Would you name your child after a famous person/character deliberately?

Hi all,

DH and I were discussing names again last night, and we got a bit stuck so we started thinking of TV characters whose names we like. He's a bit of a sci-fi geek and he's pulled me into it a bit, so some of the names were from Doctor Who and Torchwood, etc.

I've always liked Welsh names, so both those shows are pretty good points of reference for that, especially Torchwood that is set in Cardiff. The name we both agreed we loooove is Ianto. Funny thing is, we already picked the name Jack out ages ago as a middle name, so we'd be naming our son after the hottest couple on TV (in my opinion.)

So, all babbling aside (sorry, I tend to do that), would you name your child after a famous person or character on purpose? Especially if they have an uncommon name?

I know there's a thread not too far down from here asking a similar question ("Would you use a name with a stigma?") but I mean deliberately naming them after someone rather than just using a recognisable name in spite of the famous person.

PS - I just looked up "Ianto" on a name meanings site and apparently it's a dirivitive of Ifan, the Welsh version of John... Maybe it should be Ifan Jack then?

I wanted to name DS1 Aragon but DH said no :(
I would though, DS2 is Oscar for Oscar Wilde

I would...I'm named after a famous actress, Alexis Smith and in honour of Tsarina Alexandra of Russia, but nobody really ever knows that or asks me about it lol

I definitely would. I'm big into music so looked to my favourite bands/song names for my girls - DD1's name Emily is after the song by From First To Last (check it out, it's a beautiful song - written by the singer for his long-distance girlfriend, but the lyrics worked for my baby girl - 'There's no-one in the world like Emilyyyyy...').
And DD2 very nearly got christened Blair after the character from Gossip Girl, which is one of my favourite shows, but it didn't go with our surname (which starts with R, so it kind if ran together when said out loud, kwim?) so we looked at it for a middle name, but then decided Nicole sounded better (no famous association there, I'm not a Kidman fan at all lol, just liked the name).

I'm also big on Shakespeare, but although Desdemona and Juliet are my favourite characters, I was really taken with the name Ophelia (I fancied shortening it to 'Phil', as people shorten Charlotte to 'Charlie'), but DH told me I was out of my head for even considering such an unusual name :)

So yes, I definitely would look to my favourite books, movies, music, TV shows etc for inspiration!!

I wouldn't go for Ophelia, despite loving it, because it sounds too much like "I'll feel ya."

I did have Jareth on the name list for DS, after David Bowie's Goblin King in Labyrinth. And I suggested if our fourth child was a boy, we could call him Ivor. But with a Welsh accent (I'd been watching Ivor the Engine) so it would be eye-four, and he'd be the fourth child... but DH had already freaked out about more children, let alone three more by then. And I'd already named a computer i4 before after Ivor the Engine.

Oh yes, with the Dr Who link, I suggested Brigadier for DS too.

My DD is sort of so yes think is fine. While I was pregnant we were watching the West Wing, and both liked the nickname CJ as in CJ Craig in the show who we also thought was quite a cool lady - so we decided that daughters initials would be CJ and then worked backwards to the names. In the show she is Claudia Jean (had to look this up on Wiki as is hardly ever mentioned what the CJ stands for) we weren't so keen on that but we went for Cerys (as my mum is Welsh) and then couldn't think of the J so DH said why not just Jay for J and there is apparently a Simpsons episode where Homer spends ages trying to find out what the J stands for but just stands for Jay. Of course all this is so convoluted that it isn't obvious she is named after anyone. (Found out after had decided on this that Pamela Anderson's character in Baywatch was called CJ, and someone in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin which has made MIL hate the nickname CJ - but nevermind I still really like it)

We considered Ella for a little while coz DH is a jazz musician and I was a swing dancer (1940's style) He also likes Nina but I am not so much a fan of Nina.

Unfortunately another band member fell in before us and had a girl and they named her Ella so we have opted for something else.

Nae x

Probably. I'd have to really like the name though, I wouldn't just use it because I liked the person I was naming my kid for IYKWIM.
IRT whether it's Ianto Jack or Ifan Jack... I think Jack is a derivative of John as well :) So I don't think it matters: either way it's John John, LOL! But doesn't matter of course. Most of the John derivatives sound nothing like John!

There's a comedy skit I remember seeing on TV, the comedian pretty much picked on variations of John that sound absolutely nothing like it - Esecially picked on Giovanni (something along the lines of "John has one syllable, and Giovanni has four!") and Jan ("The J is prononced as a Y and spelt out it looks like a girls' name")... I'll have to try to find it on YouTube

I didn't even think of the John-John thing, I always forget that Jack was originally a nickname :doh:

I told DH about Ianto being a dirivitive of Ifan, but he said he likes Ianto better and it flows with our surname a little nicer, so we're sticking with it. Here I was thinking it was just on our list, but no, apparently it's been decided - if we're having a boy it's Ianto Jack [surname]. Now to choose a girl's name :p What other TV shows do I like? Hmmmm....

DS's middle name is Michael - from Michael Jordan - cos DH is a HUGE MJ fan. At least his first name is original.. lol

We got Miss M's name from the guy that played Bubba on Forrest Gump - except he spelt it slightly different - and pronounced it "Michael-T". So we changed the spelling and pronounciation to Mehkelti ("Meh-kel-tee"). One of her middle names is Addisyn though - which we sorta got from Grey's Anatomy though.. hehe...

Um so yes, I would deliberately name my child after someone/some character. I love the name Arwen (lord of the rings) for a girl, but DH isn't so keen on it :rolleyes:

well we decided if we have a girl next were going to call her Summer i really like the name and didnt even realise the association with the OC but then it made me love it even more lol

well my daughter is Lyla Grace, i wanted to name her Grace but her daddy thought it was to "old sounding" so we decided it would be her middle name then i was reading a book where Lilah was an angel and i fell in love with the name.

A few weeks after she was born my mother told me i had named her after Kate Moss' daughter, i didnt even know she HAD a daughter!?

So i completely unintentionaly (sp?) named my bub after a celebrity's child :doh:

:

---

well my daughter is Lyla Grace, i wanted to name her Grace but her daddy thought it was to "old sounding" so we decided it would be her middle name then i was reading a book where Lilah was an angel and i fell in love with the name.

A few weeks after she was born my mother told me i had named her after Kate Moss' daughter, i didnt even know she HAD a daughter!?

So i completely unintentionaly (sp?) named my bub after a celebrity's child :doh:

---

Did you like Will & Grace? In the final episode, Grace has a daughter named Lyla, so maybe you can think of that rather than Kate Moss if it makes you feel better about your name choice? :p

Hell yes.

Mateauz was born on Elvis' birthday and Jed and I had contemplated Memphis for ages.....so it became a middle name PLUS I love themovie gone in 60 seconds and Memphis Rain.....love it

Interesting Maz cause my Mum's due date to have me was on Elvis's birthday but i ended up being way 6days over due ;)

I have a friend who's twin girl's first names are after Sophia Loren & the other after Ava Gardner.

My SIL whom recently past away, her Mum was a huge fan of the old T.V show Little House on the Prairie & named my SIL & her sister after the two older girl characters in the show :D

... I would name rather my child's middle name after someone famous/well known then a first name ;)

*** Jessey ... there was a little girl named LYLA in the Mothers Group i use to go to, it was the 1st i had ever heard it and i fell in love with the name, and i much prefer it spelt as you have Lyla :loveshower:

I dont really think there's a problem. Dp wants to name our next child (if it's a boy) Lemmy after the singer from Motorhead, im trying to convince him away from that lol not sure i want a baby named after a drunken drug addicted rocker who by all rights should of died a looong time ago from all the crazy things he does

:

---

I dont really think there's a problem. Dp wants to name our next child (if it's a boy) Lemmy after the singer from Motorhead, im trying to convince him away from that lol not sure i want a baby named after a drunken drug addicted rocker who by all rights should of died a looong time ago from all the crazy things he does

---

PMSL @ Lemmy.. I'd love to name my kid after Layne (Alice in Chains) because I think its so tragic that a talent like that felt so alone as to take his own life - and nobody found his body for 2 bloody weeks!!!

Anyhoo - it doesn't really go with DH's surname... so its out..

:

---

Did you like Will & Grace? In the final episode, Grace has a daughter named Lyla, so maybe you can think of that rather than Kate Moss if it makes you feel better about your name choice? :p

---

OMG really??? I love Will and Grace! Awesome :D Lol now anyone who tells me i named her after Kate Moss' daughter will be told "No actually its from Will and Grace" hehe :lol: Thanks TeniBear

DD isnt after a famous person but she is named after a bicycle race. Does that count?

:

---

DD isnt after a famous person but she is named after a bicycle race. Does that count?

---

That's awesome, I never considered naming kids after events! Watch out for my #2 and #3, Miss AFL Grand Final and Master Royal Melbourne Show :lol:

I assume your DD's name is a little more sedate than my suggestions though :p

No none of my kids are after anything famous although dh tries to say now he named Harrison that because of Harrison Ford but that was never mentioned. I found it in a book. With my first daughter.

This time I may just name my baby after a movie I love the notebook. And cause I have watched it so many time I have fell in love with the name Noah and also don't mind Ally. Although I have a few more to pick from for a girls name.

:

---

That's awesome, I never considered naming kids after events! Watch out for my #2 and #3, Miss AFL Grand Final and Master Royal Melbourne Show :lol:

I assume your DD's name is a little more sedate than my suggestions though :p

---

LOL yes it is a bit more sedate, unfortunately its a very common name now

Ds is named after a character in a book (one in a series). Character is Jennsen, and was a girl. Didn't like it as a girls name so we modified it to Jensen. When ppl hear it they say it's unusual, or ask if he's named after Jenson Button (F1 driver) or Jensen Ackles ("Dean" from Supernatural).

For a girl, we had chosen Nyssa Rose. Nyssa was Doctor Who's companion in late 70's/early 80's. Rose was Doctor Who's companion in '05/'06. Sad isn't it?

Mel - dh wanted Layne too! I said no, all i could think of was layne beachley

My little-boy-on-the-way is named Cullen... no pop culture reference there(!) :rolleyes:

(Oh and by sheer coincidence his middle name is the same as John Travolta's son that passed away recently... We just picked it as a nice J for the nickname CJ!!)

:

---

For a girl, we had chosen Nyssa Rose. Nyssa was Doctor Who's companion in late 70's/early 80's. Rose was Doctor Who's companion in '05/'06. Sad isn't it?

---

Not sad! DH has decided that if we are having a boy, he is going to be Ianto Jack! The only reason we haven't gone for a Doctor Who name for a girl is that I don't like the old series, DH hated Rose (the character), and neither of us like the names Martha or Donna. So you're not sad at all, you know what you like :p

PS - Jack was chosen as a middle name long before the decision was made about Ianto being the first - It wasn't even chosen because of Torchwood, just a happy coincidence.