Written by Gabby C. 

Hello readers, 

Today's post is a curation of songs named after women (and some men). Before we begin, let's discuss what a muse is. The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines the word "muse" as a "person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist". Musicians, like all artists, produce a lot of art about the people they know or once knew. 

And because of this, every year a group of lucky people have their names chosen to become the titles of songs. Unfortunately, most of these songs are terrible. But it should be pointed out that some people are luckier than others. For example, if you're born with a name like Sara or Caroline, you'll have tons of a decent selection of songs written about you. 

But if you're like most people, finding your special song is going to take patience or hardcore digging. In fact, I can attest to this. I went most of my life being song-less, but my fortunes changed In 2015. That was the year that The Internet and Janelle Monae released "Gabby", a slow jazzy pop song that actually is not too bad or embarrassing to share with others. 

Below is a curated list of excellent songs named after people! I tried to be inclusive and include names from A to Z, but there are some letters that come with more options. Hopefully this list will reunite people with their long-lost songs. Enjoy!

Cheers, 

Gabby

P.S. Oh, and one more thing. If you're a boy, you'll probably have a more difficult time during your search... seems like people just don't write as many songs about men. Guess they don't have that "muse-factor". Sorry, boys. 

CITATION AND CREDITS

Some facts were taken from Google and Wikipedia, but the vast majority of research about each name was sourced from the website www.ohbabynames.com. I've selected key quotes, but if you want more information about a certain name, click on the attached hyperlinks. The site's content is very well-structured and maintained by writers who have backgrounds in English and Linguistics. They state their goal as the following: "We are a motley-crew of people who are passionate about the rituals around naming, and we are committed to the dissemination of accurate information to our users through our own rigorous research - in the hopes that we may play some small part in helping you through the process of naming your child. Our goal is to have the most comprehensive content for names on the Internet contained within the best website."

A 

Alexandra - 'Alexandra is primarily the English feminine form of the Greek Alexandros (although Alexandra is used among Germans, Hungarians, Scandinavians, Slavs, Spanish and many other ethnicities). In other words, Alexandra is a pretty Cosmopolitan Cool name. Hebrew names from the Old Testament and ancient Greek mythological names aside, Alexandra has one of the oldest and longest lasting origins in western tradition. All of the boy Alexanders and all of the girl Alexandras (along with their many name variations which have developed over time) owe the endurance of their name to one single person: Alexander the Great.'

Adia - 'Adia is a name of African origin; it comes from the Swahili word "adia" meaning "valuable gift." Though it has been in circulation among Americans prior, this name was first brought to the public's attention by way of Adia, a song by Sarah McLachlan and one of the most played songs of 1998. Lyrics read in part: "I take away your pain / and show you all the beauty you possess / if you'd only let yourself believe that / we are born innocent / believe me Adia, we are still innocent." Originally McLachlan intended to use the name Emily for her song's protagonist but later changed it to "Adia" because she "liked the sound of it."'

Annabel - 'Most people would assume that the name Annabel is a pairing of the names Anna and Belle, but they'd be wrong. Annabel is actually a Scottish lass name, derived from an old Anglo-Norman female given name, Amabel. Amabel is an Old French variation of the Latin "amabilis" meaning "loveable". Although Amabel is now obsolete, she birthed the names Anabel and Mabel before becoming extinct herself. Annabel became a particular favorite in Scotland and was generally confined there from the 12th century until the 19th century before enjoying more widespread usage among English speakers outside of the Scottish borders.'

Anj/Ang/Angelina/Angelica - According to a user from Singapore (who Google is quoting, I have no idea), the name Anj means "Star". I don't really know what Anj (spelled like that) is short for. But whatever, Ratboys are great and it's a good song. 

Alice - 'The name Alice is an anglicized variant of the Old French Adelaide which is of Germanic origin. The Germanic "adal" means 'noble' and "heid" means 'kind, sort' hence the meaning of Alice being 'noble one.' Both the French Adelaide and the English Alice were well established in medieval times. The name enjoyed immense popularity in the 19th century thanks in large part to Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865) and "Through the Looking Glass" (1872) based on his young child friend Alice Liddell.'

B

With nearly 170,000,000 views on YouTube, a hell of a lot of people have heard this song. I originally heard it in 2004 when my brothers and I were playing a new video game called "Need for Speed: Underground". 

The name Betty makes me think of a 50s old fashioned, goody two-shoes girl. And yet, she has her own rock anthem. Go figure. 

Beatrice: (/ˈbiː(ə)trɪs/; Italian: [beaˈtriːtʃe]) is a name derived from the French name, Béatrice, which came from the Latin Beatrix, which means "she who makes happy". Beatrice is the Italian language variant. The French form is Béatrice, and the Spanish and Portuguese form is Beatriz. 

In general, I found that the name Beatrice is associated to a lot of good jazz songs. If you're named Beatrice and like jazz, you've got options. 

C

Carmen - 'The "vineyard of God" origin is from Hebrew karmel-the "song" origin is from Latin carmen (3rd decl subst); the two origins are unrelated. ... The second origin is from Latin carmen, which means "ode" or "poem" ("Patrium Carmen": ode to the fatherland) and is also the root of the English word "charm". 

Carmen is a female name long associated with the devoutly Catholic Spanish, but spread throughout Europe and the Americas thanks to Georges Bizet's opera, "Carmen" (1875) which was set in Seville, Spain. Bizet's composition was based on a novella "Carmen" written by the French dramatist Prosper Mérimée (1845). The title character of the opera, Carmen, was its dramatically tragic heroine and a classic femme-fatale who shocked opera-goers of the late 19th century. Today, this masterpiece is considered one of the greatest creative achievements in operatic history.'

Chaka - 'The name Chaka is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "life". In Zulu, the name also means "Fire".'

Caroline - 'Caroline means "free woman" (from Middle Low German "kerle"), "beloved" and "valuable" (from Spanish "caro").Caroline was brought to England by way of the Norman-French after the Conquest of 1066; however, the name found a particular audience among the upper-classes of England in the 17th century (probably influenced by the Stuart Kings Charles I and II). Later, two 18th century Queen Consorts of England, Caroline of Ansbach and Caroline of Brunswick, gave further notice to this lovely French name. The early 19th century aristocrat/novelist Lady Caroline Lamb had a well-publicized and passionate affair with the romantic poet Lord Byron - she was an English celebrity of sorts.'

O

Excellent John Mayer song. A win for all the Olivias out there. 

P

"Oh Patricia, you've always been my North Star" 

Q

Okay, so I think this song is about the place Quito, not a person. But it's still a song, and a good one. 

Quinn - 'Quinn is an Irish surname, essentially the anglicized form of the older Gaelic Ó Cuinn, meaning descendant of Conn. Conn, in turn, is a traditional Irish name meaning "chief, leader." Alternately, Quinn is also said to come from the Irish-Gaelic "ceann" meaning "sense, intelligence." A common Irish surname, Quinn is most often encountered in the North of Ireland, particularly County Tyrone. Historically, the Ó Cuinn clan served as quartermasters to the kings of Ulster for over four centuries (responsible for the supply of arms and provisions in both war and peace). As a forename, Quinn was first popularized in the United States and used freely on both genders. Today, Quinn remains unisex in America, although it is largely considered masculine in England and the Netherlands and feminine in Canada. Quinn could also be used as a short form of other Q names, like Quinten or Quincy.'

R

S

Stephanie - 'The name Stéphanie was popularized by the French as a feminine form of the name Stephen which is derived from the Greek word "stephanos" meaning 'garland crown.' Stephen is found in the Bible as the first Christian martyr and as such, the first disciple of Jesus to receive the martyr's crown (or crown of glory). Like many names from the Bible, Stephen gained popularity in the Middle Ages when Christians bestowed Biblical or saintly names on their children as a protective measure. In some cases, popular male names would take on a feminine version. The name Stephanie became a particular favorite in the United States compared with other English-speaking counties.'

T

Tatiana - 'Tatiana is a name of early Christian-Russian origin in homage to a 3rd century saint who was martyred in Rome for her Christian beliefs under the pagan Emperor Alexander Severus....The Eastern Orthodox Church (Byzantium Empire) embraced this story more so than the western Roman Catholic Church, which is how Tatiana became particularly popular in Russia, Eastern European and Slavic nations. St. Tatiana is the patron saint of students. The name Tatiana is actually the feminine form of an old Roman family name Tatius, from the Latin "tatianus" of unknown origin....Tatiana is still mainly used in Russia (with the pet form being Tanya) and other Slavic and/or Eastern European nations. English-speakers did not adopt the name until the late 20th century.'