10 Baby Names Inspired by Disney

Bilson and Christensen aren’t the only celebrities who have opted for Disney-esque names. Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes named their daughter Esmeralda, perhaps a nod to “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Reality TV star and Playboy playmate Holly Madison (known to be a huge Disney fan) gave her daughter Rainbow the middle name Aurora (in honor of “Sleeping Beauty”). And the rock star Pete Wentz and his ex, Ashlee Simpson, gave their son Bronx the middle name Mowgli (for “The Jungle Book”).

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For Morag Spence, when it came to naming her firstborn she drew inspiration from her childhood. “I grew up watching traditional Disney movies like Bambi and Dumbo,” she told The Sun. The mom of three from Scotland paid homage in a big way — she named her daughter, who is now 14, Disney.

But Spence also knew she’d take some heat for the name. “I chose Sarah [as her middle name] because when she was older if she didn’t like Disney or perhaps she was getting grief or trolled for it she could use Sarah,” she said. The Disney-tribute continued on with the arrival of her next two children: Chip, named after the teacup in the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast, and Sulley Leo, inspired by Monsters Inc.

For many Disney fans, the whole Disney culture — including visiting the parks — is such a big part of their lives it makes sense that it would have an influence when naming their child. “People see their trips to Disney in a very reverent light,” Jodi Eichler-Levine, a professor of religion at Lehigh University, told NPR. “People will go there and talk about being transformed or making crucial memories. And they’ll go to mark particular lifecycle events, like announcing a pregnancy or after they’ve gotten through treatment for an illness.”

This got us thinking: What Disney names would be viable options, and how popular are they now?

Elsa – Frozen is everywhere, even in maternity wards. Elsa may not have been a popular name in the past (it was ranked at 276 on BabyCenter), but it has jumped in the rankings (up to 200 for 2014).

Anna – We can’t forget about Elsa’s spunky sister, Anna, a name that has always been popular. The Social Security Administration ranked it between No. 29 and No. 35 over the past six years.

Jasmine – You know what is totally crazy? The amount of different spellings for the name Jasmine: Jazmine, Jazmyne, Jazzmin, Jazzmine, Jasmyne, Jasmina, Jazmyn, Jasmine, Jasmin, Jasmyn. If you want to be an Aladdin purist, you’d want to go with Jasmine.

Tiana – The year the Princess and the Frog came out, 2009, the name Tiana came in at No. 609. The next year, it jumped to No. 334 — a clear indicator that the film inspired a whole lot more Tianas.

Ariel – For parents who have a thing for mermaids, Ariel from The Little Mermaid is a wonderful choice, and will probably see a resurgence with the recent release of the live-action version of the movie. Just keep her away from little girls named Ursula.

Belle – Belle, from Beauty and the Beast, has never been wildly popular. These days we see it more in longer names such as Isabelle or Annabelle. But Belle is a nice, simple way to go. Plus, she may just grow up to be a book worm.

Minnie – You don’t meet many Minnies these days, but I’m not sure why. It’s such a friendly, sweet name, and one that used to be crazy-popular. Back in 1880, it was the fifth most popular name for baby girls. These days it comes in at No. 326

Tiger Lily – I was once at a playground and met a little girl named Tiger Lily (in honor of Peter Pan). I thought it was the cutest name ever. Would I ever name my own child Tiger Lily? Nope. But I sure do think it’s adorable on other kids.

Rapunzel – How unpopular is the name Rapunzel? According to BabyCenter, only three girls were named Rapunzel in 2010, the same year the Disney Rapunzel movie, Tangled, came out.