TV Character Names

Fierce meaning, gentle image. This name is very common in Israel, where an endearing pet form is Dubi.

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.

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.

A commanding word name that feels occupational like Miller, Palmer, and Shepherd, while also fitting in with ambitious choices like Legend, King, Major, Maverick, and Saint. Referring to someone who takes the lead and holds influence and responsibility, Captain has links to team sports, the military, seafaring, superheroes, and the police.

This name of a town in Scotland, one of the earliest recorded surnames in the whole British Isles, has more vitality than Kelsey. Distinctive in sound with a cool -o ending and a stylish K initial, it feels part Kayce, Kairo, and Kolson, part Carlisle, Cosmo, and Jago, with just a touch of Marlowe and Casper about it too.

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

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.

Seeley is a Medieval surname with a happy, fortunate meaning.

Atia Balba Caesonia was a Roman noblewoman who was the mother of Emperor Augustus. As was the practice at the time, she had two sisters also named Atia, Atia Prima and Atia Tertia. The real-life Atia was reportedly a more worthy personage than the scheming Atia on HBO's "Rome."

If you want a pan-Scandinavian name with energy and style that could have been a winner, if not for the sound-alike water filtration company Brita.

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.

A Dorothy nickname name with a measure of nostalgic charm. Kids will associate it with the funny fish character voiced by Ellen DeGeneres in the Pixar animated instant classic Finding Nemo.

One of the original so-weird-it's-cruel celebrity baby names doesn't sound quite so impossible with the resurgence of virtue names. But be charitable and choose Charity instead.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.