Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Kindercore Names
Across 4 pages
of 4
Casper
Dutch form of Jasper, Persian
"bringer of treasure"
This ancient name, also spelled Caspar, is finally shedding its ghostly image and moving into the 21st century. Popular in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, where it's sometimes shortened to Cas,…
Wallace
Scottish
"foreigner, stranger"
Wallace is so square could almost be ripe for a turnaround, especially with the hipness imparted by the British Claymation series Wallace & Gromit . And Wally makes an adorable Leave it to Beaver…
Ernie
Variation of Ernest, English from German
"serious, resolute"
Not too long ago, Ernie may have felt totally out of style: a clunky old man nickname, best reserved for grandpa alongside Merle, Errol, and Barney. Now however, it's a rising star, a vintage revival…
Garfield
English
"triangular field"
Despite the presidential pedigree, it's still hard to shake the image of the cartoon cat (named after his creator Jim Davis's grandfather). However, there are other Garfields, such as Barbadian…
Gidget
Modern invented name
Gidget was the surfer girl who started it all. She was the subject of six novels by Frederick Kohner, and the 1959 film in which she made her theatrical debut, starring Sandra Dee, helped make…
Gilligan
Irish
"lad"
With the jaunty rhythm of other Irish surnames like Finnegan and Sullivan, plus the possibility for cool nickname Gil, this seems like a good candidate for the first name slot. It was the name of the…
Grover
English
"one who lives near a grove of trees"
Forget the furry blue Muppet, forget corpulent President Cleveland (not too difficult), and consider this name anew. We think it's spunky, a little funky, and well worth a second look, similar in…
Hobbes
English variation of Robert
"bright fame"
All varieties of Hob are antiquated nicknames for Robert, though this one has the "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon association too. It may also be linked to philosopher Thomas Hobbes, giving it a more…
Huckleberry
Word name and literary name
Everybody knows Huckleberry Finn, the Mark Twain character named, Twain said, for the 19th century slang term for "humble." A few modern parents have put it on a birth certificate, including "Man Vs.…
Jiminy
Jiminy is a masculine name that gained recognition primarily through the character Jiminy Cricket in Disney's 'Pinocchio.' Rather than having ancient roots, this whimsical name evolved from the…
Junie
Diminutive of June
A cute nickname, but June is a much better bet for the birth certificate.
Kermit
Irish, variant of Diarmaid/Dermot
"without injunction, without envy"
Kermit was a Top 500 name until the 1960s, not coincidentally the decade in which Kermit the Frog made it a one-person (well, one-frog) name. Derived from the Irish surname Mac Diamada, itself from…
Kiki
French nickname and Japanese
"double happiness"
Kiki is one of the Coco-Gigi-Fifi-Lulu bohemian-type French nickname names from the turn of the last century, which have endless energy and sparkle. Artist Kiki Smith is its most well-known…
Lassie
The name Lassie originates from Scottish culture, where it was traditionally used as a term for a young girl or maiden. However, its widespread recognition comes primarily from the fictional female…
Lilo
German, diminutive of Liselotte; Hawaiian
"God is my oath + freeman; generous one"
Lilo is the name of the spunky little Hawaiian girl character in the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch -- and is also Lindsay Lohan's nickname. Multi-cultural, it can be found in Hawaiian, German and Hebrew…
Linus
Greek
"flax"
Can Linus lose its metaphorical security blanket and move from the Peanuts page onto the birth certificate? We think it has enough charm and other positive elements going for it for the answer to be…
Mickey
Diminutive of Michael, Hebrew
"who is like God?"
Pugnacious and spunky like the young Mickey Rooney and the original Mickey Mouse, but virtually never given to babies today.
Miffy
Invented name
The adorable and iconic bunny character Miffy was created in 1955 by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. Her Dutch name is Nijntje, a contraction of the Dutch word for "little bunny", konijntje . Bruna searched…
Minnie
Diminutive of Wilhelmina, German
"resolute protection"
Minnie was wildly popular at the turn of the last century — it was the fifth or sixth most popular name throughout the 1880s — but is completely obscure in the US today. Blame Mickey's girlfriend.…
Nemo
Greek
"nobody"
One of the best known early Nemos was the captain in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea , while the more familiar modern one is the animated little orange fish in the Disney movie. Unusual name…