How Pop Culture Has Changed How We Name Our Babies

Pop culture has started to dominate how we name our babies, with the biggest shows and films skewing the baby name rankings with increasing frequency.

Some people are named after a treasured loved one. Other people are named after a sentimental place or time. And some people are named after the baby in a 1970s fantasy sitcom about a witch.

Ever since we had access to entertainment, we’ve fallen in love with fictional characters and their stories. Some of us fall so in love that we decide to name the most important little people in our lives after them. Pop culture has started to dominate how we name our babies, with the biggest shows and films skewing the baby name rankings with increasing frequency.

We’ve dug through the government’s latest census data to deliver the latest on how many Elsas or Aryas you can anticipate on the playground.

Baby names from films

Have you ever left the cinema with bleary eyes, feeling as though your life has been forever altered by the incredible masterpiece you just witnessed? Well, over 1000 parents-to-be felt that way after watching a bit of Disney.

In 2021, two of Disney’s animated flicks captured the hearts of expectant parents all over the country. The eponymous ‘Luca’ may have sparked a new trend. The number of boys named Luca increased by 500, making it the 28th most popular boy’s name that year. Then, ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ also inspired a whole batch of parents. No, unfortunately, we can’t report that anyone named their bundle of joy ‘Dragon.’ Instead, 251 baby girls were named Raya.

Disney continued to monopolise baby names (and arguably every bit of culture as we know it - all hail the mouse!) with their new Star Wars films and TV shows. After The Force Awakens was released onto our screens in 2015, three galaxy-defenders jumped in popularity: Finn, Kylo and Lando. Kylo, especially, saw a sharp increase in popularity. Parents just love a redemption story, we suppose! 189 baby boys were called Kylo at the name’s peak popularity in 2020.

For all those sci-fi fans that prefer the OG trilogy, ‘Lando’ has risen through the baby name ranks more than fivefold from only 13 babies to 74 in the last year.

Baby names from tv shows

Maybe you’re the type of person that prefers to curl up on the sofa and pop on a bit of Netflix after a long day. If you switched on everyone’s favourite era-less, sort of English, maybe a bit American series Sex Education, you’ll be more than familiar with the names Otis and Maeve.

When season 1 aired in 2019, both names soared in popularity, with 737 boys being named Otis in the previous year and 654 girls being named Maeve. It’s a dramatic rise for Maeve, which previously sat at 192nd and is now comfortably at 81st.

Sex Education isn’t the only Netflix show inspiring parents-to-be. Any 80s nostalgia fan can wax lyrical to you about the Duffer brothers’ hit show, Stranger Things. The name ‘Dustin’ rose from a tiny 4 registrations in 2015 to 20 after the first series came onto our screens. We can only hope that all 20 of them find their Suzie.

Another name that got flipped Upside Down (wink) in the baby name rankings was Max. From total obscurity (for a girl’s name, in any case,) 10 newborn baby girls were named after the redheaded Zoomer. And, even more unbelievably, 3 baby girls were named Eleven in 2018. We can only assume these babies were born with telekinetic powers and their parents had no choice but to name them after Millie Bobby Brown’s character.

A bunch of Birmingham-based gangsters probably aren’t the best role models for your bundle of joy, but in any case, they’re scoring high in the name department. Surprisingly, while Tommy ranks highly amongst the Shelby brothers’ names, it’s not the most popular. That honour goes to Arthur! The name Arthur had been rising in popularity for a while now, but in 2018 it jumped to 7th place and is winning bronze at 3rd place in 2020.

Alongside his Star Wars counterpart, the youngest Shelby brother, Finn, is enjoying a lot of popularity. It’s risen from 116th place in 2013 to 72nd in 2021. Who can say if these parents are more fans of flat-cap-wearing Brummies or force-sensitive Stormtroopers? Regardless, you’re likely to meet more than a few Finns running about.

Celebrity-related baby names

Parents seem to be trying to keep up with the Kardashians with their name choices in recent years. It’s no surprise considering the massive cultural impact the Kardashian family has had on social media and beyond (for better or worse…)

Since Kim Kardanshian’s son Saint was born in 2015, there were only 5 registered uses for baby boys. By 2021, that number had risen to 59. Khloe Kardashian’s daughter’s name also saw a similar rise in usage - True went from fewer than 3 in 2018 to 10 in 2021.

The Kardashians themselves influence naming trends too! When Keeping Up With the Kardashians first aired in 2007, each of the sisters’ names was fairly uncommon, with most having less than 20 registrations per year. Since 2010, those numbers have risen dramatically! Khloe is the most popular name with 106 baby girls being named after the American socialite. Next is Kendall with 80 registrations, followed by Kourtney with 35 and, finally, Kim with 19. Despite being the ‘main character’ (we’re not entirely sure if real people can be main characters, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Kim,) the name has actually declined in popularity over recent years. Maybe they’re Team Taylor?

Alongside trashy reality telly, the other thing Brits love enough to name their offspring after is music! After musicians, specifically, unless anyone is brave enough to call their kid ‘Dark Side of the Moon’. By far the most unusual, but debatably coolest name to come out of this trend, is ‘Ziggy’ and ‘Bowie’ - named after David Bowie. And, in true David Bowie fashion, these names are gender-neutral with over 100 registrations for both boys and girls.

The top 5 most influential pieces of pop culture

So, from the looks of it, we’re all majorly influenced by the shows and films we watch. But which franchises are the most influential? These are the pieces of pop culture that were the most, well, popular.

Game of Thrones

Before things all started to get a little waylaid post-season 5, (and we won’t even talk about that last season…) Game of Thrones was a cultural powerhouse. Everyone had watched it, and anyone that hadn’t was banished to the other side of the break room and shamed until they forked out for a Now TV subscription. It’s the same in the delivery room.

The Stark sisters were the most popular names by far, with Arya being registered a whopping 244 times. The last Targaryen was also a hot choice amongst parents with 53 baby girls being named ‘Khaleesi’ and 9 being named ‘Daenerys’. We’re assuming that those parents definitely weren’t a fan of the final season. Brienne also cropped up in the rankings for the first time with 4 registrations.

The fellas of Westeros also made an impact on the ranking table. It’s a fight between the Lannisters, Greyjoys and Starks for the most popular name, but in the end, it’s the sailors that end up on top! Theon was the hottest baby boy's name (because pirates are cool, we guess), followed by Tyrion, Bran and Sandor.

Frozen

Despite coming out over a decade ago, we still can’t get ‘Let It Go’ out of our heads - and neither can pregnant people. Frozen fever is still well and truly going strong, with over 500 registrations for Elsa and 804 for Anna. Granted, Anna was already a pretty popular name, and it’s actually decreased in popularity since Frozen came out, sooooo… Apologies to Kristen Bell. But Elsa has had a massive increase since the film’s 2013 release. Ice powers are cooler than the power of sisterhood - who could have guessed?

Kristoff and Olaf also made their way onto the baby name ranking table. It’s the first time that Kristoff has ever ranked with 3 baby boys in line to become future reindeer herders. Olaf has had 52 registrations, because he has to be someone’s favourite character, we suppose.

Musicians

Turns out, pregnant people listen to music! There are five boys names that have seriously been increasing in popularity since the 2010s and their popularity is only going in one direction… Up. The guys of One Direction have captured the hearts of tweens everywhere since their X-Factor days, and turns out, tweens grow up and have babies!

Harry is at the top of the list with a whopping 5,000 registrations. Granted, these probably can’t all be attributed to Mr Styles, but it’s safe to say he and his sparkly fringe vests might be responsible for the name’s popularity. Next in line are Louis and Liam, followed by Zayn (which is 8 times as popular now than it was before the band’s conception) and Niall.

Celebrities

Not just reality TV stars, sometimes babies are named after other people on the telly too! If you’re a footie fan, you’ve likely considered some of these. The name Ronaldo peaked in 2007, the first time he won the Premier League with Manchester United. Messi peaked a little later in 2009, corresponding with his successful season at Barcelona in 2008. After the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Neymar and Luis (Suarez) increased in popularity, with 8 and 134 respectively in 2014.

Hollywood often makes its way into the baby name rankings. Channing didn’t appear in the baby names list until 2009, most likely after Channing Tatum’s success in the Step Up and 21 Jump Street franchises, and it’s remained fairly popular. Similarly, the name Mila increased after 2010, perhaps due to Mila Kunis’ success in the film Black Swan.

Downton Abbey

Names that were popular at the turn of the last century (1904) have increased in popularity since around 2004, and Downton Abbey may be affecting this since it first aired in 2010. Edith, Violet and Rose were all in the top 30 names in 1904, and are rising in influence once again in the 21st century.

While we can’t help you with naming your baby, LittleList can help you with almost everything else - especially when it comes to all the endless products that your little one needs once its arrived! LittleList is the UK's first dedicated shopping service and newborn baby registry for expectant parents: we help growing families prepare for their baby, with tailored advice and the option to shop or share their wish list. Click here to browse through our hundreds of baby brands or here to get started with your baby registry!

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