The Age of Entertainment Names

In the past, names have been borrowed from family members, friends, politicians, and literature; for instance, Queen Victoria's use of the name Alice for her daughter popularized the name in England and Charlotte Brontë's Shirley shifted the titular name from masculine to feminine usage. In today's world, names are often borrowed from celebrities alongside television and film characters.

As film and television became more prominent in the United States and elsewhere in the English world, parents began to look to the media for name inspiration. Entertainment names are mostly twenty-first century phenomenons that haven't seen heavy usage until recently. 

CELEBRITY NAMES:

Cash was the surname of Johnny Cash that rose beyond his era; after his death in 2003, it reentered the top 1000 and has ranked in the 200s since 2008.

Florence has started its American revival in the late 2010s, but it made a rapid rise from the 900s to the 700s in 2020, the year after actor Florence Pugh's breakthrough. Florence has continued to rise since.

Isla was an obscure Scottish name until Isla Fisher starred in multiple films in the 2000s, during which it became a top 100 pick throughout much of the English world; it caught up in the states a decade later. 

Jude was an obscure Biblical name until Jude Law became recognized for his role in the 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley. His name made a rapid jump from #948 to #679 the next year and has been a top 200 name since 2009. 

Liam may be the most popular boys' name in America now, but it was hardly hard of until actor Liam Neeson rose to fame. His name jumped from #515 to #360 that year after he famously starred in Schindler's List. The fame of English singer Liam Gallagher also helped bring the name to #1 in 2017.

Maisie is a traditional Scottish Margaret nickname with an old-fashioned sound and has achieved a few decades of popularity in England. However, Maisie only started to get popular elsewhere in the English world after Maisie Williams stared as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones (2011-2019).

Maren was an obscure Scandinavian variant of Mary until country singer Maren Morris achieved fame; it debuted in the American top 1000 the year her debut album released. 

Penelope has seen occasional usage among English-speakers from the sixteenth century, but it didn't become popular until the early twenty-first century after Penelope Cruz starred in multiple films. The name's usage among celebrities such as Kim Kardashian also had an impact. 

Scarlett first came to attention via Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind in the late 1930s. However, the name didn't achieve popularity until Scarlett Johannsson stared in Girl with a Pearl Earring in 2003; it entered the English and Australian top 100 the next year and eventually caught on elsewhere in the English world. 

Sienna was associated mostly with the Italian place name (as in St. Catherine of Siena) and the pigment until actor Sienna Miller became famous. It rose dramatically throughout the English world after her 2004 breakthrough.

CHARACTER/SUBJECT NAMES:

Delilah was primarily Samson's toxic lover in the Bible until the Plain White T's released their 2006 single "Hey There Delilah," sending it 250 places up the charts the next year.

Ender remains an obscure Turkish name, but after the film adaptation of the novel Ender's Game featuring Andrew "Ender" Wiggin came out in 2013, the name jumped from 82 to 120 usage counts. 

Luna experienced moderate popularity in the late nineteenth century, but it was primarily associated with the moon until J. K. Rowling used the name for Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter. It entered the top 1000 in 2003, the same year as Luna's introduction in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Maverick, a word relating to nonconformity, was mostly just a word until Tom Cruise starred as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in the 1986 film Top Gun and again in 2022's Top Gun: Maverick. The year after the first film came out, Maverick jumped from 19 to 44 births; the number has increased since then, bringing the name into the charts in 1994 and the top 100 in 2017. 

Phoenix was merely the mythological bird that rose from the ashes until the debut of the Ace Attorney video game series, which featured the character Phoenix Wright, in 2001. The name made a massive jump for boys from #875 to #627 the same year and is now in the 200s. 

What do you think about these entertainment names? What names would you add?