Damien, Clarice, & 16 More Baby Names Ruined By Popular Shows & Movies
Hard Pass
Damien, Clarice, & 16 Other Baby Names Ruined By Popular Shows & Movies
They’re just too iconic… in a bad way.
by Katie McPherson
IMDB
Everyone has someone in their life they would never, ever, in a million years name their child after. Maybe it was that little playground bully in 5th grade who made you side-eye all Spencers from then on or your terrible boss, Rose, who was actually all thorns. Chances are you also have a few TV characters (and movie protagonists, too) that you’d steer clear of associating your kid with.
Unfortunately, the writers behind some of the best movies and shows don’t really care whether they make a name unusable. They have to call their characters something, of course. But when the character becomes so huge — whether because they’re beloved or pure evil — anyone who genuinely loves the name will probably want to avoid it when it comes time to name their baby. Just think about all the Disney characters you know and love. You might see a lot more little Auroras and Flynns if not for their animated associations.
After scanning baby name forums and polling real parents, these 19 names came up most often as options they might have considered but were ruined by characters in pop culture. Sorry in advance, Twilight fans.
01Damien
The Omen is a cult classic horror movie that has been remade and expanded upon time and again. And, alas, since the little boy Damien turns out to be the literal Antichrist, it’s hard to get past that kind of name association.
02Clarice
Naming your child Clarice basically dooms them to people using their creepiest Hannibal Lecter impression on them for life, which just sounds like an awful way to live. It’s kind of a bummer because it’s such a pretty moniker, meaning “bright” or “clear.”
03Inigo
Inigo is a gorgeous Spanish name traditionally given to boys that means “ardent” or “fiery.” But, considering you probably couldn’t read the name without reciting Inigo Montoya’s famous line from The Princess Bride, you understand why you don’t meet more little Inigos running around.
04Bella
Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of Bella Swan has been the butt of many, many jokes, as has Twilight in general. (I mean… I get it.) So, many parents are probably avoiding names like Bella, Edward, Jasper, and Emmett for a bit (though Alice and Jacob are so classic, they remain untainted).
05Regan
If you’ve seen The Omen, you’ve probably also seen The Exorcist, and that may have been enough to put you off of the name Regan for life. Demonic possession — plus some of those visuals from the movie — is just not the best baby name inspo in the world. No thank you.
06Elsa
Let it go — your dreams of naming your baby Elsa, anyway. Thanks to Frozen, this name immediately evokes thoughts of snow and ice, and will cause many a kid they meet to start belting out “Let It Go.”
07Carrie
Well, there’s Stephen King’s Carrie, which is horrific in so many ways. And then, of course, there’s Carrie Bradshaw, who is basically insufferable 90% of the time (which is a lot of time over seven seasons and two movies in the Sex and the City franchise, and two of And Just Like That).
08Ursula
Iconic sea witch: yes. Baby name: not so much. Because the villain of The Little Mermaid made this name so well known, she’s likely the first thing any of us think of when we hear it. And, as a result, think about just how many Ursulas you know who were born after the movie debuted in 1989.
09Ramsay
If you watched Game of Thrones, that name has an immediate affiliation in your brain — one you’d definitely never want to dump on your kid. Ramsay Bolton is arguably the cruelest character in the whole series, whose actions are so vile that we need not repeat them here. Joffrey sucks too, but I doubt the name was on many parents’ radars before GOT anyway.
10Hermione
The name Hermione existed long before it was given to a Harry Potter character, having originated sometime in the 1800s. Of Greek origins, it means “messenger” and is a quirky-yet-lovely feminine name. But now, you can’t use it for your daughter unless you’re willing to accept that everyone will associate your kid with the wizarding world.
11Fiona
Fiona is a beautiful name and very popular in Scotland, but in the United States, you might be setting your kid up for ogre jokes. With this name, though, that might fade out as your kid grows up and gets away from pesky schoolmates.
12Zelda
This one would only ever appeal to vintage name lovers anyway. Between The Legends of Zelda video game franchise and that one scene in Pet Sematary (shiver), this one is a hard no for most parents. That said, if you’re into gaming and need a name for a pet, it’s cute on a dog or cat (ask me how I know).
13Angelica
Oh, Angelica Pickles — did you know she’s only supposed to be 3 in Rugrats? In any case, she was not most kids’ favorite on their first viewing and comes to mind right away when you hear the name now.
14Ross
Listen, Ross Geller is either your favorite or your least favorite character from Friends, but either way, he comes to mind when you hear his name. You might be the first to yell “PIVOT” at your kid, but you won’t be the last.
15Dexter
Yes, like Dexter, the show about the killer Miami Police Department blood splatter analyst who murders people (but only bad people!). Even if you sidestepped watching that show, you might also remember Dexter’s Laboratory from back in the day. If this name makes you yell “Dee Dee!” in your head, just know you’re not alone.
16Oscar
Parents will never stop using this name, nor should they — it’s such a timeless, winning name for boys. That said, we all know an Oscar known for being a complete grouch and living in a trash can. This name isn’t totally ruined, but it’s something parents who choose it will have to consider.
17Jamie
Jamie Dutton from Yellowstone is just not the best guy around (understatement of the year). None of the Duttons are role model-y enough to go naming your kid after, but Jamie seems to be the most universally hated of the whole family.
18Marley
Yeah, Marley & Me should come with a trigger warning. Obviously singer Bob Marley also comes to mind when you hear this name, but for some, the heartache from that movie pops up, too.
Would you still name your child any of these names, bad associations be damned?
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