Names of Disney Villains

Hello, readers!

Halloween is coming up, and that means costumes! If you're thinking about being one of these scary Disney villains for the holiday, check out their names! And tell me your costume plans in the comments :)

Gaston
Our first villain has arguably the best name-oriented song in Disney history: he uses antlers in all of his decorating! He eats five dozen eggs a morning! Ev'ryone's favorite guy! From the French for "foreigner", Gaston has been recorded in US name logs since 1881. While the film didn't show Gaston in such a positive light, the name stats weren't changed much by the release of Beauty and the Beast in 1991. Twenty-seven boys were named Gaston last year - my, what a guy!

Ursula
This all-powerful sea witch was in part inspired by the singer and drag queen, Divine. And the name Ursula is truly religious - one of the first recorded wearers was Saint Ursula, a fourth-century patron saint of female students and archers, among other things. While Ursula also has a cute meaning - "little bear" - the name had been declining for a few years already when Disney used it. While many still associate Ursula with the villainess, it could make a comeback with it's many positive traits!

Edgar
The conniving butler who competed with the Aristocats for Madame's wealth, his character also created a sleeping potion named after himself: "crème de la crème à la Edgar." The name Edgar is fairly popular - #317 in the top 1000 - but it's at its lowest rank in history. Will the name continue to decline, or will literary fans bring it back up the list? Creative Edgar's Degas, Burroughs, and Poe would have something to say about it.

Maleficent
This nefarious name was recorded in the US for the first time last year - five baby girls were named after the villainess in Sleeping Beauty. Of course, this could have something to do with the recent Angelina Jolie film - the actress has also said that the character was her favorite as a child. I know of one person whose parents considered Maleficent for her name, looking for a namesake that was a strong, intelligent woman. While the name seems to have quite a lot against it, we may see it rise in future generations of women.

Clayton
A scheming hunter in Tarzan, Clayton's first name is never revealed - he's only called by his last name in the film. Though its origins are more traditional, Clayton fits into the modern trends - two syllables, ends in "ton" - and isn't completely attached to any one individual. The film had little to no effect on the name's statistics, either. Perhaps Clayton is the most usable name on the list!

Medusa
When a main character is introduced as Madame Medusa, you know she's going to be up to no good. In The Rescuers, she's a greedy, diamond-obsessed pawn shop owner; the Greek goddess Medusa was known for having snakes for hair and turning mortals to stone with a look. Though the name has never been recorded in US name logs, it's certainly not impossible - as namers look for more and more unique options, names like Medusa are bound to appear! 

Hades
As the smooth-talking god of the Underworld, Hades' role in Hercules is hardly admirable. Still, the name was used for more than five boys a year in both 2014 and 2015. With a sound like Hayden and a cool s-ending - Silas, Nicholas, Jonas - it's no wonder that the name was picked. But I can't help but think a quick look at the history of Hades might turn off potential fans...

Claude
The creepy, obsessive control-freak-in-the-guise-of-a-religious-zealot had a rather common first name - Claude ranked on the top 1000 for over a century. It's the quintessential French male name, often with Jean in hyphenate. Though the film didn't have much of an effect on name stats - 108 boys in 1996 and 89 boys in 1997 - the character was often referred to by his last name, Frollo. The name Claude means "crippled," and is Roman in origin.

Jafar
The scheming Royal Vizier of Agrabah certainly has a bad reputation, but his name is actually a lovely Arabic choice. Jafar means "stream", and one famous Jafar was a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. It's been used since 1975 in the United States, and actually started rising in popularity when the film Aladdin debuted - up from 7 boys to 13 to 33 in a two-year span. Perhaps the character isn't a great namesake, but the spreading the awareness of this classic name has pushed some fans to pick Jafar.

Cruella
Well, if Gaston doesn't win for the best name song, Cruella De Vil certainly takes the cake! All of the 101 Dalmatians (and some human and animal friends) had to band together to get this baddie defeated. Though Cruella is a bit too cruel and devilish to catch on, it must be said that trendy Ella features in her first name. And check out this past post on Devilish Names (also featured on Nameberry) for more sizzling suggestions!

Which names did I leave out? Tell me in the comments!

Throwback Thursday: Happy Discovery Day, Pluto!

Greetings, readers and space aficionados!

Today is the 86th anniversary of the discovery of the ninth planet, Pluto! While Pluto may have been demoted to a dwarf planet in 2006, it was not demoted in our hearts. For this post, I'll be looking at the names associated with the planet and its discovery.

Pluto made the news last summer, when the New Horizons spacecraft flew by the planet for the first time. Most pictures of Pluto are from this voyage!

Pluto

I have to admit, I'm incredibly surprised that Pluto has never been recorded as a name in US history (I look forward to being proven wrong in the comments!) It means "wealthy", and was the Roman name for the god of the underworld, versus the Greek Hades. Sure, it's now connected to the eponymous Disney dog (see the Norm connection below), but with the recent rise of O-names and trends toward individuality, I think Pluto could work in the right context. 

Charon

The largest of Pluto's five moons, the two celestial bodies are often connected because of their gravitational lock. Charon's name was inspired by discoverer James Christy's wife, Charlene, as well as the connection to the mythological underling of Hades. Officially pronounced "KAR-on", Christy's initial mispronunciation have led many at NASA to switch to "SHAR-on". It's an unusual, rather quirky choice, but a lot of people will pronounce it like Sharon. 

Clyde

Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, an American astronomer at the Lowell Observatory. He later discovered and named hundreds of asteroids after his family members. The most visible feature on Pluto's face is named the Tombaugh Regio in his honor. The name Clyde has been rising up the charts rapidly since 2013, probably due to the current retro trends. The name originated in Scotland, and is now associated with the notorious duo Bonnie and Clyde.

Lowell

The name of the observatory from where Pluto was discovered, Lowell also refers to Percival Lowell, an astronomer who tried for years to find evidence of a ninth planet. While unfortunately he didn't live to see the discovery, his wife Constance fought to uphold his legacy, and it was due to their tenacity that the planet saw the light of day (for lack of a better phrase). Putting aside that both Percival and Constance are excellent vintage choices, Lowell has been off the top 1000 for awhile, and could have a lovely comeback as an aristocratic family name. 

Venetia

At the ripe old age of 11, Venetia Burney was the first to suggest the name Pluto when scientists were deliberating. She mentioned it to her grandfather, Falconer Madan (reviewed below), and he sent the suggestion through colleagues to the Lowell Observatory. It received every vote in the name election, not only for its mythological connotation but also because its first two letters corresponded to Percival Lowell's initials. Venetia herself later became a mathematician and professor in economics. The name Venetia references the Italian city of Venice, and is a lovely unusual choice. 

Falconer

Most famous for his position as Librarian of the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, Falconer Madan was also instrumental in the naming of Pluto (see above). His connections to astronomer academics facilitated his granddaughter's suggestion getting to the Lowell Observatory. An occupational name, Falconer hasn't been recorded in US name logs - but it would be a strong, nature-themed option!

Sol

The leader of the New Horizons project, which was the first mission to fly by Pluto, Sol Alan Stern is an engineer and planetary scientist. He is also on the forefront of advocating for Pluto's promotion back to its original status as a planet (yay!) While he goes by Alan, I think Sol is a fabulous name. It's historically a diminutive of Solomon, but the connection to the sun makes it a great choice for any space fan! It also fits in with the recent trend towards short male names, like Jack, Ben, or Kai.

Norm

A major animator at Walt Disney Studios in the 1930's and 1940's, Norm Ferguson was one of the artists who brought the cartoon canine Pluto to life. While reports vary on how the dog was named, most believe it was the planet's fame as Pluto that inspired the Disney staff. Ferguson brought puppy Pluto to fame as well through the animated short Playful Pluto, now a Disney classic. Short for Norman, Norm is now associated with other names in the first half of the twentieth century, and notably the character in Cheers. 

This has been one of my favorite posts to research and write! Tell me what you think in the comments.

Happy Birthday, Sterling Holloway!

Hello, readers!

Today I'm celebrating the birthday of Sterling Holloway, one of the most well-known Disney voice actors of the mid-20th century. He passed away in 1992, but his characters will live on forever in the hearts of his audiences.

Here are the names of some of his most popular characters - would they work for a child today?

Sterling
Meaning "silver penny" or "high quality", this retro name has been shooting back up the popularity list. It's currently at #508 - not bad for such a unique-sounding name! There are plenty of fictional and real-life namesakes other than Mr. Holloway - even Mad Men had a Sterling or two. 

Waldo
It's got the trendy o-ending and a long history, but it may not be able to shake the Where's Waldo? connotation. Waldo means "to rule", and was also writer Ralph Emerson's middle name (what a fun literary sibset!) If your child has the confidence, though, Waldo could be magnificent.

Flower
If Lily and Violet are too mainstream, why not try a direct nature name? The cute nickname Flo is also a plus. It's also been rarely seen in name data - 5 babies were named Flower in 2013, but less than that in 2014. It would also make a daring middle choice!

Winnie
Holloway was the original voice of the favorite children's character, Winnie the Pooh. Winnie dropped off the official top 1000 in the 1950's, but has seen a comeback recently in celebrity baby naming. It's a great nickname for a variety of longer names, too - Gwyneth, Winifred, etc. 

Buck
Although the short and strong sound gives this name a lot of oomph, the rhyming possibilities make it all but totally unusable. Try Brock, Tucker, Burke, or Jack.

Let me know what you think of these names in the comments!