Few things are as distinctly pleasurable as a trip to the movies. The comfy seats, the fun of watching the coming attractions, the delicious salty popcorn paired with the ridiculously large cup of soda — we love it all!
Whether you are looking for a steamy romance, a soon-to-be classic animated family film, or a big budget superhero extravaganza, there is almost always something worth seeing at the movie theater. But what about it you are feeling stumped on baby names?
You might not expect it, but it turns out that going to see a movie might be a low-key smart way of finding some serious baby name inspiration, especially if you are a mom-to-be looking for something uncommon.
We've gathered 30 of the coolest and most unusual names inspired by former and upcoming blockbusters for your consideration. From alien names to powerful princesses, the only thing missing from this list is the popcorn!
CIPHER
The eighth installment of the zero-to-60 action franchise, The Fate of the Furious introduced Cipher (played by Charlize Theron), a cyberterrorist and feisty villain who manages to shake up the group and corrupt Dom (Vin Diesel).
Defined as weightless, or "a method of transforming a text in order to conceal its meaning," Cipher is an unusual title that will stand out from the crowd.
QUILL
Star-Lord — aka Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) — and crew returned for Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. We were so excited to see this movie that saw Quill set out on a journey to learn about his lineage. Known for being an old-school writing instrument made from a feather, Quill is an adorable name for a superhero in the making.
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SYREN/SYRENA
The tale of the sword in the stone was back on the big screen with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. The hot Charlie Hunnam (if you didn't watch Sons of Anarchy, honey, you missed out!) starred as Arthur, who toke on Vortigern (Jude Law) to reclaim his crown.
While the movie wasn't exactly a hit, it did feature two characters with cool names — Syren (Hermione Corfield) and Syrena (Lorraine Bruce), both with names rooted in Greek that mean "enchanter."
BRANSON
Sci-fi lovers were psyched when Alien: Covenant, the follow-up to Prometheus, came out. As the characters move to uncharted lands, let's just say things took a turn for the worse.
One character to watch is Jacob Branson (James Franco), captain of the Covenant ship. Whether you're an Alien fan or not, be sure to bookmark the name Branson. English for "son of the raven," Branson is an unusual baby name idea that will likely grow on you.
TENNESSEE
Another baby name from Alien: Convenant you might want to consider is Tennessee. Played by Danny McBride, Tennessee is the chief pilot of the Covenant ship who inspires us to reach for the stars. And what's awesome about the adorable name Tennessee is that you can use it for a boy or a girl.
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HAIFAA
Shiver me timbers — we have another sequel to mention! In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) found himself in hot water (again) as he takes on a powerful enemy.
If you haven't seen it, you can assume a lot of what's in store (sword-wielding, water splashing), but you might be interested to learn about the character Haifaa (Golshifteh Farahani), who has an intriguing name. A variant of the Arabic Haifa that means "slender" or "delicate," Haifaa is an unusual title filled with so much mystery.
BRODY
The Baywatch movie isn't just for fans of eye candy (we see you, The Rock. We always like to see you!), it also offers a cool name idea.
Zac Efron starred alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Matt Brody, an Olympian and bad boy who becomes a lifeguard to restore his public image. Though no parent would want his or her child to travel down such a road, you can't deny the cuteness of Zac Efron the name Brody. Hailing from the Gaelic broth, which means "a ditch," Brody is an adorable choice you can bestow on a baby boy or girl.
SUMMER
Speaking of summer and seasonal vibes, Baywatch also gave us Summer Quinn (Alexandra Daddario), a love interest of Matt Brody (Zac Efron) who brings the smarts to the party. You gotta admit, Summer is a pretty perfect name to keep you basking in the sunshine.
DIANA
Well OF COURSE we have to tip our hats to Wonder Woman, even if Diana is a name that is more retro than unique. We're were just too excited to see Gal Gadot kick ass in Wonder Woman to leave her off the list.
Although Wonder Woman is a pretty badass name, we're quite taken with this superhero's real name: Diana Prince. Diana is a classic title with vintage charm and true staying power. Plus, it's quite heavenly, as Diana comes from the Latin divus, which means "divine." So sweet.
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SAMEER
In addition to Diana, the movie Wonder Woman also gave us the name Sameer — which you could also turn into Sameera (just sayin'). Pronounced sah-MEER, Sameer is an Arabic name that means "pleasant companion" — which is music to any parent's ears. Plus, Sameer is the name of a secret agent (Saïd Taghmaoui) in Wonder Woman, which scores the title some extra cool points.
ETTA
Another Wonder Woman character whose name we're eyeing is Etta Candy (Lucy Davis). Etta is the fun-loving secretary of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine); the name is a cute shortened version of the Scottish Maretta, associated with "pearl."
This is one name you won't want to pass up.
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STERLING
Well, whaddayaknow know? Another movie sequel, LOL! The Cars animated franchise has been a huge hit among families for quite some time — and for good reason. In Cars 3, the lovable Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) got to see if he still had the speed, as cars new to the racing game appear faster and more high-tech.
One car you'll want to keep your eyes on is Sterling (voiced by Nathan Fillion), a wealthy business car who manages the Rust-eze Racing Center. Sterling is one of those baby names with vintage vibes (it was a popular title in the early 1900s). While many associate Sterling with silver and being lustrous, the name actually comes from the Old English stærling that means "a type of bird."
KIRA
Can your heart take another reboot? If so, you can find The Mummy starring Tom Cruise. Hoping to stop Princess Ahmanet, aka the Mummy (Sofia Boutella), from wreaking havoc on the world, Nick Morton (Cruise) and his crew will be ready to throw down with the ancient enchantress.
While we want no part of that in real life, one thing we're willing to take is the name Kira, inspired by the character Kira Lee (Chasty Ballesteros). Kira is a striking name that's the female alternative to Kieran (we think a girl could use Kieran, but whatevs). It has roots in the Irish name Ciarán, which some consider to mean "little dark one." (Just don't pay attention to that part.)
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CADE
Transformers: Robots in disguise! Fans of this iconic franchise likely have Transformers: The Last Knight was an instant classic. A showdown between humans and the Transformers, this movie delivered huge explosions, people screaming as they run away from said explosions, and Transformers — of course!
One person you can see riding in or hanging off a car is Mark Walhberg, who reprised his role as single dad and inventor Cade Yeager.
And, guess what? We're putting his name, Cade, on our short list.
A noted English short name, Cade comes from the Middle English cade that means "cask" or "barrel." We love this baby name and think it's such a good find!
LENNOX
Still have Transformers on the brain? So do we! In addition to Cade, another baby name idea from Transformers: The Last Knight is Lennox, in honor of Josh Duhamel's character, William Lennox. Your son (or daughter) can be a soldier-in-training with this title, or embrace nature, as Lennox comes from the Gaelic leamhanach, which means "elm-trees."
Hmm … maybe a happy combination: a fighter for the trees or environment?
MARGO
One element that has made the animated Despicable Me movies so so entertaining is the lovable bond between sisters Margo, Edith, and Agnes. Each has a unique personality and brings something fun to the table. As much as we liked all of them in Despicable Me 3, we can't stop eyeing the name Margo.
Margo is a pet name from the classic Margaret, and it's delightful beyond words. It's extremely vintage and refined — and that pretty much sums up its significance, as Margo comes from the Greek maragon that means "a pearl."
Yup, we love it.
SILAS
Despicable Me 3 didn't just give us girl name ideas. And, no, we aren't about to suggest Gru! How about the name Silas, the character played by Steve Coogan?
Silas, pronounced SIY-ləs, is a name that makes you take pause, as it's quite memorable. Pulling inspiration from the Aramaic sh'īlā that means "asked for," Silas is a frolicsome baby name you might want to consider for your boy. Plus, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel named their son Silas — so you really can't go wrong.
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ADRIAN
One blockbuster we still like is Spider-Man: Homecoming. It's true that there are plenty of Spider-Man movies, but there's a reason for that: Spider-Man is awesome!
In addition to battling midterms and finals, a teenaged Peter Parker will have his hands full with Vulture, aka Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), who will give this superhero teen hell. Still, Adrian is a noteworthy baby name that's gender neutral and pretty timeless.
WINTER
There's a chance you might have missed the name Winter in the movie War for the Planet of the Apes, as the chilling title doesn't belong to a human in the film. Rather, Winter is the name of a gorilla in Caesar's tribe who helps the apes fight for their freedom.
Regardless of what anyone thinks, we happen to love the name Winter — and seeing as the name Summer made our list, it's only fitting to have another season, right?
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PENNY
Welp, if you're planning on watching the It reboot, please make sure to leave the kiddos at home.
… You don't want the nightmares.
Pennywise is back at it as the ancient evil in a small town where children "mysteriously" start to disappear. As much as we're not fans of Pennywise — or clowns, if we're being honest — the name Penny is a popular '60s throwback that still makes us smile.
BUZZ
Toy Story 4 was one of the biggest movies of 2019 and a classic edition to the Toy Story universe. Buzz is a great name for any family that loves space, science, and talking action figures! Kids of all ages love Buzz Lightyear and history buffs will also like the name as a throwback to famous astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
BEANIE
One of our favorite female centered movies was the funny and clever Booksmart, directed by actress Olivia Wilde. This movie, which is not on the kid-friendly list, started Beanie Feldman as high school valedictorian Molly. While Molly is a classic name, we can't help but love the name Beanie as a fresh new choice. Parents wanting to go a bit more traditional might want to go with the name Sabina and use Beanie as a nickname.
PARKER
Yes, we know we've already suggested a Spider-Man themed name, but c'mon, we love the guy! And Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse was such a cool movie. We love the name Miles but also want to give a shout-out to the original: Peter Parker. We like that while Parker has traditionally been a male name, it also works for girls who want to balance having great power and great responsibility too!
NALA
The updated version of The Lion King was also big in 2019 but the name Simba might be a little too on the nose, even for major Disney fans. Nala, on the other hand, is a sweet nod to one of the most popular animated movies of all time.
DECKARD
The seemingly endless Fast & Furious franchise is the epitome of the blockbuster movie! In the most recent edition, Hobbs & Shaw, Jason Statham plays bad guy-turned-ally Deckard Shaw. This name is a great choice for parents looking for an uncommon choice, as there were less than 500 babies with this name born in 2018.
SHURI
The Avengers universe has tons of great characters, but one of our favorites is Shuri. Making her debut Black Panther, Shuri was also briefly in 2019's hit Avengers: Endgame. Shuri is funny, crazy smart, and a fierce princess. Who wouldn't like a daughter like that?
ASTRID
Crazy Rich Asians was one of the biggest hits of 2018. The character of Astrid Leong-Teo, played by Gemma Chan, definitely demonstrates why the name is Scandinavian for "divinely beautiful." Astrid is currently on the top 1,000 list of popular baby names, but is still rare enough for parents looking for something uncommon.
ARTEMIS
The movie version of the beloved Artemis Fowl book series is expected to be released in the summer of 2020. While the character of Artemis is a boy in the books and movie, the name Artemis has traditionally been a female name. In Greek mythology, Artemis was the goddess of the moon and hunting. We think Artemis can work for either sex now.
MAVERICK
One of the most anticipated movies of 2020 is Top Gun 2: Maverick. Even without the likely success of this movie, Maverick is a name on the rise. It is currently in the top 100 for most popular boy names in the US and will likely continue to get more popular, especially if there is another iconic beach volleyball scene!
USNAVI
Musical theater fans rejoice! Lin-Manuel Miranda's first big hit musical In the Heights is finally coming to the big screen! This story of an eventful few days in the life of the protagonist Usnavi has great music and an amusing reason behind how the name Usnavi was invented. Pronounced "Uh- suh- na- VEE" this name is sure to be an unusual choice!
