Naming baby after a book/TV show?

Corren

I'm 28 weeks, and we're trying to narrow down our name list.  Baby is going to be a surprise, so we've got a few names for boys and a few for girls.  One of the girl names we've discussed is Danaerys, which came from the Game of Thrones book series/HBO show.  I think it's a really pretty name, but I worry if it's too "out there" that people will find it odd.  SO says he doesn't see a problem.  He's read the whole series, and we've been watching the show from the beginning.  I'm just wondering if we'll be criticized for picking such a unique name that clearly derived from this series.  Any thoughts?  Especially from other GoT fans!

catahoulatte

This name has actually come up on this board a few times. I don't think it gets great feedback, despite being apparently a very cool name in the show (I haven't seen it).

 

That said, MH and I first heard our current favorite girl favorite from a book that we both read years ago. We combined lists when I was pregnant and each had no idea how much the other one liked it. We did some research on it and it made the final cut so I can't judge others that first pick a name from a character they read or saw.

Helenahhandbasket

I don't watch the show so I have no idea how to say that name.  I would guess I am not alone.

I am personally in the camp that doesn't think it's a good idea to force your likes/ hobbies/ beliefs on your children by saddling them with a name that leans heavily in one of those directions. 

82Sonia

Someone on my birth month board named her daughter Daenerys. I do think it's a little "out there" and she'll forever be correcting people's attempted pronunciation of her name.

ETA: I do think it's fine to name your child after a literary character but like PPs said, maybe not something so uncommon.  That way she won't forever be linked that that character.  I got my DD's name from a book but I don't think anyone would ever put two and two together.

PinkLillyLover

No, just no.

mommyaudra

I like that name! And her character on the show, one of the things is I would be worried that people wouldn't know how to say it...she might be the girl in every class that the teacher stumbles over her name while saying roll...

 IMO I don't see the problem with using names from books, shows, & movies. But everyone will have their own opinion!

TripMomma

3 of my 4 kids names were names I loved from a movie or show, and my 4th has a mn that I liked after hearing it on a show.

None of them of out there, never heard of but for the shows though. If the name was only known to be from a show I may not use it because it would scream of that show. I myself have never heard of Danaerys, and don't watch the show, so it seems like an odd name to me.

kayjay10

Helenahhandbasket:

I don't watch the show so I have no idea how to say that name.  I would guess I am not alone.

You are definitely not alone.  You are setting your DD up for a lifetime of mispronunciation and misspelling. 

Naming your DD after a character with a common name would be okay, as you could get away with the whole it's a common name I like idea, but with such an uncommon name, there is no doubt who she would be named for.

+ASH+

I'm not opposed to pop culture names, but on a case by case basis. I love GoT and her character, but I would tone it down. She's called Dani (Dany? Danii?) most of the time. I would go with Daniella and use the nickname. Or the actress's name is Emilia, which is lovely. 

We first heard my daughter's name on Veronica Mars and both of us loved it, so we waited 7 years to use it. We didn't care for the character, but loved the name. It can be fun - I wouldn't give a blanket yes to the question about pop culture names, but depending on the particular name, there can be some really great choices.  

PippaLee33

I think it's okay to choose a character name if it is a legitimate name outside of that series.  I wouldn't use a name that was made up specifically for the series.  For example, as a huge GoT fan, I would probably use Aria, but not Daenerys.  

aeh72

How do I say this without offending GoT fans? 

I don't have a problem with picking a name for your child from a beloved book or movie or song, but my feeling is it's better to err on the side of it being a classic book, movie, or song rather than one that is popular at the time LO was born.  Example - Elizabeth from Elizabeth Bennett in "Pride & Prejudice" is a classic name from a piece of classic literature.  Using Katniss because you love "The Hunger Games" - not so great, IMO.  Maybe it will be a classic in twenty-thirty years, but now it just seems like the parents are trying too hard to be cool using a pop culture reference.  I put GoT in this category too.  (Sorry!)

Add in a spelling like Danaerys (or however it's spelled) and you're just making life hard for your child.  No one will spell it right unless they have a lot of practice at spelling it - i.e., your child, you, maybe her grandparents.

I like pp's suggestion of a variation of the name, like Danielle and using Dani as a nn.  I think that's a good way to pick a name that means something to you and your SO, but that also gives your LO a name that is manageable as a child and one that will allow her to be taken seriously when she grows up.

aeh72

aeh72:

How do I say this without offending GoT fans? 

I don't have a problem with picking a name for your child from a beloved book or movie or song, but my feeling is it's better to err on the side of it being a classic book, movie, or song rather than one that is popular at the time LO was born.  Example - Elizabeth from Elizabeth Bennett in "Pride & Prejudice" is a classic name from a piece of classic literature.  Using Katniss because you love "The Hunger Games" - not so great, IMO.  Maybe it will be a classic in twenty-thirty years, but now it just seems like the parents are trying too hard to be cool using a pop culture reference.  I put GoT in this category too.  (Sorry!)

Add in a spelling like Danaerys (or however it's spelled) and you're just making life hard for your child.  No one will spell it right unless they have a lot of practice at spelling it - i.e., your child, you, maybe her grandparents.

I like pp's suggestion of a variation of the name, like Danielle and using Dani as a nn.  I think that's a good way to pick a name that means something to you and your SO, but that also gives your LO a name that is manageable as a child and one that will allow her to be taken seriously when she grows up.

I just realized that I'm a total hypocrit! My name came from a book my dad was reading when my mom was pregnant - and it wasn't a "classic" piece of literature; rather, it was from a biography about an individual in history.  So, I guess what I'm ultimately trying to get at is that the pop culture element would make me want to stay away from a name that could be so closely tied to a point in time.  And, in the case of this particular name - the spelling issue is also huge. That's, actually, the bigger issue to me than where the name came from.

sunlavender

I'm not really a fan.  And I love the show.

Keri Marie

Choosing a name from a book or TV show is fine. What ever inspires you.

Though I think there are better names. 

esf60

For the rest of her life, people are going to say "Oh! Like Game of Thrones!" Or, she'll have to use that to explain where her name came from. I would HATE to grow up like that.

anssett

I'm in the camp of it's ok when it's a classic reference AND able to be spelled/pronounced, but NOT ok when it's trendy and will be very dated soon. 

Pepper6

I'm undecided on this one, I think the name itself is pretty and I also love her character, but there's a lot of sense in what PPs have brought up.  

Spelling/pronunciation will be a PITA, her story isn't finished yet and what if she does something truly horrible, it's an obvious reference to this particular story so it will be extremely dated, etc.

If anything, I'd suggest maybe using it as a MN?   

Ramark

The name is NMS personally, but I just want to point out that even traditional names get mispronounced/spelled often!
My name is Rachel, I always thought it to be easy, simple and straightforward. However, I get asked often, almost once a day!! how to spell/pronounce my name! People say it as Raquel, or spell it with an extra "a" which is a proper spelling too. It is frustrating at times, merely because to me it's a classic name that is pretty straightforward... IMO

MissyCee

I like the name, like the character and like the show, however I feel like she would be correcting people her entire life. I like the idea of using Danielle or Daniella and having the nn Dani.

aeh72

Joy2611:

aeh72:

How do I say this without offending GoT fans? 

I don't have a problem with picking a name for your child from a beloved book or movie or song, but my feeling is it's better to err on the side of it being a classic book, movie, or song rather than one that is popular at the time LO was born.  Example - Elizabeth from Elizabeth Bennett in "Pride & Prejudice" is a classic name from a piece of classic literature.  Using Katniss because you love "The Hunger Games" - not so great, IMO.  Maybe it will be a classic in twenty-thirty years, but now it just seems like the parents are trying too hard to be cool using a pop culture reference.  I put GoT in this category too.  (Sorry!)

Add in a spelling like Danaerys (or however it's spelled) and you're just making life hard for your child.  No one will spell it right unless they have a lot of practice at spelling it - i.e., your child, you, maybe her grandparents.

I like pp's suggestion of a variation of the name, like Danielle and using Dani as a nn.  I think that's a good way to pick a name that means something to you and your SO, but that also gives your LO a name that is manageable as a child and one that will allow her to be taken seriously when she grows up.

I heart you.

This is exactly how I feel as well.  There's classic literature ...and then there's Game of Thrones.  I might end up classic eventually!  But today?  Right now?  No, no.  Today, it is just at trendy series with a huge TV following.  

 

EDIT: And you didn't pick your name.  You can like your name, but you didn't pick the reference that it came from, your parents did.  You are no hypocrite.

Thanks! :-)  I realized after I wrote my post that, "duh," my name came from a book and I wouldn't judge my parents for choosing it.  Thankfully, it's a relatively "normal" name, although not commonly seen in the U.S. and spelled in a uncommon way - um, maybe I should judge them?!  Anway, I just didn't want to come across as overly judgey to OP. 

megemoney

Here is my opinion on this...  I don't think you should choose a name because you like the program and thinks that is a cutesy thing to do.  However, I don't think it's a big deal if you find a name you love from that type of source. 

When my mom was pregnant with me LOVED the name Meg but only knew it as a NN for Margaret.  She did not care for Margaret.  Then she was watching The Thorn Birds and heard the name Megan (spelled Meghann in the novel). She fell in love with it.  I don't really consider myself to be named after something in pop culture, but I know that a tv mini series did help my mom to find a name she loved. 

Now, when we were trying to come up with a second boy name in case we were having b/b twins, we wanted a D name to honor the dad's in our family.  (FIL's name starts with D, my dad's MN starts with D and that is what he goes by, not his FN, and my step-dad's name starts with D).  I was finding it hard to find something that wasn't one of the three.  I LOVE the name Dexter, but because I also LOVE the program I didn't think it was a good idea to use it.  I didn't want people thinking I named my son after tv's favorite serial killer.  

So after all of that - I think if it is a name you absolutely LOVE, go for it.  If it's more because you love the program and think it'd be cool to name her after a character... I wouldn't.  

SuperMom17

I would judge the sh*t out of you if I knew you IRL... 

oliversbear

I've never seen Game of Thrones and have not read the books.  But I was named after a character in a book.  I don't really see it as a problem.  People names their kids for all kinds of things.  A friend of mine was named after a street sign her mother saw on a Sunday drive -- it's a unique street name too.  A co-worker named his daughter after a fruit and the street they live on, which happens to be a fruit as well.  If nothing else, it makes for an almost instant conversation starter.

As far as that particular name goes, like I said, I would never have guessed it came from the book or the TV show and years from now, when your baby is a teenager, I'm betting there will be a new book/tv show of the moment and most people won't make the connection either.  No-one makes the connection with my name and the book.

HattieLove

My daughter's name is Ramona after the Beverly Cleary series and the Scott Pilgrim series. I figure it's not necessarily very attached to either of those books (neither of them made up the name) and she is likely to like one of them.

That being said, I don't know if I would go with that unique of a name from a tv show/book because it would be hard to think of anything but the show/book.

So, if you're unsure, I wouldn't do it, but if you really love it, don't worry about what other people will think.   

amberrrjade

I personally love the name. I don't think that many people would pronounce it wrong, however a ton would spell it wrong. But, hey, my name is Amber & I've had people spell that wrong! Who cares if she can't have some stupid plastic license plate with her name on it? 

Daenerys is a guilty pleasure name for sure and that's only because we're naming our daughter's after family members. However if you did use it, please spell it correctly.

I did find this through Googling

Origin: Dae(Korean), Nerys(Welsh). 
Dae means Beloved. Nerys means lady. 
Daenerys = Beloved Lady.  

& there are theories it was derived from the Greek name Damaris meaning "Dominant women"

deebride1020

My name is Deirdre and all of my life so far I have had to correct people on spelling and pronunciation. I do not recommend naming a child something difficult because I know first hand how annoying it is to deal with all that. Even Graduation ect. and other important things arent fun when they botch your name

notkateanymore

Please don't.

rockopera

Happy_Yahoo_Personaler:

GoT fan here and think naming a child after a character is horrific.1 Most people will never, ever pronounce the child's name correctly.2 Even fans of GoT will probably constantly spell the name incorrectly.3 I think it's incredibly selfish to force parental likes/hobbies on their child, naming them after pop culture things, instead of giving them real names.4 I always feel bad for kids with made up names they will never, ever find a personalized keychain or license plate with their name on it.5 What if said child grows up, reads GoT and HATES the character for which they were named?6 The idea of usingnbsp;thisnbsp;particular name and Arya toonbsp;from GoT is not nearly as creative or unique as you think.nbsp; I've seen at least 5 other posts about this same name in the last 29 weeks of my pregnancy.7 Not sure if it is an intentional misspelling or not, but it isn't Danaerys.nbsp; It's Daenerys.nbsp; See 2.

All of this.