New ballet-inspired TV shows like Breaking Pointe and Bunheads have been fueling the dreams of little girls all summer long. And while their characters don’t always have ballerina-like baby names, some do stand out.
When it comes to ballerina names, we think the best examples come from famous ballerinas from modern history and the characters they portray.
Ballerina and Ballet-Character Inspired Names
1. Aurora – from the ballet “Sleeping Beauty”
A name we associate with the northern lights, Aurora also has a fairy-tale image to add to its list of charms, and is currently on an upward trend.
2. Clara – from the ballet “The Nutcracker”
The name of the little girl whose dreams come to life in the ballet, this seems fitting for a ballerina or a girl next door (or both!). Though not as popular as it was in the 1800s, Clara is on an upward trend as well.
3. Giselle – from the ballet “Giselle”
One of the most iconic ballerina names (it’s the title, after all), Giselle is also the name of a Disney princess although that doesn’t seemed to have affected its popularity much.
4. Maya – for Russian ballerina Maya Plisetskaya (b. 1925)
This name has also been enjoying an upswing in popularity ever since it first appeared on the charts in the 1970s.
5. Sasha – from the TV show “Bunheads”
A Russian name with lots of appeal, Sasha is a nickname for Alexander and is used primarily for girls in the U.S.
6. Sylvie – for French ballerina Sylvie Guillem (b. 1965)
The French form of Silvia, this is a charming name that people seem to like but don’t use very often.
7. Svetlana – for Ukrainian ballerina Svetlana Zakharova (b. 1979)
This is a common Russian name that’s rarely found in the U.S., as the combination makes it a bit choppy to pronounce.
Ballerina Names That End In -ina
One common characteristic shared by several ballerina baby names is the In-ina ending, mirroring the Italian word “ballerina” itself. The following names all have an international feel. Nina is the most popular, while the rest aren’t even in the top 1,000.
8. Bettina – from “Bunheads”
9. Galina – for Russian ballerian Galina Mezentseva (b. 1952)
10. Irina – for Russian ballerina Irina Kolesnikova (b. 1980)
11. Katrina – from the TV show “Dance Academy”
12. Nina – for Georgian ballerina Nina Ananiashvili (b. 1963)
