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18 Fictional Character Name Origins

Did you know that Spider-Man is named for the 8-legged arachnid with which he shares his powers?

18 Fictional Character Name Origins

February 01, 2021

Secret meanings and stories behind fictional names are a favorite tool of authors, used to make sure English teachers have something to over-examine. They can also lead to a satisfying moment of realization by the reader or consumer of the media in question. Just remember the quiet gasp you let out when you first found out Tom Riddle was Voldemort, or when you figured out that the Berenstein Bears were all related. Well, Cracked is here with 18 more name origins that will make you quietyly go “oh, that makes sense”!

18

Joey DAWSON'S CREEK Joey (short for Josephine) from Dawson's Creek is named for Jo from the Louisa May Alcott novel, Little Women. Dawson, of course, is named for his creek. — Source: BusinessInsider

17

Liv Moore IZOMBIE Olivia Liv Moore from iZombie is your classic protagonist: a zombie who eats victim's brains to solve crimes. Yes, she's a zombie named... Live More. Though a pun name is kind of perfect, since zombies are known for loud groaning. — Source: PopSugar

16

Bender FUTURAMA CRACKED COM In Futurama, Bender is named Bender because he was built to bend things. But he's actually named for John Bender from The Breakfast Club. Bender the character probably doesn't even know how much he loves fingerless gloves. — Source: PopSugar

15

Donna Temple-Noble DOCTOR WHO Donna Noble married Shaun Temple, becoming Donna Temple-Noble. Donna= Lady, Temple : Tempus : Time, and Noble Lord, for... Lady Time Lord. Not only that, but the Doctor's true name is... Clocky McTravel. — Source: BuzzFeed

14

Game of Thrones

Bran GAME OF THRONES Where does Westeros' most famous peeping tom get his name? Bran is an Irish name that means Raven much like the title he later receives. It's also a bit ironic, since the first thing we learn about him is that he can't fly. — Source: BuzzFeed

13

The Big Bang Theory

Sheldon & Leonard THE BIG BANG THEORY Sheldon and Leonard from The Big Bang Theory are named in tribute to Sheldon Leonard, the producer of The Dick Van Dyke Show. Lorre then honored hall of fame quarterback Steve Young with his next show, Young Sheldon. I think. — Source: PopSugar

12

Bellwether ZOOTOPIA Bellwether is the word for the leader of a flock of sheep. Pretty apt for a sheep that becomes the mayor. — Source: Cracked

11

Ariadne INCEPTION CRACKED COM In Inception, Dom asks Ariadne to draw him a maze. In Greek mythology, Ariadne helped Theseus navigate the Minotaur's labyrinth. Which means there was an opportunity to put a minotaur in Inception and they MISSED IT. Cowards. — Source: Cracked

10

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Xander BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER In the Buffy movie, the only classmate who helps Buffy is named Pike, and Xander is one of her best friends in the TV show. A zander is a fish that looks like a pike. They changed the Z to an X, because Xander's — Source: PopSugar

9

Darth Vader STAR WARS Vader is the Dutch word for father and Darth comes from the word dark, sO Darth Vader basically means Dark Father Honestly, pretty cool. Especially when most Star Wars characters get stuck with a name like 'Poopoo Dungo. — Source: BuzzFeed

8

Uhura STAR TREK CRACKED CON Uhura's full name is Nyota Uhura, which is Swahili for Star Freedom. You know, for a series that's meant to show the future, the creators really overestimated the beehive haircut's staying power. — Source: Buzzfeed

7

Danny Mahealani TEEN WOLF This Teen Wolf character's last name, Mahealani, is Hawaiian for full moon. Another Hawaiian television character whose name has a secret meaning: Johnny Tsunami's last name is actually a reference to his love for waves. — Source: BuzzFeed

6

Tamatoa MOANA Tamatoa is a Maori word for trophies, which makes sense for a crab that loves shiny things. Also, the word Aloha means both hello and goodbye! I learned that from a mug at my aunt's beach house. — Source: Screenrant

5

Stark and Lannister GAME OF THRONES Stark and Lannister are a nod to York and Lancaster, the two British houses involved in the War of the Roses. GOT isn't historically accurate, of course. It has way more dragons, and surprisingly, way LESS incest. — Source: Cracked

4

Sirius Black HARRY POTTER CRACKED COM One of the better known ones, Sirius is the dog star and Sirius Black turns into a black dog. It also supplies the name of Sirius XM, the satellite radio company your dad still inexplicably pays for. — Source: Cracked

3

Seneca Crane THE HUNGER GAMES CRACKED COM Sharing a similar fate to Seneca Crane in The Hunger Games, Seneca was the name of a Roman statesman executed by the state. Let's hope the mortician shaved that beard off SO nobody started laughing during the funeral. — Source: Cracked

2

Kessler

Kramer SEINFELD Kramer is based on Larry David's neighbor, Kenny Kramer. He was actually named Kessler in the pilot, but the real Kramer reached an agreement with NBC to use the rights to his last name, which sounds like a genuine Kramer subplot. — Source: BusinessInsider

1

Katniss THE HUNGER GAMES CRACKED COM Katniss is a plant from the genus Sagittaria, also known as the arrowhead plants. Sagittarius, of course, as any latin student or person on a date telling you about astrology knows, meaning archer. — Source: Buzzfeed

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