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If you grew up with classic animated Disney movies and continue to consider yourself a fan of them as an adult, chances are you want to pass that love onto your kids one day.
What better way to share your appreciation for all things Disney with your baby than by giving them a name inspired by an unforgettable, beloved Disney character?
More from The Stir: 30 Disney-Inspired Baby Names for Boys
- Ariel – The red-headed mermaid may have lost her voice (only temporarily, thank goodness!), but she won our hearts in The Little Mermaid. After the film's 1989 release, the name — which is of Hebrew origin and means "lion of God" — became wildly popular, reaching the top 100 names for girls in the U.S., but has since fallen to #181.
- Belle – The bookworm who fell in love with the beast was one of the most intelligent Disney chicks of all time! Her name — French, of course! — is also one of the most beautiful. That's what it means, after all. It can also serve as a nickname for Isabelle or Anabelle.
- Jasmine – This independent-minded Disney princess fell head over heels for a street urchin in 1992's Aladdin. Around that time, her name — that of a Persian flower — reached peak popularity as the 23rd most popular in the U.S. These days, the name falls more around 85th place. Variations include Jasmin, Jasmyn, or Jazzmine.
- Raja – Jasmine's pet tiger had this pretty, unisex Arabic name that means "the anticipated one." For girls, it has gone down in popularity recently, and could be considered a rather unique choice.
- Mulan – The Chinese name is that of Disney's brave heroine, who disguises herself as a male soldier named "Ping" to take her father's place in the Imperial Army. It also means wood orchid.
- Aurora – Sleeping Beauty's heroine made her debut in 1959, but her name — which means dawn and is also the science term for the Northern Lights — is enjoying an even greater wave of popularity these days, coming in at 166th most popular in the U.S.
- Nala – The beloved best friend-turned-wife of Lion King hero, Simba, is also a lovely African name for a girl.
- Alice – The name of the curious star of Disney's 1951 animated film Alice in Wonderland is the shortened form of the French name Adelais and means "noble." Thanks to Tina Fey, who named her daughter Alice, Alice has jumped up to the 127th most popular name in the U.S.!
- Cinderella – While you may not want to go with the exact name of one of the most famous fairy tale princesses of all time and star of the 1950 Disney animated feature, you could try Cindy and Cynthia.
- Bianca – The classy mouse voiced by Eva Gabor in 1977's The Rescuers shared her name with Mick Jagger's first wife and two of Shakespeare's female characters (in The Taming of the Shrew and Othello). The Italian moniker, which is growing in popularity, means simply "white."
- Minnie – Mouse, of course, as in Mickey's girlfriend! The name — which means "of the mind, intellect" — is enjoying a slight bounce in popularity. But nothing will compare to its peak way back in the 1880s when it was was the fifth or sixth most popular name.
- Amelia – One of the geese from 1970's The Aristocats and also the 23rd most popular girls' name in the U.S. these days! The German name means "work."
- Abigail – The sister of Amelia in Aristocats, this goose touts the seventh most popular girls' name right now. The Hebrew name means "my father is joyful."
- Cleo – You may recognize the name as that of Pinocchio's fish in the 1940 classic. It could also be considered a tip of the hat to Cleopatra, Egypt’s last and greatest queen. Friends star David Schwimmer chose this name for his daughter.
- Daisy – Donald Duck's girlfriend has a floral name that comes from the phrase "day's eye" (because the flower opens its petals at daybreak). The name may also bring to mind F. Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby leading lady, Daisy Buchanan.
- Flora – The good fairy in Sleeping Beauty gives Aurora the gift of beauty. It's also the name of the Roman goddess of flowers, gardens, and spring. An alternative: Florence.
- Merryweather – The feisty fairy who didn't get a chance to give Aurora her gift bears this old-fashioned name that could be easily abbreviated to Merry or Mary.
- Marie – The name of the spoiled kitten in The Aristocats means “star of the sea” in Latin. Though it was extremely popular in the early 1900s, its popularity has dwindled — even as a middle name.
- Olivia – The name of the young Scottish mouse in The Great Mouse Detective is also currently the fourth most popular name in the U.S.
- Tiana – The name of the first African-American Disney princess in 2009's Princess and the Frog. It means fairy queen and has been falling in popularity since spiking to #334 in 2010.
- Willow – A weeping willow tree who serves as an advisor to Pocahontas in the 1995 film of the same name. Will Smith's daughter shares the name, which may explain its steady rise in popularity. It currently comes in at #171.
- Pocahontas – The name of the spirited daughter of Chief Powhatan — which means "playful" — may not be a mainstream pick, but you could pay tribute to it with one of the historical figure's real-life names: Matoaka and, later, Rebecca.
- Jessie – The adventurous cowgirl from Toy Story 2 (1999) and Toy Story 3 (2010) sports this versatile, popular, even unisex name. Meaning "wealthy," it could be the nickname for Jessica.
- Lilo – The name of the spunky little Hawaiian girl from 2002's Lilo & Stitch means "generous one."
- Jane – The English name of Tarzan's leading lady in the 1999 movie means "God's gracious gift" and has been a go-to, classic girls' name for decades.
- Celia – The French name of a good-hearted snake-haired monster from 2001's Monsters, Inc. has been declining in popularity lately. It means "heavenly."
- Bambi – The Italian name of the young deer star of the 1942 classic means "baby girl."
- Marian – From 1973's Robin Hood, the heroine's name is French, a Medieval variation of Marie. Can also be spelled Marion, like Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's daughter, or French actress Marion Cotillard.
- Wendy – Who could forget the pretty protagonist of 1953's Peter Pan? The name was actually invented by Sir James Barrie in 1904 for the character.
- Megara – The name of Hercules' love interest in the 1997 film is a tribute to a Greek city. A more mainstream variation: Megan, which means "pearl" and hit peak popularity at #10 in the '90s, but has since fallen to #199.
Which of these Disney baby names would you consider for your daughter?
Image via vtda/Flickr
