Every parent swears they weren't influenced by the movie. And yet, nine months after Frozen opened, the SSA data shows a measurable Elsa surge. After Game of Thrones made Arya a warrior queen, the name went from obscure to everywhere. The question isn't whether pop culture shapes baby names — it clearly does. The question is: which names survive the moment, and which ones become dated relics of a very specific cultural era?
We pulled the numbers. Let's talk about what the data actually says.
The Disney Effect: Princesses Who Became Names
Disney has been shaping naming culture for 80 years, but the impact has never been more measurable than in the streaming era.
Aurora is the most striking success story in our data. Currently sitting at #16 with 91,980 total U.S. births, it peaked in 2024 — meaning it's still rising. This is remarkable because Sleeping Beauty came out in 1959. Aurora isn't a "movie name" anymore; it's escaped its pop culture origins entirely and stands on its own as a gorgeous Latin word meaning "dawn." That's the gold standard: when a name outlasts the franchise.
Ariel tells a different story. The Little Mermaid premiered in 1989, and Ariel peaked in 1991 at a massive wave — now sitting at #299 for girls. It's held on reasonably well for 35 years, proof that a genuinely beautiful name can sustain itself even after the cultural moment fades. The name itself has Hebrew roots ("lion of God") that predate any Disney connection.
Jasmine peaked in 1993 — the year after Aladdin — and now sits at #199. Still in the top 200 after three decades. Tiana from The Princess and the Frog (2009) sits at #611 today, a more modest but real presence. Moana peaked in 2017 (the year after the film) and now sits at #3,197 — a genuine pop name that hasn't transcended its moment yet.
Elsa is the most discussed Disney naming story. It peaked in 2014, the year after Frozen, and has since settled at #938. For context, Elsa was a real Scandinavian and German name long before Elsa the ice queen — it's actually a diminutive of Elizabeth. Parents who love it now can genuinely claim the historical roots.
| Name | Film | Peak Year | U.S. Rank Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | Sleeping Beauty (1959) | 2024 (still rising) | #16 |
| Ariel | The Little Mermaid (1989) | 1991 | #299 |
| Jasmine | Aladdin (1992) | 1993 | #199 |
| Elsa | Frozen (2013) | 2014 | #938 |
| Tiana | Princess and the Frog (2009) | 1998 (pre-film) | #611 |
| Moana | Moana (2016) | 2017 | #3,197 |
Marvel's Naming Legacy: More Complex Than You'd Think
Marvel names are trickier because most MCU character names already existed as real names — the movies amplified pre-existing choices rather than inventing new ones.
Natasha peaked in 1987 (before Black Widow was born on screen) and now sits at #933. The Black Widow films didn't spike Natasha the way you might expect — the name had already peaked decades earlier. Wanda is even more striking: peaked in 1957, and now at #5,123 despite WandaVision being one of Marvel's most acclaimed properties. The name carries too much mid-century baggage to be rehabilitated by a streaming show.
Raven (#388 for girls) holds steady and has independent appeal beyond any one character. Harley (#397 for girls) surged with Harley Quinn popularity — peaking in 2017 when the character became a cultural phenomenon. Loki peaked in 2021 (during the Loki Disney+ series) at #1,767 for boys — a genuine, measurable MCU effect, though it remains a niche choice.
Storm and Ivy are interesting wild cards — both have DC/Marvel connections but feel like independent nature names that would exist regardless. Ivy at #36 is clearly mainstream now; the fictional villain Poison Ivy probably helps at the margins.
Game of Thrones: The Greatest Naming Experiment in TV History
No show has ever moved baby name charts the way Game of Thrones did, and the data is wild.
Arya is the undisputed GoT naming champion. Currently at #162 with 27,666 total U.S. births, it peaked in 2019 — the final season — and has held on surprisingly well. The name has Persian roots meaning "noble," which gives parents a cultural anchor beyond the show.
Khaleesi is the cautionary tale. At #665 with 5,125 total births, it peaked in 2018. Here's the problem: Khaleesi isn't a name in any historical tradition — it's a title meaning "queen" in Dothraki, a fictional language. The character's arc ended badly. Parents who named daughters Khaleesi in 2018 are now navigating some awkward conversations. Daenerys peaked the same year and sits at #1,554 — even rarer, even more tied to a polarizing cultural moment.
Sansa at #7,508 is essentially a literary curiosity. Hermione at #1,672 (peaking in 2024!) shows that Harry Potter names actually have more staying power than GoT names — perhaps because the books aren't going anywhere.
The Verdict: Which Pop Culture Names Age Well?
The data points to a clear pattern. Names that age well share these traits:
- Pre-existing historical roots — Aurora, Ariel, and Jasmine all predate their Disney films by centuries
- Phonetically pleasing on their own — Arya sounds beautiful without any GoT knowledge
- Not too specific to one character — Ivy is a nature name; Katniss is very specifically The Hunger Games
- Not invented for the franchise — Khaleesi and Daenerys were created by George R.R. Martin; they have no roots outside his world
We love Aurora, Arya, Ariel, and Ivy as names that happen to have pop culture connections but stand completely on their own. We'd be more cautious about anything invented wholesale for a franchise — especially one whose ending might not age well.
For more context, see our rising name trends, check current rankings, or explore how Aurora has climbed so dramatically over the past decade using our compare tool. Also worth reading: our guide to names that have stood the test of time.
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Analysis by NamesPop.
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