Unique superhero inspired names parents are giving their children

From Michelangelo to Thor

Author: Alex RossPublished 29th Apr 2022
Last updated 5th May 2022

There's been a huge rise in the last decade of parents deciding on the perfect baby name by taking inspiration from popular TV shows, films, the Royal Family, and their favourite celebs.

And whilst we've previously told you the most popular names predicted for 2022, and the baby names at risk of going extinct here in the UK, new research by children’s online book retailer, In the Book, has revealed a rise in unique superhero inspired names.

That's right, in recent years, parents have turned to superheroes such as Thor, Harley and Donatello, from movies such as Avengers, Suicide Squad and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Unique superhero names inspiring parents:

Neo

Film: The Matrix
Babies with the name at release date: 0
Babies taking the name one year after: 48

Rocket

Film: Guardians of the Galaxy
Babies with the name at release date: 0
Babies taking the name one year after: 9

Donatello

Film: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Babies with the name at release date: 0
Babies taking the name one year after: 3

Michelangelo

Film: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Babies with the name at release date: 0
Babies taking the name one year after: 4

Thor

Film: Avengers
Babies with the name at release date: 8
Babies taking the name one year after: 13

Tony

Film: Iron Man
Babies with the name at release date: 35
Babies taking the name one year after: 42

Bruce

Film: Batman
Babies with the name at release date: 36
Babies taking the name one year after: 41

Violet

Film: The Incredibles
Babies with the name at release date: 50
Babies taking the name one year after: 161

Honey

Film: Big Hero 6
Babies with the name at release date: 145
Babies taking the name one year after: 162

Harley

Film: Suicide Squad
Babies with the name at release date: 169
Babies taking the name one year after: 279

As well as the more unique superhero names, a lot more traditional names from the same movies have also seen a huge increase.

Traditional superhero names inspiring parents:

Steve

Film: Captain America
Babies with the name at release date: 9
Babies taking the name one year after: 11
% Increase: 22.2%

Walter

Film: The Watchmen
Babies with the name at release date: 27
Babies taking the name one year after: 39
% Increase: 44.4%

Adrian

Film: The Watchmen
Babies with the name at release date: 262
Babies taking the name one year after: 266
% Increase: 1.5%

Logan

Film: X-Men
Babies with the name at release date: 230
Babies taking the name one year after: 350
% Increase: 52.2%

Peter

Film: Spiderman
Babies with the name at release date: 504
Babies taking the name one year after: 520
% Increase: 3.2%

Arthur

Film: Spiderman
Babies with the name at release date: 2795
Babies taking the name one year after: 3644
% Increase: 30.4%

Anna

Film: X-Men
Babies with the name at release date: 804
Babies taking the name one year after: 825
% Increase: 2.6%

Natasha

Film: Black Widow
Babies with the name at release date: 48
Babies taking the name one year after: 57
% Increase: 18.75%

Susan

Film: Fantastic Four
Babies with the name at release date: 28
Babies taking the name one year after: 40
% Increase: 42.9%

Janet

Film: Ant-Man and The Wasp
Babies with the name at release date: 5
Babies taking the name one year after: 9
% Increase: 80%

To find the data, the retailer created a list of the top 100 grossing superhero films of all time, analysing each of the main character superheroes names for their increase in popularity the year after the film’s release. This was gathered using up to date ONS data. The uniqueness was determined by their pre-film popularity.

Is your child named after a superhero?

Now read:

The top baby names predicted for 2022

The baby names at risk of going EXTINCT in the UK

The Downtown Abbey inspired baby names rising and falling in popularity

How to listen to Forth 1:

For great music and incredible competitions tune into Forth 1 on 97.3, DAB, online, on the Rayo app, or say ‘Play FORTH 1’ to your Smart Speaker. You’ll find new favourites every day and hear the songs you've missed from the last few years. From Boogie In The Morning, to Garry and Steven getting you home after work, we play you the biggest hits from the world's hottest artists.