TV Character Names
- Amabella
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"lovable"Description:
Amabella is an elaboration of Amabel, a popular medieval name. Neil Gaiman and Liane Moriarty used Amabella as a character name in their novels, The Graveyard Book and Big Little Lies, respectively.
- Ulle
Origin:
Diminutive of Ulrik, SwedishMeaning:
"rich and noble heritage"Description:
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.
- Eleven
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
If Erykah Badu can name her son Seven, why can't you name your daughter (or son) this? Eleven has recently gotten a lot of attention via the character on the TV show Stranger Things.
- Mithian
Origin:
Cornish place nameMeaning:
"unknown meaning"Description:
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
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"cookie"Description:
Cookie is most often used as a dog name, and it should stay that way.
- Pornchai
Origin:
ThaiMeaning:
"blessed victory; strong victory"Description:
A Thai name that appeared in the third season of the popular TV series, The White Lotus, Pornchai comes from phon meaning "blessing" or "strength" and chai meaning "victory". While the first element is familiar and well used in a variety of Thai names, it may not work so well in English. Alternative spelling Ponchai might be better in some cases.
- Gwaine
Origin:
Variation of Gawain, Popular Culture, WelshMeaning:
"may hawk"Description:
Unusual yet familiar in sound, the name Gwaine appeared in the BBC TV series Merlin, in which the character was an adaptation of Gawain, one of King Arthur's loyal knights in the Arthurian legends. Also the hero of the anonymous poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Kinght, the name possibly derives from the Welsh Gwalchmai, meaning "may hawk".
- Keedie
Origin:
Invented name, Scottish surname, diminutive of KatherineMeaning:
"of the red earth; pure"Description:
Like a blend of vintage-style Edie and popular Katie, Keedie is either an invented name, a variant of the Scottish surname Keddy, or possibly a short form of Katherine.
In the case of Soprano singer Keedie Babb, her name was a creation of her father's, inspired by his love of pop star, Kiki Dee. As a variation of the Scottish surname, Keedie would ultimately derive from the Gaelic Mac Adaidh, meaning "the son of Adam" or "son of the red earth". As a diminutive of Katherine, Keedie likely draws inspiration from Kitty, Katie, Kadie, or Kiki.
- Miigwan
Origin:
OjibweMeaning:
"a feather"Description:
From the Ojibwe word for feather, Miigwan is used by the Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region and the northern plains. It was used for a a character in the 2022 Canadian TV comedy series, Shoresy, played by Keilani Rose
- Tancy
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"immortal"Description:
This adorable name of the young daughter on "Big Love" might be thought of as a variation of Tansy, an obscure flower name whose star may rise on the heels of such current favorites as Lily and Daisy.
- Sazz
Origin:
Invented nameDescription:
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.
- Dinesh
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"day lord"Description:
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.
- Colandrea
Origin:
Surname nameDescription:
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.
- Ciri
Origin:
Diminutive of Cirilla, LatinMeaning:
"lordly"Description:
Ciri may sound exactly like the ubiquitous digital Siri, but it's achieving fame in its own right as the familiar name of Princess Cirilla of The Witcher series. The name's meaning is a nod to her royal status.
- Shoshanna
Origin:
Spelling variation of Shoshana, HebrewMeaning:
"lily"Description:
Shoshanna is a variation of one of the best-known original Hebrew baby names for girls , the original of Susanna. This is the spelling used by Shoshanna Lonstein, a designer who creates the Shoshanna clothing line and also the name of one of the four leading characters on the TV show Girls, Shoshanna Shapiro.
- Eberwolf
Origin:
Germanic, pop cultureMeaning:
"boar wolf"Description:
Used for a character in the animated fantasy series, The Owl House, Eberwolf combines two animal related names together.
- Mook
Origin:
ThaiMeaning:
"pearl"Description:
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.
- Keyleth
Origin:
Invented name, ElvishMeaning:
"air"Description:
With the feel or sounds of Keeley, Gwyneth, and Delyth, Keyleth appears in the animated fantasy series, The Legend of Vox Machina, which was inspired by a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Creator Marisha Ray made the name by putting air related words into an Elvish translator, with led her to gwilith, which then became Keyleth.
- Dayanara
Origin:
Elaboration of Dayana, Spanish and KazakhMeaning:
"heavenly, faith"Description:
Former Miss Universe and former Mrs. Marc Anthony, Dayanara Torres has made a more lasting success of her name.
- Yasuke
Origin:
Japanese, meaning unknownDescription:
Yasuke was the first African samurai in Japan, who served as a retainer under Oda Nobunaga. He arrived in Japan in 1579 with Portuguese Jesuits and Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. Nobunaga took a special interest in Yasuke, who joined his force.