Names Every Disney Fan Should Know

  1. Merida
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "one who has achieved a high place of honor"
    • Description:

      You'll probably be hearing more of this name thanks to the newest Pixar film, featuring Princess Merida, the first Pixar princess--a feisty, athletic, independent medieval Scottish girl with wild red hair. Her name, however, is not Scottish, but a Spanish place name found in both Spain and Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.
  2. Taran
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      "thunder"
    • Description:

      Taran mac Ainftech was King of the Picts, a people who lived mainly in Scotland, in the 7th century. His name is a relative of the Celtic god of thunder Taranis, a counterpart to Thor.
  3. Kenai
    • Origin:

      Native American place name
    • Meaning:

      "flat lands"
    • Description:

      The name of the protagonist of Disney’s Brother Bear also has a geographical connection: the Kenai Peninsula and Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska.
  4. Toulouse
    • Origin:

      French place-name and surname
    • Description:

      Creative choice, evoking the high-kicking can-can girls and other colorful figures in the works of Toulouse-Lautrec.
  5. Elinor
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Eleanor, English, French
    • Description:

      A sleek, literary alternative to Eleanor, this stripped back form of Eleanor is a well-established spelling. It notably appears in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, borne by Elinor Dashwood, along with George Eliot's Middlemarch and Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind , as a middle name.
  6. Vincenzo
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Vincent
    • Meaning:

      "conquering"
    • Description:

      This classic yet poetic Italian name for boys, is a Top 50 choice in its native Italy, and has been climbing up the charts in the US and the UK too. It had sporadically made the US charts throughout the 20th century, but it has been consistently present since 2009.
  7. Nick
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Nicholas and Dominick
    • Description:

      The classic strong-yet-friendly nickname name, much used for charming movie characters.
  8. Jessie
    • Origin:

      Anglicized form of Teasagh or diminutive of Jessica, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "behold or wealthy"
    • Description:

      Jessie has never been used as much as Jennie/Jenny, partly because it's a boys’ name as well (spelled Jesse), but it does have a friendly and unpretentious pioneer feel. In Scotland, it's found as an Anglicized form of Teasagh, itself a form of Jean, and is used as a full name. And in the rest of the world, Jessie may be short for Jessica or used on its own.
  9. Perdita
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "lost"
    • Description:

      A Shakespearean invention for an abandoned baby in The Winter's Tale, Perdita's sense of loss has always been off-putting to parents. But her image was somewhat resuscitated by its association with the appealing canine character in Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmations.
  10. Hera
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "protectress"
    • Description:

      She was queen of the Greek gods, both sister and wife to Zeus, but the name of her Roman counterpart Juno has become much more fashionable these days. That said, we think Hera has possibilities today too, as so many ancient goddess names rise to prominence.
  11. Randall
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "shield-wolf"
    • Description:

      Medieval name without much of a future.
  12. Nala
    • Origin:

      African, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      A Disney name—Nala was the friend who became the wife of Simba, hero of The Lion King. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2015.
  13. Ariel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "lion of God"
    • Description:

      Ariel is a male Biblical name, seen there as the messenger of Ezra, and also used as a symbolic name for the city of Jerusalem, while Shakespeare used it for a (male) sprite in The Tempest.
  14. Marlin
    • Description:

      Marlin is a masculine name with multiple origins and meanings. It derives primarily from English surname traditions, originally denoting someone who lived near a small lake (mere) or possibly from the bird name 'merlin.' The name also inevitably brings to mind the marlin fish, a powerful ocean predator known for its strength and fighting spirit. Marlin gained modest popularity in the United States during the mid-20th century but remains relatively uncommon. The name carries associations with nature, the sea, and rugged independence. It combines traditional masculine qualities with distinctive character, making it appeal to parents seeking a name with strong imagery and outdoor connections without being overly common.
  15. Anita
    • Origin:

      Spanish diminutive of Ana; Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "grace; unguided"
    • Description:

      Once a Top 100 name, this Spanish diminutive of Ana still retains some of her Latin flair. A notable namesake is noted attorney Anita Hill, another is the great jazz singer Anita O'Day. Plus there's Disney cred via the lead human character in 101 Dalmatians.
  16. Tala
    • Origin:

      Persian, Arabic, Tagalog, Samoan, Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "gold; turmeric; star; story; noble"
    • Description:

      Tala is a super multicultural name with roots in many diverse languages and cultures. In Northern Europe, especially in Scandinavia, it is a diminutive derived from Adelheid "noble", long used as a standalone name.
  17. Boo
    • Origin:

      Word name or nickname
    • Description:

      Boo may have started out as a nickname for the male character Arthur "Boo" Radley in To Kill A Mockingbird and these days may be closely associated with another male Boo, the "world's cutest dog" or with the adorable little girl in Monsters, Inc.
  18. Imelda
    • Origin:

      Italian and Spanish from German
    • Meaning:

      "all-consuming fight"
    • Description:

      Saint's name made infamous by Philippine dictator's wife Imelda Marcos. A more positive famous bearer is the British actress Imelda Staunton, best known for playing Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter movies.
  19. Rapunzel
    • Origin:

      German flower name
    • Meaning:

      "rampion; lamb's lettuce"
    • Description:

      Rapunzel is famous as the long-haired heroine of the fairy tale, locked in a tower only to fall in love with a handsome prince who climbed to her side via her hair. Rapunzel has never been widely used as a first name the way, say, Aurora -- the mortal name of Sleeping Beauty -- has. Like Cinderella, it's too closely identified with the fairy tale to really take off as a girls' name. In German, it's the name of several varieties of wild-growing, edible leaves. Read more about Rapunzel and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.
  20. Bo
    • Origin:

      Norse nickname
    • Meaning:

      "to live"
    • Description:

      This tiny but punchy name has multiple origins. It stands strong alone, but could be short for numerous names including Bonnie and Bodhi. In Mandarin Chinese, Bo means "wave".

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