Names that Dominate Children's TV

Television can be a source for educational content during the childhood years. Yet, it can also be a source for names. 

Children's TV shows feature characters with various names. However, there are names that seem to appear in every show. These names tend to be cute and/or non-pretentious. That's maybe because TV show creators tend to select names that will interest children as young as three. Here are some examples:

GIRLS' NAMES:

Alice

Classic Alice has been over-used in media. Children's TV is no exception. Two series on PBS Kids, Sid the Science Kid and Martha Speaks, feature characters named Alice. Former Nick Jr. series Little Bill also features an Alice. She was the titular character's great-grandmother.  

Luna

Luna the Moon from Playhouse Disney's Bear in the Big Blue House and the PBS Kids series Let's Go Luna! tie this newly popular name to children's media. There's also the Netflix series Luna Petunia and Luna from Nickolodeon's The Loud House.

Molly

This diminutive of Mary has taken over children's media. The lead character in Nick Jr.'s Bubble Guppies is Molly. So is the doll in the former PBS Kids series The Big Comfy Couch and one of Betsy's classmates in Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures. Molly is also the titular character of a recent PBS Kids series, Molly of Denali. 

Olive

This name has appeared quite frequently in television over the last decade. Olive is Justin's sidekick in the TV show Justin Time. Olive was also a lead character in the first season of the PBS Kids show Odd Squad as well as a side character in Elinor Wonders Why. 

Rosie

Rosie turns dainty Rose into a spunky nickname-name. Rosie sounds so child-friendly that it's no surprise there's Rosies in many kids' shows. Rosie was the titular character's little sister in Caillou. There's also the British cartoon Everything's Rosie. The Netflix adaptation of Andrea Beatty's books, Ada Twist, Scientist, features the side character of Rosie Revere as well. In addition, a new series, Rosie's Rules, will debut in PBS Kids next Fall. This means that Rosie will soon gain Molly's status as a PBS Kids lead character. 

BOYS' NAMES:

Charlie

Charlie, the go-to short form of Charles, sounds so friendly it's perfect for a kids' show character. That may be why the name appears in Playhouse Disney's Charlie and Lola and the Netflix show Charlie's Colorfoams City. The Nick Jr. TV show Maisy also featured a crocodile with the name although they spelled his name Charley. 

Jack

There are so many characters with the name in children's TV shows. There's the former Nick Jr. series Jack's Big Music Show as well as the recent Apple TV+ hit Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show. Jack is also Whyatt Beanstalk's older brother in the fairy-tale PBS Kids series Super WHY!. 

Max

Max sounds similar to Jack and has the same over-usage in children's TV. There's the Nick Jr. show Max and Ruby along with Max from former PBS Kids series Dragon Tales. Fellow PBS Kids show Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood recently introduced an autistic character named Max. 

Pablo

This Spanish form of Paul sounds so cute that it has to tie to children's television, right? Well, there's a Pablo in former Nick Jr. series The Backyardigans as well as one of Emily Elizabeth's friends in the 2019 Clifford the Big Red Dog reboot. The titular autistic character of a British TV series also has the name. 

Because the above-listed names appeared in children's television multiple times, there's a guarantee that they are child-friendly. None of them feel too grand for a child to wear. 

Which of the names listed above are your favorites?


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