Top baby names based on characters
Bella, Jacob and Edward are hot baby names due to the "Twilight" craze, but at least 10 more names inspired by movies and books are hotter.
Bella, Jacob and Edward are hot baby names because of the "Twilight" films, but there are least 10 inspired by movies and books that are hotter.
Bella, Jacob and Edward are hot baby names because of the "Twilight" films, but there are least 10 inspired by movies and books that are hotter.
Nameberry.com compiled the list, and at No. 10 is Zuzu (Karolyn Grimes), the youngest daughter of George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) in the holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life."
9. Rhett. Frankly, people still do give the name Rhett to their children, inspired by Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) in "Gone With the Wind" (pictured with Vivien Leigh, who played Scarlett O'Hara).
The role of Rhett was a memorable one for Clark Gable -- it earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination in 1940.
8. Katniss. The heroine in author Suzanne Collins trilogy of hit novels "The Hunger Games," Katniss is played by Jennifer Lawrence in the film versions of the books.
Katniss will be on fans' minds (and Jennifer Lawrence's) for quite a while as the movie was a big hit at the box office in March.
7. Kairi. The fantasy series "Kingdom Hearts" features the animated character Kairi.
Kairi in the "Kingdom Hearts" animated series is voiced by "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere.
6. Holden. Featured in J.D. Salinger's classic novel "The Catcher in The Rye," Holden Caulfield is the story's teen protagonist.
5. Gatsby. The last name of the protagonist in the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel "The Great Gatsby," the popularity of the name was no doubt boosted by Robert Redford playing Jay Gatsby in the 1974 movie of the same name opposite Mia Farrow (who played Daisy Buchanan).
Look for the popularity of the name Gatsby to continue once fans see Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby in Baz Luhrmann's version in 2012. The film will also star Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway.
4. Esme. "Twilight" no doubt influenced this name, based on one of the heads of the Cullen clan in Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight" book series (and played by Elizabeth Reaser, pictured with Carlisle Cullen actor Peter Facinelli).
Esme Cullen (once again played by Elizabeth Reaser, pictured, third from left) will once again be featured in the upcoming "Twilight Saga" film "Breaking Dawn, Part 1." Also pictured, from left are Ashley Greene (who plays Alice Cullen), Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale) and Peter Facinelli (Carlisle Cullen).
Esme is also believed to be popular because of the character from the J.D. Salinger short story "For Esme -- With Love and Squalor."
3. Eloise. Eloise is the main character in the popular "Eloise" books drawn and written in Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight.
Sofia Vassilieva played Eloise in two films based on the books.
2. Darcy. Although it's based on Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen's classic novel "Pride and Prejudice" (pictured is Colin Firth in a BBC miniseries version of the book in 1995), Darcy has become a popular name for girls.
Darcy should continue to be popular as long as there are other adaptations of "Pride and Prejudice." Matthew Macfadyen (background) played Mr. Darcy in the 2005 version opposite Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Bennet.
t1. Atticus. The hero of Harper Lee's iconic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," Atticus (last name, Finch) is a name that will forever be associated with Gregory Peck in the classic film version of the story in 1962. Peck is pictured with Mary Badham, who played Scout. Scout, coincidentally, is the name of one of Bruce Willis' and Demi Moore's daughters.
Gregory Peck's portrayal of Atticus Finch earned him the 1962 Best Actor Oscar. "To Kill a Mockingbird" also earned two other Oscars, including a Best Adapted Screenplay honor for Horton Foote, who adapted Harper Lee's novel for the big screen.
