Pet Names for Geeks and Nerds

This buoyant name has the same bouncy rhythm as Rafferty and Barnaby, but is virtually unused. It has plenty of literary cred, too: characters in The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native have all borne the name.

For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis.

Echo, the pretty, resonant name of a legendary nymph, was the heroine of Joss Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse. Nick Hexum, of the band 311, named his daughter Echo Love.

This spelling of Electra makes this vibrant name less electric and more kinetic.

Gambit means ploy or trick, which makes it an appropriate name for a little player. Eight boys were named Gambit in the US in one recent year.

A green-skinned superhero from the Marvel universe, played by Vanessa Marshall and Zoe Saldana, among others.

Gellert is a masculine name with Hungarian and Germanic origins, most famously associated with the Hungarian composer Gellért Szabó and St. Gellért (Gerard), an Italian missionary who became the first Bishop of Csanád in Hungary. The name derives from elements meaning 'spear' and 'strong,' reflecting warrior qualities valued in medieval European culture. Gellert gained literary recognition through J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series with the character Gellert Grindelwald, introducing it to a wider international audience. Despite this exposure, the name remains uncommon in English-speaking countries, maintaining its exotic appeal. With its distinctive sound and rich historical associations, Gellert offers parents a unique option that combines strength with cultural depth, particularly appealing to those with Hungarian or Germanic heritage.

Geralt is an antiquated version of the old-fashioned name Gerald, which has been dropping toward the bottom of the US Top 1000 since the early 1940s and finally dropped out in 2021.

Spacey.

Gentle giant Rubeus Hagrid is the groundskeeper at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter novels (probably after Hagrid Rubes, the equally kind ancient Greek mythological giant), but that's not the only reason this name could prove a playground liability.

An ancient German saint's name – and most famously the name of Harry Potter's snowy owl – but the combination of "head" plus "wig" feels a little too literal in English.

Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own.