TV Character Names

A rare and mystical choice, Aithusa may appeal to those looking for alternatives to contemporary favorite, Athena. A name from Greek mythology, Aithusa is the daughter of Poseidon and Alcyone, and a lover of Apollo.

Santana is a saintly name...or Latin rock band. While traditionally masculine, character Santana Lopez on the show Glee showed the name's potential for a girl as well. Sound-wise, it feels like Savannah with a twist.

Former Miss Universe and former Mrs. Marc Anthony, Dayanara Torres has made a more lasting success of her name.

Yennefer is the name of one of the protagists of The Witcher series, first books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and then a video game and now a Netflix series. Yennefer is a powerful fighter and sorceress. As a name, we don't think Yennefer is any improvement on millennial mom name Jennifer, but nickname Yen has it all over the dated Jen.

A sweet short form of Esther that was recently seen as the name of the protagonist who leaves her ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in the Netflix series Unorthodox.

Epponnee-Rae — full name Epponnee-Raelene Kathleen Darlene Charlene Craig — is the daughter of Kim and Brett on the early aughts Australian sitcom Kath & Kim.

Stylized as Vex'ahlia, this name appears in The Legend of Vox Machina, an animated fantasy series based on a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Created by Laura Bailey, the character often goes by the nickname Vex.

Used for a character in the animated fantasy series, The Owl House, Eberwolf combines two animal related names together.

A somewhat dark and gloomy feeling name, perhaps because of its connotations or its similarity to the words morbid and murdered. Mordred is adapted from the Welsh Medraut, itself derived from the Latin moderatus. An unusual choice for a baby, but a potentially cool name for a fictional character.

A very common boys' name (and nickname) in Nigeria that some Americans will recognize as the name of one of the main characters on NBC's The Good Place.

With other Cornish names like Elowen and Jago catching people's attention, the mythical sounding Mithian might prove an unexpected and magical feeling choice. Traditionally called Mydhyan, Mithian is a village in Cornwall that sits between St Agnes and Perranporth.

Cookie is most often used as a dog name, and it should stay that way.

A soft but distinctive Swedish short form of the rugged Ulrik, not to be confused with the Estonian (feminine name) Ülle. It has appeared on characters in the game series The Witcher and in the TV series, The Day of the Jackal.

A sweet and playful Thai name, Mook may be best known in the US thanks to the character Thidapon "Mook" Sornsin in The White Lotus, played by KPOP star Lalisa Manobal.

Dinesh is a popular Indian name -- it stands for the sun in Hindu texts -- made familiar in the US by the HBO show Silicon Valley via the character played by Kumail Nanjiani. With the emphasis on the second syllable, Dinesh is a name that translates easily.

The full name of one of the main characters on Netflix's Dear White People, though she usually goes by Coco. Colandrea occasionally pops up as a surname, but as a first name, it feels more like a mashup of Coco and Andrea -- and a not unappealing mashup at that.

Hitchcock is an extremely rare masculine given name derived from an English surname. The surname itself has Anglo-Saxon origins, combining the Old English personal name 'Hicce' with 'cock' (meaning 'little'), possibly originally referring to someone who lived near a ridge. As a first name, Hitchcock is almost unheard of, making it among the most distinctive name choices possible. The surname gained considerable recognition through film director Alfred Hitchcock, lending the name associations with creativity, suspense, and artistic innovation. As a given name, it would certainly stand out, potentially leading to nicknames like Hitch. Its uniqueness would make it memorable in any context.

The kind of nickname name you wouldn't want your own child to get stuck with.

It may have been made up for a futuristic television show, but this name would not be out of place among such present-day trendies as Kayla and Taylor.

Sazz is a name invented for the nonbinary character played by Jane Lynch in Only Murders in the Building. While no actual babies have received this name yet, they will.