Netflix Baby Names: Parents Inspired By Popular Shows 'Orange Is The New Black' And 'Breaking Bad'

Thinking of naming your child Piper, Walter or Stella?

Baby names inspired by Netflix shows are becoming a lot more popular, a survey has found.

Parenting site, Bounty Baby Club, found that out of the 340,000 names their members gave their babies in 2016, there has been a sharp rise in names featured on TV shows, compared to 2015. 

The names of characters in ‘Orange is the New Black’ have shot up in popularity. The biggest climber has come from Piper, which broke into the top 150 with a 20% increase in popularity.

Other Litchfield Penitentiary inspired increases include Sophia (up to the number eight spot), Gloria up by 16% and Stella up by 13%. 

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Piper from 'Orange is the New Black'

Names from the show ‘Breaking Bad’ also showed large increases, with Walter jumping up 11%, joined by Jesse, which gained a 20% popularity bump compared to last year. Mike also jumped up 11%, reaching the top 150. 

‘House of Cards’ favourites include Claire, climbing 20% and Zoe, up 8%, now inside the top 100 at number 84. 

‘Stranger Things’ characters Nancy and Jonathan both enjoyed an 18% increase, holding positions 63 and 246.

Girls’ names from the show ‘Jessica Jones’ also proved popular, with Harper jumping up eight places to number 41 and Patsy receiving a 43% bump in popularity.

Lisa Penney, spokeswoman for Bounty.com, said: “Popular Netflix characters are strongly influencing parents’ choices for names this year. 

“It seems parents can’t get enough of settling down with their favourite Netflix boxset, so much so their favourite characters are living on in their children’s names.”

See the top name increases in the table below. 

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Bounty

Whether you’re looking for a name that is ‘cool’, ‘cute’, ‘pretty’, or ‘unique’, our Baby Name Generator is here to inspire you. Discover the meaning of your favourite name, browse the 100 most popular baby girl names and baby boy names in England and Wales, or let our Random Name Generator throw up an unusual suggestion. 

Before You Go

Retro Baby Names Making A Comeback
Aurelia(01 of08)
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Aurelia is the female form of the Roman classic Aurelius and was (unsurprisingly) most popular during the Roman Empire. The beautiful name is pronounced “Aw-REEL-ya” and means “the golden one.” According to Nameberry, Aurelia was one of the fastest-rising baby names in 2013 and in the following year, it broke the U.S. top 1,000 list to sit at number 832. (credit:Blend Images - Mike Kemp via Getty Images)
Emmett(02 of08)
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While the name Emmett is on rise for both genders in 2016, it’s actually starting to gain more popularity among girls. Emma and Emily have always been longtime favourites among parents, Emmett is a rare alternative with a fresh sound. While the name does seem masculine, Nameberry points out that some parents have added an “e” to the end to give the moniker a more feminine look and feel.The name originally peaked in popularity in the 1880s, but has gained a lot of attention in recent years. In 2014, Emmett was number 156 for boys, likely due to the craze of the “Twilight” series which featured a character with the same name. (credit:Thomas Northcut via Getty Images)
Ruby(03 of08)
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The name Ruby is very much a part of pop culture, which is likely why it’s experiencing a boost in popularity. Not only is the name found in music, such as the Rolling Stones’ song “Ruby Tuesday,” but also in film characters, such as Ruby (Renée Zellweger) in “Cold Mountain.” Ruby was highly popular between 1900 and 1936. During that time, the name was consistently in the top 50 list for girls. In 2013, Ruby finally cracked back into the top 100 list and the following year, sat at number 90. (credit:Tara Moore via Getty Images)
Felix(04 of08)
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The name Felix can be dated back to the Bible, but the moniker didn’t hit its peak in popularity until 1910. Although the moniker has fallen off the charts since then, it’s quickly making a comeback thanks to its “x” ending, which gives it its cool factor. Felix, which means “happy and fortunate,” was number 267 for boys in 2014. (credit:Camille Tokerud via Getty Images)
June(05 of08)
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June is one of those names that seem more popular than it really is. In the 1920s, this moniker was incredibly common, but its popularity has died down quite a bit since then. June only cracked the top 1,000 again in 2008 and in 2014, it was number 317 for girls. Today, the moniker is gaining popularity among boys as well, since it is a variation of the Latin name Junius, meaning “born in June.” (credit:Peter Dazeley via Getty Images)
August(06 of08)
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Surprisingly, August was one of the top 100 U.S. baby names in the 1800s. Today, it’s gaining popularity among boys and girls because it’s unique without being too over-the-top. In 2014, the moniker sat at number 242 on the top U.S. baby name list for boys. Additionally, many celebrities such as Charlize Theron, Garth Brooks and Mariska Hargitay have kids with the name August, which only adds to the moniker’s recent popularity. (credit:Noah Clayton via Getty Images)
Hazel(07 of08)
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This trendy, old school name is making a comeback thanks to celebrities and pop culture. Back in 2004, Julia Roberts named one of her twins Hazel and in 2014, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski chose the same name for their daughter. The moniker also gained even more traction in 2014 after the YA novel “The Fault in Our Stars” was turned into a movie, since Hazel is the name of the book’s heroine. Hazel was highly popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Although it began to dip in the charts starting in the 1950s and onwards, the rise of nature names has also added to its sudden boost in popularity. (credit:Camille Tokerud via Getty Images)
Ava(08 of08)
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Ava is a prime example of how retro baby names can make a successful comeback. Believe it or not, Ava is an ancient name. The moniker was actually first popularized back in 845 (yes, you read that right!) by St. Ava, a woman who was cured of blindness and became a nun. Since then, the moniker’s popularity has tapered off, only to begin rising again in the late '90s. In the past few years, Ava has managed to remain on the top 10 baby name list for girls. (credit:sot via Getty Images)