Names from Popular Culture

[rubberducky1467.livejournal.com]

Hi guys.

Here's a question: What are some names that you like/love that come from pop culture?

And: Would you use these names or would you be afraid that somebody would forever associate it with whatever book, movie, television show you took it from?


Here are a few of my favorites:
Matthew: I fell in love with this name when I was watching Downton Abbey.
Rory: This name is from Doctor Who. I'm not sure I like it as a regular given name, but as a nickname for something.
Liesl: The eldest daughter from The Sound of Music is called this. I know it's a nickname for Elisabeth.

EDIT: Oh shoot, I forgot I was going to mention I know a girl named Leia. And she has a brother named Luke. Nobody is ever going to forget where these names came from.

Comments

[silvermidnight.livejournal.com]

I have a ton, I get a lot of name inspiration from TV.

Sutton ----this is from "The Lying Game" TV show that is kind of new. I would not use this name any time soon- I have to wait and see if it becomes wildly popular.
Dexter ---- this is from "Dexter" the TV show about a serial (serial killer) killer. I love the character and would really like to use it on a boy but this show is just too popular to dissociate from it, I don't think it will get lived down in my lifetime.
Calista---- I ripped this off Calista Flockhart in her Ally McBeal days. I think everyone and their brother associates it with her so I am on the fence about it.
Serena -----This comes from the TV show "Gossip Girl". I liked it before but the show made me really like it. I would consider using it but only after the series ends so I would know everything it would be associated with.
Miley ----- I don't want to like it but I can't deny it. But I would never use it.
Aiden ---- damn you, Sex and the City. Too popular for my tastes, though.
Keira ---a la Kiera Knightly. This isn't too popular and I rather like her and wouldn't mind the association, so as long as it doesn't get too popular, it's a contender.

I used to really like the name Coral but it got ruined by that woman who was on The Real World. Same with Alice and Twilight.

[silvermidnight.livejournal.com]

1 more- I like Winona from Winona Ryder but after the shoplifting thing, it's a no-go. :(

[fleckerbug.livejournal.com]

IDK... our favorite name is the name of an author, and it was used in a fictional biography film about someone the author knew. Despite both those counts, I still want to use it. I might be less-inclined to use it if either the film or the author in question were well-known. Of course, I love the names Edward and Esme and will vey likely use both, and had planned to use Alice until my husband's sister did, and those have a huge connotation with that sparkly teenage vampire book/movie series. I've never read/seen it and think it's silly that people automatically jump to that conclusion.



I'm neutral on Matthew. I think it's a nice, solid name, but it doesn't particularly appeal to me and I would never use it. I think it's common enough, and normal enough, that no one would ever assume it came from pop culture.

Rory... I have mixed feelings about. I think it's cute, but just associate way too much with Gilmore Girls. I think I like it better on a boy though. If it's a girl, the connection to Gilmore Girls is much stronger.

Liesl. Pronounced? Lee-syl? Again, I don't think many people would immediately make the connection. It's okay, wouldn't use. It reminds me of a name I like that appears in a series I enjoy-- Lisiel.

[eveyalecia.livejournal.com]

I LOVE Liesl! I also really like Georg because of that movie. :)

-Right now, I'm really liking Arthur because of the BBC show Merlin. This is a pretty classic name; though it may always be somewhat associated with King Arthur, that wouldn't put me off of using it.
-I love Briar after reading Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic series, and Prosper after Cornelia Funke's Thief Lord. These I don't think are popular enough for people to know where I got them from, much less associate them with. (But tell me if I'm wrong!)
-I actually really like Socrates, but I don't think that will ever not be associated with the philosopher.
-I like Carlisle, but I fear that will be associated with Twilight for some years to come.
-I lovelovelove Casper, and I personally don't think of the friendly ghost because I never watched those movies, but I know that other people do. :(

[pleasure-past.livejournal.com]

All I can think of right now is Lyra (His Dark Materials). It's not really a popular enough series for me to worry. My best friend waants to name her hypothetical daughter Arwen, though. I approve.

[fangirlism]

My top girl's name is Adele, has been for years, but I dunno if I could use it now, cause of the singer.

Also, I was given a pop culture name (my namesake is Erica Kane, yes my mom spelled it differently on purpose.), so idk if I could do the same to my own kids (granted, not a lot of people make the association.)

[hermione-vader.livejournal.com]

Atticus: The father from To Kill a Mockingbird. I love this name, but it's A LOT to live up to.
Indiana: Indiana Jones, obviously. It sounds cool in theory, but it really needs the right (most likely short) last name paired with it to carry it off, and I don't have that.
Scarlett: Gone with the Wind as well as ScarJo. The latter's an okay association, but Scarlett O'Hara is quite the bitch (albeit an awesome one).
Finn: I love this, but...Glee. That's what first brought the name to my attention, and I can't really stand that show now. Luckily, if enough time passes, no one will think much of the associations.
River: Firefly and Doctor Who made me love this for a girl. However, there's a certain level of wackiness and/or insanity that goes with it.
Diana: My favorite name for a girl, but I'm afraid people will always associate it with Princess Diana.

One I could get away with:
Christopher: I came to love this name because of Christopher Eccleston (one of my favorite actors and my favorite Doctor) and then Chris Carpenter (my favorite baseball player) didn't help things. It's common enough that no one would make any associations, though.

Also, I'm loving the Sound of Music love! It was my very favorite film when I was a little kid (pretty much my first fandom).

[qtshorty1625.livejournal.com]

Anne: Anne of Green Gables
Emma: Emma (although I've never read the book, I've passively watched the movie at least twice)
Gilbert: Anne of Green Gables
Lyddie/Lydia: Lyddie
Lorelai: Gilmore girls
Pippin: The Lord of the Rings
Liesl: The Sound of Music

Lorelai & Pippin I could never use because they would be too obvious for people who know me. (and I don't see Pippin aging well). Liesl I think would be too obvious.
Anne, Emma and Lyddie/Lydia I could use without fear. Although I did worry for a while that people would know I got Emma from the book.
Gilbert I'm borderline on; I've only ever heard it in one other place (a baseball player).

[lilacmermaid.livejournal.com]

I might steer clear of a name from pop culture if it was
a) made up (Arwen, Eowyn, etc)
b) a name hardly anybody had heard of until that book/movie/show (Hermione

I wouldn't be afraid of using a name like Bella or Edward, for instance, if I really liked it. It may be associated with Twilight in people's minds right now, but you could have gotten those names from absolutely anywhere, and it won't always be the first thing someone thinks of (if it even is right now).

Names like Arwen, Eowyn, Minerva, and Trinity are kind of guilty pleasure names for me, but I would never use them. I like names like Matthew, Mary and Daisy (Downton Abbey), but I liked the names long before the show. I know that I like and dislike a lot of names today because of people or characters I encountered when I was young, but I don't think that affects me quite so much anymore. Either I like a name or I don't: liking a character doesn't really alter my opinion of his name.

[qtshorty1625.livejournal.com]

Rory will always make me think of Gilmore girls first. That being said, my second connection is to the hockey player (Rory Fitzpatrick) and the son in Simple Rules.

[qtshorty1625.livejournal.com]

I like Calista too, and I make the connection with Flockhart too (even though I know her from her Brothers & Sisters days). I think I partially like it because as a kid I like the name Callie (from The Hardy Boys), which would be an acceptable nickname (I think).

[chaichilaquiles.livejournal.com]

I like Lyra a lot right now too. Unfortunately for me, it doesn't really go with our last name. And the DH vetoed it anyway.

My favorite guilty pleasure sibset is Orion & Lyra. yeah.

[snoglobel.livejournal.com]

I think of Sleeping Beauty with Briar, since her name was Briar Rose. :)

[silvermidnight.livejournal.com]

I was almost named Erica after Erica Kane too. I've never watched the show but she must be a hell of a woman!

[silvermidnight.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think a lot of Calistas go by Callie. I somehow came to associate Callie with bitchiness due to the character on Grey's Anatomy (I only watched the first season or so, though, maybe she got nicer), though, so that'd be tough for me.

[silvermidnight.livejournal.com]

yeah when I see Rory, I think Gilmore Girls too. Or Ro(a?)ry the Race Car show.

[silvermidnight.livejournal.com]

I think of Briar Rose too.

[silvermidnight.livejournal.com]

idk, I think there are SO many Dianas out there that the princess thing gets diluted. I think people would call her Princess Diana a lot but I don't think it would be the first thing they think of when they hear the name.

[buttonmoulder.livejournal.com]

I knew a guy named Socrates. Everyone called him Sock.

[qtshorty1625.livejournal.com]

I forgot about her (I never got into the show). I had a class with a girl who was obsessed with Grey's and had a cat named Callie O'Malley.

[pixie-bones.livejournal.com]

Same.

[pixie-bones.livejournal.com]

Casper is on my list. :)
If I ever have kids, The Friendly Ghost isn't going to stop me from using it. :P

[snowowl.livejournal.com]

Arwen is actually Welsh and means beautiful one, if I remember right!

[fleckerbug.livejournal.com]

Roary... that's adorable. Would also make a good dinosaur name. :)

[fleckerbug.livejournal.com]

I'd personally still avoid it like the plague. It's pretty, but... just no.