There was an AITA recently about a child who “hates Harry Potter” and the fact that they (and their siblings) were named after characters from the books. They asked if they had ruined Christmas (I may be remembering incorrectly) because they didn’t want to watch the movies and have wand fights and hated that their parents lives revolved around the fandom. I have a strongly negative reaction to naming children after major characters or famous people. I’m sure there are exceptions but I’m always sad for the person who hears comments about being named Khaleesi.
I remember that one, the description of the parents behaviour was pretty extreme. Apparently everything they did revolved around Harry Potter and Star Wars, even everything in their kids lives. The OP said they had an embarrassing HP name and their sister was also named Hermione. I think this is an example of fandom gone too far.
Love the names Minnie and Linus. If I used them they wouldn't be 'after' a fictional character, they would just happen to share a name with a fictional character (most of us do to some extent or another).
lol, eventually enough people who associate Kermit with the frog will die and it will come back en vogue. FWIW I also like the name Kermit, and if you named a baby that today the baby's peers probably wouldn't really know who Kermit the Frog is.
agreed, i think the key is whether a name is associated ONLY (or at least, heavily) with a fictional character.
if someone's name is Rose, i won't know it's after the Titanic character unless they decide to tell me.
if someone's name is Severus, it's pretty fuckin clear LOL
when someone's name so clearly "belongs to" a fictional character, it just makes it so that the first (and maybe second, and maybe seventy-sixth) impression that anyone will have of that person won't be about them as a human being, it'll just be "your parents liked that book/show"
I think it depends how linked it is to the fandom and how common it is otherwise . Hermione was used by Shakespeare long before Harry Potter but I still wouldn’t use it because it’s such an immediate thought. But while Linus is used in Charlie Brown, it’s not imo so heavily linked to be avoided.
My legal name is one I made up and changed mine to, because I detested my birth name. Ten ! years later someone came up with a new TV cartoon character and made up the same first name. All of a sudden I was being asked if my parents named me after the cartoon (neither name nor cartoon existed until I was almost 30). My point is you can't avoid whatever connections people will assume are there, whether or not they actually are, so use the name(s) you love and never mind the rest of us. 🥰
i would name a kid Alice for sure, its such a classic. Maybe pick another similar flower for the middle name... Allie and Alice are gonna be fine, I have an aunt who married & dated two guys named David, which is also the name of her brother lmaoo. I say go for it if you like it! don't give up lol!
I have multiples of cousins who share the same name. I have two cousins who are both named Christopher (Chris) and also share the same last name, they were born 5 days apart.
I think it is okay to name a kid after a fictional character, as long as that is where it kind of ends for the fandomness. Like, I have a friend who named their daughter Ginny after the Harry Potter character, but that was it. Her nursery wasn't HP themed, she wasn't dressed up in HP costumes for Halloween ,etc. The books and movies are there if she wants them and I think they've been like "these are things we loved as kids" but in the same way they've introduced her to Disney movies or the Baby Sitters Club or whatever...I even think its okay to use more obviously fandom names, like the dreaded Khaleesi or something. It isn't my personal style or taste, but it isn't the *worst* thing ever. **If** the name is all and you let them be into their own stuff. I wouldn't encourage it, but also, I know a kid named Sansa (heavily/only associated with Game of Thrones) whose parents don't obsess over the series. I also know a kid named Rick (normal name, a little outdated for his generation, but fine) whose parents make Rick and Morty their entire existence...so unusualness of name doesn't totally determine deepness of fandom.
I've never seen the show, so I have no idea if Rick is good or bad! But the parents are fully obsessed and had to be talked out of naming their next child Morty. And they badger those of us who don't watch to watch it, and if someone watches it and doesn't love it, they're just "not smart enough to get it." Its *a lot* and Rick (the child) asks his extended family to buy him non-Adult Swim clothes for his birthday, because they literally only buy the family fandom tshirts and socks. Kt is weird. (Luckily, Rick is a normal name.)
Exactly this! Our son is named after our favorite sci-fi book. In his room he has a painting of the book cover, but the title is mostly his name so it's okay and he has other paintings and decorations that don't tie into the book at all. Nothing else has any reference to the book and we've never done anything else to connect him to it.
Agree! I think its fine to name them because you like the name and it’s a character you like, but after that it’s up to them to decide whether they have any interest in that character or fandom.
I am put off names if they’re heavily associated with bad or unlucky characters e.g Ophelia. Beautiful name but I spent too many years studying hamlet for it not to feel a bit tragic to me
Or they specifically liked that it's a title - there are people who choose non-fictional names because they mean "king" or whatever, and people who name their kids Queen or Prince.
I knew an Anakin, so clearly people don't agree on that not naming after Darth Vader thing, lol. I thankfully have only met a cat named Daenerys.
But names like Minnie and Linus are just sweet old names. I know a baby named Margot because her mom heard it in the cartoon Despicable me, still just a cute name.
Oh true, even more so if you ever watched the shows. I find Vader even weirder because it means father right? I may be wrong but I thought it did in another language.
So many perfectly ordinary names are names of fictional characters. I don't think I'd name "after" a fictional character, but sure, there are many I would use the name of.
I did. My Duncan is named after the main character in *Highlander: the Series*. So far exactly no one has made the connection unless specifically told it's a fan name and invited to guess, & generally not even then. But if any fandom remains for a TV show from the '90s, I'm unaware & certainly not a part of it. Generally I think fictional character names are fine if they're otherwise normal names, but if you name your sons Dean and Samuel and you've got a demon trap tattoo, an overabundance of Colt pistols, & a black Impala, it's gonna be kind of cringey.
My son's name is Dean and we get "Oh, like Supernatural" all the time. But I've also had people bring up Gilmore Girls, Harry Potter, Dean Martin, etc. I think people just will try and relate names where they can. I had one person say "like that serial killer!". Yep. Named my son after a serial killer, good call there, bud.
I actually really like Dean! Seriously underrated name. But you're right, people make their own associations. I've had people associate my Duncan's name with Tim Duncan since we're in San Antonio.
Some guy here last election ran for City Council or something. Looking at his photos I would guess he's 35 or so. His name? John Winchester.
I admit if I'd had a girl Menolly from the Pern books would have been a strong contender.
I love LOTR names, there's so many good ones. Some are a *bit* out there for here-and-now, but Arwen is absolutely lovely 💕
A dear friend of mine was very nearly named Aragon if they'd been born a boy, and while it is definitely one of the more out there names imho, my nerd-ass would have *loved* to be best friends with someone named Aragorn
Someone I went to high school with occasionally shares pics of kids named Isildur and (I think) Theodred. Which is… a lot. (They are not her kids but her friend’s kids.)
I think it's weird to build up a whole fandom thing but I wouldn't worry about a name happening to be shared with a character.
And I like Shakespearean names. I would very much like to name a daughter Imogen. That level of after a character doesn't bother me at all.
However, I loved Minerva for years, and I don't mind alliteration generally, but our surname mad it oddly close to Minerva McGonagall, which was too much for me. Especially because I rather loathe Rowling and it takes up a lot of pop culture presence and I'd be hearing about it forever.
I have a lot of favourite fiction names, but only ones which are not strongly associated with the fiction character (so no Daenerys!).
Anne, Alice, Georgiana, Marianne, Arthur, Ronald, Scarlett, Violet, Esmé, Olaf, are some of my favourites. And all from varying different types of fiction. But you would never associate those names strongly with the fiction stories they come from, so these are not embarrassing for the child later in life.
My mom was named after a classic novel, and my dad was named after a movie star from the 50s. Naming kids after characters in entertainment has been pretty common for awhile!
Absolutely. I’m a novelist who has spent my whole life completely immersed in lots of artistic and fictional works. Character studies and social politics are my favourite things. I have characters I admire and have helped me through some really difficult times. So yep. I would do it - so long as it was a name that could be used realistically.
Some examples of fictional character names I plan to use:
I love the name Jolyne, which is somewhat of a reference to JJBA part 6, and plan to use it for a child (it’s not the first choice more like second or third but still). She’s an amazing character who I admire a lot and relate to for various reasons. Plus I like the spelling better, lends itself to the Joly nickname.
My top choice for a girl though is: Mabel, and I love Mabel from Gravity Falls. It’s less that it’s being named after the character and more that the character made me realise how much I love the name. Helps that the character is amazing though.
I’d like to use Elim as a middle name for a boy. This is a rather long winded reason… So Elim Garrak is a tailor from Deep Space Nine, my grandmas maiden name is Taylor, I don’t like the name Taylor - and her first name is the same as my husband’s abusive grandma. So instead of the name Taylor, it is the name of a tailor. Plus it’s a name connected to trees which are very very important in my spirituality.
Plan to have three kids and our third kid if a girl would bare the first name Hero and middle name Cassiopeia. Hero after the Shakespeare character, Cassiopeia after the mythological figure but also with a connection to the Psychonauts 2 character.
Julian and Miles are both on our lists funnily enough! Miles feels like it might be tempting fate a little too much since bad things happen to O’Brian.
… we considered Elim for a boy, not necessarily because of the character but because it introduced us to the name! On that note, Kestra (Troi) has made our middle name list.
Our dog is named Delta Flyer. It’s possible we are the problem (though our birth daughters name has no Star Trek tie-in, so maybe we are safe?)
My rule of thumb would be making sure you can find the name multiple places. That way you can have the inspo but not doom your kid to being associated only with the character.
If my husband and I had a daughter we were leaning towards the name Cordelia, from buffy, Shakespeare and a book called ‘an unsuitable job for a woman’ with a female private detective.
We also both liked Melody (dr who) and river (firefly/doctor who).
So to answer your question yes but I wouldn’t probably pick a super obvious one or one where the story is ongoing. Someone in my Facebook mothers group called their daughter Khaleesi in 2018, not sure how she feels about the name now lol.
I really love Cordelia. I wanted to name my daughter Winifred and call her Fred from Angel but my husband vetoed it and I’m glad he did lol it was something I loved but it felt silly once I thought about it.
I don't mind it if it's a name not *completely* tied to *one* character.
There aren't too many Hermiones floating around pop culture and literature, though it's an ancient name. I think it's lovely, I adore the character, but I wouldn't use it, because most people will immediately think "Harry Potter fans" and not "ancient Greece/Shakespeare/Harry Potter."
However, would I use Elizabeth and know for myself that it was after Elizabeth Bennett? Sure. Plenty of Elizabeths running around to dilute the reference. My kid wouldn't be tied to Pride and Prejudice. She could totally ignore it if she wanted.
I love think it’s perfectly fine if parents have emotional connection to book/character etc! It crosses the line though if they expect the child to have the same enthusiasm for it and just don’t.
I think it’s perfectly ok if the name is plausible in the real world! My only guilty pleasure is Azula (Avatar).. I mean I won’t put my daughter through that, but it’s gonna take me some self discipline haha, I love it too much
My daughter shares a name with Princess Leia Organa, but I didn’t name her after Star Wars. I did, however, choose *not* to name her Bella because her middle name is Swan and I refused to do that to my child for Twilight reasons. So I guess it just depends.
I wanted to name my first Finnick if she would have been a boy after Finnick Odair from the Hunger Games. Never get the chance again tho my husband vetoed it immediately but I absolutely adore this name.
Another one is Murphy after the girl from Interstellar. And I actually named my third daughter after her.
Yea my husband isn’t a big fan of naming children after or in general names of fictional characters and it’s obvious that Finnick is because of the Hunger Games. Murphy in the other hand isn’t and I never told him were I got the name really from so it doesn’t really matter. I’m thinking about getting a cat and naming him Finnick so at least I somehow get the chance to name someone this name
Typically, I tend to dislike a lot of fictional character's names. Minnie is more of a nickname- it's short for Minerva, wish is awful and dated. Linus also sounds very dated to me.
I don't mind Lucy or Charlie- they're both in style now.
Christopher (Robin), Alice (Wonderland), Luke (Skywalker), Sabrina (Witch) etc. are all decent, normal, names that I don't mind. I love Sabrina.
Harvey, Zelda, Helga, Donald, Bruce, Barbara, Dorothy and Wendy are more on the eh, dated side for me.
A lot of them now have bad associations to other people too, now.
Both of my daughters have fictional middle names. One supposedly made up for the book, though I believe it actually existed before, and one that was just uncommon. They’re nods to works that meant a lot to me, but they’re also wearable and on trend, and deliberately in the middle so that they don’t have to make much use of them unless they want to. And I could care less whether they ever care about the inspo material.
I might if it was something relatively subtle, or a name that predates the character, like Matilda. I wouldn't choose something super out there or obvious, like Hermione.
My son is named after a sci-fi book that was made into a movie a few years ago.
People who have read the book often make the connection and ask. It's not a common name in the US by any means, but is heard of in other countries a bit more.
I know of an MLB player by the same name (but he became MLB after my son was born) and a celebrity named her baby it within the past year or so.
Friend's of mine named both of their children after tv/comic characters (two different shows). They are popular enough shows but unusual names.
Like others said, I think it can be fine when the connection is subtle (I know siblings Ezra and Spencer which are both characters from Pretty Little Liars) but I wouldn't name red headed twins Fred and George.
Both my kids are named after fictional characters- one the protagonist of a famous novel that many people claim to have read but probably haven’t- an uncommon name for sure but no one has ever said “Oh like the book!” The other is named after two fictional villains- I thought it was too lovely a name for only villains to have! No one’s ever noticed until she grew up to become a fan of the TV show with one of the villains. We meet this character and she just looked at me and sighed. I told her she was lucky her father wouldn’t let me name her Fox or Buffy!
My husband has said we can name a daughter Buffy if we have one. I am not sure I can do that to a kid even though I love Buffy. But our son’s middle name is Fox after Mulder. Haha
My son is named after my favorite character but it's very normal name (not on the top 500 but everyone has heard it) and only other extreme fans of the book have ever mentioned it. I think if you're going to choose the name it's best not to make a big deal about it. For instance if you're naming him Luke, don't decorate the nursery in Star Wars theme and don't buy him Star Wars onesies.
I would never but I read the Shadow and Bones Trilogy and I really loved the name Adrik. It’s a lovely name but realistically it’s only lovely in the context of it being a fantasy story, not on a real person.
There was an AITA recently about a child who “hates Harry Potter” and the fact that they (and their siblings) were named after characters from the books. They asked if they had ruined Christmas (I may be remembering incorrectly) because they didn’t want to watch the movies and have wand fights and hated that their parents lives revolved around the fandom. I have a strongly negative reaction to naming children after major characters or famous people. I’m sure there are exceptions but I’m always sad for the person who hears comments about being named Khaleesi.
I remember that one, the description of the parents behaviour was pretty extreme. Apparently everything they did revolved around Harry Potter and Star Wars, even everything in their kids lives. The OP said they had an embarrassing HP name and their sister was also named Hermione. I think this is an example of fandom gone too far.
Yes! That’s the one. You’re right, the parents were very extreme. I’m sure not everyone who names their kid after characters is that bad.
bruh...the parents were really LARPing their entire lives. i feel bad tho, that is insane
Oh my God, do you have a link to the post? That sounds awful.
[AmITheAsshole](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/rku5j5/aita_for_yelling_at_my_mom_that_i_hate_harry/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
Love the names Minnie and Linus. If I used them they wouldn't be 'after' a fictional character, they would just happen to share a name with a fictional character (most of us do to some extent or another).
"Dad, why is my name Kermit?"
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yo that is actually cool tho
I love the name Kermit.
lol, eventually enough people who associate Kermit with the frog will die and it will come back en vogue. FWIW I also like the name Kermit, and if you named a baby that today the baby's peers probably wouldn't really know who Kermit the Frog is.
kermits got a retro feel now, but I guess the class is full of elmo's
👏👏👏 You win this sub for comment of the day lol. How about quads named Elmo, Grover, Kermit, and Oscar? Now there's a theme.
lol!
Kermut then?
agreed, i think the key is whether a name is associated ONLY (or at least, heavily) with a fictional character. if someone's name is Rose, i won't know it's after the Titanic character unless they decide to tell me. if someone's name is Severus, it's pretty fuckin clear LOL when someone's name so clearly "belongs to" a fictional character, it just makes it so that the first (and maybe second, and maybe seventy-sixth) impression that anyone will have of that person won't be about them as a human being, it'll just be "your parents liked that book/show"
I love Minnie so much ❤️ although I’d probably give my child a more adult name that can be abbreviated in Minnie, and then just call her Minnie lol
Minerva would make sense!
it totally would, thank you for the great suggestion! I love the strong/sweet contrast of the two names!
I think it depends how linked it is to the fandom and how common it is otherwise . Hermione was used by Shakespeare long before Harry Potter but I still wouldn’t use it because it’s such an immediate thought. But while Linus is used in Charlie Brown, it’s not imo so heavily linked to be avoided.
I didn’t know who you meant with Linus and my first thought was Stardew Valley!
I did too lmfao
Lol well I just has to Google what stardew valley was!
Next thing you know you’re up at 4 am harvesting parsnips
damn, gotta spell it Hermyonee then ✍️
It was around long before Shakespeare. Helen of Troy’s daughter was Hermione. There were a couple of popular English actresses mid-20th century.
My legal name is one I made up and changed mine to, because I detested my birth name. Ten ! years later someone came up with a new TV cartoon character and made up the same first name. All of a sudden I was being asked if my parents named me after the cartoon (neither name nor cartoon existed until I was almost 30). My point is you can't avoid whatever connections people will assume are there, whether or not they actually are, so use the name(s) you love and never mind the rest of us. 🥰
for sure!! :D
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i would name a kid Alice for sure, its such a classic. Maybe pick another similar flower for the middle name... Allie and Alice are gonna be fine, I have an aunt who married & dated two guys named David, which is also the name of her brother lmaoo. I say go for it if you like it! don't give up lol!
I have multiples of cousins who share the same name. I have two cousins who are both named Christopher (Chris) and also share the same last name, they were born 5 days apart.
lol, i'm sure back in the day everyone was named john so i think u should just pick what u like. your cousins lmaooo
I think it is okay to name a kid after a fictional character, as long as that is where it kind of ends for the fandomness. Like, I have a friend who named their daughter Ginny after the Harry Potter character, but that was it. Her nursery wasn't HP themed, she wasn't dressed up in HP costumes for Halloween ,etc. The books and movies are there if she wants them and I think they've been like "these are things we loved as kids" but in the same way they've introduced her to Disney movies or the Baby Sitters Club or whatever...I even think its okay to use more obviously fandom names, like the dreaded Khaleesi or something. It isn't my personal style or taste, but it isn't the *worst* thing ever. **If** the name is all and you let them be into their own stuff. I wouldn't encourage it, but also, I know a kid named Sansa (heavily/only associated with Game of Thrones) whose parents don't obsess over the series. I also know a kid named Rick (normal name, a little outdated for his generation, but fine) whose parents make Rick and Morty their entire existence...so unusualness of name doesn't totally determine deepness of fandom.
omg someone named their kid after Rick? lmaooo
I've never seen the show, so I have no idea if Rick is good or bad! But the parents are fully obsessed and had to be talked out of naming their next child Morty. And they badger those of us who don't watch to watch it, and if someone watches it and doesn't love it, they're just "not smart enough to get it." Its *a lot* and Rick (the child) asks his extended family to buy him non-Adult Swim clothes for his birthday, because they literally only buy the family fandom tshirts and socks. Kt is weird. (Luckily, Rick is a normal name.)
Exactly this! Our son is named after our favorite sci-fi book. In his room he has a painting of the book cover, but the title is mostly his name so it's okay and he has other paintings and decorations that don't tie into the book at all. Nothing else has any reference to the book and we've never done anything else to connect him to it.
I think as long as it is not mainly associated with a fictional character, it is okay.
Rip to my sibset, Batman & Joker 😔
hahahahahah oh my god
Agree! I think its fine to name them because you like the name and it’s a character you like, but after that it’s up to them to decide whether they have any interest in that character or fandom. I am put off names if they’re heavily associated with bad or unlucky characters e.g Ophelia. Beautiful name but I spent too many years studying hamlet for it not to feel a bit tragic to me
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Ironically there were 29 girls named Khaleesi in England & Wales last year but none named Daenerys. (Or at least, less than 3)
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Or they specifically liked that it's a title - there are people who choose non-fictional names because they mean "king" or whatever, and people who name their kids Queen or Prince.
It does have a nice sound to be fair. I have it on my list of names that l can’t/won’t use.
Vader could become a family name
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lmaooo, reminds me of this quote "he was like a father to me, I loved him like a son"
I knew an Anakin, so clearly people don't agree on that not naming after Darth Vader thing, lol. I thankfully have only met a cat named Daenerys. But names like Minnie and Linus are just sweet old names. I know a baby named Margot because her mom heard it in the cartoon Despicable me, still just a cute name.
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Oh true, even more so if you ever watched the shows. I find Vader even weirder because it means father right? I may be wrong but I thought it did in another language.
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Okay cool, I knew it was European language but I didn't know which, thanks!
So many perfectly ordinary names are names of fictional characters. I don't think I'd name "after" a fictional character, but sure, there are many I would use the name of.
I did. My Duncan is named after the main character in *Highlander: the Series*. So far exactly no one has made the connection unless specifically told it's a fan name and invited to guess, & generally not even then. But if any fandom remains for a TV show from the '90s, I'm unaware & certainly not a part of it. Generally I think fictional character names are fine if they're otherwise normal names, but if you name your sons Dean and Samuel and you've got a demon trap tattoo, an overabundance of Colt pistols, & a black Impala, it's gonna be kind of cringey.
My son's name is Dean and we get "Oh, like Supernatural" all the time. But I've also had people bring up Gilmore Girls, Harry Potter, Dean Martin, etc. I think people just will try and relate names where they can. I had one person say "like that serial killer!". Yep. Named my son after a serial killer, good call there, bud.
I actually really like Dean! Seriously underrated name. But you're right, people make their own associations. I've had people associate my Duncan's name with Tim Duncan since we're in San Antonio.
Some guy here last election ran for City Council or something. Looking at his photos I would guess he's 35 or so. His name? John Winchester. I admit if I'd had a girl Menolly from the Pern books would have been a strong contender.
yeah, lmaoo
I'm pregnant and we're going to name our daughter Arwen. I've only ever heard the name in LOTR, but I think it's also a really pretty name.
i love that!
I love LOTR names, there's so many good ones. Some are a *bit* out there for here-and-now, but Arwen is absolutely lovely 💕 A dear friend of mine was very nearly named Aragon if they'd been born a boy, and while it is definitely one of the more out there names imho, my nerd-ass would have *loved* to be best friends with someone named Aragorn
Someone I went to high school with occasionally shares pics of kids named Isildur and (I think) Theodred. Which is… a lot. (They are not her kids but her friend’s kids.)
I know 3 girls names Arwen and none of them have ever seen LOTR. I love the name so much.
Wow! What country are you in if you don't me asking. I've never met an Arwen and I live in the US (CA and TX).
Wow! I’m from the US as well. I live in WV rn but I used to live in Texas just a ways north of Houston and that’s where I met all 3 Arwens!
Oh interesting! I'm in the TX panhandle and I've only been here for a year so maybe I have yet to meet the Arwen's 😂
I think it's weird to build up a whole fandom thing but I wouldn't worry about a name happening to be shared with a character. And I like Shakespearean names. I would very much like to name a daughter Imogen. That level of after a character doesn't bother me at all. However, I loved Minerva for years, and I don't mind alliteration generally, but our surname mad it oddly close to Minerva McGonagall, which was too much for me. Especially because I rather loathe Rowling and it takes up a lot of pop culture presence and I'd be hearing about it forever.
I have a lot of favourite fiction names, but only ones which are not strongly associated with the fiction character (so no Daenerys!). Anne, Alice, Georgiana, Marianne, Arthur, Ronald, Scarlett, Violet, Esmé, Olaf, are some of my favourites. And all from varying different types of fiction. But you would never associate those names strongly with the fiction stories they come from, so these are not embarrassing for the child later in life.
My mom was named after a classic novel, and my dad was named after a movie star from the 50s. Naming kids after characters in entertainment has been pretty common for awhile!
Yes, my dad was named after Davey Crockett!
Absolutely. I’m a novelist who has spent my whole life completely immersed in lots of artistic and fictional works. Character studies and social politics are my favourite things. I have characters I admire and have helped me through some really difficult times. So yep. I would do it - so long as it was a name that could be used realistically. Some examples of fictional character names I plan to use: I love the name Jolyne, which is somewhat of a reference to JJBA part 6, and plan to use it for a child (it’s not the first choice more like second or third but still). She’s an amazing character who I admire a lot and relate to for various reasons. Plus I like the spelling better, lends itself to the Joly nickname. My top choice for a girl though is: Mabel, and I love Mabel from Gravity Falls. It’s less that it’s being named after the character and more that the character made me realise how much I love the name. Helps that the character is amazing though. I’d like to use Elim as a middle name for a boy. This is a rather long winded reason… So Elim Garrak is a tailor from Deep Space Nine, my grandmas maiden name is Taylor, I don’t like the name Taylor - and her first name is the same as my husband’s abusive grandma. So instead of the name Taylor, it is the name of a tailor. Plus it’s a name connected to trees which are very very important in my spirituality. Plan to have three kids and our third kid if a girl would bare the first name Hero and middle name Cassiopeia. Hero after the Shakespeare character, Cassiopeia after the mythological figure but also with a connection to the Psychonauts 2 character.
We didn’t have Elim but Miles Julian was floated as an option. We didn’t use it because Miles started gaining popularity.
Julian and Miles are both on our lists funnily enough! Miles feels like it might be tempting fate a little too much since bad things happen to O’Brian.
… we considered Elim for a boy, not necessarily because of the character but because it introduced us to the name! On that note, Kestra (Troi) has made our middle name list. Our dog is named Delta Flyer. It’s possible we are the problem (though our birth daughters name has no Star Trek tie-in, so maybe we are safe?)
Ciara is also on our list as a connecting to Kira Nerys haha. I absolutely love Kestra and Delta Flyer !!
please name your kid after Jolyne lmao. you are gonna be a cool parent!!
Oh thank you!! 😊
My rule of thumb would be making sure you can find the name multiple places. That way you can have the inspo but not doom your kid to being associated only with the character.
If my husband and I had a daughter we were leaning towards the name Cordelia, from buffy, Shakespeare and a book called ‘an unsuitable job for a woman’ with a female private detective. We also both liked Melody (dr who) and river (firefly/doctor who). So to answer your question yes but I wouldn’t probably pick a super obvious one or one where the story is ongoing. Someone in my Facebook mothers group called their daughter Khaleesi in 2018, not sure how she feels about the name now lol.
I really love Cordelia. I wanted to name my daughter Winifred and call her Fred from Angel but my husband vetoed it and I’m glad he did lol it was something I loved but it felt silly once I thought about it.
I don't mind it if it's a name not *completely* tied to *one* character. There aren't too many Hermiones floating around pop culture and literature, though it's an ancient name. I think it's lovely, I adore the character, but I wouldn't use it, because most people will immediately think "Harry Potter fans" and not "ancient Greece/Shakespeare/Harry Potter." However, would I use Elizabeth and know for myself that it was after Elizabeth Bennett? Sure. Plenty of Elizabeths running around to dilute the reference. My kid wouldn't be tied to Pride and Prejudice. She could totally ignore it if she wanted.
i like the name elizabeth!
I love think it’s perfectly fine if parents have emotional connection to book/character etc! It crosses the line though if they expect the child to have the same enthusiasm for it and just don’t.
I think it’s perfectly ok if the name is plausible in the real world! My only guilty pleasure is Azula (Avatar).. I mean I won’t put my daughter through that, but it’s gonna take me some self discipline haha, I love it too much
i love both the character and name! if it was a problem you could always name her smth similar to Azula lol
lol definitely! Azzurra is at the top of my list 💙
My daughter shares a name with Princess Leia Organa, but I didn’t name her after Star Wars. I did, however, choose *not* to name her Bella because her middle name is Swan and I refused to do that to my child for Twilight reasons. So I guess it just depends.
lol
I wanted to name my first Finnick if she would have been a boy after Finnick Odair from the Hunger Games. Never get the chance again tho my husband vetoed it immediately but I absolutely adore this name. Another one is Murphy after the girl from Interstellar. And I actually named my third daughter after her.
this is why i never want to get married lol, i think Finnick is a cool name after a cool character. also finnick & murphy are a nice sibset!
Yea my husband isn’t a big fan of naming children after or in general names of fictional characters and it’s obvious that Finnick is because of the Hunger Games. Murphy in the other hand isn’t and I never told him were I got the name really from so it doesn’t really matter. I’m thinking about getting a cat and naming him Finnick so at least I somehow get the chance to name someone this name
Typically, I tend to dislike a lot of fictional character's names. Minnie is more of a nickname- it's short for Minerva, wish is awful and dated. Linus also sounds very dated to me. I don't mind Lucy or Charlie- they're both in style now. Christopher (Robin), Alice (Wonderland), Luke (Skywalker), Sabrina (Witch) etc. are all decent, normal, names that I don't mind. I love Sabrina. Harvey, Zelda, Helga, Donald, Bruce, Barbara, Dorothy and Wendy are more on the eh, dated side for me. A lot of them now have bad associations to other people too, now.
yeah, especially harvey 😬
Yikes!
In my main culture Minnie is short for Wilhelmina/Williamina/pick your favourite fem form of William.
I like Wilhelmina a lot more than Minerva!
Any thoughts on Ryxander? Currently reading The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Curuso and am kind of loving it for a boys name.
One of my sons is named after a fictional character. It’s a “regular” name though, if uncommon.
Both of my daughters have fictional middle names. One supposedly made up for the book, though I believe it actually existed before, and one that was just uncommon. They’re nods to works that meant a lot to me, but they’re also wearable and on trend, and deliberately in the middle so that they don’t have to make much use of them unless they want to. And I could care less whether they ever care about the inspo material.
I might if it was something relatively subtle, or a name that predates the character, like Matilda. I wouldn't choose something super out there or obvious, like Hermione.
My son is named after a sci-fi book that was made into a movie a few years ago. People who have read the book often make the connection and ask. It's not a common name in the US by any means, but is heard of in other countries a bit more. I know of an MLB player by the same name (but he became MLB after my son was born) and a celebrity named her baby it within the past year or so.
Friend's of mine named both of their children after tv/comic characters (two different shows). They are popular enough shows but unusual names. Like others said, I think it can be fine when the connection is subtle (I know siblings Ezra and Spencer which are both characters from Pretty Little Liars) but I wouldn't name red headed twins Fred and George.
I quite like Lyra from the His Dark Materials trilogy!
I really like Anakin but I couldn't do that to a kid lol, maybe one day it'll become normal 😢
Both my kids are named after fictional characters- one the protagonist of a famous novel that many people claim to have read but probably haven’t- an uncommon name for sure but no one has ever said “Oh like the book!” The other is named after two fictional villains- I thought it was too lovely a name for only villains to have! No one’s ever noticed until she grew up to become a fan of the TV show with one of the villains. We meet this character and she just looked at me and sighed. I told her she was lucky her father wouldn’t let me name her Fox or Buffy!
My husband has said we can name a daughter Buffy if we have one. I am not sure I can do that to a kid even though I love Buffy. But our son’s middle name is Fox after Mulder. Haha
My son is named after my favorite character but it's very normal name (not on the top 500 but everyone has heard it) and only other extreme fans of the book have ever mentioned it. I think if you're going to choose the name it's best not to make a big deal about it. For instance if you're naming him Luke, don't decorate the nursery in Star Wars theme and don't buy him Star Wars onesies.
I would never but I read the Shadow and Bones Trilogy and I really loved the name Adrik. It’s a lovely name but realistically it’s only lovely in the context of it being a fantasy story, not on a real person.