Most Popular Movie-Inspired Baby Names Of The Past Year

When you find out you and your partner are expecting a baby, other than wondering if it'll be a boy, or perhaps a girl, you likely start thinking about the perfect name for your bundle to be. You may have favorites — old family names, names you've always loved, or the names of dear friends — but you may also start to look around for additional inspiration in order to find just the right one. 

Movies, books, and TV shows can all give you ideas that you may not have otherwise considered. From classic films to more recent releases, these movie-inspired baby names were especially popular among parents and brand-new babies this past year.

Wade, the name of Ryan Reynolds' character in Deadpool, enjoyed increased popularity last year. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), which tracks the popularity of baby names based on the names for which parents apply for Social Security cards, Wade was number 406 last year — up from 521 in 2015. Wade means "at the river crossing," according to Nameberry.

Anna Kendrick voiced the lead character, Poppy, in Dreamworks' Trolls, released in late 2016. And, according to the SSA, Poppy made the list of 1000 most popular baby names for the first time, debuting at number 747. Poppy is a Latin name meaning, "from the flower," according to Baby Center.

Diana, Wonder Woman's "real" name in last year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, played by Gal Gadot, was number 269 in 2016, according to the SSA. It was number 296 the year before. This elegant moniker is a Latin name that means "divine," according to Babble.

Diane Lane played Martha Kent in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, released in March 2016. This name means "lady," according to Nameberry. It came in at number 727 in 2016 after ranking 789th the year before, according to the SSA.

Rowan is a character in the 2016 all-female reboot of Ghostbusters. This Irish name means "red," according to Baby Center, and it moved up from number 219 in 2015, to number 182 last year, according to the SSA, for boys. For girls, it also gained popularity, jumping up from number 331 in 2015, to 239 in 2016.

Naomie Harris played Paula in Moonlight, which nabbed "Best Picture" at the 2017 Academy Awards, though it was released in November 2016. Paula was the 824th most popular name in 2016, according to the SSA, up from number 888 in 2015. It means "small," according to Nameberry.

Rachel McAdams' character, Christine, in 2016's Doctor Strange, ranked number 729 on the SSA's list of most popular baby names last year. It was number 790 in 2015. Christine is the French version of Christina, meaning "Christian," according to Babble.

Suicide Squad, which featured Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, was released in August of 2016. The name Quinn shot up from number 97 in 2015, to number 79 in 2016, according to the SSA. The name even gained momentum for boys, in those years, rising from number 354, to 330. Quinn is an Irish name that means "descendant of Conn," according to Nameberry.

Duke, which, according to Babble, means "leader," shot up to number 557 in 2016 after being number 602 in 2015, according to the SSA. Eric Stonestreet voiced Duke in 2016's The Secret Life of Pets.

Harley, part of Margo Robbie's character's name in Suicide Squad, is an English name meaning "the long field," according to Nameberry. It moved up from number 281 in 2015, to number 224 in 2016, according to the SSA. Though the name is gender-neutral, it's now a more popular choice for girls in the U.S. than it is for boys.

Lucian, a character in November 2016's Doctor Strange, moved up from number 634 in 2015, to number 626 the following year, according to data from the SSA. According to Baby Center, Lucian is a Latin name meaning, "Man of light."

Jennifer Lawrence starred as Aurora Lane in Passengers, released at the tail end of 2016. Aurora was the 66th most popular name for baby girls in 2016, according to data from the SSA. In 2015, it ranked 78th. According to Baby Center, Aurora is a Latin name meaning "dawn."

Louise, played by Amy Adams in Arrival, means "renowned warrior," according to Babble. It debuted on the SSA's list of most popular names for baby girls in 2016, coming in at number 897.

Leia, a Star Wars-inspired baby name, ranked at 321 on the 2016 list of most popular names for baby girls, according to the SSA, up from 421 a year earlier. The most recent Star Wars film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was released in 2015, likely providing its 2016 bump. 

Additionally, Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, died in late 2016, which may continue influencing the name's popularity in 2017.

Ryan Gosling's lead role as Sebastian, in late-2016's La La Land, earned him lots of praise and award nominations. This name, meaning "person from the ancient city of Sebasta," according to Nameberry, came in at number 24 on the SSA's list of most popular names for baby boys in 2016, after being number 35 the year prior.

Fences, released in very late 2016, starred Viola Davis as Rose. According to data from the SSA, this sweet and pretty name moved up to number 154 in 2016, after coming in at number 166 on the 2015 list of most popular baby names for girls. The name refers to the "rose bush" or flower of the same name, according to Baby Center.

Arthur, the name of Michael Sheen's character in Passengers, which was released in December 2016, is an English name meaning "bear," according to Baby Center. This cute name ranked at number 273 on the 2016 list of most popular baby names for boys, according to data from the SSA. In 2015, it came in at number 292.

The long-awaited accompaniment to Disney Pixar's 2003 hit, Finding Nemo, summer 2016's Finding Dory introduced fans to Hank, voiced by Ed O'Neill. This name, according to Babble, is an English derivative of Henry, meaning "rules his household." It came in at 485 on the SSA's list of most popular baby names for boys in 2016, a jump up from its spot at 534 in 2015.

Claire is the "French version of the Latin name Clara," according to Babble. It means "clear" and "bright." This was the name of a character in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, played by Raffiella Chapman. It moved up to number 40 on the SSA's list of most popular baby names for girls in 2016, after ranking number 49 in 2015.

Fiona is an Irish name meaning "white" or "fair," according to Baby Center. It's also the name of Georgia Pemberton's character in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which was released in September of 2016. It moved up eight spots to number 211 on the SSA's list of most popular baby names for girls in 2016 from number 219 in 2015.

Inspiration can strike at any moment and come in all shapes and sizes. While expectant parents may not anticipate inspiration striking while they're curled up on the couch watching a movie, or on a date at the movie theater, it seems that movie-inspired baby names are here to stay.