15 Beloved Movie Characters And The Surprising Ways They Got Their Names

What's in a name? No, seriously, what's in a name? Thousands of databases of name meanings exist on the internet for perspective parents to make sure their kids aren't named, like, Son of the BoogerEaters. And certainly no one can be named, say, Adolf for at least another century or so. Naming characters in fiction is equally as hard. Sitcoms like The Office and 30 Rock just gave half their characters their own names, as did the movie This Is The End. Other projects have a tougher task. A name's gotta sound cool, fit the character, and stand up to scrutiny when a bunch of Latin and Greek nerd fans go digging for deeper meaning within syllables. But sometimes, names come from the most random place.

If Jennifer Lawrence never starred in Winter’s Bone, Jaylah from Star Trek: Beyond would have a different name. Here’s the full story, plus 14 others: