Choosing your baby's name is one of the most exciting rites of passage every new parent gets to complete. But among the many, many options out there, deciding what you're going to name your baby can also be an extremely difficult task. Oftentimes, parents will find names through their own meaningful interests — maybe they choose a name from a specific language [1] or something that holds a special meaning [2]. But if you're still not sure where to start or whether you've found the right name just yet, allow me to suggest using pop culture names as inspiration.
Think back to all of the character names from books or movies that have caught your attention in the past, like Katniss, Daphne, or Scout. These names are not only memorable, but they have a unique flare to them as well. So whether or not you're a huge pop culture junkie who can't get enough movies, TV, shows, or celebrity news [3], we've rounded up nearly 300 beautiful names for your baby that are inspired by pop culture. You're sure to love these pop-culture-inspired names, from those of obscure TV show characters to A-list celebrities.
Baby Names From TV Shows
Though many of the most beloved television shows in history are now off the air, you can help them live on forever through your baby's name. Check out this list of unconventionally beautiful names inspired by your favorite classic shows:
Girl names:
- Amy — "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
- Annalise — "How to Get Away With Murder"
- Aria — "Pretty Little Liars [5]"
- April — "Parks and Recreation"
- Beth — "The Walking Dead [6]"
- Betty — "Mad Men [7]"; "Riverdale [8]"
- Britta — "Community"
- Brooke — "One Tree Hill"
- Callie — "Grey's Anatomy [9]"
- Cece — "New Girl"
- Clara — "Dr. Who"
- Cristina — "Grey's Anatomy"
- Deandra — "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
- Deja — "This Is Us"
- Gemma — "The Neighborhood"
- Gina — "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
- Haley — "One Tree Hill"
- Jess — "New Girl"
- Juliet — "Lost"
- Kalinda — "The Good Wife"
- Kima — "The Wire"
- Lane — "Gilmore Girls [10]"
- Lexie — "Grey's Anatomy"
- Lorelai — "Gilmore Girls"
- Maeby — "Arrested Development"
- Maggie — "The Walking Dead"
- Marissa — "The O.C."
- Meadow — "The Sopranos"
- Meredith — "Grey's Anatomy"
- Monica — "Friends"
- Olivia — "Scandal"
- Peyton — "One Tree Hill"
- Phoebe — "Friends"
- Piper — "Orange Is the New Black [11]"
- Quinn — "Scandal"; "Glee"
- Rachel — "Friends"; "Glee"
- Rainbow — "Black-ish [12]"
- River — "Firefly"
- Rory — "Gilmore Girls"
- Rosa — "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
- Skyler — "Breaking Bad"
- Spencer — "Pretty Little Liars"
- Summer — "The O.C."
- Veronica — "Veronica Mars"; "Riverdale"
- Willow — "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
Boy names:
- Asher — "How to Get Away With Murder"
- Ben — "Parks and Recreation"
- Chandler — "Friends"
- Charles — "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
- Connor — "How to Get Away With Murder"
- Cooper — "Big Bang Theory"
- Dale — "Twin Peaks"
- Daryl — "The Walking Dead"
- Dean — "Supernatural"
- Dennis — "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
- Desmond — "Lost"
- Dexter — "Dexter"
- Dre — "Black-ish"
- Duncan — "Veronica Mars"
- Dwight — "The Office"
- Emerson — "Pushing Daisies"
- Ezra — "Pretty Little Liars"
- Fox — "The X-Files"
- Glenn — "The Walking Dead"
- Harrison — "Scandal"
- Hugo — "Lost"
- Jackson — "Grey's Anatomy"
- Jake — "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
- Jax — "Sons of Anarchy [13]"
- Jess — "Gilmore Girls"
- Joey — "Friends"
- Jonah — "Superstore"
- Lucas — "One Tree Hill"
- Malcolm — "Firefly"
- Nathan — "One Tree Hill"
- Nick — "New Girl"
- Omar — "The Wire"
- Randall — "This Is Us"
- Rory — "Dr. Who"
- Ross — "Friends"
- Ryan — "The O.C."
- Saul — "Better Call Saul"
- Sawyer — "Lost"
- Sayid — "Lost"
- Seth — "The O.C."
- Sherlock — "Sherlock"
- Troy — "Community"
- Walter — "Breaking Bad"
- Watson — "Sherlock"
- Winston — "New Girl"
- Xander — "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
Names From Romantic Movies and TV Shows
Everybody's got a soft side, but your child may be more predisposed to the sweet things in life if given a romantic name. Try one of these names, selected from classic romantic pairings:
Girl Names:
- Allie — "The Notebook"
- Claire — "Outlander [14]"
- Daphne — "Bridgerton [15]"
- Donna — "Mamma Mia!"
- Elizabeth — "Pride and Prejudice"
- Eloise — "Bridgerton"
- Francesca — "Bridgerton"
- Holly — "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
- Hyacinth — "Bridgerton"
- Jane — "Jane Eyre"
- Kate — "Bridgerton"
- Lara Jean — "To All the Boys I've Loved Before [16]"
- Louisa — "Me Before You
- Marianne — "Normal People"
- Mia — "La La Land"
- Penelope — "Bridgerton"
- Rose — "Titanic [17]"
- Sally — "When Harry Met Sally"
- Scarlett — "Gone With the Wind"
- Sophie — "Mamma Mia!"
- Tiffany — "Silver Linings Playbook"
- Violet — "Bridgerton"
Boy Names:
- Anthony — "Bridgerton"
- Benedict — "Bridgerton"
- Colin — "Bridgerton"
- Connell — "Normal People"
- Edward — "Jane Eyre"
- Fitz — "Pride and Prejudice"
- Forrest — "Forrest Gump"
- Harry — "When Harry Met Sally"
- Jack — "Titanic"
- Jamie — "Outlander"
- Noah — "The Notebook"
- Pat — "Silver Linings Playbook"
- Paul — "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
- Peter — "To All the Boys I've Loved Before"
- Rhett — "Gone With the Wind"
- Sebastian — "La La Land"
- Simon — "Bridgerton"
- Sky — "Mamma Mia!"
- Westley — "The Princess Bride"
Baby Names From Quirky Indie Movies
Whether you're a die-hard Wes Anderson fan or have seen Sofia Coppola's films more times than you can count, quirky-movie lovers will dig these unique names:
Girl Names:
- Agatha — "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
- Amélie — "Amélie"
- Charlotte — "Lost in Translation"
- Elsa — "Jojo Rabbit"
- Juno — "Juno"
- Lux — "The Virgin Suicides"
- Margot — "The Royal Tenenbaums"
- Mia — "Pulp Fiction"
- Noa — "Fresh"
- Rosie — "Jojo Rabbit"
- Ruby — "Ruby Sparks"
- Sofia — director Sofia Coppola
- Suzy — "Moonrise Kingdom"
Boy Names:
- Archie — "Inglourious Basterds"
- Calvin — "Ruby Sparks"
- Eli — "The Royal Tenenbaums"
- Jules — "Pulp Fiction"
- Lawrence — "Pulp Fiction"
- Martin — director Martin Scorsese [18]
- Quentin — director Quentin Tarantino [19]
- Wes — director Wes Anderson
Names From Fantasy Movies and TV Shows
There's nothing more magical than bringing life into the world, so why not match your baby's arrival with an equally magical name? These fantasy names might just be the one for your little one:
Girl Names:
- Arwen — "The Lord of the Rings"
- Arya — "Game of Thrones"
- Brienne — "Game of Thrones"
- Daenerys — "Game of Thrones"
- Ellaria — "Game of Thrones"
- Ginny — Harry Potter [20]
- Hermione — Harry Potter
- Lily — Harry Potter
- Natasha — The Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Pepper — The MCU
- Sansa — "Game of Thrones"
- Ygritte — "Game of Thrones"
Boy Names:
- Arthur — "Merlin"
- Aslan — "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"
- Cedric — Harry Potter
- Godric — Harry Potter
- Jaime — "Game of Thrones"
- Peter — The MCU
- Renly — "Game of Thrones"
- Ron — Harry Potter
- Tony — The MCU
Names From Sci-Fi Movies and TV Shows
Usable sci-fi names are few and far between, but the diamonds in the rough are absolutely gorgeous. Consider these science-fiction-inspired names for your baby:
Girl Names:
- Erica — "Stranger Things [21]"
- Joyce — "Stranger Things"
- Leia — "Star Wars"
- Max — "Stranger Things"
- Nancy — "Stranger Things"
- Neytiri — "Avatar"
- Rey — "Star Wars"
- Ripley — "Alien"
- Robin — "Stranger Things"
- Storm — "X-Men"
Boy Names:
- Billy — "Stranger Things"
- Dallas — "Fifth Element"
- Dustin — Stranger Things"
- Emmett — "Back to the Future"
- Jonathan — "Stranger Things"
- Kirk — "Star Trek"
- Lucas — director George Lucas; "Stranger Things"
- Mike — "Stranger Things"
- Montgomery — "Star Trek"
- Steve — "Stranger Things"
- Will — "Stranger Things"
Baby Names From Young Adult Movies and TV Shows
Many young-adult-books-turned-films have inspired baby name trends — just ask the thousands of toddlers named Bella and Jacob! These gorgeous YA-inspired names haven't reached peak popularity, however, so consider them for your bundle of joy:
Girl Names:
- Alaska — "Looking For Alaska"
- Beatrice — "Divergent"
- Cassie — "Euphoria [22]"
- Clary — "Mortal Instruments"
- Esme — "Twilight [23]"
- Fleur — Harry Potter [24]
- Gia — "Euphoria"
- Hazel — "The Fault in Our Stars"
- Jules — "Euphoria"
- Kat — "Euphoria"
- Lexi — "Euphoria"
- Luna — Harry Potter
- Maddy — "Everything, Everything"; "Euphoria"
- Maia — "Mortal Instruments"
- Opal — "Artemis Fowl"
- Primrose — "The Hunger Games"
- Rue — "The Hunger Games"; "Euphoria"
- Starr — "The Hate U Give"
Boy Names:
- Artemis — "Artemis Fowl"
- Augustus — "The Fault in Our Stars"
- Damon — "The Vampire Diaries"
- Gale — "The Hunger Games"
- Lucian — "Mortal Instruments"
- Miles — "Looking For Alaska"
- Olly — "Everything, Everything"
- Patrick — "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"
- Quentin — "Paper Towns"
- Tobias — "Divergent"
Names From Cartoon TV Shows
While it can be hard to find cartoon names that are actually usable for kids (SpongeBob? No thanks!), there are a few great options for cartoon-loving parents:
Girl Names:
- Daphne — "Scooby-Doo"
- Dot — "Animaniacs"
- Lana — "Archer"
- Lillian — "Rugrats"
- Louise — "Bob's Burgers"
- Penny — "The Proud Family"
Boy Names:
- Elroy — "The Jetsons"
- Finn — "Adventure Time"
- Huey — "The Boondocks"
- Phillip — "Rugrats"
- Riley — "The Boondocks"
- Sterling — "Archer"
Baby Names Inspired by A-Listers
Any pop-culture junkie should consider naming their child after one of Hollywood's finest. After all, they set the trends in every other way! These celebrity names are seriously great picks:
Girl Names:
- Alexa — Alexa Demie
- Ariana — Ariana Grande [25]
- Blake — Blake Lively [26]
- Chanel — Chanel Iman
- Charlize — Charlize Theron [27]
- Chrissy — Chrissy Teigen
- Emma — Emma Stone [28]; Emma Watson [29]
- Gigi — Gigi Hadid
- Gwyneth — Gwyneth Paltrow [30]
- Hailey — Hailey Bieber
- Halle — Halle Berry [31]
- Keira — Keira Knightley [32]
- Kendall — Kendall Jenner
- Lena — Lena Dunham
- Meryl — Meryl Streep [33]
- Mila — Mila Kunis [34]
- Millie — Millie Bobby Brown
- Reese — Reese Witherspoon [35]
- Rooney — Rooney Mara
- Sadie — Sadie Sink
- Selena — Selena Gomez [36]
- Sienna — Sienna Miller [37]
- Sydney — Sydney Sweeney
- Viola — Viola Davis
- Zendaya [38] — Zendaya
- Zooey — Zooey Deschanel [39]
Boy Names:
- Anderson — Anderson Cooper [40]
- Benedict — Benedict Cumberbatch
- Bradley — Bradley Cooper [41]
- Chadwick — Chadwick Boseman
- Christian — Christian Bale [42]
- Drake — Drake
- Dwayne — Dwayne Johnson
- George — George Clooney [43]
- Keanu — Keanu Reeves [44]
- Leo — Leonardo DiCaprio [45]
- Liam — Liam Hemsworth
- Morgan — Morgan Freeman [46]
- Niall — Niall Horan
Baby Names Inspired by Comedians
Do you have a fun-loving family that is always laughing? If so, comedic names are a great option for your new addition. Honor some of the greats with these fun names:
Girl Names:
- Ali — Ali Wong
- Amy — Amy Poehler [47]; Amy Schumer
- Carol — Carol Burnett
- Ellen — Ellen DeGeneres [48]
- Hope — Bob Hope
- Iliza — Iliza Shlesinger
- Lucille — Lucille Ball
- Maya — Maya Rudolph
- Tina — Tina Fey [49]
- Wanda — Wanda Sykes
Boy Names:
- Carrey — Jim Carrey [50]
- Chevy — Chevy Chase
- Leslie — Leslie Nielsen
- Martin — Steve Martin [51]
- Murray — Bill Murray [52]
- Owen — Owen Wilson [53]
- Robin — Robin Williams [54]
- Tucker — Chris Tucker
Baby Names Inspired by Old Hollywood
Retro names are a huge trend right now, and you won't find a better selection than the ones stamped on Hollywood Boulevard. Let these classic film stars serve as baby name inspiration:
Girl Names:
- Katharine — Katharine Hepburn
- Marilyn — Marilyn Monroe
- Audrey — Audrey Hepburn
- Grace — Grace Kelly
- Vivien — Vivien Leigh
- Ginger — Ginger Rogers
- Bette — Bette Davis
- Rosalind — Rosalind Russell
- Eleanor — Eleanor Parker
- Marlene — Marlene Dietrich
- Judith — Judith Garland
Boy Names:
- Clark — Clark Gable
- Humphrey — Humphrey Bogart
- Cary — Cary Grant
- Marlon — Marlon Brando
- James — James Stewart
- Laurence — Laurence Olivier
- Charles — Charlie Chaplin
- Orson — Orson Welles
- Clint — Clint Eastwood [55]
Celebrity Baby Names
Celebrities are great at choosing unique baby names, so why not gain some inspiration from their little ones?
Girl Names:
- Amada — Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes's [56] Kid
- Apple — Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's [57] Kid
- Atlas — Shay Mitchell [58] and Matte Babel's Kid
- Birdie — Jessica Simpson [59] and Eric Johnson's Kid
- Blue — Beyoncé and Jay Z's [60] Kid
- Briar — Rachel Bilson [61] and Hayden Christensen [62]'s Kid
- Delta — Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's [63] Kid
- Esmeralda — Ryan Gosling [64] and Eva Mendes [65]'s Kid
- Frances — Jimmy Fallon's [66] Kid
- Harper — David and Victoria Beckham's [67] Kid
- James — Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' [68] Kid
- Kaavia —Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade's [69] Kid
- Kaya — Hayden Panettiere's [70] Kid
- Nahla — Halle Berry's [71] Kid
- North — Kim and Kanye West's [72] Kid
- Olive — Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen's [73] Kid
- Olympia — Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian's [74] Kid
- Penelope — Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick's [75] Kid
- Rose — Scarlett Johansson's [76] Kid
- Scout — Bruce Willis and Demi Moore's [77] Kid
- Shiloh — Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's [78] Kid
- Violet — Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck's [79] Kid
- Willow — Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's [80] Kid
- Wyatt — Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher's [81] Kid
Boy Names:
- Abel — Amy Poehler and Will Arnett's [82] Kid
- Adler — Danielle Fishel [83] and Jensen Karp's Kid
- Aleph — Natalie Portman's [84] Kid
- Bingham — Kate Hudson [85] and Matthew Bellamy's Kid
- Bodhi — Megan Fox's [86] Kid
- Bowie — Gwen Stefani [87] and Gavin Rossdale [88]'s Kid
- Brooklyn — David and Victoria Beckham [89]'s Kid
- Isaac — Ashley Graham [90] and Justin Ervin's Kid
- Jaden — Will and Jada Pinkett Smith [91]'s Kid
- Kingston — Gwen Stefani [92] and Gavin Rossdale's Kid
- Knox — Angelina Jolie [93] and Brad Pitt [94]'s Kid
- Marlowe — Sienna Miller's [95] Kid
- Mason — Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick's Kid
- Milo — Alyssa Milano [96]'s Kid
- Moses — Gwyneth Paltrow [97] and Chris Martin [98]'s Kid
- Otis — Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis's [99] Kid
- Reign — Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick's Kid
- Solo — Rosamund Pike's [100] Kid
