Would you name your baby after a Disney princess, a mermaid or even a Jim Carrey character? For many new parents, the answer is a resounding “yes!” New research from PoundToy shows that moms and dads are pulling baby names for their newborns from some of the world’s most popular movies. The company analyzed data from the US and the UK to find out the most popular movie-inspired baby names. Strangely, Malificent wasn’t on the list but many Marvel and Disney characters were favorite picks for new parents.
It makes sense that many of us draw inspiration from movies when it comes to baby names. In many cases, parents may hope that their baby will grow up to take on the positive aspects of their most beloved characters. Read on for the list!
Top 10 most popular movie-inspired baby names
- Jasmine – 132,859 babies
- Aurora – 45,776 babies
- Ariel – 45,478 babies
- Maximus – 32,138 babies
- Amélie – 22,216 babies
- Tiana – 15,775 babies
- Elsa – 11,923 babies
- Atticus – 11,588 babies
- Ace – 11,544 babies
- Leia – 10,979 babies
It’s no surprise really that the top three spots were all Disney princesses! Jasmine took number one, with 132,859 babies sharing her pretty moniker. Tiana also made the list as a lovely choice for a baby girl, while Star Wars fans wanted to have their own little Princess Leia to love.
When broken down by names for girls and boys, Jasmine still led the pack for the top picks for girls:
Top 10 most popular blockbuster names for girls
- Jasmine – 132,633 girls
- Aurora – 45,764 girls
- Ariel – 36,393 girls
- Amélie – 22,216 girls
- Tiana – 15,775 girls
- Elsa – 11,923 girls
- Leia – 10,979 girls
- Precious – 8,245 girls
- Belle – 5,794 girls
- Coraline – 4,367 girls
When it came to boys’ names inspired by movies, there were also some strong picks:
Top 10 most popular movie-inspired names for boys
- Maximus – 31,131 boys
- Ace – 11,209 boys
- Atticus – 11,178 boys
- Ariel – 9,085 boys
- Odin – 8,183 boys
- Forrest – 5,419 boys
- Rocky – 4,520 boys
- Anakin – 3,082 boys
- Neo – 2,985 boys
- Donnie – 2,734 boys
The name Maximus comes from the 2000 blockbuster, Gladiator was the number one choice. Other iconic characters that parents named their baby boys after included Neo from The Matrix, Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird and for those moms and dads with a great sense of humor, Ace came in number two, no doubt inspired by Jim Carrey’s turn in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Whatever you think of the selections one thing is certain – the big screen is definitely a big influence on baby name choices!
