TV Baby Names: Calling Dr. Character Name!
By Meagan Burke, TulipByAnyName
The doctors are in and they have some fabulous names! So let’s explore the great names of famous TV doctors past and present for a healthy dose of name inspiration!
Dr. Jack Shephard was a spinal surgeon on Lost played by Matthew Fox. There are countless notable associations to Jack, from author Jack London to president Jack Kennedy. Jack is currently Number 41 in the U.S, and is mega popular worldwide, ranking in the Top 5 in Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
Michaela Anne “Dr.Mike” Quinn, M.D. was the lead character on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, played by Jane Seymour. Michaela,the feminine form of Michael is currently ranked at 478, having peaked in the late 1990s. Other spelling variations including Makayla, Mikaela, and Mikayla also rank within the US Top 1,000. A few other fun nicknames for Michaela beside Mike include Mickey, Mika, Millie, Kaylie, Kayla, and Kay.
Hawkeye Pierce
Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce, B.S., M.D. was the medic on M*A*S*H played by Alan Alda (TV) and Donald Sutherland (film). Though a lot of little boys would probably enjoy the nickname Hawkeye, we’ll stick to Benjamin, the character’s given first name. Benjamin is an enduringly popular Hebrew name meaning son of the right hand, currently the most popular it has ever ranked at Number 12. If you love Ben names as I do, you may also consider Bennett, Benedict, or Benson. Ben Casey was an early TV Dr. Ben.
Doogie Howser
Douglas “Doogie” Howser, M.D. was a teenage physician on Doogie Howser, M.D. played by Neil Patrick Harris. Douglas comes from the Scottish name Dubhghlas meaning dark blue; it originated as a river name and is also the name of a Scottish clan. Currently Number 598 in popularity, Douglas has been used as a first name since the 16th century. George Clooney played another famous doctor named Douglas in his breakout role as Dr. Douglas “Doug” Ross on the hit show ER.
Frasier Winslow Crane M.D. Ph.D. was the psychiatrist on Cheers and _Frasie_r played by Kelsey Grammer. Frasier is a spelling variation of Fraser, a Scottish surname meaning strawberry. Although rarely used in the US, Fraser is Number 67 in Scotland and Number 220 in England and Wales. Frazier is another spelling variant, which you may recognize as the surname of TV host Kevin Frazier and former basketball star Walt Frazier.
Dr. Addison Adrianne Forbes Montgomery was a neonatal surgeon on Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice played by Kate Walsh. Addison is a unisex English patronymic surname that is a Top 100 girls’ name in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US, where it currently ranks at Number 24. Addison first entered the Top 1,000 in 1994, thanks partly to this character and also to its similar sound to the popular Madison, a Top 10 name. Addison also shares its beginning sound with Adelaide and Adeline, both of which are rising in popularity. We’re sure to hear even more little Addies/Addys on the schoolyard.
House
Gregory House, M.D. was the protagonist doctor on House M.D. played by Hugh Laurie. Currently number 316, Gregory has been steadily declining in popularity. A Greek name meaning watchful and alert, Gregory peaked in 1963. It was a popular name among early Christians, attached to several popes and saints. If you’re looking for a new twist on this old name you may consider Gregor or Greer, both of which share Gregory’s roots.
Dr. McCoy “Bones”
Leonard H. “Bones” McCoy was a doctor on Star Trek played by DeForest Kelley. Leonard peaked in 1923 when it was Number 37; it’s much less popular now, though still used at Number 662. A German name meaning brave lion, Leonard was introduced to England by the Normans. A current TV tie to the name Leonard is the character Leonard Hofstadter, on The Big Bang Theory.
Meredith Grey, M.D. is a general surgeon on Grey’s Anatomy played by Ellen Pompeo. Meredith originated as a male name, but is now more commonly used for girls. It peaked in the early 1980s and is now at Number 606. Meredith is derived from the Welsh Maredudd or Meredydd, meaning sea lord or great ruler. Notable real-life Merediths include journalist Meredith Vieira and singer Meredith Brooks.
Marcus Welby was an iconic doctor on the long-running Marcus Welby, M.D. played by Robert Young. Marcus is a Latin name derived from Mars, the Roman god of war and is a name with staying power. Never dipping in the charts below the 300’s, Marcus peaked in 1984, and currently sits at 158. Marcus is in the Top 100 right now in Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, and Norway. Michael Jordan used the name Marcus James for his son in 1990.
Sean McNamara
Sean McNamara was a plastic surgeon on Nip/Tuck played by Dylan Walsh. Sean is a popular Irish form of the name John that was in the Top 100 from 1965 to 2009 and currently sits just out of the Top 200 at spot 193. Several actors share this handsome name, a few of which include Seans Penn, Connery, Astin, and Hayes. I have a soft spot for Sean as it is my little brother’s name.
Some other famous TV doctors include…
Christian Troy from Nip/Tick played by Julian McMahon
Christopher Duncan Turk from Scrubs played by Donald Faison
Cristina Yang from Grey’s Anatomy played by Sandra Oh
Derek Shepherd from Grey’s Anatomy played by Patrick Dempsey
Elizabeth Corday from ER played by Alex Kingston
Heathcliff Huxtable from The Cosby Show played by Bill Cosby
James Kildare from Dr. Kildare played by Richard Chamberlain
Jeffrey Geiger from Chicago Hope played by Mandy Patinkin
Joel Fleischman from Northern Exposure played by Rob Morrow
John Michael “J.D.”Dorian from Scrubs, played by Zach Braaff
John Truman Carter III from ER played by Noah Wyle
John “Trapper” McIntyre from Trapper John, M.D. played by Pernell Roberts
Kathryn Austin from Chicago Hope played by Christine Lahti
Leanne Rorish from Code Black played by Marcia Gay Harden
Mark Sloan from Diagnosis Murder played by Dick Van Dyke
Miranda Bailey from Grey’s Anatomy played by Chandra Wilson
Paul Lochner from Medical Center played by James Daly
Phillip Chandler from St. Elsewhere played by Denzel Washington
Who are your favorite TV doctors?