May 2015 Roundup

Here's my monthly roundup of geeky names from other name blogs in the month of May!

British Baby names did a very thorough write up on Hermione, and Nolan. Nolan's geeky references include the surname of Prince Charming in Once Upon a Time, Joshua Nolan, the main protagonist in Defiance, and Nolan Grayson, aka, Omni-Man.

Ren's Baby Names talks about Leia.

The Art of Naming discusses names from Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Nancy's Baby Names posted a great list of secular names. They also did a write up of Denali, which is the name of a coven in the Twilight series.

Roses and Cellar Doors has a list of Pixar names.

Name News found a great Steampunk Name generator.

MyNamesInTheClouds has an interesting You Tube video where he discusses names from Game of Thrones.

Nameberry has an article that shows the popularity of GoT names.

Once Upon a Time Baby Names goes in depth on the name Gordon.
It's geeky associations include:
Gordon Gould who is widely credited for the invention of the laser
The superhero Flash Gordon
Commissioner Gordon and Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) in Batman
A teleporting Inhuman from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Gordon Walker, a vampire hunter in the tv series Supernatural.
Gordon Freeman, a character in Half Life
Byron Gordon of Babylon 5
a friend of Dudley Dursley in Harry Potter
a computer in Red Dwarf< a wraith in Stargate Atlantis
a naval officer in the Temeraire novels
an air force major in the Transformers comics
a professor in Warehouse 13

Ara

Ara is a constellation in the southern sky. The constellation name comes from the Latin for 'altar'. It was first described by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. There are 8 main stars in the constellation. The Stingray Nebula is in Ara.

In Stargate Atlantis, Ara was a member of the Satedan military who was captured by the wraith, and eventually became a wraith worshiper. She was killed by Rakai, one of her fellow wraith worshipers.  In Stargate SG-1, Ara was the name of a platform in the shape of the Ori symbol for Origin, upon which heretics were burned.

In Dragonlance, Ara Kano was a leader of the town Pirim.

Ara Tribe is a tribe in the StarCraft Universe.

Project Ara is a Google initiative to create modular smartphones.
Ara is a genus of macaws.

Although the constellation name is derived from Latin, Ara is also a female Persian name that means 'brings rain', and a male Armenian name from a legendary King, Ara the Beautiful. Ara is sometimes used as a nickname for the Russian name Avrora. It can also be used as a nickname for Arabella.

Ara appears in the SSA's top 1000 girl names from 1900-1918. It's highest rank was in 1901 when it reached #559. It has never reached the top 1000 for boys. It was given to just 49 girls and 7 boys in 2014. Although it's unisex, I think Ara works best for girls due to it's similarity to Ada and Ava. It would be a good choice for parents who like those names but want something a little different.

Proton

A proton is a sub-atomic particle in the nucleus of an atom and carries a positive electric charge. The number of protons in an atom is referred to as its atomic number.

In Star Trek Voyager, Captain Proton was a character in a holodeck program created by helmsman Tom Paris. It is based on early Earth made Sci-Fi films, and is entirely in black and white.

Professor Proton was a character on the television show, The Big Bang Theory. Professor Proton was the host of a children's science show that inspired Sheldon Cooper to become a scientist.

Proton is Greek for "First". Proton does not appear in SSA's name database.

Fleur

Fleur Delacour Weasley was a character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J.K. Rowling. Fleur participated in the Triwizard challenge at Hogwarts while a student at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. She married Bill Weasley with whom she had three children.

In the Temeraire series of novels by Naomi Novik, a Fleur-de-Nuit(Flower of the Night) was a breed of dragon. They were mainly used by the French military and had the ability to see in the dark, and their dark color made them nearly invisible at night. They were sensitive to bright light, which could injure their eyes.

Fleur was a character on the U.K. television series Being Human. Her son became friends with the vampire Mitchell. She misunderstood their friendship, and believed Mitchell was sexually abusing him. Later when her son became critically wounded, Mitchell offered to save him by turning him into a vampire, which Fleur agreed to.

Fleur Morgan was a PAS (Protection and Security) officer in the U.K. Sci-fi series, Outcasts.

Fleur Blanc was a character in the Japanese anime series Eureka Seven.

Fleur is a French name that means, "Flower". Fleur has never ranked in the Top 1,000 names in the U.S. In 2014, it did not make the list at all. In 2013, it was given to just 9 girls.

Thor

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor Odinson was a prince of the planet Asgard, son of Odin and Frigga. He was banished to Earth by his father, Odin, for an unauthorized attack on the Jotunheim. While on Earth, he met and fell in love with Jane Foster. He regained his power after he attempted to sacrifice himself to protect Jane and her friends from a destroyer sent by his adopted brother, Loki. He later joined the Avengers to stop Loki from conquering Earth, and again to fight the A.I. Ultron. After defeating Malekith, Odin (actually Loki in disguise) offered Thor the throne of Asgard, which he declined. In the Marvel comics, his mother was Jord, or Gaea, the spirit of the Earth. When visiting Earth he sometimes takes on a mortal form, and is known as Donald Blake. If separated from his hammer, Mjolnir, for too long, he loses his power.

In the television series Stargate SG-1, Thor was a member of an alien race called the Asgard. Unlike the Asgard in the Marvel universe, in Stargate the Asgard bear no resemblance to humans. Thor and the Asgard protected some human worlds from the Goa'uld. Thor befriended Jack O'Neill and SG1, which led to an alliance between Thor's people and Earth. When the Asgard were facing extinction, Thor convinced the Asgard High Council to bequeath all their knowledge and technology to the people of Earth.

In the U.K. series, Being Human, the werewolf Thomas McNair named one of his vampire killing stakes "Thor."

In several of the Hitchhiker's Guide novels by Douglas Adams, the Thunder God Thor was friends with Zaphod Beeblebrox.

Thor is of Norse origin, and means "Thunder". Thor made the top 1000 names in the U.S. in 1961 (#964), 1965 (#964), 1966 (#894), 1968 (#881), 1969 (#957), and in 1971 (#912). In 2014, 114 boys were given the name Thor. 

Jinora

In Avatar's The Legend of Korra, Jinora was a master airbender from Air Temple Island. Jinora was one of a few that could see and communicate with the spirits. She successfully fought the Equalists who attacked Air Temple Island, but more came, forcing Jinora and her family to flee. They were captured, but eventually freed, and later able to return home. Because of her spiritual abilities, Jinora guided Avatar Korra into the spirit world. She was captured, and trapped in the Fog of Lost Souls, until rescued by her father.

Jinora is an invented name, possibly derived from Jinorasa, a male Sanskrit name that means "Essence of Victory". In 2014, 9 girls were given the name.

Dejah

Dejah Thoris was the title character of the 1917 novel, A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs and it's sequels. She was the granddaughter of the Jeddak (King) of Helium. She was the wife of an Earth man, John Carter, with whom she had two children, Carthoris and Tara.

Dejah Duare was a character in the Star Wars novels Coruscant Nights, parts II and III. She was a Zeltron living on Coruscant. Her lover, Ves Volette, was murdered. After she found his murderer, she joined Whiplash, an anti-Galactic Empire resistance group.

Dejah is a variant of the French name Deja, and means "remembrance or before". It is also sometimes used as a nickname for Dejanira, a variation of Deianeira, who was the wife of Hercules. Dejah made it into the top 1,000 names in four different years, 1996 (#982), 1998 (#784), 1999 (#671), and 2000 (#927). In 2014, 33 girls were named Dejah, and 118 were named Deja.

Diaval

Diaval was a character in Disney's Maleficient. He was an update of the raven, Diablo, that appeared in the animated movie Sleeping Beauty. In Maleficient, Diaval pledged to be Maleficient's servant after she saved his life. Maleficient transformed Diaval into various creatures, including a human, wolf, horse and dragon, but she used him mostly to be her wings, since she no longer had hers.

Diaval is an invented name. It has never appeared in SSA's name database. It's a little too out there for a person, but I think it would be an awesome name for a pet, especially a black one.

Maximus

In Star Trek, Flavius Maximus was an alien from the planet 892-IV, which bore a striking resemblance to Ancient Rome. He was a gladiator who rejected the Roman way of life to follow the Children of the Son. He was recaptured and forced to fight in an area battle, and died trying to prevent the execution of Captain James T Kirk.

Maximus was a dragon in the Temeraire series of novels by Naomi Novik. He was a Regal Copper, and was large even for that breed. He was in the same formation as Temeraire.

In Doctor Who, Maximus Pettulian was a lyre player from Corinth that plotted to kill Emperor Nero. He was assassinated before he could carry out the act. The First Doctor later discovered the dead Maximus. The Doctor took his lyre, and assumed his identity while in Rome.

In the Marvel universe, Maximus was a schizophrenic genius and an Inhuman.

Fortress Maximus was the name of several characters in the Transformers universe.

In Caprica, Maximus was a judge who was bribed to prevent Joseph Adama's clients from going to prison.

In the J.K. Rowling book, Quidditch Through the Ages, Maximus Brankovitch III was a seeker for the Fitchburg Finches, an American Quiddich team from Massachusetts.

In the Star Wars universe, the Maximus was a star cruiser that appeared in several novels.

Maximus is used in taxonomy in the Latin binomial abbreviations for many different species.

Maximus is Latin for "the greatest". Maximus first appeared in the top 1,000 names in the United States in 2000. In 2014, it ranked at #192.

Gilina

Gilina Renaez was a character on the Sci-fi television show, Farscape. She was a non-combat Peacekeeper, who was a technical specialist in maintenance and engineering. She was part of a salvage crew sent to an ancient derelict ship, the Zelbinion. They were attacked, and she was the sole survivor. She was found there by Crichton and the crew of the Moya. She helped them to repel the same attackers, and had some romantic moments with Crichton. She stayed behind to be rescued by the Peacekeepers, rather than join the crew of the Moya. She later encountered Crichton and Aeryn at Gammak Base, where she helped them get past security, and later flee the base. She was mortally wounded in the process, and died on the Moya.

Gilina is an invented name, and has never appeared in the SSA's name database. Gilina is a unique alternative to Gillian, and I think it's a perfect example of a unique name that is not too weird.

Logan

The name Logan can be found all over the sci-fi/fantasy world. The most prominent use is in the Science fiction novel turned film, Logan's Run. In the novel, people's lives were terminated once they reach the age of 21 in order to prevent overpopulation. The character Logan was charged with enforcing the rule by killing those who run. When Logan turned 21, he became a runner himself, and used an underground railroad to reach Sanctuary, a colony on Mars.

Logan is also the name of Wolverine, of the X-Men. Wolverine was born James Howlett, the son of a wealthy landowner, John Howlett, in the 1880s. However, his biological father was the groundskeeper, Thomas Logan. Thomas killed John Howlett, and Wolverine in turn killed Thomas with his bone claws. Cast out by his mother, he adopted the name Logan.

Logan Cale was one of the main characters in the television series Dark Angel. Logan is a hacker/journalist, who transmits his untraceable broadcasts under the pseudonym "Eyes Only". He helped Max track down her fellow genetically engineered soldiers.

There were two characters in the tv series, Warehouse 13 with the name Logan. Kate Logan was a secret service agent who once had a relationship with Pete Lattimer.  Logan was an individual who used an artifact to disrupt a banking convention. He killed several bankers before he was stopped.

Logan Gyre is the High King in The Night Angel Triolgy by Brent Weeks.

Logan Willowine was a Kender Mystic in the Dragonlance novel, Citadel of Light.

Lieutenant Logan was an engineer on the U.S.S. Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Garfield Mark "Gar" Logan, is the real name of the comic book character Beast Boy.

Logan is the main character in the video game Fable III. Gabriel Logan is a character in the video game, Syphon Filter. Logan was a character in the video game Star Wars Galaxies.

In Farscape, Douglas Logan was an avatar used by Rygel in a simulation.

The name originates as the name of a Scottish Clan. It means "little hollow". Although it is mostly used for boys, Logan is also used for girls. In the United States, Logan ranked as the 13th most popular name for boys, and ranked at #391 for girls in 2014.

Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia is a constellation named for a queen in Greek mythology.  Cassiopeia was the mother of Andromeda. She incurred the wrath of Poseidon by boasting about Andromeda's and her own beauty.

In Battlestar Galactica, Cassiopeia was a medtech, and former prostitute.

In Transformers, Cassiopeia was a reporter for Around Cybertown.

Cassiopeia was a mage in League of Legends video game.

In the Harry Potter series, Cassiopeia Black was the daughter of Cygnus Black II and Violetta Bulstrode.  She was the grand-aunt of Sirius Black.

The name is Greek in origin, and means "cassia juice." In 2014, the name Cassiopeia was given to 12 girls in the United States. Cassiopeia is a more unique way to get to the nickname 'Cassie'.

Copernicus

Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish mathematician and astronomer, who first postulated that the Sun, not the Earth, was at the center of the Solar system. The publication of his book, De revolutionibus oribum coelestium, in 1543 is frequently cited as the beginning date of the scientific revolution.

The name's origin is most likely from the name of the town from where Copernicus's father's family lived. Today the town is called Koperniki. At that time, people were often named for where they were from. However some believe that his name is derived from the Polish word for the dill plant "koperek" or "kopernik" that grows in that region. Copernicus does not appear in the Social Security Administration's name database. It would be an unwieldy first name, but might be usable if shorted to Nic, or used in the middle.

Natasha

Natasha Romanova/Romanoff was a character from the Marvel Universe that was also known as Black Widow. She was a spy and an assassin. In Iron Man 2, Natasha infiltrated Stark Industries on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the Marvel Comics, she infiltrated the company in order to assassinate Anton Vanko as a member of the KGB. In both versions, she eventually defected and joined S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers.

In an alternate reality, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, was born a woman named Natasha Stark. Natasha became Iron Woman, and married Steve Rogers, aka, Captain America.

Natasha Yar was the security officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise-D in the first season of Star Trek: The Next GenerationNatasha was a human born on the war-torn colony planet Turkana IV. She was killed in the line of duty on Vagra II by the entity known as Armus, as a display of his power.

Natasha Alexander was a character from Babylon 5. She was a telepath, and the grandmother ofLyta Alexander.

Natasha Miles was a character in the U.K. Series, Being Human. She was rescued from vampires by Mr. Rook, who then used her as bait for Tom and Hal. She fell under Captain Hatch's spell and committed suicide.

Natasha is of Russian origin, and a dimunitive of Natalya which means "Christmas Day." In 2013, it ranked as the 582nd most popular name for girls in the United States.

Rhodes

James Rhodes, aka, War Machine, is a character from Iron Man. His story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in the Marvel Comics differ. In both versions, Rhodes, nicknamed Rhody, was a member of the U.S. Military and friend of Tony Stark. He is known as War Machine when wearing the Iron Man armor.

Myrra Rhodes was a member of the Creature Commandos in the DC Comics Universe. Her hair turned into snakes, making her resemble Medusa, which is also her codename.

Sandra Rhodes was a lieutenant on the U.S.S. Enterprise-D in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "Bloodlines".

Rhodes Hill was a district in Raccoon City in the Resident Evil franchise.

In Warehouse 13, the Rhodes Bowl was a marble bowl carved from the remains of the Colossus of Rhodes. It caused those who used it to grow so fast their bodies would eventually tear apart.

Rhodes is a Greek name that means 'where the roses grow'. In 2013, 41 boys were given the name Rhodes.