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Hunger Games Baby Names

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Sat Sep 16 2023
Hunger Games Baby Names

The Hunger Games trilogy has inspired a post-Harry Potter generation of original baby names. Author Suzanne Collins used a mix of historical, mythological, and totally invented names to set the scene for her dystopian society, placed roughly 150 years in the future. In the country of Panem, Octavia and Androcles exist alongside Glimmer and Marvel.

Along with Octavia, other Hunger Games baby names in the US Top 1000 include Alma, Apollo, Bonnie, Cecelia, Darius, Felix, Otto, and Rory. Among Collins’ original creations are Haymitch, Finnick, and of course, Katniss.

Unlike Harry Potter, which influenced the rise of names such as Luna and Arabella, the Hunger Games has not inspired a baby name revolution. The biggest success has been Finnick, a name Collins created, which is now given to over 100 baby boys each year.

These Hunger Games characters' names, which include elements from ancient history and sci-fi, might be right for your literary baby. Take a look at our compilation below, ordered by their popularity on Nameberry.

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  1. Lucy

    • Origin:

      English variation of Lucia, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "light"

    • Description:

      A versatile classic, Lucy is both sweet and solid, a saint's name, and the heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now a popular choice in the US, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.
  2. Felix

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "happy, fortunate"

    • Description:

      Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks ranks with the standard Franks and Freds. Felix is also an international darling, ranking in the Top 100 in several European and English-speaking countries.
  3. Finnick

    • Origin:

      Literary invention

    • Description:

      Finnick has risen to prominence as a first name via The Hunger Games, in which Finnick Odair was a winner of the games. A wearable literary creation, Finnick was given to 136 boys in the US in a recent year.
  4. Otto

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "wealthy"

    • Description:

      Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers.
  5. Alma

    • Origin:

      Latin, Hebrew, Kazakh

    • Meaning:

      "nurturing, soul; young woman; apple"

    • Description:

      Alma is a solemn, soulful, yet gentle sounding name that became fashionable in England following the Battle of Alma during the 19th century Crimean War. A name with multiple origins, Alma has subtle, international flair and plenty of vintage charm.
  6. Juno

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "queen of the heavens; young"

    • Description:

      Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno, this lively but strong Roman goddess name has held new potential as a baby name. Currently in the UK Top 500 and used in The Netherlands too, Juno is on the rise in the US - and is 15 times more popular than it was before the release of the film.
  7. Aurelius

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "the golden one"

    • Description:

      Since Aurelius was given the supermodel seal of approval by Elle Macpherson, it has joined Augustus as an ancient Roman name that feels usable today. Slightly mystical and magical with a golden hue, Aurelius is grounded by its similarity to rising stars Aurora, Aurelia, and Atticus.
  8. Rue

    • Origin:

      Botanical names or word name

    • Meaning:

      "herb; regret"

    • Description:

      Rue has gone from Golden Girls actress to Hunger Games heroine to a fresh alternative to beloved middle name Rose. This botanical name is also a coincidental double word name, meaning "regret" in English and "street" in French. Despite these unfortunate secondary meanings, Rue has real potential to be one of the most popular new middle names for girls.
  9. Bonnie

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "beautiful, cheerful"

    • Description:

      Bonnie is an adorable nickname name, heading back up the popularity list after a 50-year nap. A Top 100 girls' name throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Americans are later to jump on the Bonnie bandwagon but now it's trending here too.
  10. Octavia

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "eighth"

    • Description:

      Octavia began as the Latin, then Victorian name for an eighth child. While there aren't many eighth children anymore, this ancient Roman name has real possibilities as a substitute for the overused Olivia; recommended for its combination of classical and musical overtones. It was chosen for his daughter by Kevin Sorbo.
  11. Diana

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "divine"

    • Description:

      Diana, the tragic British princess, inspired many fashions, but strangely, not one for her name. For us, Diana is a gorgeous and still-underused choice.
  12. Apollo

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "destroyer; strength; father's light"

    • Description:

      With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, and melodic option. Similar in style to Atlas and Atticus and similar in sound to Arlo, Paolo, Paul, and Ollie, Apollo entered the US Top 1000 back in 2012, and was propelled upwards after it was chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale in 2014.
  13. Persephone

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bringer of destruction"

    • Description:

      Magical and earthy, sophisticated but off-beat, Persephone appears as the daughter of Zeus by Demeter in Greek mythology. After she was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld, it was decreed by Zeus that she would spend six months of the year with her mother, allowing crops to grow, and six in mourning, thus accounting for the change of seasons. As such, she is both the goddess of the Underworld and of Spring.
  14. Dennis

    • Origin:

      French from Greek, vernacular form of Dionysius

    • Meaning:

      "god of Nysa"

    • Description:

      Although it has come to sound Irish, Dennis is one of the most widely-used French names (St. Denis is the patron saint of France) and harks back even further to Dionysius, the Greek god of wine and debauchery. It was introduced to England by the Normans.
  15. Lenore

    • Origin:

      German variation of Leonora, Italian derivative of Eleonora, meaning unknown

    • Description:

      A "modernization" of Leonora that has suddenly come back on the radar along with the many other Leo names--both male and female. With literary cred via a famous eponymous poem by Edgar Allan Poe (and also in his even more famous The Raven,) Lenore was steadily in the top half of the popularity list until the mid-fifties, falling off in 1973. Cameron Diaz played a Lenore in The Green Hornet.
  16. Marcus

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "warlike"

    • Description:

      Though ancient, Marcus now sounds more current than Mark, in tune with today's trend towards us-ending Latinate names.
  17. Annie

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Ann

    • Meaning:

      "grace"

    • Description:

      Annie is one of the most open and optimistic, the-sun'll-come-out-tomorrow type of name, having been celebrated over the years in song (Annie Laurie), comic strip (Little Orphan Annie), folklore (Annie Oakley, born Phoebe), and film (Annie Hall). It strikes a nice old-fashioned-but-jaunty chord that still has appeal, but we do suggest that you consider putting a more formal version on her birth certificate.
  18. Billy

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of William

    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"

    • Description:

      Cute kid with freckles, bouncing a Spalding ball. Cool couple Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton put the name Billy Burton on their son's birth certificate. While the classic William, name of the future king of England, may in fact be German, the nickname Billy along with such other classic short forms as Jim and Joe are authentically English names for boys.
  19. Primrose

    • Origin:

      English flower name

    • Meaning:

      "first rose"

    • Description:

      A quaint and quirky flower name, until recently considered a bit too prim for most American classrooms but brought back to life in recent years by the attractive character of Primrose "Prim" Everdeen in the Hunger Games series. In the Top 300 girl names in England and Wales and on Nameberry, Primrose remains rare in the US, but is made more accessible by a raft of sweet nickname options, including Rosie and Posy.
  20. Cato

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "all-knowing"

    • Description:

      Cato conjures up images of ancient Roman statesmen and southern antebellum retainers; it could have revival potential, with its 'O' ending and the current interest in the names of Greek and Roman antiquity.

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