Darwin

Darwin is most recognizable as the surname of naturalist Charles Darwin who devised the theory of evolution. His name has been used for craters on Mars, the Moon, and in Tasmania. He also has an asteroid named after him. Apple used his name for a MAC operating system in 2000.  

Armando Muñoz of the X-men used the alias Darwin. Darwin's mutant abilities allow him to evolve to protect himself. He appeared in the 2011 film X-Men: First Class.

Darwin is an English surname that has one of two possible roots. It may be derived from a given name in the 7th century, Deorwine, which means 'dear friend', or it may be a reference to the town Darwen. In 2011, 291 boys were given the name, along with 5 girls.

Rory

Rory is an Irish name with a long history that I won't go into here.

For Whovians, it's the 11th Doctor's companion, Rory Arthur Williams, husband of Amy Pond. Rory is a nurse who is killed, then reincarnated as a Roman Centurion robot who devotedly guards Amy in the Pandorica for thousands of years. In Dr. Who, he's the ultimate nice guy, and it's wonderful to see the nice guy finally get the girl!

Rory gets a brief mention in the Hunger Games Trilogy as the younger brother of Gale Hawthorne.

You'll find Rory's in comics too. In the Marvel Universe, he's Ahab, aka, Dr. Roderick 'Rory' Campbell. Rory Regan, aka Ragman, is from a short lived D.C. Comic of the same name. 

Although Rory is a male name, it's seeing increased use for girls, both as a stand alone name and a nickname for Aurora. In 2011, it ranked at #599 for Boys, and at #903 for Girls.

Théoden/Théodred

Théoden is a character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. He was the king of Rohan, who was controlled by his chief advisor, Grima a.k.a. Wormtongue. When Gandalf came to Rohan, he revealed Wormtongue for what he was, and Théoden regained his senses. He then fought in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where he routed the Harad calvary. He was later mortally wounded by one of the Nazgûl.

Théodred is the son of Théoden and Elfhild. He was killed in the First Battle of the Fords of Isen.  

Both versions of this Tolkien name would be a great choice for parents looking for a fresh take on Theodore. In 2011, 10 boys were given the name Theoden.

Kira

Kira is a female variant of the Russian name Cyrus. It's also a female variant of the Irish name Ciaran.

In the Sci-Fi world, it's best known as the name of Kira Nerys, the Bajoran first officer on Deep Space 9. Bajoran naming tradition used the surname first, and given name second, so Kira was her surname, and Nerys was her given name.

In Fantasy, Kira was the name of a gelfling in the film, The Dark Crystal. 

For Gamers, Kira is a character in the video game Mortal Kombat.

In 2011, Kira ranked #333 in the U.S. This makes her a familiar, yet uncommon choice.

Tesla

Tesla is the surname of the famous inventor, Nikola Tesla. The Tesla coil is one of his inventions, and his name has been used as a unit of magnetic flux density. 2244 Tesla is an asteroid that also bears his name. Tesla Motors is an electric car company based in California. 

The agents of Warehouse 13 use an energy weapon called a Tesla. 

I think that his name lends itself well for girls, since it ends in a, and can lead to the nickname Tess. My only concern in using this name is if Tesla Motors becomes popular in the future, it might be like naming your daughter Honda. Otherwise, it's a great way to honor the brilliant scientist. In 2011, 70 girls were named Tesla, as well as 9 boys.

Lando

In the real world, Lando is a variant and nickname of the name Orlando.

In the Star Wars universe, he's Lando Calrissian, administrator of the Cloud City, and frenemy of Han Solo. He appears in two Star Wars films, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Although he betrays Han Solo, and turns him over to Boba Fett, he does so under duress from Darth Vader. He eventually helps Leia, Luke, and the others escape. He even helps Leia rescue the frozen Han Solo from Jabba the Hut.

In 2011, 12 boys were named Lando. If you're considering this as a nickname, Orlando ranked at #482.

Andromeda

Andromeda was the first geeky name that I fell in love with. Andromeda is a name from Greek mythology, so it has some very non-geeky roots. Andromeda was a princess that was rescued by Perseus. The story should be familiar to anyone who has seen either of the Clash of the Titans films. 

Andromeda is both a constellation and a galaxy, making her a fitting name for star-gazing parents. 

For Sci-Fi fans, there is the Andromeda television series that starred Kevin Sorbo. In that series, Andromeda was the ship, and the A.I., nicknamed Rommie, that controlled it. The Andromeda Strain was a novel by Michael Crichton that was later adapted into a film.

For Fantasy fans, Andromeda "Dromeda" Tonks (nee Black) was a character in the Harry Potter series. She was the mother of Nymphadora Tonks and the sister of Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange.

Andromeda is a popular name in comic books. She is a minor character in the Marvel Universe. Andromeda was the code name of Laurel Gand in the D.C. Comics Universe as well. In Manga, Andromeda Shun is a character in the Saint Seiya franchise.

In 2011, 31 girls were named Andromeda. The name is easily shortened to 'Andie' or as in the t.v. series, 'Rommie'.

Introduction

Welcome to the first post of Geek Baby Names! In this blog, I'll explore wonderful names from the Sciences, Science Fiction, and Fantasy. I plan to include both unique names created for fiction, as well as 'normal' names that have a geeky reference. I'm not going to delve too deep into meanings and histories, as there are plenty of other sites that do a great job of that. I'll just focus on the geek factor of the name. Feel free to send me your favorite geek names!

-C