Pokémon GO has obviously been quite the social phenomenon, reintroducing the popular series to mainstream culture and roping in hordes of new fans. While it's inevitable that the viral popularity will eventually die out somewhat, some people have clearly been extremely inspired by the new app, and have since chosen to name their children after Pokémon.
Baby Center -- a pregnancy and parenting website -- has noticed that there's been a spike in the naming of various children after Pokémon over the past few weeks, and it looks as though it could even become a "full fledged trend". Laura Murray, Editor in Chief of Baby Center, had this to say on the phenomenon:
Parents are always looking to pop culture for baby name inspiration and, right now, it doesn't get hotter than Pokemon Go. It's possible that parents' enthusiasm for the game will reignite their love for the brand and spark a full-fledged naming trend.
Roselia, Eevee, Onyx, Star, Ivy, Ash, and Shay have been the most popular names thus far, though odd names such as, erm, Mankey and Muk have also seen a slight bump. Perhaps a few years from now, there may be a couple Pikachus in your child's class.
What do you think? Do you know anyone whose name has been inspired by a video game? Do you think this will continue to become
[source bbc.co.uk]
Comments 102
Oh dear God
🤔😞☹️
I feel horrified and amused by this. It's an odd mixture.
Some of them like Ivy and Star aren't so bad but... WHO THE HELL NAMES THEIR KID MUK AFTER A PILE OF SLUDGE?
I suppose Onyx is better than Hashtag...
It's like parents never heard of Pokemon before 😂
But let's be honest, some names are cool, others...not so much.
But the moment a kid discovered is being named after a Pokemon...that will be a real weird moment
Great, now how am I supposed to know if the person yelling "Weedle" is excited about Pokemon Go or is just calling over his kid?
Roselia is like Rosalia, but spelled weirdly, so it's fine.
Eevee is weird, but I bet that "Ibi" is a name in some Asian and African cultures, so it's fine.
Now, I take considerable offense over naming a child "Kum" spelled backwards.
None of those names listed sound even half bad, and most ARE already names. Ivy, Shay and Star don't even come across as pokemon names. Roselia is a cute name, like an alternate Roseli. Eevee was already technically a name. It's sometimes even used as a short for Evelyn, and spelled in various ways, like Evie. Ash and Onyx are definitely names that were used before pokemon existed, too. The pokemon is called Onix, by the way.
This isn't officially a trend until we see a bunch of kids named Scyther and Espeon.
@shaneoh I can only hope for Kantai Collection to catch fire here in the west.
It would be nice to see girls named "Shimakaze" or "Prinz Eugen" get somewhat common over the span of a few years.
OH COME ON! This is really stupid. Some games make sense (Zelda Williams anyone?), but this is really stupid. Roselia and Ash kinda work but I suspect there'll be some regret after this is all over.
Also can I ask people to play in moderation? As a cyclist, I've almost ran over people crossing the street whilst playing the game at least fifteen times in the past month. Don't blame it on texting; I can hear the music.
It's another BS article capitalizing on PGO that blogs use as click-fodder. They're saying "Pokemon Names" but these are all already established names so it's really not a big deal.
And let's face it. These names are far less embarrassing to the kids than being named after Hunger Games characters. (Or being the 18th Sofia in class.)
@KittyKatta Mankey and Muk are already established names?
For some reason, I'm being reminded of president Mountain Dew Camacho from Idiocracy...
Well, I could see some of those working for names (Eevee, Roselia), but others (Mankey, Muk)...not so much.
Eevee is not that bad since it's close to Evie.
Mankey is close to a Japanese word for the female private part.
Muk is kind of good luck kid with that name.
At least some of those names are real names, like Onyx and Shay.
@DekersHekers Try bringing an air horn with you. They're very effective at scattering flocks of birds, raccoons, and people staring down at their phones.
@KittyKatta Mankey and Muk are established names? Really?
People named Porygon, Porygon2 and Porygon Z
Imagine someone named Snorlax.
Parents name their kids some pretty weird things. Trust me, my mom is a teacher and has seen some weird ones. XD
...Still, I think a line should be drawn at Muk. Most of the others listed aren't bad, though. I'm waiting to see how many parents name their kid Mewtwo.
Honestly, I feel like the world is going crazy. My cousin who hated Pokemon all of sudden complains her app store doesn't have Go (I really don't know why not, it's the same store I've got mine from). I really can't see how this app is in any way, shape or form better than any mainline Pokemon game, besides being free with in-game purchases which is a concept I hate.
I'm calling hoax but paging the sweet meteor of death to take us all anyway.
LOL XD
"Hi, my name is Pikachu. Nice 'Chu' meet You."
Oh, btw. Some Pokemon names can be changed a bit into cool name.
Ekans -> Atkins . Hello, Mr. Atkins.
Arbok -> Arbuck. Hi, Mr. Arbuck.
My real name is Pong.
If I have a kid, I'm gonna name her Red Dead Redemption.
I had an uncle who was a hundred and fifty-three years old and his name was Onyx. Pronounced Oh-nix.
Remember that song Slam! by Onyx? Good timez.
@3MonthBeef I once knew a girl named Trillion. Her legal name was 10^12.
Read this yesterday from another site. Muk and Mankey are the only names that aren't actual names already and they weren't even mentioned in the other article I read. And they're saying these names got a bump which tells me that all the names have been used previously, even Muk and Mankey.
@Crimzonlogic noice profile picture
Wow. Suddenly all the Game of Thrones nerds naming their kids Khaleesi, Cerci, and Daenerys seem fairly normal in comparison.
A coworker of mine named his daughter Evelyn (a very pretty name, in my opinion) after Eevee, but at least he was subtle about it.
I'm a huge Pokémon fan, but yeah, I'm probably not going to refer to my Pokédex when picking baby names.
@Braok Thank you for choosing chermender!
Names should have meaning, in my opinion.
Pikachu... pika is sparkle or shining, chu is the squeaking sound a mouse makes... well if you want your kid's name to mean "Sparkling Squeak," now you can.
Roselia is a good name, and obscure enough that only Pokemon fans would actually know. Eevee is kinda cool too I guess. Honestly someone being named Muk is pretty hilarious to me. I'd love to be friends with Muk.
@Gorlokk I bet Muk doesn't think it's so funny.
"Would Muk please come to the principal's office"
oh god I feel sorry for some of these kids.
@HeroponRiki I think he had another thing in mind when he named it like that, like, you know, how his kid was born because of... Just... read the pokemon name backwards.
And yeah, he's a terrible person because of that.
Roselia at least works as a name. Eevee makes sense as a nickname for Evelyn or something like that. Ash is usually short for Ashley or Ashlyn.
Mankey is just weird. Muk? Good luck kid.
@TheWPCTraveler Sounds good, but Sydney police are kinda strict with bike noise regulations. A silly little dinger bell is the best I can do.
@3MonthBeef Yes!
@DekersHekers Well maybe you shouldn't play on your phone whilst cycling, that way you'll stop almost hitting people...
@xzacutor I don't. They do. Sorry if that came across as unclear. I came across 'them playing the game', not I 'came across them while playing the game'. Might have not been clear enough.
I'd never play while riding. It's dangerous.
How unfortunate. If I was to ever adopt a baby I would dress it up as a Mudkip that's as Pokemon as it gets for me.
Poor children
At least Ivy, Ash and Shay are actual names. I've also met an Eevee before, though she was born before Pokemon was a thing.
@MitchVogel : Dear heaven... I thought you were joking. Hell, I'm still convinced that you're joking...
@Totaldude911 : No-one gets excited over a Weedle.
As most people here agree Eevee is fine. In Greek there's also a female name pronounced exactly the same, Ήβη.
Also Onyx is a Greek word and it means both nail and a kind of ore.
I will call my child Mr Mime and write in my will that their first born must be named Mime Jr or they get nothing.
I really hope these kids don't get made fun of, because of their names.
@Ogbert : Will you be changing your name to Mime Senior?
@Hey-Cha-La
according to wikipedia:
"According to series producer Satoshi Tajiri, the name is derived from a combination of two Japanese sounds: pika, a sound an electric spark makes, and chu"
Nonetheless, I hope no one names their kid Pikachu.
My future child will be named Dunsparce, boy or girl.
But do these kids have perfect EVs? If not, I'm trading them off and try another one...or 2...or until I get them perfect. It's already hard hatching you kids.
See when your kid grows older do you to get their name changed? eg- Roselia becomes Roserade?
I'm calling my firstborn Mega Rayquaza and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
Gotta... um, conceive 'em all, I guess?
Some names like Roselia sounds nice for a child...
Don't know about calling your child Pikachu though....
Dear god, not only are they being named after a Pokemon, they're being named after a Pokemon because their parents saw it in a mobile phone game. I guess they should all just be glad that they're not called Angry Flappy Bird.
Hi, Lickilicky Dickson. Pleased to meet y- Where are you going?
COME BACK!
@3MonthBeef That being said, there's a character in the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy called Trillian (with an "a" mind you), so maybe that's what they had in mind?
Still absolutely ridiculous, though.
A kid named Eevee knows they can grow up to be whatever they want.
Joking aside, I'm not sure how this is news. Names tie into fads all the time. Just a few months ago I heard certain names were making a comeback because of Hamilton.
I pity the child who gets named Squirtle.
Absurd!
There are already a lot of Mario's around, so I guess the trend of naming children after Nintendo characters started over twenty years ago.
8-O
Good lord, the first it wedged itself in our time and mind, now they try to take our very names. Kinda glad I didn't get the app now. At the very least they could name their kids after the gym leaders.
@Dizzard Although I'm sure a kid named Machoke isn't gonna be pushed around.
Onyx is a mineral which is where the Pokemon name came from. What the hell do they teach you in Europe?
Who would want to be named PIkachu.... I don't understand this at all.
Hahahha "those are my friends mankey and muk"
As much as i like Pokemon, that is a terrible idea.
If I was names as a Pokemon, I would want it to be a middle name, which meant I would still have a relatively normal name (since middle names don't really matter) but still be named after a Pokemon!
@MitchVogel You scare me.
@DekersHekers
Zelda is a real name that existed before the game, so it's different.
@sillygostly I wish that were a real Pokémon!
What the hell? I would never name my child Tentacool!
Maybe there is a kid called Magicarp or Arceus.
What a time to live in.
Our daughter is Elhaym from Xenogears. Our son is Garion from the Eddings' book series. Figured names that were recognizable in a store or park when yelled were important.
@james_mueller I like those names, they're cool sounding!
But people have named their kids way worse things than Pokemon, I have encountered some really bizarre stuff in my work (someone named after a day of the week). Sometimes a last name is used in conjunction with the first name to make an even stranger name! Like the parent was drunk or thought it would be funny when they did it...
But please, everyone don't name your kid Jigglypuff.
I'll give credit to the parents that name them Roselia and Shay. Both sounds like normal names and their pokemon knowledge goes past the 3rd gen and not some/most of 1st gen.
Hypebeast
Brb naming my kid Arceus. If I have two kids, I'll name the other Trubbish.
These are my three sons, Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam
Star and Ivy are at least real names, Ash is obviously the shortened form of Ashley and Rosaelia can be passed off as unusual spelling but c'mon! Don't be a jerk and name your kid something glaringly obvious like Eevee or Muk. Your kids do have to live with that name and will be teased mercilessly. You don't.
Lord Helix shall rise!
I'm not surprised, but a little weirded out by Muk and Mankey, I have a cousin who is legally named "Pikachu",as in that's his birth name, to save him from embarrassment in class I call him Peak.
I can imagine someone naming their kids Onyx, Ivy, Star or Ash, but imagine someone naming their kid(s) " Ho-oh","Muk" or
"( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)", oh the horror.....
When I'm in that timeframe of my life, I'm going to have a daughter named Mega Charizard X and a son named Mega Charizard Y. And when they go to school I'm going to have them carry around huge as* flamethrowers that set people on fire. (Not to mention, their names are quite fitting genetic-wise too, if you think about it.)
...
Anyone who picks on them will be blasted with a vicious inferno.
I shall look forward to that day with heavy desire.
sniff
Naming your children after Pokémon is a bit extreme. Some names can work though.
I'm a cat breeder, and I name kittens from our cattery after Pokémon, although it's not because of Pokémon Go. I started naming cats after Pokémon from the moment I became a breeder, around 7 years ago. I have just always been a huge Pokémon fan, and some Pokémon make great cat names. Visit my page if you like: www.glameows.com
My son is called Ash, but not after the Pokemon trainer.
The late comedian and actor Robin Williams called his daughter Zelda, after Princess Zelda.
Maybe I'll call my kid Suicune and none of us will ever be quite sure how to pronounce it.
Onyx is a bit of a stretch to be considered a 'Pokemon name'. I knew what the Pokemon Onix was FAR before I knew wtf an Onyx was IRL.
And this didn't happen in 1998?
Roselia actually feels like a normal name, and I knew an underclassman who's nickname was Eevee. But so much wrong that can go with this.
I'm going to name my child Dedenne, calling it.
I'd like to name my daughter Fiora if I ever have one someday. It's a pretty name sue me.
@AlexSora89 700+ kids to conceive 'em all!! Now ain't that a lofty goal.
No thanks if you ask me. I got 1 and that's already plenty of effort. Even just 700 kids would be insane and probably result in insanity (or be the result of having had insanity you never know.)
@WillTheLion
And the Majora's Mask profile pic makes your comment all the more delicious.
Nah, I'm good. It's already bad enough I give nicknames to my mons in Y & LeafGreen, with fluctuating levels of appropriateness & refinement.
"Laprosy & Tree Fiddy/Lapras", "R. Kelly/Bagon-Salamence", "Gamachibi/Froakie-Greninja" , "Flannery/Flareon", "Crowbar/Crobat", "Jared Fogle/Hypno", "Paras Hilton/Paras-Parasect", "Spartan Hater/Meowth-Persian", " 'Don Deluis/Rhydon", "Same Here/Ditto", My list of names I've christened to particular Pokemon could go on forever.....
@Crimzonlogic i forgot what video is your profile picture from i remember seeing it somewhere
@Braok It was a news report on Pokemon Go with cheap creepy 3d models, though I can't remember which off the top of my head. Google will help, but alas, I am lazy.
I've got a daughter named Zelda. She has a more normal middle name so she can go by that if Zelda is too weird.
No, just no.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xWoo8y9t_c
Tap here to load 102 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...