Choosing a name for your newborn baby can be a daunting and overwhelming task – after all, the name is something that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Names based on family lineage, mythology, religion, ethnicity – the possibilities are endless.
Disney names seem to be a big influence in naming our children right now. Whether it’s timeless classics like Belle or newer favorites like Moana, Disney’s charming characters have reached beyond the screen to inspire parents when choosing baby names.
A new name analysis of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) baby name dataset by BeenVerified shows how much Disney characters have influenced U.S. baby names over the past five years.
“Parents find inspiration everywhere, and given Disney’s popularity, it’s no wonder the movies hold a special place in parents’ hearts,” says Michael Poo, data analyst at BeenVerified.
That’s especially true for people who already have kids, he says, because they’re more likely to be obsessed with all things Disney: Research shows that when a Disney film ranks in the top 50 at the box office, names from the film are almost twice as likely to be popular than non-Disney names.
“Each character has a unique trait and story that parents can relate to,” Pugh explains.
Popular Disney Baby Names
The analysis revealed the top 10 Disney character names currently in the country and their growth over the past five years. Brave It shot to the top of the list with an 1,150% increase, but overall, only a small number of people are using the name.
Here are the top 10:
- Merida (Brave, year 2012
- Koda (Brother Bear, 2003
- Moana (Moana, 2016
- Finnick (Zootopia, 2016
- Mirabelle (Encanto, 2021
- Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989
- Flynn (Tangled, 2010
- Raya (Raya and the Kingdom of the Dragon, 2021
- Camilo (Encanto, 2021
- Elsa (frozen, 2013
All of the top brands surveyed saw an increase in popularity following the film’s release compared to their average over the past five years, although not all brands saw a long-term increase in usage.
The popularity of many names, including Ariel, Esmeralda, Finnick, Flynn, Koda, Merida, and Moana, declined from their initial spike within a few years of the film’s release, but then remained fairly stable at a new, higher standard, often two to three times the pre-film average.
Poo says to keep in mind that, although these names are more popular now, their popularity is still small compared to the most popular names of the time.
A name like Sebastian The Little Mermaid And Violet The Incredibles It didn’t gain much popularity at first. Pugh said the two names slowly gained popularity, and thanks to the film, have only grown in popularity ever since, becoming the most popular names simply by the number of birth names on the top list.
The study also breaks down usage by state, with states like Nevada, Arizona and Washington seeing the biggest influence from Disney names, while names like Ariel and Moana were popular in Hawaii, Koda in Montana and Tiana in Louisiana.
This isn’t all that surprising to Colleen Slagan, a baby naming consultant and nurse practitioner who created NamingBebe.com. “Pop culture has a huge influence on baby names,” Slagan explains. “When a celebrity uses a name or it appears in a popular TV show or movie, the name is considered approved.”
Sluggan added, “For parents who are looking for a more unique name but don’t want to be the first to use it, hearing the name in a film may make it more familiar.”
Not all Disney names are popular for long.
The two names on BeenVerified’s top list that didn’t see any long-term positive effects from the Disney influence were surprisingly Tiana and Elsa.
“Elsa has Huge “Elsa’s popularity had been growing steadily and healthily for 20 years prior to the release of Frozen,” Pugh explains. “Then, due to the success of the film, the use of the Elsa name doubled between 2013 and 2014. However, frozen The trend has turned the name from shiny to old and completely reversed 20 years of growth in four years.”
Tiana has long been one of Disney’s most popular names. The Princess and the Frog Although the film was released, overall usage of the name had been in decline for more than a decade, Pugh said, adding that after the film’s release, usage of the name nearly doubled in 2010, but by 2013 it had returned to pre-film levels.
Slagen predicts other names like Luca and Ariel are likely to stick around long term.
“Luka is part of the trend for short, snappy, two-syllable boy’s names that are already gaining huge momentum,” she says of the 2021 film’s title.
Ariel believes the beloved screen character’s biblical roots are responsible for his enduring popularity.
Choose a name without stress
Part of Slugan’s job as a baby name consultant is to take the stress out of choosing the perfect name, Disney-inspired or not. She helps new parents find a name that’s unique and different without being too quirky, and that’s appropriate for their child at every stage of life.
While it’s up to you whether you hire someone like her or navigate the difficult path alone, she says taking a few simple steps can help make the baby name discussion less of a headache and less of an argument with your partner: I remember my husband and I had a stressful few weeks and feeling completely unprepared when I went into labor and delivery at the hospital.
Slugan strongly recommends something I didn’t do before my second son was born: make a list, and narrow it down by priorities, especially popularity, ease of pronunciation, and nickname potential.
“You don’t need to have a name decided before your baby is born, but try to narrow it down to a few names so you don’t have to scramble in the hospital room,” she explains.
Having a little name preparation can make the joyous occasion of welcoming a new baby just that little bit more magical.
