I’m a HUGE office fan. And right now I’m watching the Ghostbusters movie with [name_f]Melissa[/name_f] McCarthy, and the actor who played [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] is in the beginning of the movie. Being such a huge office fan, I associated him with [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] immediately, but seeing the actor in a different setting took away the negative connotations that it would usually have in The Office. So to me it would still be a name I used from my favorite show, but now it feels less connected to the office I guess. So I’m wondering do you think it’s weird to use a fictional characters name? I can’t imagine saying “I named my child after a character in the office” but now I’m kind of fond of the name. I’m not having a baby, but I’m still curious what other people think?
Nope I have tons of names that I started loving because of characters, like [name_f]Azula[/name_f] or [name_m]Buchanan[/name_m]. I’d do it in a second, characters and movies and tv are really big comforts for me, so naming my kid after a character would be me naming a kid after something I loved and comforted me. I see nothing wrong with it
It isn’t weird to name a baby after a fictional character, I think it makes names more important and emotionally connected to you
It’s not weird to use a name that happens to belong to a fictional character or even be inspired to use a name by a fictional character, but I personally don’t agree with naming a real child after one with all the expectations and assumptions that come with that. To me there’s a difference between “I like the name Dwight” or “I liked the character Dwight and it inspired me to use the name” and “my child is specifically named after the character Dwight from The Office”. Children are real people, not pets. They have their own interests and personalities and just because a parent likes a show doesn’t mean the child is going to like it or appreciate having it be the basis for their whole identity as a person.
One of my top names is after one of my favourite fictional characters but I also just love the name! I don’t think it’s weird - you don’t even have to tell people where the name came from if you’re worried 
I think that’s fine! “I heard the name on The Office and ended up really liking it” is a pretty cool name origin story! Plus, with a fairly common name like Gabe, people won’t exclusively associate it with The Office. It’s no Katniss, which I think is a good thing!
I view using names of fictional characters similar to any other honor name. If it means a lot to you I don’t see any reason why not to use it, even if it seems dumb to other people. Books, movies, and tv impact our lives just as much as friends and family do. For me personally I wouldn’t ever use a name unless I truly liked the name, not just because it’s the name of a character I like, but that’s also my view on any honor name, even for family. We are naming our baby [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] after [name_m]Jason[/name_m] [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] from Criminal Minds because the show means a lot to us as a couple and when we first watched the show together we immediately said that would be the name of our first son, not just because we liked the character but also because we loved the name. I would also use [name_u]Reid[/name_u] from Criminal Minds, or we also considered a ton of [name_f]Star[/name_f] Wars names like [name_m]Anakin[/name_m], Ahsoka, and [name_m]Kylo[/name_m]. I’d also use the name [name_u]Marvel[/name_u]. If a character is important enough to you to consider naming a child after them then I don’t see any issue with that, and even if the character isn’t that important to you, if you just love a name it doesn’t matter where you heard it from, you can just use the name and no one even has to know where it came from.
Very biased, because I have a lot of character names on my list, but I don’t think it’s weird at all. Usually characters I like make a name more appealing or at least I can more see the beauty and usability in them more. Generally I like the name anyway, or was previously indifferent to it, so they just increase the love. I also don’t really think a name alone can add too much pressure or expectation, so that isn’t too big a problem imo.
For [name_m]Gabe[/name_m], it’s a relatively common name anyway, so no one would necessarily jump to the character. More recognisable names I’d consider more carefully, but it depends on the character too.
It’s not weird to me! I think most of my favorite names are inspired by fictional characters.
It sounds like you’re just liking the name [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] that you became familiar with though the Office. Which seems different than naming a baby after a character. I would only name a baby after a character if they were really inspiring or something. [name_m]Even[/name_m] then I’d just consider it part of the history of the name like how the origin and meaning are part of a name. I’d only really consider it naming a baby after someone if they were a real person.
In short, no it’s not weird but I don’t consider it to be “naming after a character” more like inspired by a character.
I dont think it’s weird at all unless the name itself is weird like Voldemort.
I think it’s fine so long as the name is not overly unusual or too strongly associated with the show. [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] is a fairly common name, and I doubt the association with The Office would be bothersome because most people won’t automatically think of the show after hearing the name [name_m]Gabe[/name_m].
You’ll appreciate this I think - my husband went to college with a real person whose name is [name_u]Michael[/name_u] [name_u]Scott[/name_u]. He’s old than the show, so his parents are off the hook. But the association was rather annoying for him.
If you’re a [name_m]Parks[/name_m] & Rec fan as well, I remember seeing once in a fan group that someone whose real last name was Dwyer named their son [name_u]Jack[/name_u] Dwyer, which is the name [name_f]April[/name_f] & [name_u]Andy[/name_u] give their son in the finale. I thought that was the perfect naming tribute for the show 
I don’t think it’s weird. Unless the name is solely associated with that character. You could name a child [name_u]Harry[/name_u] after [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] and that would be fine, but [name_m]Frodo[/name_m] might be a bit much, for example.
Our [name_m]Leonid[/name_m] is named after a character in a tv series. Well, maybe not really after the character, we just saw the series and were reminded of how wonderful the name [name_m]Leonid[/name_m] is. The character was likable and also a little tragic. He’s also not exactly fictional, since the series is based on a true story, but you get my point 
I mean there are many cases where babies are named after fictional characters and I think that’s great—but I really think this isn’t after a character. It’s that a specific character made a name feel wearable to you. Like it could work for a baby name. I rewatched them show [name_u]Firefly[/name_u] when I was pregnant with my son and the protagonist is named Malcolm/Mal and I was like oh yeah, that name is so fantastic. I love it. I ended up naming my son’s [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m], but it isn’t after the show Firefly—the show just reminded me of a great name and made the name seem usable to me.