TV has always been a goldmine for baby name inspiration—but in the streaming era, the options have exploded. Between prestige dramas, binge-worthy comedies, and reboots we didn’t know we needed, there’s no shortage of characters with names worth borrowing for your little one.

Just like famous writers and artists, the best TV shows give us characters whose names feel fresh, unexpected, and full of personality. Whether you fell hard for a nature-inspired name on a fantasy epic or a vintage gem from a period drama, there’s something here for every kind of naming vibe.

We’ve rounded up 85+ of our favorite TV character names—from beloved classics to the biggest shows of the last few years. And if you’re curious about what’s trending beyond the screen, check out our list of popular baby names for even more ideas. You might also love our picks for unique baby names, gemstone baby names, or spring and summer baby names.

Girl names inspired by classic TV shows

1. Quinn (Scandal)

2. Gloria (Modern Family)

3. Phoebe (Friends)

4. Bailey (Grey’s Anatomy)

5. Moira (Schitt’s Creek)

6. Eloise (Bridgerton)

7. Reagan (New Girl)

8. Serena (Gossip Girl)

9. Piper (Orange Is the New Black)

10. Arya (Game of Thrones)

11. Eleanor (The Good Place)

12. Daphne (Bridgerton)

13. Stevie (Schitt’s Creek)

14. Annalise (How to Get Away with Murder)

15. Elena (The Undoing)

16. Penny (The Big Bang Theory)

17. Pearl (Little Fires Everywhere)

18. Zoey (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist)

19. Sylvie (Emily in Paris)

20. Tully (Firefly Lane)

21. Rainbow (Black-ish)

22. Noreen (Sweet Magnolias)

23. Charmaine (Virgin River)

24. Love (YOU)

25. Sami (Blue Bloods)

26. Rory (Gilmore Girls)

27. Meadow (The Sopranos)

Girl names from the biggest recent shows

28. Wednesday (Wednesday)

29. Enid (Wednesday)

30. Ellie (The Last of Us)

31. Tess (The Last of Us)

32. Sydney (The Bear)

33. Natalie (The Bear)

34. Siobhan (Succession)

35. Rhaenyra (House of the Dragon)

36. Rhaenys (House of the Dragon)

37. Helaena (House of the Dragon)

38. Keeley (Ted Lasso)

39. Rebecca (Ted Lasso)

40. Taissa (Yellowjackets)

41. Lottie (Yellowjackets)

42. Misty (Yellowjackets)

43. Harper (The White Lotus)

44. Portia (The White Lotus)

45. Janine (Abbott Elementary)

46. Ava (Abbott Elementary)

47. Mabel (Only Murders in the Building)

48. Charlie (Poker Face)

49. Rue (Euphoria)

50. Jules (Euphoria)

51. Ginny (Ginny & Georgia)

52. Georgia (Ginny & Georgia)

53. Helly (Severance)

54. Mariko (Shōgun)

55. Daisy (Daisy Jones & The Six)

56. Marian (The Gilded Age)

57. Bertha (The Gilded Age)

58. Sunja (Pachinko)

59. Elora (Reservation Dogs)

60. Lucy (Fallout)

61. Deborah (Hacks)

62. Alex (The Morning Show)

63. Maxine (Stranger Things)

Boy names inspired by classic TV shows

64. Toby (The Office)

65. Homer (The Simpsons)

66. Aidan (Sex and the City)

67. Randall (This Is Us)

68. Ziggy (Big Little Lies)

69. Archie (Riverdale)

70. Dustin (Stranger Things)

71. Owen (Grey’s Anatomy)

72. Winston (New Girl)

73. Jonah (Superstore)

74. Rufus (Gossip Girl)

75. Manny (Modern Family)

76. Sheldon (Young Sheldon)

77. Shaun (The Good Doctor)

78. Wes (How to Get Away with Murder)

79. Ty (Heartland)

80. Marty (Ozark)

81. Dwight (The Office)

82. Dre (Black-ish)

83. Maddox (Sweet Magnolias)

84. Slater (Saved by the Bell)

85. Trip (Little Fires Everywhere)

86. Gunther (Friends)

87. Raj (The Big Bang Theory)

Boy names from the biggest recent shows

88. Joel (The Last of Us)

89. Carmy (The Bear)

90. Marcus (The Bear)

91. Richie (The Bear)

92. Roman (Succession)

93. Kendall (Succession)

94. Connor (Succession)

95. Ted (Ted Lasso)

96. Jamie (Ted Lasso)

97. Nate (Ted Lasso)

98. Daemon (House of the Dragon)

99. Jacaerys (House of the Dragon)

100. Irving (Severance)

101. Dylan (Severance)

102. Mark (Severance)

103. Ethan (The White Lotus)

104. Gregory (The White Lotus)

105. JJ (Outer Banks)

106. Pope (Outer Banks)

107. Nick (Heartstopper)

108. Seong (Squid Game)

109. Toranaga (Shōgun)

110. Jackson (Slow Horses)

111. Reacher (Reacher)

112. Oscar (The Gilded Age)

113. Solomon (Pachinko)

114. Bear (Reservation Dogs)

115. Maximus (Fallout)

116. Billy (Daisy Jones & The Six)

117. Bradley (The Morning Show)

118. Chip (The Morning Show)

Whether you’re drawn to a brooding drama name or something lighter from your favorite comedy, the best TV-inspired baby names are the ones that feel like yours. And with streaming libraries only getting bigger, the inspiration isn’t slowing down anytime soon. For even more ideas, browse our full collection of baby boy names and baby girl names.

A version of this post was published March 12, 2021. It has been updated.