get a chuckle out of it.
People who are really into classical music are occasionally only really into classic music, but in our experience, they tend to be folks who love music of many eras, and are just into interesting music overall. So if classical music is a primary interest in the household these may work, but if none of the names on the list here are ringing any particular chimes, perhaps consider jazz-inspired baby names. (And consider how cool a name like Miles is! It really has a ring to it, doesn't it?). For music lovers in general, maybe get inspired by a great song. We think there's something really romantic about naming a kid after a favorite song. And they'll have their own individual little anthem, that way, too. And then, of course, there are the rock star baby names. This might be cursing the house a little bit — what mom wants a kid who behaves like a rock star? But they're also deeply cool-sounding.
ANTONIO
Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian composer born in Venice in 1678. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential Baroque composers, and is one of the composers who was famous during his lifetime. He is best known for his concerto The Four Seasons.
NADIA
Juliette Nadia Boulanger, known simply as Nadia Boulanger, was a composer, teacher, and conductor, and she is remarkable for many reasons. She was, among other things, the first woman to conduct a concert with the London Philharmonic in 1936, and went on to conduct many other symphonies.
BARBER
Samuel is a cool name too, but we love the "Barber" part of "Samuel Barber" for either a cool boy's or girl's name. An American composer born in 1910, Barber was twice awarded the Pulitzer Prize for music.
FRÉDÉRIC
Frédéric Chopin was a Polish composer, and also a virtuoso pianist. Born in 1810, he was widely regarded as a genius during his lifetime, and is considered among the most important Romantic composers.
SEBASTIAN
We just love the name Sebastian, and composer Johann Sebastian Bach is an amazing and impressive namesake. A German composer from the Baroque period, Bach is considered one of the most important composers of all time.
MARIA
"Ave Maria," composed by Franz Schubert, is one of the composer's most recognizable works, and is universally beloved. It was initially composed as a setting to part of Walter Scott's epic poem "The Lady of The Lake."
JULES
Born in 1842, Jules Massenet was a French composer who is most renowned for his operas. Not as famous as Chopin, his Romantic counterpart, Massenet is still regarded as having crafted remarkable operas in his time.
CLARA
One of the most important composers of the Romantic era, Clara Schumann was incredibly influential on her contemporaries and those who came after her. She was also an important teacher and pianist, in addition to creating work we still love today.
ERIK
Erik Satie, born Éric Alfred Leslie Satie, was a French avant-garde composer born in 1866. Misunderstood in his early years — and possibly just ahead of his time — Satie later became extremely successful for staying true to his own vision. We also think "Satie" would be a cute name for a girl.
AMADEUS
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is possibly the most famous name in classical music. His full name was Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, and each of those names is a lot, but we think Amadeus is a cool name for a modern kid of either gender.
JACQUES
Born in 1819, Jacques Offenbach was a composer known specifically for his many — nearly 100! — operettas, which are operas that are a bit shorter and usually deal with lighter subject matter. Plus, the name Jacques is just cool.
MARIN
A contemporary music director and and conductor, Marin Alsop is the chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and one of the women who inspire us in the contemporary classical music scene. Also, Marin is just a deeply cool name, right? We love it.
ANGELO
Arcangelo Corelli was a Baroque-era Italian violinist and composer, known for his impressive influence on violin style, his sonatas, and his "12 Concerti Grossi." Arcangelo is a deeply cool name, but for parents who want to keep it more modern, Angelo is a contemporary take.
CARMINA
Carmina Burnana is a scenic cantata written by Carl Orlff, based on 24 medieval poems (where "O Fortuna" comes from). We also think Carmina, a variant of Carmen, makes an excellent name for a baby girl.
CLAIR
Who doesn't love "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy. It was inspired by a poem by Paul Verlaine written in 1869, and both the piano composition and the song have remained beloved for generations. A great name for a baby girl.
JEAN
Born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius, Jean Sibelus was a turn-of-last-century Finnish composer who is widely recognized as his homeland's most remarkable composer. We think "Jean" is a great name for either a boy or a girl.
ELISE
"Fur Elise," aka "Bagatelle No. 25," remains one of Ludwig van Beethoven's most popular compositions — although it was not published during his life, but rather 40 years after his death. We think this classic song is a great namesake for a baby girl.
HAYDN
Joseph Haydn was a famous classical Austrian composer who helped develop chamber music and has been called the Father of the Symphony. We think that "Haydn" is a great gender-neutral baby name, too.
EDWARD
English composer Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, was among the first composers to take musical technologies, like the gramophone, seriously, and so a lot of early recorded music is of his work. We love the classic sound of his name, too.
BÉLA
Béla Bartók was a Hungarian composer born in 1881, and is considered among his country's most important composers. We love the name Béla, although these days, it may be a better fit for a girl than a boy.
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