Sci-Fi Baby Names
Updated Tue Feb 13 2024
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Sci-fi baby names come from the most popular science fiction movies, books, and television shows. Science fiction writers love to choose obscure, rare names for their characters, sometimes going so far as to invent names themselves, such as Kylo and Katniss.
Along with Kylo, other sci-fi baby names in the US Top 1000 include Dash, Fox, Holden, Kira, Leia, Max, Serenity, and Trinity. Names that owe their success directly to a science fiction franchise include Ripley, Neo, and Mazikeen, a newly rising name from Neil Gaiman’s comic book Sandman.
If you are searching for a distinctive and cool name for your child, you should consider taking inspiration from sci-fi character names. From Star Wars to Blade Runner, here's a list of unique science fiction baby names, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Ada
Origin:
German or TurkishMeaning:
"noble, nobility, or island"Description:
Ada is one of the classic baby names for girls that is suddenly super stylish again. A favorite at the end of the nineteenth century, Ada is an alternative to the over-popular Ava. Ada is also part of the trend toward simple, old-fashioned names beginning with a vowel, like Ivy and Ella.
- Max
Origin:
English and German diminutive of Maximilian or MaxwellMeaning:
"greatest"Description:
Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby namers. Max is a widely used name internationally.
- Lorelei
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"alluring, temptress"Description:
The lovely Lorelei, a name from old German legend, was a beautiful Rhine River seductress whose haunting voice led sailors to hazardous rocks that would cause them to be shipwrecked. And this siren image clung to the name for ages.
- Cade
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"round, barrel; battle"Description:
Strong and modern, Cade shot up the popularity lists around the millennium—it was as high as Number 201 in 2001. Now, it has declined in popularity slightly, but nevertheless remains in the US Top 300, given to around 1200 babies each year. Combined with all the baby Kades, Cadens, Kaidens and Kaydens however, it might feel even more popular that it actually is.
- Clover
Origin:
Flower name, from Old EnglishMeaning:
"key"Description:
Clover is a charming, perky choice if you want to move beyond hothouse blooms like Rose and Lily, and it's recently become a new celeb favorite, chosen by both Neal McDonough and Natasha Gregson Wagner, who used it to honor her mother, Natalie Wood, one of whose most iconic films was Inside Daisy Clover.
- Kira
Origin:
Russian feminine variation of CyrusMeaning:
"throne"Description:
Though such cognates of Kira as Keira, Kyra, and Ciara are increasingly popular throughout Europe and in the U.S., this Cyrus relative has a different root. As with all the many variations of this appealing name, there is often confusion around spelling and pronunciation -- does the first syllable rhyme with ear or eye?
- Roy
Origin:
French or CelticMeaning:
"king or red-haired"Description:
We've seen Ray regain his cool, but could this country/cowboy name epitomized by Roy Rogers (born Leonard Slye), Acuff, and Clark, do the same?
- Holden
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"hollow valley"Description:
Holden is a classic case of a name that jumped out of a book and onto birth certificates--though it took quite a while. Parents who loved J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye are flocking to the name of its hero, Holden Caulfield -- not coincidentally in tune with the Hudson-Hayden-Colton field of names.
- River
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
Most of the notable Rivers have been male, but this nature name certainly flows as well for a girl. The name River is still rising for both genders, with about 3500 baby boys receiving the name last year vs. 1900 baby girls.
- Lazarus
Origin:
Latinized Greek variation of Hebrew EleazarMeaning:
"God is my helper"Description:
Lazarus is a name that looks as if it could possibly be raised from the dead, just like its biblical bearer. Look for it in the next wave of Old Testament revivals that transcend their long-bearded images, the way Noah, Moses, and Abraham have for this generation.
- Samara
Origin:
Hebrew, ArabicMeaning:
"under God's rule, companion in night conversation"Description:
Alluring and lovely — and much more distinctive now than Samantha or Tamara. Samara is a city in western Russia, a winged seed like the whirlygigs that fall from maple trees, as well as a bona fide first name that could make a more unusual update on Samantha or Mara. It can also be a variant spelling of the Arabic name Samira or Sameera.
- Neo
Origin:
Latin or TswanaMeaning:
"new or gift"Description:
This nouveau name of Keanu Reeves's character in The Matrix has not enjoyed the same burst of popularity as its female counterpart, Trinity, but it definitely sounds, well, newer. Neo Rauch is an interesting contemporary German artist.
- Rune
Origin:
German and SwedishMeaning:
"secret"Description:
Name with connotations both mystical and tragic, newly popular in Europe. For English speakers, though, this name might be ruined by its homonym ruin.
- Trinity
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"triad"Description:
A name that feels both spiritual and trendy, Trinity surged up the charts in the early 2000s, following the release of The Matrix. In just two years, it made an impressive jump from the latter end of the charts to the US Top 100, where it remained for more than a decade.
- Bria
Origin:
Diminutive of Briana or GabriellaMeaning:
"hill, high; God is my strong man"Description:
Sweet and sparky but maybe a little bit stuck in the 90s, Bria is a nickname-y style choice with various origins.
- Fox
Origin:
Animal nameDescription:
Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files. Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting middle name.
- Leia
Origin:
Variation of Leah, Laya, or Leya, Portuguese, Spanish, English, SanskritMeaning:
"weary; the law; dissolution"Description:
Most familiar in the English speaking world as the Star Wars princess, Jedi, and leader, Leia can be considered a pop culture choice, created by George Lucas who in turn likely based it on the Biblical Leah. It has been in the US Top 1000 since the mid-2000s and is also a popular choice in the UK and Sweden.
- Galen
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"calm, healer"Description:
Many will associate this name with Galen of Pergamon, the second-century physician considered to be the founding father of medicine. A more recent reference is Star Wars character Galen Erso. The name still projects a gentle, scholarly image, while sharing sounds with more popular names like Aiden and Nathan. Bonus: it's also an anagram of Angel.
- Kaylee
Origin:
American variation of KaylaMeaning:
"laurel, crown"Description:
A widely used name, Kaylee pulls together something from Kayla and something from Hailey, yet somehow loses something in the process. It has surpassed cousin Kayla on the charts and is one of three girls' names starting with Kthat ranks in the US Top 100.
- Talon
Origin:
French word nameMeaning:
"large claw of a bird of prey"Description:
Despite its somewhat menacing meaning, this name has been widely used in recent years, probably due to the appeal of its trendy on ending.