The Fastest-Growing Girl Names Inspired By Movies

Published: March 2, 2024 by John Harrington

Movies have an enormous impact on our society. In fact, characters from films that made a great impression on audiences sometimes are immortalized in the names people bestow on their children.

To determine the fastest-growing girl names inspired by movies, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on baby names from the U.S. Social Security Administration. Names featured in major movies were ranked based on the change in the number of girls receiving the name one year after the film’s release. Only characters in movies that grossed at least $25 million at the U.S. box office were considered. Names with large one-year, post-film increases that began growing in popularity prior to the film’s release were excluded.

Among the first female characters whose name was passed on to children was Darla Hood, the little girl in the Little Rascals film shorts of the 1930s.

While characters’ names from motion pictures from every genre have been given to the offspring of film aficionados, monikers from characters in animated movies and dramas are among the most popular. Names from animated films include Violet (“The Incredibles”), Elsa (“Frozen”), and Mirabel (“Encanto”). Girls or women characters in animated motion pictures are frequently examples of female empowerment. Among the dramas starring prominent female characters are Evey (“V for Vendetta”), Cataleya (“Colombiana”), and Sayuri (“Memoirs of a Geisha”).

The names of female characters are sometimes found in the title of the film. On our list, they include the rom-coms “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” and “How Stella Got Her Groove Back”; the animated movies “Moana” and “Coraline”; and the dramas “Philomena” and “The Age of Adaline.”

Characters played by Reese Witherspoon appear to resonate with audiences in two movies on our list. She played Elle in the comedy “Legally Blonde” and won a Best Actress Oscar for her role as June Carter in “Walk the Line.”

Interest in the name of Trinity soared after a character by that name appeared in “The Matrix,” climbing from 1,481 to 4,284, the highest number on our list, the year after the movie was released in 1999. The biggest leap on our list occurred in 2012 for the character Cataleya from the movie “Colombiana,” soaring 2,103.4% to 639 from 29. For more, see Best Movies With Actors Who Played Multiple Characters.

45. Mia

Source: Courtesy of Miramax

Inspiration: Pulp Fiction (1994)
Change in girls named Mia, 1994 to 1995: +28.0% (861 to 1,102)
Girls named Mia in 2022: 11,018

44. Stella

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Inspiration: How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
Change in girls named Stella, 1998 to 1999: +33.9% (233 to 312)
Girls named Stella in 2022: 4,830

43. Olive

Source: Courtesy of Screen Gems

Inspiration: Easy A (2010)
Change in girls named Olive, 2010 to 2011: +41.0% (541 to 763)
Girls named Olive in 2022: 1,828

42. Norah

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Inspiration: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008)
Change in girls named Norah, 2008 to 2009: +44.0% (666 to 959)
Girls named Norah in 2022: 1,528

41. Gracie

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Inspiration: Miss Congeniality (2000)
Change in girls named Gracie, 2000 to 2001: +45.7% (1,312 to 1,911)
Girls named Gracie in 2022: 1,208

40. Romy

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

Inspiration: Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)
Change in girls named Romy, 1997 to 1998: +47.6% (21 to 31)
Girls named Romy in 2022: 171

39. Hazel

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Inspiration: The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
Change in girls named Hazel, 2014 to 2015: +47.9% (2,908 to 4,301)
Girls named Hazel in 2022: 6,125

38. Juliet

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Inspiration: Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Change in girls named Juliet, 1996 to 1997: +49.6% (244 to 365)
Girls named Juliet in 2022: 1,072

37. Rose

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Inspiration: Titanic (1997)
Change in girls named Rose, 1997 to 1998: +53.0% (666 to 1,019)
Girls named Rose in 2022: 2,349

36. Vivian

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

Inspiration: Pretty Woman (1990)
Change in girls named Vivian, 1990 to 1991: +54.2% (552 to 851)
Girls named Vivian in 2022: 2,661

35. Philomena

Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

Inspiration: Philomena (2013)
Change in girls named Philomena, 2013 to 2014: +55.8% (43 to 67)
Girls named Philomena in 2022: 83

34. Hallie

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

Inspiration: The Parent Trap (1998)
Change in girls named Hallie, 1998 to 1999: +59.2% (534 to 850)
Girls named Hallie in 2022: 1,316

33. Patience

Source:

Inspiration: Catwoman (2004)
Change in girls named Patience, 2004 to 2005: +61.1% (293 to 472)
Girls named Patience in 2022: 201

32. Bella

Source: Courtesy of Summit Distribution

Inspiration: Twilight (2008)
Change in girls named Bella, 2008 to 2009: +62.8% (2,787 to 4,537)
Girls named Bella in 2022: 2,888

31. Sabrina

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Inspiration: Sabrina (1995)
Change in girls named Sabrina, 1995 to 1996: +63.4% (3,534 to 5,774)
Girls named Sabrina in 2022: 757

30. Snow

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Inspiration: Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Change in girls named Snow, 2012 to 2013: +68.6% (35 to 59)
Girls named Snow in 2022: 53

29. Selene

Source: Courtesy of Screen Gems

Inspiration: Underworld (2003)
Change in girls named Selene, 2003 to 2004: +72.2% (108 to 186)
Girls named Selene in 2022: 422

28. June

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Inspiration: Walk the Line (2005)
Change in girls named June, 2005 to 2006: +73.0% (115 to 199)
Girls named June in 2022: 1,695

27. Violet

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

Inspiration: The Incredibles (2004)
Change in girls named Violet, 2004 to 2005: +75.5% (482 to 846)
Girls named Violet in 2022: 6,434

26. Laney

Source: Courtesy of Miramax

Inspiration: She’s All That (1999)
Change in girls named Laney, 1999 to 2000: +78.5% (186 to 332)
Girls named Laney in 2022: 415

25. Ravenna

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Inspiration: The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016)
Change in girls named Ravenna, 2016 to 2017: +81.0% (21 to 38)
Girls named Ravenna in 2022: 34

24. River

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Inspiration: Serenity (2005)
Change in girls named River, 2005 to 2006: +96.7% (92 to 181)
Girls named River in 2022: 1,912

23. Coraline

Source: Courtesy of Focus Features

Inspiration: Coraline (2009)
Change in girls named Coraline, 2009 to 2010: +99.2% (120 to 239)
Girls named Coraline in 2022: 428

22. Deloris

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

Inspiration: Sister Act (1992)
Change in girls named Deloris, 1992 to 1993: +100.0% (14 to 28)
Girls named Deloris in 2022: 7

21. Elsa

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Inspiration: Frozen (2013)
Change in girls named Elsa, 2013 to 2014: +101.4% (566 to 1,140)
Girls named Elsa in 2022: 262

20. Letty

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Inspiration: Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Change in girls named Letty, 2013 to 2014: +102.0% (49 to 99)
Girls named Letty in 2022: 134

19. Clementine

Source: Courtesy of Focus Features

Inspiration: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Change in girls named Clementine, 2004 to 2005: +103.4% (29 to 59)
Girls named Clementine in 2022: 542

18. Marin

Source: Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images

BERLIN - FEBRUARY 6: Actor Jack Nicholson arrives with actresses Amanda Peet (L) and Diane Keaton for the screening of Somethings Gotta Give at the 54th annual Berlinale International Film Festival February 6, 2004 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)