Of all the reasons to be inspired to name a baby, something that makes us laugh is probably top of the list. Yes, some of our favorite comedies are a little off-color or weird, but so is life, right? And we want our kids to be fun and funny, too. Although we love the idea of naming a baby after a great romantic drama, there's something a little less high-pressure about naming them after something as chill and entertaining as one of our favorite comedies (and there are some awesome comedic actors and writers out there who also deserve our love, right)? So if searching for inspiration for a baby name leads us to consider comedies, we think that in the long run, that's just as valid as a heavy drama or profound romance — if not more so, really. Who doesn't love to laugh, after all?
But that doesn't mean that baby names can't come from other kinds of entertainment. Think of classic films and epic movies or even look to summer blockbusters. For something more prestigious, consider something from Oscar movies to inspire LO to greatness. And when it comes to naming babies, we don't have to be limited to film. Musically inclined parents should consider baby names from great songs, or maybe classical music or jazz-inspired baby names.
TRACY
Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan portrayed one of our favorite characters on the show 30 Rock (we will always love Tracy Jordan), and he was an amazing cast member of Saturday Night Live, too. We love the name Tracy for either a girl or a boy.
CONSTANCE
Constance Wu portrayed the wonderful Rachel Chu, an economics professor at New York University, in the 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians, as well as Jessica Huang on the hit sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. We think she's a brilliant comedic actress, and that the name Constance is beautiful for a baby girl.
CARREY
Comedian Jim Carrey has starred in some of our favorite comedies, and movies we totally grew up watching — The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective … the list goes on. Carrey would be a super-cool name for a baby of either gender.
RAMONA
In Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Ramona Flowers is Scott Pilgrim's primary love interest, with her Seven Deadly Exes he must defeat to win her love. She's super cool, beautiful, smart, and totally worth the work.
WANDA
Wanda Yvette Sykes has been an awesome force in comedy since 1987. We loved her as a writer on The Chris Rock Show, and as a recurring character on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Blackish. She's brilliant and either her first or middle name would be a great fit for a baby girl.
KATE
Kathryn McKinnon Berthold, known by her stage name Kate McKinnon, is one of our favorite comedians. We love her on SNL, as well as in Ghostbusters and The Spy Who Dumped Me. Naming a baby girl Kate or Kathryn is an easy sell to grandparents, too — it's such a classic!
WADE
Look, Deadpool may not be appropriate for kids to watch, but that doesn't mean it's not appropriate to name a baby after. We love Ryan Reynolds' portrayal of the famous comic book character — and his devotion to his fiancée, Vanessa.
ANDRE
Andre Johnson, played by the inimitable Anthony Andersen, is the lead of the hit TV show Black-ish. We love his moments of brilliantly timed comedy, as well as the heart that's the core of his performance. Not to mention, Andre is just a super-cool name for a baby boy.
TINA
We always thought Tina Fey was originally a "Christina," but it turns out the actress, comedian, producer — and writer of the Mean Girls screenplay — Tina Fey is actually named Elizabeth Stamatina Fey. We think Christina or Stamatina (or just Tina!) is a super-cool name for a girl.
ZAZIE
Zazie Beetz is among the coolest first-and-last-name combinations on the planet, but a kid can at least get half of it for herself with just the name "Zazie." Known for her work as Van on the show Atlanta, as well as Deadpool 2.
JOHN
John Belushi was a comedic powerhouse, and we still love his work today. One of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live, he was the lead in Animal House and costarred in The Blues Brothers. John is a super classy name for a baby boy.
KAYLA
Kayla was our favorite character from the hilarious 2018 film Blockers. She was played by Geraldine Viswanathan, who is a great budding comic actor, and we just loved her tomboy swag.
WILDER
Gene Wilder, born Jerome Silberman, portrayed the original Willy Wonka in the 1971 version of the movie, which is arguably way, way better than the Johnny Depp version. He was also the lead in comic films like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, and had the great fortune to be married to the brilliant comedian Gilda Radner.
KUMAIL
Kumail Nanjiani is the coauthor and star of the hit 2017 comedy The Big Sick. We loved Kumail's careful — but hilarious! — portrayal of a character based on himself and his own relationship with his wife and coauthor, Emily V. Gordon.
ANNIE
Woody Allen may no longer be in our good graces, but Diane Keaton as Annie in the 1977 film Annie Hall is still fantastic, and we refuse to cast our love for her off just because he turned out to be awful. Both Anne and Annie are classic names for girls.
BENICIO
Aside from being dramatically handsome (and a great dramatic actor), Benicio del Toro is a really excellent comedic actor, appearing in hilarious films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Usual Suspects, and Snatch. We also just think Benicio is a strong name for a baby boy.
SELINA
Portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the award-winning TV show Veep, Selina Meyer is relatable, understandable, horrible, self-centered, and hilarious. Maybe it's not a great idea to name a baby after such a flawed character, but what can we say, we just love the name.
ZOE
Zoe Saldana was absolutely hilarious as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy and as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek, and we can't wait to see her in all of her upcoming hits, too. Zoe is such a strong name for a baby girl.
HOLLY
The character Holly Golightly, as portrayed by Audrey Hepburn in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's, is equal parts hilarious and touching. While Holly is a great name for a baby girl, so is Audrey — and Hepburn could really work for either!
JUDD
Judd Apatow has been responsible for some of our favorite comedic movies of all time, including The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Funny People, not to mention the show Freaks and Geeks. We just love the name Judd for a baby boy, too.
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If your baby is coming along and you're still stuck coming up with a name, then share this graphic to your Pinterest board to get inspired
