What's in a Name? TV's Most Symbolic Character Names

The writers and showrunners of The Big Bang Theory are huge fans of the classic sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show. As a way to honor the show's producer, Sheldon Leonard, Chuck Lorre and co. decided to name our favorite nerds — Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter — after the famed producer.

You might think America's favorite drug dealer, Walter White, has an ironic last name, but it's probably a nod to the drug itself. Walt's expertise in chemistry leads to the production of the purest meth in the country, and his last name is meant to nod to that superior purity.

Walt's accomplice and protégé, Jesse Pinkman, is immature and weak and is often accused of not "being man enough." His last name, Pinkman ("pink man"), underscores his lack of traditional masculinity.

Their seedy lawyer, Saul Goodman (previously known as Jimmy McGill), has a phonetically clever name. If you say it slowly and enunciate the name fully, it sounds like "it's all good man," which Saul/Jimmy himself has said.

Buffy is meant to signify the character's flighty, shallow beginnings, when she's just a ditzy high schooler with little promise. The name Willow is a nod to that character's Wiccan practice and her deep spiritual connection to the natural world. A willow tree is one of the most sacred symbols for ancient civilizations, so it's not surprising she would be called this.

Xander's name has a much more concrete, albeit comic, history. Zander, a version of the name Xander, is a species of fish. This just so happens to be a direct throwback to the original 1992 movie of the same name. In the movie, Luke Perry played Pike, Buffy's stoner love interest, and it's no coincidence that a pike is also a species of fish.

There's also Angel, whose name reflects the irony of his constant spiritual conflict, as the only vampire with a soul.

Phoebe Buffay often uses the pseudonym "Regina Phalange," which loosely translates to "queen of the fingers." This is a perfect alter ego since Phoebe is a masseuse by trade.

The snarky robot, Bender, is named after John Bender from the ultimate teenage angst film, The Breakfast Club. Matt Groening is a huge fan of the '80s movie.

Every one of the characters on Gossip Girl has a name that just oozes old money. So it's no accident that Blair shares the name with the Waldorf Astoria hotel, which is synonymous with the Upper East Side and New York wealth and luxury.

This show is chock-full of names of the tongue-in-cheek variety. The main character goes by Olivia Moore, but her buds call her "Liv." Get it? She's a zombie and her name sounds like "live more"? Very clever.

The fun doesn't stop there. Her hunky (on-again, off-again) boyfriend goes by the name of Major Lilywhite (for real). This is probably a silly way to refer to his strict moral code and American values, but it becomes a bit more literal in later episodes.

Jane's last name is Villanueva, which loosely translates to "settles in a new place." Jane is literally experiencing a new and completely uncharted circumstance with her virgin birth, but figuratively, she and her family are constantly navigating new and tricky situations.

Angela Chase's last name couldn't be more appropriate. She follows Jordan around for the entirety of the series's only season. Even when she "gets" him, she continues to chase the world's hottest and most emotionally unavailable teen.

In keeping with the whimsy of the fairy tales on which it's based, the characters' names reflect a little something about them. Emma's last name, Swan, is often associated with transformation and change. Emma transforms into a darker version of herself, and just like that, she's earned her name.

Regina means queen, and Snow White's real name is Mary Margaret Blanchard. (Blanc, like white).

The Netflix series Jessica Jones follows a would-be superhero who is trying to find ways to help others. It's based on the comic Alias, and each episode is titled with an "AKA." This is a reference to Jessica's "alter ego" Jewel. Jessica Jones is actually an alias for that superhero.

Jessica's season one nemesis is appropriately named Kilgrave, and the characters have a lot of fun with how on-the-nose it is.

Jessica's love interest, Luke Cage, is named for his feelings of being trapped by his past.

While Scott McCall is directly from the Michael J. Fox movie Teen Wolf, the other characters' names are a little more cryptic.

Allison's last name, Argent, means silver in French, and every good monster expert knows you have to kill a werewolf with silver bullets.

Veronica Mars is a badass private detective, so it's pretty reasonable that she's named after the god of war and military power. She also drives a Saturn and lives in Neptune, so he's got all the godly power in check.