# what names are taken now? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 28, 2001, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669 "2001-04-28T20:22:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/1 "2001-04-28T20:22:57Z")
A number of names of fictional characters are now basically unavailable for use for newly born children – they will simply be associated with those names. They might not have been normal or popular before, but they’re pratically copyrighted now. Here’s a few: The Simpsons Bart Homer Sesame Street Ernie Elmo Grover The Flinstones Wilma Can you think of any more? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/2 "2001-04-28T20:38:15Z")
Monica. And Hillary. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/3 "2001-04-28T20:43:40Z")
Kermit. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/4 "2001-04-28T20:53:48Z")
Benedict–allright, so that’s kinda old-school, but you still can’t name your kid that. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/5 "2001-04-28T21:02:26Z")
Adolf. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/6 "2001-04-28T21:32:25Z")
\*Caligula. I think it’s such a cool name (even though in real life it was just a nickname), but too bad it’s been infamous for almost 2000 years. \*Even if it’s just a last name; Kramer. \*Hannibal. \*Harry (as in Potter) ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/7 "2001-04-28T22:21:08Z")
I think “Darth” is pretty much shot. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/8 "2001-04-28T23:56:29Z")
Barney. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/9 "2001-04-29T00:04:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by neptune\_1984 \* > \*\*\*Even if it’s just a last name; Kramer. \*\* Yeah,Cosmo will never have the same popularity,either. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/10 "2001-04-29T00:16:28Z")
In that same vein, I don’t see many Homers around… As for other names… Kenney. You’d really be setting the poor kid up. Psycho- Norman…You just can’t do it anymore. And Freddy. It’s too reminiscient of Scooby Doo…and Nightmare on Elm Street…and whatnot. And Freddy Got Fingered. It’s become a freaky psychopathically terrifying name. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/11 "2001-04-29T00:42:45Z")
I wonder when Bubba went out. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/12 "2001-04-29T01:04:36Z")
Ringo ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/13 "2001-04-29T02:06:36Z")
Lucifer ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/14 "2001-04-29T05:36:46Z")
Linus. Which is a great shame, as it would be one of my favorite names otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![passerby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e57/32.png) [@passerby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/passerby)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/15 "2001-04-29T06:53:55Z")
Sherlock, Scarlett. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/16 "2001-04-29T11:04:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > \*\*Linus. > > Which is a great shame, as it would be one of my favorite names otherwise. \*\* Because of Peanuts, or because of Linus Torvalds? ---
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/17 "2001-04-29T11:56:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoggie \* > \*\* > > As for other names… > Kenney. You’d really be setting the poor kid up. > \*\* I did a search on Google, Yahoo and IMDB for Kenney and couldn’t find anyone obvious. Who are you talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/18 "2001-04-29T11:59:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by curwin \* > > I did a search on Google, Yahoo and IMDB for Kenney and couldn’t find anyone obvious. Who are you talking about? I think it might be **Kenny** , from South Park. But I’m not sure. Mabe Zoggie will clear this up for us. ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/19 "2001-04-29T21:16:54Z")
Buffy. ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669/20 "2001-04-29T23:13:43Z")
I think “Darth” is pretty much shot. * * * “They’ll take my Mark of the Beast when they pry it from my cold, dead hand.” I actually went to school with a Darth. He had a sister named Star. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-are-taken-now/63669.md?page=2)