It’s interesting how pop culture can influence real life. One of the ways we see that is when parents choose to name their children after fictional characters from movies and TV shows. For example, Disney movies and the show “Game of Thrones” have inspired many parents to choose names they probably wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

Scroll down to discover 15 baby names that greatly increased in popularity due to fictional characters.

1. Elsa

   Elsa was a fairly common name back in the 19th century, but it lost popularity over time. By 1998, it ranked number #998 after an all-time high at #215 in 1895. After the movie “Frozen” hit the big screen, the name shot up in popularity, going back up to #286 in 2014

2. Ariel

   The name given to Disney’s red-haired mermaid was never very popular before the movie hit the silver screen, but it shot up in popularity in 1991 after the movie’s release. Currently, it is ranked #210 for baby girl names.

3. Katniss

   As in the the main character in “The Hunger Games,” Katniss has never been a really popular name, but it did increase in popularity a lot back in 2014. It went from being ranked #9382 in 2012 to #3949 in 2014. It’s back down to #9705 in 2020 though, so the popularity seems to have been very short lived.

4. Logan

   Logan, as in the real name of Wolverine, was ranked all the way down to #990 in 1962, but after the popularity of the super hero by the same name, it has shot up in popularity. In 2017, it was the #5 boy name in the United States. Currently, in 2020, it is #16.

5. Cullen

   “Twilight” fans know that Cullen is the last name of the vampire love interest in the saga. It was ranked #982 back in 1976 and didn’t really increase in popularity until 2010 when it reached a high of #410.

6. Parker

   Spiderman fans know that the character’s real name is Peter Parker. Since the popularity of the super hero, Parker has also shot up in popularity as a baby boy name. It’s currently ranked number #103 in the United States, up from #1047 back in 1970. The peak in popularity was #72 in 2015.

7. Hermione

   The “Harry Potter” character has never been on the top 100 list in the United States, but before the books and movies, it was a tragically unpopular name, ranking #16,656 in 2001. By 2019, it shot up to #1749. While it is still not a super popular name, it is definitely way more popular than it used to be.

8. Arya

   This name, which also happens to be the name of a popular “Game of Thrones” character, is currently #72 in the United States. It is also the most popular baby name from the show “Game of Thrones.” Back in 2010, it was ranked #943.

9. Khaleesi

   Khaleesi, another name from “Game of Thrones,” is also quite a popular baby name. It first showed up on birth certificates in 2011. It shot up to #549 in 2018.

10. Anakin

    Anakin as a name didn’t really even exist before “Star Wars.” Currently, in 2020, it’s #691 for baby boy names.

11. Jasmine

    As in princess Jasmine from the Disney movie “Aladdin.” The name shot up in popularity in 1993, ranking #23 in the United States. That’s up from a low of #2459 in 1967.

12. Moana

    The Disney movie “Moana” was released in 2016, and the name immediately shot up in popularity. In 2016, it was number #2973, but one year later, in 2017, it was #1548. Still not super popular, but definitely a huge increase.

13. Dawson

    The show “Dawson’s Creek” aired on TV starting in 1998, and the name Dawson immediately increased in popularity. In 1997, it was #734, but in 1998, it was #175. It reached it’s peak of popularity in 1999 at #136.

14. Sabrina

    “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” was a popular sitcom in the 1990s. It first aired in 1996, and the name Sabrina became more popular than ever. It peaked in popularity in 1997 at #53. In 1995, before the show aired, Sabrina was ranked #95.

15. Flynn

    The Disney movie “Tangled” was released in movie theaters in 2011. The first name of Rapunzel’s love interest, Flynn, shot up in popularity. It was ranked #1809 in 2010, jumped up to #938 in 2011, climbed to #697 in 2012 and peaked at #664 in 2013.