Golden Globe-Winning Names: Leonardo to Brie

By Meagan Burke at TulipByAnyName

The 73rd Annual Golden Globes were held on Sunday, January 10th and the big winners had some great names! Let’s celebrate their wins by examining those names.

WINNERS IN FILM

Best Actor in a Drama – Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Leonardo is handsome Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish form of Leonard. There’s a lot to love about this name with its smooth “o” ending.: Leonardo has the majestic meaning of “brave lion,” and comes with the lovable nickname Leo. Current ranking is Number 114.

Best Actress in a Drama – Brie Larson, Room

Brie can be a diminutive of several names from Aubrey to Brianna. Brie Larson’s full first name is Brianne, a feminine form of Brian meaning “high, noble.” Last year there were 94 girls named Brianne and 74 named Brie.

Best Director – Alejandro Inarritu, The Revenant

Alejandro is another big handsome name with an appealing “o” ending. Currently Number 157 in popularity, Alejandro is a Spanish form of Alexander, meaning “defending men.” Lady Gaga had a hit song in 2009 called “Alejandro.”

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy – Matt Damon, The Martian

Matthew is a classic and popular Hebrew name meaning “gift of God.” Matthew was a Top 10 name from 1972 till 2008 and is currently still at Number 16. A few other attractive forms of Matthew include Mateo, Matthais, and Matthieu.

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy – Jennifer Lawrence, Joy

Jennifer was all the rage in the 1970’s. The number One name from 1970 through 1984, a generation of Jennifer’s are now becoming mothers themselves. Jennifer is a Cornish form of the Welsh name Guinevere, meaning “white and fair.” It has now fallen outside the Top 200.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Sylvester comes from a Latin name meaning “of the forest.” Only 75 baby boys were named Sylvester last year. These days the name brings to mind two images, one of actor Stallone, and the other of Sylvester the Looney Tunes cat.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

A crisp, classic name, Kate is a diminutive of Katherine meaning “pure.” Kate Winslet is a personal favorite of mine, and has played many characters with many great names. Check out some of her interesting character names in my article 8 Great Kates http://tulipbyanyname.com/2015/07/16/eight-great-kates/

WINNERS IN TELEVISION

Best Actor in a Drama – Jon Hamm, MadMen

Jon Hamm’s full first name is Jonathan. Currently Number 44 in popularity, Jonathan has been in the Top 50 since 1969. Jonathan is a well-loved Hebrew name meaning “gift of Jehovah.” Jonathan may seem like a slightly more modern alternative to John, but John comes is still more popular at Number 26 in popularity.

Best Actress in a Drama – Taraji P. Henson, Empire

Taraji is a Swahili name meaning “hope.” Last year 200 little girls and 6 boys were named Taraji in the US. Could they have been named for the dynamic actress? Taraji is a rhythmic, spunky name, with a wonderfully positive meaning.

Best Actor is a Musical or Comedy – Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle

Gael is a name of uncertain meaning that may have derived from the word Gaelic. Gael is currently Number 213 in the US and is used in many Spanish-speaking countries: it is currently in the Top 100 in Catalonia, Mexico, and Spain.

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy – Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Rachel is a traditional Old Testament Hebrew name meaning “ewe.” A Top 50 name from 1972 to 2006, Rachel reached her peak in 1996, when she was Number 9, with over 16,000 girls given the name. It currently ranks at 155. Raquel is a Spanish and Portuguese variation, a bit less popular at Number 697.

Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie – Oscar Isaac, Show Me a Hero

Would you be surprised to know that Oscar has never ranked lower than 245 in popularity? Currently Number 183, Oscar has a bit of a disputed origin and meaning– it may derive from an English or Gaelic name meaning “deer-lover” or “God spear.”

Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie – Lady Gaga, American Horror Story: Hotel

As fun as Gaga is to say, Lady Gaga’s first name is Stefani, a variation Stephanie, a name that peaked in the 1980’s. Stephanie comes from Stephen, meaning “crown, garland.” If you’re a fan of Lady Gaga’s latest role, you may enjoy my article on names from American Horror Story: Hotel http://tulipbyanyname.com/2015/10/14/checking-in-names-from-american-horror-story-hotel/

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie – Christian Slater, Mr. Robot

Christian is a perennially popular Greek name meaning “follower of Christ.” Currently Number 42 on the list, Christian has been in the Top 50 steadily since 1991. Christian also ranks in the Top 100 in Australia, Austria, Chile, Denmark, Italy, and Norway.

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series of TV Movie – Maura Tierney, The Affair

Maura was last in the US Top 1,000 in 1996. In 2014 only 161 baby girls were given the name. Maura may be an anglicized form of Maire, meaning “bitter,” or could derive from the Gaelic word meaning “great.