Study Shows Popularity of “Potter” Baby Names

A study on the influence of media on baby name popularity shows some magical results. Potter-inspired names are on the rise, with 75% of fans saying they would name their child after a character from the series.

Some names have gone up in frequency since the series was published, like Lily and George. Babies with the name Luna, for example, have increased by nearly ten times since her first on-screen appearance. In the survey of 560 people, 38.8% said they would name their future child after Hermione, while 34.5% would honor Harry. James, Sirius, Lily, and Luna all made the top 10, while neither Albus nor Severus charted, so it looks like Harry broke from popular opinion in naming his own son!

The names of actors who played these characters have also seen an increase – Emma Watson is the #1 actress people are willing to name their child after, and she also ranks #1 among Millennials specifically. The name Emma rapidly increased from about 12K to nearly 25K, coinciding with the release of the first two Harry Potter films from 2000 to 2003.

The rest of the study charts the influence of the news, music, and other popular franchises like Game of Thrones. Be sure to check out the full infographic!