P.S. I am not on about characters from classic literature, like Pride and Prejudice or Wuthering Heights, or classic films, like Gone with the Wind and The Sound of [name_f]Music[/name_f], I am on about modern day characters such as ones from TV shows still airing and movies from after the 1980s (or even the 1990s) and so on.
I am a huge TV junkie and relating to certain TV characters and going on massive TV shows binges is pretty much what I do. It’s very therapeutic and it’s safe to say they’ve been a big part of my life for all of my teenage years, now going into my twenties. I really, really want to name my children after certain characters who I admire and want my children to be like. But, I don’t want to come across as juvenile.
For example, I love the names [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] ([name_m]Law[/name_m] & Order: Special Victims Unit) and [name_m]Beckett[/name_m] (Castle). I also love [name_f]Arizona[/name_f], [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Calliope[/name_f] ([name_u]Grey[/name_u]'s Anatomy) as well as [name_u]Addison[/name_u] ([name_u]Grey[/name_u]'s Anatomy/Private Practice). [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] is one from literature that I love (Looking For [name_f]Alaska[/name_f]).
Would it be silly and childish to name my children after modern day characters? Or is it just as acceptable to name them after modern characters as it were be to name them after classic ones? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you have any names on your list taken from modern characters?
I don’t think it’s silly at all. People pick names that are meaningful to them, and the source of those names is going to be different for everybody. And it’s not like everybody is going to know you named your child after a TV show character, especially if it’s a ‘normal’ name and doesn’t obviously come from a certain show (if you named your daughter [name_f]Katniss[/name_f], people would know right away you were a Hunger Games fan, but [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] by no means screams [name_m]Law[/name_m] & Order).
There’s difference between [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] and, say, [name_f]Daenerys[/name_f]. I say it’s fine to name kid name strongly associated with a character, say, [name_f]Katniss[/name_f], but [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] would not raise an eyebrow at all.
I think it’s just fine! I’m a big Netflix binger too
I actually just posted today about the name [name_m]Moss[/name_m] which I like from The IT Crowd. I would definitely use it.
My mom liked the name [name_f]Emily[/name_f], not for all its amazing literary associations, but for the wife on The [name_m]Bob[/name_m] Newhart Show.
[name_m]Archie[/name_m] is high up on our list now that we saw how cute it was on a character from My Mad Fat Diary.
I think it makes sense to choose a name that you hear a lot and continue to like. Lots more [name_f]Lorelai[/name_f]'s now than there were before [name_m]Gilmore[/name_m] Girls!
(I agree with the above posters though. Something as distinctive and made up as [name_f]Katniss[/name_f] wouldn’t age well I’m sure)
It’s definitely not silly! Granted, I’m only sixteen, so probably still on the juvenile side, but it is absolutely not childish to honour characters that have given you a lot of joy throughout your life, and who you admire. [name_m]Just[/name_m] because it isn’t considered “classic”, that doesn’t mean that it has no artistic merit or that its messages and content aren’t important. [name_u]Grey[/name_u]'s Anatomy, for example, has plenty of strong, compassionate characters, female leads, and diversity. That’s a wonderful legacy to pass on to a child.
And, like @smartie352 said, people won’t necessarily know that the name comes from a character.
As for names on my list, I don’t add names solely for the sake of a character, but sometimes a particularly amazing character will make me see a name in a different light. I think [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] is actually the only name in my signature directly honouring a character, although I’m sure there are more in my overall list.
Basically, it’s completely okay to name your child after modern characters. In fact, I would say it’s becoming increasingly common!
Definitely not juvenile and the names you’ve posted are all lovely names.
I agree with other berries that only certain ones are so distinctly linked to a TV series, movie or book that it would be weird, like [name_f]Katniss[/name_f].
One of my favorite girl’s names right now is [name_f]Annabeth[/name_f], found it in the [name_u]Percy[/name_u] [name_m]Jackson[/name_m] series, and I think it’s quite lovely.
I should clarify. I think name that won’t age well are names from instant shows. Game of Thrones is different. [name_f]Daenerys[/name_f] was used for quite some time, althought very rarely before the show, because there are books on which show is based. [name_f]Khaleesi[/name_f] (and it’s variants) is ridiculous, and THAT won’t age well.
Almost every name on my signature are from characters! In fact, for boy names I have to have some kind of a character association to love them. I say that it doesn’t matter where the name came from as long as you like it. (However, for names like [name_f]Katniss[/name_f], Daenarys, [name_f]Renesmee[/name_f] you should be mindful that people will notice the associations.)
Though, [name_f]Katniss[/name_f] isn’t really a made-up name, to correct an earlier poster. It’s a nature name, after the arrowhead tubers Sagittaria aka katniss.
I think it’s perfectly fine. I for one would love to bestow the name [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] (or [name_m]Barney[/name_m] for a boy after the hilarious HIMYM show) on someone! My kids are all named after characters, be it from literature or TV/films… I don’t think it’s silly or juvenile because truth is, tv shows, netflix, movies these are all more and more a part of people’s lives and they are very important.
Definitely not. I do that a lot myself. I think personal significance is important, no matter where you found that name is. I have lots of modern literature/pop culture influence on my list myself.
Thank you all! I was sort of worried that it seemed silly, so I’m glad no one else thinks so. And with [name_f]Katniss[/name_f], [name_f]Daenerys[/name_f], [name_f]Khaleesi[/name_f] etc, I wouldn’t do that to my child!
I was named after a character from a book written in the 70’s. Not a very popular book, but still.
Television and other contemporary media is a huge part of our culture today, so it’s only reasonable to expect it would influence parts of our culture, even baby naming trends. [name_m]Just[/name_m] look at how names like [name_f]Bella[/name_f] and [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] ascended the ranks when Twilight was popular. Granted, those were already pretty standards names, but they show that what we read and watch does have an effect on society’s baby naming taste.
As for whether or not it’s juvenile, I think it’s perfectly fine, especially if it’s already a fairly well known name. Hardly anybody is going to know why you picked the name, and for the ones that do, it’s as simple as saying, “I heard the name on X show and liked it.” Picking names after shows and books is probably more common than you think.
I think the names you stated are completely fine, they’re normal names that just happen to be character names, the link is there for you but most people, even those who watch the shows/movies you mentioned will think to themselves “oh like that character” but probably won’t even think you named them after that character (unless they know you are a die-hard fan).
I have a problem with series that did not stand the test of time yet and that certain names are made up for / exlusively linked to, say [name_f]Renesmee[/name_f] or 90% of the GoT names.
Personally, I like if the connection is there for you but isn’t extremely obivious to the world around you.
And I’d say it’s only juvenile if the series hasn’t even stood the test of time to you, say you watch a show for the first time, love a character and 6 months later you have a kid with that name; if it’s a show/book/movie that you loved for years, I don’t think that’s juvenile.
Not at all silly or juvenile, I’m 34 and a binge TVs box set addict! In the end even classic characters were modern once. Now modern tv/movie/ literary characters are our inspiration and there is nothing wrong with that, especially With your choices they are all lovely!
My current character names are:
[name_f]Rosalie[/name_f]- Grimm
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f]- [name_m]Arrow[/name_m]
[name_f]Adelind[/name_f]- Grimm
[name_f]Juliette[/name_f]- Grimm (what can I say i think Grimm has some fantastically named characters)
[name_f]Naima[/name_f]- Quantico (although they spell it Nimah)
[name_f]Cora[/name_f]- Downton [name_u]Abbey[/name_u]
Like some posters say, there is a difference between using names like [name_f]Katniss[/name_f], [name_f]Khaleesi[/name_f] or [name_f]Renesmee[/name_f] and the names you mentioned. Nobody has to know that you used the name you choose because of certain characters unless you want people to know and the links are not obvious. If those names are important for you, you should use them. [name_f]IMO[/name_f], using names of characters who mean a lot to you is as aceptable as using family names.
I think that when the when the children who would receive these names go from being hypothetical to real, you will have a better feel of if you are okay with naming your children after characters. I don’t think it is necessarily a juvenile vs mature thing, but a personality thing. Some people think its appropriate to name kids super common names, some do not. Some people think its appropriate to name kids super off the wall or frilly names or uniquely spelled names, some do not. Some people think its appropriate to name kids after characters (be it TV or class literature or something else entirely), some do not. When you are naming a real child, I think your preferences will be more clear.
It honestly 100% depends on the name.
I think it’s super-cringeworthy when parents give a kid a dorky name that they will HAVE FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIVES based on a trendy show/book/videogame,whatever. I personally know a baby [name_f]Khaleesi[/name_f], and a baby [name_f]Buffy[/name_f]. I also know a [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] ( which isn’t quite so bad, since it’s an actual name). And I’ve heard of people naming kids [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] and “Dovahkiin” from Skyrim. Yikes.
However, if you find a name that isn’t specifically taken from a show/movie/whatever, it’s fine. For example, if you love [name_m]Harry[/name_m] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] and want to honor what a huge impact it has had on your life, there’s nothing wrong with using a name inspired by it, like [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_m]Cedric[/name_m], or even [name_f]Luna[/name_f]. However, if you name a child something like [name_f]Bellatrix[/name_f] or [name_m]Albus[/name_m] [name_m]Severus[/name_m], you need to seriously evaluate whether or not you’re responsible enough to even raise a kid, since you’re mentally stuck in seventh grade.
A bit late to this, but I’m a huge advocate for using names that have meaning to a person, and characters from whatever medium can be very important, and I don’t see that as juvenile at all. Yes, there are some names that are well known, and have one glaring association, (which is what I use the middle spot for) and especially for firsts the repercussions need to be considered. But I don’t see why TV or film characters who you forge a connection or emotions towards shouldn’t also hold weight. For me linking a name to a personality, image or feel can make me go from indifference to love. I’m sure there are plenty of adults who have been named after characters already, and I feel now people are a lot more vocal and comfortable about showing their love of a fandom (thanks to the internet). But of course I could change my mind if/when I do have kids, but I don’t see that happening.
I relate to this post on such a deep level! I’m a huge TV fan and I honestly probably become too attached to characters. Most of my favorite names have come from TV shows that I’ve watched. [name_m]Even[/name_m] names I never would’ve liked without watching the show (like [name_f]Temperance[/name_f] from Bones) because I love the character so much it gives me a positive view of the name and makes me like it. I don’t have any children and I’m years away from having them but I’m certain I would have no issue naming them after a character I like, within reason (I’m a [name_f]Buffy[/name_f] fan, but [name_f]Buffy[/name_f] is a bit too much…[name_f]Willow[/name_f] and [name_m]Xander[/name_m] are fair game though).
And with [name_f]Katniss[/name_f], [name_f]Daenerys[/name_f], [name_f]Khaleesi[/name_f] etc, I wouldn’t do that to my child! 