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Star Wars Baby Names: Parents Are Naming Their Kids After Darth Vader

Luke and Leia are the safest baby name choices for “Star Wars” fans, but a new name from the film franchise is on the rise.
Isabelle Khoo
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Luke and Leia are the safest (and most obvious) baby name choices for “Star Wars” fans, but now a new name from the film franchise is on the rise: Anakin.

According to U.S. Social Security Administration, Anakin is now in the top 1,000 baby names in America. Last year, the moniker was the 957th most popular among boys in the States and 218 newborns were given this name. This number of newborns puts Anakin on par with other monikers such as Emmet, Baylor and Truman.

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As you might recall, Anakin Skywalker from “Star Wars” becomes Darth Vader after he’s seduced by the Dark Side. So why is the name of a famed villain becoming so popular?

Pamela Redmond Satran, of Nameberry, told Yahoo Parenting: “I think it’s the influence of other fantasy properties, like ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Hunger Games.’ Those two dramatizations also have outsized heroes and a devoted fan base, and they’ve broken through a barrier in terms of parents using names that were invented specifically for a movie or book.”

“Game of Thrones” fans, for instance, have been naming their baby girls Khaleesi and Arya. Surprisingly, Khaleesi was the 755th most popular baby name last year and was given to 368 newborns. Arya, on the other hand, was 216th most popular, with over 1,500 baby girls given the name.

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Baby Names For Geeky Parents
Star Wars(01 of43)
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Luke and Leia are the safest (and most obvious) choices for “Star Wars” fans, but for those who prefer something a little more unique, here are a few suggestions:For Boys: Anakin, Walker (as in Skywalker), Jace (after Han Solo and Leia’s son Jacen)For Girls: Veda (after Darth Vader), Skye, Hayden (after actor Hayden Christensen who played Anakin in “Star Wars: Episode II & III”) (credit:Pinterest)
Harry Potter(02 of43)
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“Harry Potter” names are great because they are classic, but unique at the same time. For Boys: Cedric, James, AlbusFor Girls: Fleur, Hermione, Luna (credit:Twitter)
DC Comics(03 of43)
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Choosing a baby name from your favourite comic is a fun way to give a subtle nod to geek culture.For Boys: Clark or Kal (Superman), Oliver (Green Arrow), Alfred (Batman)For Girls: Selina (Catwoman), Diana (Wonder Woman), Kara (Supergirl) (credit:Pinterest)
Marvel Comics(04 of43)
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For Boys: Logan (X-Men), Parker (Spider-Man), Reed (Fantastic Four)For Girls: Nova (Guardians of the Galaxy), Gwen (Spider-Man), Natasha (Black Widow) (credit:Pinterest)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer(05 of43)
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If you’re a huge “Buffy” nerd, give a nod to the 90s show with one of these killer names.For Boys: Xander, Giles (after Rupert Giles), RileyFor Girls: Willow, Dawn, Sarah (after Sarah Michelle Gellar who played the title character) (credit:Pinterest)
Lord of the Rings(06 of43)
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If you’re a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, then it only seems fitting to give your baby a name from Middle Earth.For Boys: Theo (after Theodon), Sam, Elijah (after Elijah Wood who played Frodo in the films)For Girls: Arwen, Estel (Aragorn’s childhood name), Nori (originally the name of a dwarf brother, but we think it’s cute for a girl!) (credit:Pinterest)
Video Games(07 of43)
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For Boys: Alyx (Half Life), Miles (Sonic the Hedgehog), Jacob (Halo)For Girls: Anya (Call of Duty), Daisy (Super Mario), Zelda (Legend of Zelda) (credit:Pinterest)
Star Trek(08 of43)
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“Star Trek” is so iconic, it only seems fair that it’s character’s names are too! Use them for baby name inspiration.For Boys: Kirk, Leo (after Leonard Nimoy who played Spock on the 1960s show), Jean-LucFor Girls: Nyota, Beverly, Gaila (credit:Pinterest)
Roald Dahl(09 of43)
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Roald Dahl wrote over 20 classic children’s books. To share your love of his literature, look to his quirky characters for some great baby name ideas.For Boys: William (Willy Wonka), James (James and the Giant Peach), Bruce (Matilda)For Girls: Zinnia (Matilda), Violet (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Sophie (The Big Friendly Giant) (credit:Pinterest)
Sherlock Holmes(10 of43)
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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work has taken pop culture by storm. So if you’re a fan of the masterful detective, look here for some brilliant names.For Boys: Arthur (a nod to Sherlock’s creator), Hudson (after Mrs. Hudson), Ben (after Benedict Cumberbatch who plays the title character in “Sherlock”)For Girls: Irene, Joan (after Joan Watson in the TV show “Elementary”), Molly (after Molly Hooper) (credit:Pinterest)
The Hunger Games(11 of43)
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Look to the twelve Districts of Panem for some kickass names.For Boys: Cinna, Finn (after Finnick), CaesarFor Girls: Effie, Rue, Cressida (credit:Pinterest)
Disney(12 of43)
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Not every Disney baby name is inspired by a princess.For Boys: Sebastian (The Little Mermaid), Milo (Atlantis), Peter (Peter Pan)For Girls: Cleo (Pinocchio), Jane (Tarzan), Flora (Sleeping Beauty) (credit:Pinterest)
Battlestar Galactica(13 of43)
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With so many great characters in “Battlestar Galactica,” you’ve got endless options to choose from.For Boys: Apollo, Felix, Saul For Girls: Hera, Anastasia, Cally (credit:Pinterest)
Walking Dead(14 of43)
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Prepare your child for the apocalypse by giving them one of these cool monikers.For Boys: Daryl, Morgan, AbrahamFor Girls: Michonne, Lori, Sasha (credit:Pinterest)
Science Fiction(15 of43)
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If sci-fi is your jam, look no further than these monikers. These make great subtle nods to some of your favourite sci-fi books, movies and shows.For Boys: Emmett (Back to the Future), Victor (Frankenstein), Ender (Ender’s Game)For Girls: Dana (X-Files), Phoebe (Charmed), Teyla (Stargate Atlantis) (credit:Pinterest)
Star Wars(16 of43)
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Game of Thrones(17 of43)
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Where the Wild Things Are(18 of43)
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Star Trek(19 of43)
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Source: Cafe Press (credit:Cafe Press)
Mario Brothers(20 of43)
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Marvel(21 of43)
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Mean Girls(22 of43)
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Harry Potter(23 of43)
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Star Wars(24 of43)
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Power Rangers(25 of43)
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Source: Think Geek (credit:Think Geek)
The Hunger Games(26 of43)
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Dr. Who(27 of43)
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Source: Pinterest (credit:Pinterest)
The Walking Dead(28 of43)
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Source: Amazon (credit:Amazon)
Pacman(29 of43)
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Pokemon(30 of43)
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Mario Brothers(31 of43)
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Batman(32 of43)
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Game of Thrones(33 of43)
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Iron Man(34 of43)
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The Lord of the Rings(35 of43)
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Anchorman(36 of43)
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Harry Potter(37 of43)
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Orange Is the New Black(38 of43)
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The Nightmare Before Christmas(39 of43)
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Source: Disney Store (credit:Disney Store)
Harry Potter(40 of43)
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Source: Pinterest (credit:Pinterest)
Gameboy(41 of43)
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Source: Etsy (credit:Etsy)
Star Wars(42 of43)
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Superman(43 of43)
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Source: Etsy (credit:Etsy)

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