The Beatles may have played their last show long ago, but Beatles baby names still top the popularity charts.
Their music occupies a special place in popular culture. In their heyday, the band was so famous that everyone knew their songs. More than fifty years after the release of Abbey Road, we all recognize the album’s cover art, recreated countless times. And their songs are part of the backdrop of our lives, from bittersweet “Yesterday” to the upbeat “Saw Her Standing There.”
BEATLES BABY NAMES FOR GIRLS
ABBEY
Legendary album Abbey Road was named for a real place, home to Abbey Road Studios. (And yes, that’s the street they’re crossing in the famous picture.) There’s no song with Abigail or Abbey in the lyrics, but there’s a Beatles link that might still appeal.
CLARABELLA
You might not recognize “Clarabella.” Originally written for and recorded by another pop group in the 1960s, the Fab Four performed this one live on the BBC in 1963. Decades later, the band released a recording, but it remains seldom heard.
ELEANOR
“Eleanor Rigby” might feel too bleak to inspire parents. But the haunting song is unforgettable, and adds a little something to this enduring, classic girl’s name. Fans have been trying to find the real Eleanor Rigby for years, but Paul McCartney has often said that she’s pure fiction.
JULIA
File Julia with Clarabella – a rarity, though this is a meaningful one. A solo composition by John Lennon, it was written in memory of his mother, Julia. She died in an accident when he was just seventeen.
JOAN
“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” might be a darkly comic spree of mayhem, but it’s also chock full of great names. Tailored and strong, Joan belongs to another age – but could be ready for revival.
LORETTA
Loretta faded in the years after the Beatles chose it for a name in “Get Back.” It’s been out of the US Top 1000 entirely since the 1990s, but Sarah Jessica Parker did name one of her daughters Marion Loretta in 2009.
LUCY
Despite assumptions that “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” was a not-too-veiled drug reference, the official story is that John’s son Julian drew a picture at school with the title, inspired by classmate Lucy O’Donnell. Lucy offers the best of both worlds – a traditional, on-trend girl’s name, but also an unmistakable tie to one of the most enduring Beatles’ songs.
MARTHA
A gentle love song dominated by the piano track, the explanations for “Martha, My Dear” are several. One indisputable fact: Paul McCartney had a sheepdog called Martha.
MARY
So many songs mention Mary, from Jimi Hendrix to Tom Petty to Lady Gaga. But Beatles’ masterpiece “Let it Be” refers to “mother” Mary, earning the name a spot on this list. Despite sounding religious, Paul McCartney explained that it refers to his mother, whose name was Mary.
MICHELLE
Already popular when the band released their 1965 ballad, “Michelle” probably gets some credit for later-born Michelles. Today, the lyric “Michelle, ma belle …” would probably inspire parents to name their daughters Belle instead.
MOLLY
The wife in “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” answers to friendly name Molly. Unlike Desmond, no obvious inspiration exists for the name. But it sounds exactly right in the lyrics.
PAM
The poetic Pamela became “Polythene Pam” in a 1969 single, inspired by two things: an early fan, and some less-than-G rated exploits John Lennon remembered. Still, “she’s killer diller when she’s dressed to the hilt” is just plain fun to say. The name is also mentioned in “Mean Mr. Mustard” on the same album.
PENNY
The Beatles borrowed Penny Lane from a street in Liverpool, and a bus route, too. While we think of Penny as short for the Greek Penelope, this name claims a different source. The surname Penny belonged to a Liverpool merchant, for whom the street is named.
PRUDENCE
A virtue name that feels at home on Plymouth Rock, the Beatles song transforms it completely. John Lennon wrote the song for a real-life Prudence – actor Mia Farrow’s sister – during their tumultuous time in India.
RITA
A parking ticket inspired Paul McCartney was inspired to pen “Lovely Rita.” She wrote him up in front of Abbey Road studios, or so the story goes. Hollywood icon Rita Hayworth lends the name some glam, but this name exited the Top 1000 back in the early 2000s.
ROSE
Rose and Valerie are screaming from the gallery when Maxwell goes to trial in “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.” Given the countless Rose references, this doesn’t scream Beatles baby names, but it counts.
SADIE
Sadie belongs to a whole wave of retro nickname names for girls, like Millie and Maisie. No real life inspiration exists for this name’s use.
SALLY
Little Richard scored a hit with “Long Tall Sally” back in the 1956. The Beatles covered it their early days. Both Sally and Sadie come from the Old Testament Sarah, a traditional name used steadily across the centuries.
VALERIE
Valerie is screaming in the gallery with Rose during the trial of Maxwell. While the mention is brief, it’s memorable.
BEATLES BABY NAMES FOR BOYS
DESMOND
Infectious, upbeat “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” tells the story of Desmond and Molly Jones, complete with a happy ending. The name refers to reggae great Desmond Dekker, though parents today might think first of human rights activist and Nobel Peace prize recipient Desmond Tutu.
HARRISON
File Harrison with so many surname names for boys parents love. It’s less clearly tied to the musician than Lennon or McCartney, but George’s surname still fits with Beatles baby names.
JOJO
“Get Back” opens with this deliberately ambiguous name.
JUDE
Originally written for John’s son Julian, “Hey Jude” takes an Old Testament name and makes it feel like a modern traditional. Actor Jude Law pushed the name into wider use, but Beatles baby name status helps.
LENNON
Used for boys and girls, Lennon has ranked in the US Top 1000 since 2008. Depending on the source, the surname means sweetheart, blackbird, or cape. It fits in with Landon and Logan, London and Lauren.
MAXWELL
“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” seems unlikely to inspire parents, what with all the murder and mayhem. But the name picked up in use in the years following the song’s release, and it rose to become the king of the Max names.
Have I overlooked any great names Beatles baby names? Would you use any of these – and if so, is it a tribute to the song or mere coincidence?
First published on February 3, 2012, this post was revised substantially and updated on May 13, 2020.
Desmond and Eleanor are cool, although I do like the idea of a Lucy Diamond!
What about Pepper (as in Sgt. Pepper)?
Brilliant!
Sally for the win! Haha. 🙂 My favorites from the list are Desmond and Penelope, although if you’re a LOST fan they probably wouldn’t be ideal for siblings. Lovely names, though.
I know a British family (from Merseyside) who named their daughters Eleanor and Lucy based on the Beatles songs. The girls are teenagers now. They have a brother named Sam – I don’t think his name is a Beatles reference?
Then I know a 4 year old locally (USA) who is Lennon, named in honor of John Lennon.
I was born in Liverpool, but am not particularly big into the Beatles. Though being an expat I already get a lot of “Where are you from?” “Near Liverpool.” “Oh, the Beatles!” So it’s probably best I stayed away from Beatles names. Hmm, though I do have a George, like George Harrison, though not named after him.
I had an old co-worker who is OBSESSED with John Lennon and the whole British Invasion. His daughter is named Mersey and before you mentioned Merseyside (I had to Google it) I had never caught that Mersey is a reference to Liverpool.
I’m actually not a Beatles fan. Their music is okay but I prefer more fiddle and more banjo 😉 So my list of musical honor names includes Hank and Emmylou.
Anyway, the only name I like from this list is Prudence, but DH refuses as he thinks it’s “too much” virtue name.
Don’t forget “Rose and Valerie, screaming from the gallery”!
Good additions, Bryony – thanks!
So….I have an Arabella (with Clara still a strong contender for future girls), a Jude, and Eleanor is one of my top 5 for girls. Penelope and Lucy aren’t far behind. I think I have an obsession that I never realized is there :).
It’s not from a song, but my daughter’s name, Astrid, is a Beatles reference via Astrid Kirchherr. It wasn’t the only reason my husband liked the name, but it had a lot to do with it.
I know school-age Judes, Julias, Maxwells, Lucys, and Sadies, but I don’t know if any of them were named with the Beatles in mind.
My sister’s name is Sally, I always liked the name Sadie and thought it would be a cool way to honor her…but I find it is a bit too similar sounding to my name.
I LOVE Molly, Jude and Lucy (my neice is named Luci). Penny has been steadily growing on me.
I have a friend with a 1 yr old named Jude, full name is August Jude!
That would be a great way to honor a Sally! I have Sara on my family tree, so Sadie has been on and off our lists over the years, but I think I’m more attracted to Sarai.
I love Desmond. And it was the song that made me like it.