Parents looking to ‘Dune’, ‘Bridgerton’ & more for baby name inspiration

Parents can take inspiration from anywhere when deciding what to name their babies, with pop culture a common source for many over the years. Well, this year seems to be no different.

According to BabyCenter, parents welcoming children in 2024 have been finding name inspiration in everything from fantasy epics to sports stars and more.

Pop culture-inspired names landing on BabyCenter’s list this year include Chani, Zendaya’s character in Dune, which went up 3,300 spots for girls, while the character’s secret Fremen name Sihaya made this year’s list for the first time. Another fantasy character, Percy from Percy Jackson and the Olympians fame, is up 296 spots for boys and 700 spots for girls, plus Perseus is up 206 spots for boys. And the show’s Greek gods, like Ares and Hermes, are also seeing an uptick.

Netflix’s Bridgerton is also a huge inspiration for parents this year, with names like Anthony, Eloise, Francesca and Gregory seeing a spike. Meanwhile, this season’s main character, Penelope, is a very popular name, at 33 on the list, while Charlotte, as in Queen Charlotte, is even more popular, landing at number five.

And it seems some parents are hoping to raise their very own superstar athletes, taking name inspiration from WBNA star Caitlin Clark. Once a popular name, Caitlin has been declining since 2000 — but following the basketball star’s rise, BabyCenter has seen double the amount of Caitlins registered, moving it up 1,599 spots for girls. Plus, Clark is also up 15 spots for boys.

Methodology and results have not been verified or endorsed by ABC News or The Walt Disney Company.

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