Look, we love the traditional baby girl names from the Disney movies as much as anyone else. But not everyone wants to have an Ariel or a Tiana, and not everyone wants to be as totally open about their fandom as they need to be to name a kid after a totally recognizable Disney princess. For moms who want to incorporate their love of Disney — and all that these stories mean to them — into their kids' names, we're totally in favor. And for those who want to full-on name their kids Aurora, we say go for it. But we're also all about moms who want to keep it a little bit more subtle and name their kid something that has a quieter reference. These are names from Disney characters who have totally won our hearts over the years but who have been more in the background than some of the others — secondary characters and sequel stars.
But we totally get the magic of naming a kid after any kind of Disney character. There are so many names inspired by beloved Disney characters. Even if parents are looking to name a girl, it's worth taking a look at boy names inspired by forgotten Disney characters or simply classic Disney-inspired names for boys. Some of them are gender neutral, so for anyone looking for a girls' name that could also play as a boys' name will find inspiration. Names inspired by Disney villains is another avenue, because even if we don't necessarily want our kid to act like some of these characters, they do have some of the best names (and the best lines). Then there are some magical names inspired by fairy tales, which aren't Disney-specific, but have the same romantic roots.
OLIVIA
Olivia Flaversham is a young heroine in Disney's 1986 animated film, The Great Mouse Detective. Olivia means "olive tree" and dates from as far back as 13th century England. We love how pretty, simple, and subtle this is for a true Disney fan.
ANITA
Anita is a pretty, short name that belonged to the heroine of the 101 Dalmatians. Modeled after a character who is classy and tender-hearted, we love this sweet moniker. It's the Spanish version of Anne and means "grace."
CALLIOPE
Calliope is a character from Tangled: The Series, a former street magician turned assistant to the Keeper of the Spire who eventually becomes the actual Keeper. The whimsical Greek name means "beautiful voice." And it's perfect for families who love music and Disney.
ADELLA
Adella is one of Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid. It's fitting that it was the name of a princess of the sea, as Adelle is a variation of Adele, which means "noble, nobility." We actually think there is a lot of first and middle name potential thanks to Ariel's sisters.
STELLA
Stella is a bloodhound in The Princess and the Frog. She was Charlotte's dog, who was given by her father Eli "Big Daddy" La Bouff. The name is of Latin origin and means "star." It's perfect for a Disney fan who wants to stick with a classic name.
COLETTE
Colette is the only woman in the kitchen in Ratatouille, as well as the self-described "toughest cook in the kitchen." It is a French name meaning "people of victory." We love how vintage it sounds, too, and think Cole is a super-cute potential nickname.
EVANGELINE
Evangeline is the name of a star in The Princess and the Frog. It's a Greek name that means "bearer of good news." It's perfect for a little girl who is certainly going to be the star of her parent's show.
GISELLE
Giselle is Diane Darcy's 1976 Lancia Scorpion race car who appears in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo and is Herbie's first love interest. It's also the name of the princess played by Amy Adams in Enchanted.
LILLY
Lilly Moscovitz is protagonist Mia's best friend in The Princess Diaries. The English girl's name can be spelled with one or two Ls. She's feisty, fiery and has a lot of good moral convictions — not a bad person to be named after!
ZOOEY
The name Zooey is a Greek girls' name that means life. It's also the name of a princess in Sofia the First — the daughter of Queen Avery. It's adorable and is a modern name everyone will love and recognize.
CLARICE
Clarice is the love interest of both Chip and Dale, first appearing in the animated short Two Chips and a Miss, where she was a singer at a nightclub called the Acorn Club. We think it's an adorable name (and that the chipmunk is really cute, too)!
ANASTASIA
Anastasia Tremaine is one of Cinderella's stepsisters, the youngest sister of Lady Tremaine. In the original movie, she's vain and selfish, but in sequels, she grows as a character into someone who learns from Cinderella's kindness — and we just love the name Anastasia.
DAPHNE
Daphne is the name of one of Cinderella's ladies-in-waiting in the direct-to-video Cinderella II: Dreams Come True. She is a kind and loving character, and we adore the name Daphne, which is also the name of a dryad in Greek mythology.
DINAH
Yes, Dinah is the name of the cat in Alice in Wonderland, but it's a lovely girls' name. Coming from the Hebrew, it means "God is my judge," and is the female version of the male name Dan. We think it's old-fashioned but also a pretty name that deserves a comeback.
COCO
In 101 Dalmations: The Series, Coco appears as Lucky's rich aunt, and scoffs at him for not understanding a multicourse dinner. She's really an adorable character, however, if one we only see briefly, and we love the name Coco generally — it's always nice to be reminded of a good Chanel design.
MIM
Madam Mim may be the antagonist in The Sword and the Stone, but we think the name Mim is positively adorable. A diminutive of Miriam, a beautiful Hebrew name, Mim is an adorable nickname or a given name on its own, although we love the idea of calling the baby Miriam officially on the birth certificate — just to give her more options later.
JANE
Jane Banks may be only a small child in Mary Poppins — and not the character whose name we remember, exactly — but she's adorable, and we love the name Jane. It's simple, it's classic, and it'll never go out of style. Basically, what can we say? We're fans!
KESSIE
In the Winnie the Pooh franchise, Kessie is the adopted daughter Rabbit. She's a bluebird who first appears in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and who is found after being lost in a snowstorm. We think Kessie is an unusual and lovely name.
SHANTI
Shanti is a character in The Jungle Book from 1967. She's a little girl known for her absolutely beautiful singing voice, who entrances Mowgli. We think the name Shanti would be a gorgeous one for a baby girl.
ANDRINA
Andrina is the name of one of Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid. A blonde who favors purple and pink, she is the second-oldest sister. Hers is a gorgeous, Greek baby name meaning "brave," and is a feminine version of the name Andrew.
CARLOTTA
The name of Eric's sweet, kind maid in The Little Mermaid, Carlotta may not be the most fashionable or most beautiful character, but she's lovely — and she has a gorgeous name. It's derived from the Italian, and it means "strong."
CLOTHILDE
Clothilde is the name of the fishmonger in the live action Beauty and the Beast, who is eventually reunited with her husband, Cogsworth, at the end. Although it may be hard for some American tongues to pronounce, we love the classic French name. It's a saint's name, meaning "famous in battle."
EDEN
Eden is a character in the Aladdin television series. She's a caring but impulsive genie who is Genie's girlfriend. She is totally charming, and her name is a beautiful one that is unusual but totally pronounceable for Americans.
BO
Bo Peep is Woody's long-lost girlfriend in Toy Story, and we just love the name Bo for a baby girl. Usually a diminutive of Bonita or Bonnie, it's also the nickname of Dr. Rainbow Johnson on the hit series Black-ish.
MADELLAINE
Madellaine is the name of the assistant circus ringmaster in The Hunchback of Notre Dame II. She is funny, sweet, and loving, and we love the classic French name, either spelled this way or the more traditional Madeleine.
KIARA
Kiara is the name of Simba and Nala's daughter in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. We love this name, which has many roots: In Italian, Chiara means "bright," while in Hindi, Kiara means "God's precious gift." Either way, it's a beautiful name!
KALA
Kala is the name of Tarzan's adoptive mother in the 1999 Disney classic Tarzan. Gentle, sweet, and loving, she's a great mom, and we love her name, too, which means "fine arts" in Sanskrit and "princess" in Hawaiian.
CELIA
Celia Mae is the receptionist in Monsters, Inc., taking calls made by all sorts of monsters. She is also Mike's girlfriend. We love the name Celia, which is derived from the Latin word for "heaven," caelum.
VICTORIA
Victoria is the name of a friend that Lilo makes in Lilo & Stitch: The Series. She is a sweet, loyal girl who joins Lilo's hula class, and sticks with her over befriending Mertle, who is a bully. The name is derived from the Latin word "victory."
PEARL
Pearl is a pink flapjack octopus in Finding Nemo. She is such a cute character, although she's self-conscious about one of her tentacles being short.(It's barely noticeable.) We love Pearl as a pretty, oceanic name for a baby girl.
