Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Video Game Baby Names
Across 10 pages
of 10
Godot
Invented name
Samuel Beckett, inspired by the French surname Godeau, created the name Godot for his play, Waiting for Godot . Americans tend to pronounce Godot with the emphasis on the second syllable, but Beckett…
Goemon
Goemon is a masculine Japanese name with significant historical and cultural importance in Japan. It is most famously associated with Ishikawa Goemon, a legendary ninja and folk hero from the 16th…
Goku
Japanese
"aware of emptiness"
Goku is the name of the protagonist of the popular "Dragon Ball" manga series, which was turned into a live action film. The character of Goku is reportedly based on Sun Wukong, the hero of the…
Goro
Japanese; variation of Gorou
"fifth son"
Variation of Gorou.
Hanzo
Japanese
Heard most frequently in 18th century Japan, Hanzo is a rarity in modern culture. Hattori Hanzo was a legendary samurai of the Sengoku Era. A modern day namesake might be Hanzo Shimada, from the…
Hiro
Japanese
"broad, widespread"
Hiro is an apt name for a hero of the show Heroes -- and for our times. Widely used in Japan, sometimes also for girls. Hiroshi is a long form.
Ico
Ico is a compact masculine name with multiple possible origins. In Japanese, it can mean 'first-born son' or relate to various kanji combinations with different meanings. It also appears in some…
Ike
Diminutive of Isaac, Hebrew
"laughter"
Ike, once the quirky one-person nickname of President Dwight Eisenhower, has morphed into a cool kid nickname of the early 21st century. The rise of Isaac and the stylishness of short down-to-earth…
Iori
Japanese, Welsh
In Welsh, a diminutive of Iorwerth. As a Japanese name, Iori stands alone.
Istredd
Literary name
Istredd is the name of sorceress Yennefer's former lover in The Witcher series, created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Some sources theorize that the name is related to the Scandinavian royal…
Jago
Cornish variation of Jacob or James
"supplanter"
A dashing alternative to the popular James and Jacob, Jago is the jaunty Cornish form of the Biblical names. Occasionally (or historically) appearing as Jagoe, Jego, and Jaego, it may have been…
Jak
Jak is a compact masculine name with multiple origins. It can be a short form of Jacob or Jack, names with Hebrew origins meaning 'supplanter'. In Polish and Czech contexts, Jak functions as an…
Jedah
Invented name
The -ah ending makes Jedah read feminine, but it was actually created for a male character in the video game Darkstalkers . One of the many unique baby names inspired by the gaming world.
Jojo
Jojo is a playful, gender-neutral name often used as a masculine name in its own right or as a nickname for names like Joseph, Jonathan, Jordan, or Johannes. Its repetitive structure gives it a…
Kage
Kage is a masculine name with multiple possible origins. In Japanese, it means "shadow" and is pronounced "kah-geh," though in English it's often pronounced to rhyme with "sage." The name could also…
Kain
Kain is a masculine name that represents an alternative spelling of Cain, one of the most ancient names in Judeo-Christian tradition. In biblical accounts, Cain was the first son of Adam and Eve who…
Kanji
Japanese word name
Kanji is the Japanese writing system that uses Han Chinese characters. It is occasionally used as a male given name in Japan. And as most names from Asian cultures have not yet emigrated to the west,…
Kenshi
Japanese
"swordsman"
Kenshi is a single-player video game set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy universe. In Japan, it's the term for "swordsman" rather than a name. Nine sets of American parents named their sons Kenshi in…
Kialos
Kialos is a rare masculine name with unclear origins, possibly having Greek or invented modern roots. The name has an exotic, melodic quality with its harmonious blend of vowels and consonants. It…
Kirby
Norse
"church settlement"
Attractive British place-name with a sense of humor. Fun fact: John Wayne played five characters with the first or second name of Kirby.