TV Character Names

Issa might make more sense if you're using it as a nickname for any one of the various names ending in -issa, but this spelling is also an Arabic and Hebrew boy name. The Isa spelling is almost exclusively feminine. 

Issa

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.

Hiro

This Hindu goddess name has a powerful heritage plus lively sound with a devilish edge. If you're enchanted by <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/433/goddess-baby-names">goddess names</a> but want to set your little girl apart from all the Lunas and Athenas in the playground, consider Devi.

Giving Devi a more serious edge, it's the middle name of Kamala Harris, whose mother was from India. About 50 baby girls were named Devi in the US last year.

Devi

Connell is an Irish masculine name derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Conaill, meaning "descendant of Conall." The original name Conall combines the elements "con" (wolf or hound) and "all" (mighty), translating to "strong wolf" or "strong as a wolf." Connell carries a sense of strength and resilience with its powerful animal association. The name gained moderate popularity in Ireland and Scottish Highlands historically but remained relatively uncommon globally. In recent decades, it has seen some increased usage in English-speaking countries, appealing to parents seeking a distinctive name with Celtic roots and masculine qualities. Its connection to Irish heritage makes it particularly appealing to those with Irish ancestry.

Connell

A British-accented Greek name with an intellectual image that has been off the U.S. charts since 1966, but was a Top 300 name at the turn of the last century. We have the feeling Cyril's ready for a comeback.
 Cyril is the name of several saints, including the ninth century Greek missionary who invented the Cyrillic alphabet. In literature, there are Cyrils featured in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta, Princess Ida and D. H. Lawrence's novel, The White Peacock. 
 Oscar Wilde named a son Cyril. Cyrilla and Cyrille are the appealing female forms.

Cyril

Enola has a lot of potential as a name: it includes the stylish 'nola' sound; it follows a similar letter pattern to the likes of Elora, Elara, and Elodie; it has a hint of Nevaeh about it, given that it is "alone" spelled backwards; it's familiar but not popular. For many decades, however, it was known only in relation to the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the Enola Gay, and has been understandably avoided. 

While the exact meaning of the name is uncertain, Enola first appeared in the 19th century and was used in several popular novels during the period, most notably in Enola; or, her Fatal Mistake by Mary Young Ridenbaugh in 1886, and in Enola; or The Rescue, a sequel to The Prairie Rangers by William H. Chaney in the 1860s. The aforementioned plane, the Enola Gay, was named for the pilot's mother, who was supposedly named after a character in a book her father was reading.
 
It is possible that the name was created by reversing the word alone, though it might also have been influenced by names such as Elnora and Enora. Alternatively, it has been suggested that it is an English spelling of the Cherokee name Inole or Inola, meaning "black fox".
 
Enola reappeared in the French charts back in the 90s, while more recently, in 2021, it made its debut in the England and Wales Top 1000. This could be owing to author Nancy Springer's use of the name in her Conan Doyle inspired novels, now turned Netflix movie, Enola Holmes. She chose the name for this (non-canonical) younger sister of the detective due to its relation to the word alone. 
 
In the US too, the Enola Holmes movie increased use of the name fivefold in 2021, and in a recent year, it was given to 70 girls.

Enola

With other fruity names like Clementine, Olive and Plum ripe for the picking, sweet Cherry remains remarkably underused: just 27 baby girls received the name in 2017, down from 343 at its peak in 1948. The unsavory slang meaning no doubt goes a long way towards explaining its fall from grace.

Cherry

Stately Gaius (pronounced GUY-us) was in the name of many ancient Romans, including Julius Caesar. Little-used before the year 2000, it now feels like a fresh possibility in the revival of Latin boys' names like Atticus and Cassius. Caius and derivatives like Caio come from the same root, and in ancient Roman times Caius was probably pronounced as Gaius. You could also see Gaius as a male version of the earth-goddess name Gaia.

Gaius

Wilfred is one of those Old Man Names that still sounds fusty in the US but is fashionable in the UK. It comes with readymade short forms Will, Wilf, or Fred and might make an adventurous alternative to the ubiquitous William. The central character of Walter Scott's Ivanhoe is the knight Wilfred of Ivanhoe while Wilfred Owen is a well-known British poet, noteworthy for his war poetry.

Wilfred

Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.
 Fellow singer James Taylor named one of his twins Rufus, and Rufus Humphrey is a Gossip Girl character. Rufus Sewell is a commanding, intense English actor.
 Rufus is mentioned in the New Testament as the name of a son of Simon the Cytherian, and there are several St. Rufuses. He's also a major figure in the George Eliot novel Felix Holt: The Radical, an honest and passionate preacher and politician.

Rufus

Former Miss Universe and former Mrs. Marc Anthony, Dayanara Torres has made a more lasting success of her name. 

Dayanara

Earnest is a masculine name of English origin that developed from the word 'earnest,' meaning 'serious,' 'sincere,' or 'determined.' The name gained popularity during the Victorian era when virtue names were fashionable and personal qualities were considered appropriate inspirations for given names. Oscar Wilde's 1895 play 'The Importance of Being Earnest' playfully highlighted the name's association with seriousness and sincerity. Throughout the early 20th century, Earnest maintained moderate popularity in English-speaking countries, particularly in the United States, before gradually declining after the 1950s. Often confused with Ernest (without the 'a'), this spelling variant has always been less common. The name conveys qualities of dedication, sincerity, and moral seriousness, making it appealing to parents who value these traditional virtues.

Earnest

Ethel is a name we once declared as 'So Far Out They'll Probably Always Be Out,' but with the return of other names on that list and with its new starbaby cred via Lily Allen, its soft sound and admirable meaning, we're not so sure.
 At the turn of the last century, when Ethel Barrymore was the belle of Broadway, her first name was wildly popular, a Top 10 name for sixteen years and in the Top 100 until 1939. Other well-known bearers have been musical stars Ethel Merman and Ethel Waters and Robert Kennedy's widow. Not so distinguished: Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy".
 Ethel fell away from such Old English appellations as Ethelberta, Ethelreda and Ethelinda. Now THOSE, we think we can safely say, are so far out they'll always be out.

Ethel

Though it may not be as sweet and gentle as, say, Violet, the purple-hued Hyacinth still might hold some appeal for the parent seeking a truly unusual flower name. 
 
In Greek mythology, Hyacinthus was a Spartan youth accidentally killed by Apollo, from whose blood sprang a beautiful and fragrant flower, and it is also the name of several saints; Hyacinth became exclusively female in the nineteenth century. To the ancients, Hyacinth was, in addition to being a bluebell-like blossom, the name of a precious stone.
 
Hyacinth Bridgerton is the youngest child of the fictional Bridgerton family, named in alphabetical order from A-H. There is a character named Hyacinth Robinson in Henry James's The Princess Casamassima and Hyacinth Bucket is the social-climbing character on the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, with sisters named Daisy, Rose, and Violet. To underscore her pretentiousness, Hyacinth Bucket insisted that her last name be pronounced as "bouquet".
 
You might also consider the Spanish version, Jacinta.

Hyacinth

Pandora has occasionally been used by the British gentry (for girls with brothers who might be called Peregrine) and is now starting to be heard in the US too: It was given to 34 baby girls last year. 
 Down side: Pandora was the mythological first woman on earth whose curiosity caused her to lift a forbidden box and inadvertently unleash all the evils of the world. But perhaps she's paid the price long enough--Pandora is riding the wave of mythological names used for babies after centuries of being confined to legend.
 Pandora is the eponymous title character of an Anne Rice vampire novel, and appears in the Adrian Mole books. There was a Pandora character on Skins, who was adorably called Panda.

Pandora

Homer is a name of two halves, associated with the ancient Greek poet of the epic Odyssey and with the (often) doltish patriarch of The Simpsons. So does that make Homer a classic and scholarly choice — or is it clunky and cartoonish?
 
Derived from ancient Greek homeros, the name can mean "hostage, pledge" or more figuratively, "security". It was popular in the US from at least the 19h-century onwards and featured in the Top 1000 until the early 1980s when it fell into decline. In a recent count, just 21 boys were called Homer in the US, ranking it alongside Icarus, Howie, Essex, and Lyfe in the same year. 
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Interestingly, however, Homer has been a surprising celebrity pick on multiple occasions, selected by Richard Gere, Bill Murray, and Anne Heche. Simpsons creator Matt Groening also has both a father and a son named Homer.
 
Returning to its Greek roots, however, Homer is associated with the term "homeric", which implies work on an enormous scale, and with "homeric laughter" too, in reference ro the unrestrained laughter of the Greek gods. 
 
In fact, 2026 might just have marked a turning point for the name, reacquainting it with its ancient roots, following the movie adaptation of The Odyssey in the same year.

Homer

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.
 
Used sporadically throughout the 20th century, Captain is currently given to around 20 boys each year in the US. Some might certainly find it best reserved as a title or for a pet, but current naming trends could see it rise.
 
Footballer Captain Munnerlyn is one notable bearer, while the BBC sitcom Ghosts features a character who goes by Captain (or The Captain) nearly exclusively.

Captain

Theon, an ancient name attached to a noted Greek teacher of mathematics and astronomy, also father to the first woman mathematician, might appeal to parents in this field. You can think of Theon as Theo with something a little extra. Theon is also the name of a major character in Game of Thrones -- albeit a rather notorious character, Theon Greyjoy, who is known as Reek after undergoing months of brutal torture at the hands of sadist Ramsay Snow.

Theon

Tyrion is one of the many new names entering the lexicon thanks to George R. R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones book.  Tyrion's name shares its first two letters with those of his father Tywin and his grandfather Tytos.  The Tyrion Lannister character, a dwarf, is played by award-winning actor Peter Dinklage.  Martin has said he saw the Tyrion character as being both the ugliest and the most intelligent person in the world, a mixed legacy for any child.

Tyrion

Although Fraser is the more common (and original) form of this surname, Frasier is perhaps more familiar in the US thanks to the eponymous sitcom. Kelsey Grammer portrayed psychiatrist Frasier Crane from 1984 to 2004 — first on Cheers and then in his own spinoff series, Frasier.

Frasier

The names of television characters, from the days of the Western and early soap operas, have always been influential, with life imitating the small screen and vice versa.

Names of TV characters include current favorites, historic revivals, and writer creations. 

 include Archer, Dexter, Eleanor, Eve, Malcolm, Quinn, Sawyer, and Willow. Names with distinctive character connections include Homer, Meadow, Frasier, Hyacinth, and Eleven.

Not all of these TV character names come highly recommended (sorry, Turtle), but there are plenty of wonderful gems in this collection.

TV character names, including baby boy names and baby girl names from popular television shows, with meanings, origins, and popularity.. (Page 7)