When considering baby names, parents take a variety of factors into consideration: names that have lived on through generations of their family, names of dearly departed loved ones, names that have their roots in significant events, places, or even seasons in their relationship. But let's not be so quick to dismiss pop culture as a constant source of fascination and, quite often, inspiration for baby names.
These days, plenty of people have given up pricey cable packages in lieu of Netflix subscriptions, bingeing original, scripted shows like 13 Reasons Why, Stranger Things, Glow, and The Crown, as well as cable shows that have moved to the streaming platform, like Breaking Bad and The Killing.
For that reason, the once DVD rental service is larger than life and a major part of pop culture. And whether conscious or not, fans of these many critically-acclaimed series, who also happen to be parents-to-be in search of a baby name, might find themselves drawn to characters' and/or actors' names.
From Claire to Sophia, Philip to Dustin, many Netflix-inspired names are actually classics that have been given new life. Here are 15 options that may very well be catching the attention of moms- and dads-to-be.
Claire
Once FLOTUS and now badass POTUS on House of Cards, Claire Underwood, played by Robyn Wright, may have helped inspire more parents to go with the French form of the name Clara.
Piper
The unisex baby name, which has an English and Scandinavian origin and is peaked in popularity in 2012, also happens to be the name of the main character — played by Taylor Schilling — on Orange Is the New Black. The show is of course based on the memoir by Piper Kerman.
Brenner
Parents are diggingthis baby boy name of English origin which means "to burn." It's also the last name of the Stranger Things character Dr. Brenner, played by Matthew Modine, who is purely evil, but, hey, his name has a ring to it, right?
Ruth
Although it was most popular from the 1890s to the 1920s, Ruth is still under consideration by parents today — especially those who've grown tired of Rachel and Rebecca, according to Nameberry.com. And thanks to the flawed but lovable Glow character played by Alison Brie, the name may be getting even more attention.
Zoe
Meanwhile, persistent, curious House of Cards reporter Zoe Barnes, played by Kate Mara, bears another baby girl name that's on the rise. Zoe has Greek roots and means life.
Gloria
On Orange Is the New Black, Gloria Mendoza, played by Selenia Leyva, is fiercely loyal and strong. Derived from the Latin word for glory, Gloria was not used as a given name until the 20th century, when George Bernard Shaw used it as the name of a character in his 1898 play You Never Can Tell. So, it seems characters in works of fiction have been inspiring parents to choose it for their daughters for decades!
Philip
Seeing Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth's love story play out on The Crown may be inspiring more parents to choose the male royal's first name for their baby boys. The name officially peaked in the 1940s, and according to Baby Name Wizard, it is composed of the Greek elements "philos" (loving) and "hippos" (horse).
Jesse
Bingeing old episodes of the critically-acclaimed AMC series on Netflix may inspire parents to opt to name their son Jesse. The bad boy character, played by Aaron Paul, was a fan favorite. Jesse is derived from the Hebrew Yishai, which is from yīshai (gift, wealth), notes Baby Name Wizard.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth has always been a beloved choice, but watching the current Queen of England's life story on The Crown has surely given the baby girl name a boost. The regal name is derived from the Hebrew elīsheba' (God is my oath), notes Baby Name Wizard. Meanwhile, Nameberry.com notes that it was the 13th most popular name for girls in 2017.
Dustin
Anyone who loves Stranger Things loves courageous, adorable Dustin, played by Gaten Mazzarado. The name — which peaked in popularity in the '80s — is thought to be an altered form of Thurston, which is derived from the Old Norse Thorstein (Thor’s stone). You could also call your L.O. Dusty.
Sophia
Sophia Burset, played by Laverne Cox, is a big-hearted, transgender inmate on Orange Is the New Black who often has audiences on their feet cheering. The character's beautifully fitting name means "wisdom, skill" and has definitely been on the rise in recent years, ranking #5 in 2017, according to Nameberry.com.
Hannah
Portrayed by Katherine Langford, Hannah Baker is the main character on the lauded but polarizing Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. The beautiful baby girl name is derived from the Hebrew hannāh, chaanach (gracious, full of grace, mercy) and currently ranks at #32.
Joel
Fans say Joel Kinnaman, the actor who skillfully plays recovering addict Detective Stephen Holder on The Killing, is the reason to watch the show. And his name is sure to catch fans' attention, too. Baby Name Wizard notes that Joel comes from the Ecclesiastic Greek Iōēl, a name derived from the Hebrew Yoel, which is from yō'ēl (the Lord is God).
Clay
The main character on 13 Reasons Why is Clay Jensen, played by Dylan Minnette. The show may have parents-to-be looking at the boy name through new eyes. It's the short form of Clayton that means "settlement near the clay pit."
Eleven
OK, Eleven's not exactly classic, but it's certainly an interesting choice. On Stranger Things, Jane "El" Hopper (born Jane Ives) — played by Millie Bobby Brown — is better known as Eleven. And yep, the unconventional girl's name has an entry on Nameberry.com, noting that the Netflix series may be intriguing some moms- and dads-to-be.
