# When naming your child after fictional character goes wrong... (GoT spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2019, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131 "2019-05-17T23:03:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/1 "2019-05-17T23:03:17Z")
Mouseover space . . . . . . . . . . . . . So, apparently a lot of people have named their kid Khalessi or Daenerys on the basis of her actions in the early part of the story. Those kids now have the name of Westeros’s biggest mass murderer, probably not the aim their parents were going for. Has this ever happened before, (a fictional character getting so popular that people name their kids after him/her, then the character changing in some fundamental way that changes the context of the name for the worse)? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/2 "2019-05-18T00:33:03Z")
[I am a teacher and had two girls the same year with the name Isis and I thought it was kind of funny.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant) ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/3 "2019-05-18T01:35:17Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Has this ever happened before, (a fictional character getting so popular that people name their kids after him/her, then the character changing in some fundamental way that changes the context of the name for the worse)? Yes. [Plenty of people named a kid Atticus](https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-fam-atticus-baby-name-20150713-story.html). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/4 "2019-05-18T02:08:07Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Yes. [Plenty of people named a kid Atticus](https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-fam-atticus-baby-name-20150713-story.html). La-la-la Harper Lee never wrote a second novel la-la-la! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/5 "2019-05-18T02:10:30Z")
[How to talk to your daughter Khaleesi about that ‘Game of Thrones’ episode](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/13/how-talk-your-daughter-khaleesi-about-that-game-thrones-episode/?utm_term=.77a8a556e439). ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/6 "2019-05-18T11:57:12Z")
It’ll be interesting 30 years from now when Daenerys Jones runs for president…or else. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/7 "2019-05-18T12:51:59Z")
Wait, this is the character whose favorite word is the Draconic command for “burn it all”, right? And who has pretty much _always_ had that as her favorite word? You could maybe argue that, at first, she was fighting for a righteous cause, but she’s always been a ruthless monster. As, of course, are most of the other folks in that series. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/8 "2019-05-18T14:42:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, this is the character whose favorite word is the Draconic command for “burn it all”, right? And who has pretty much _always_ had that as her favorite word? You could maybe argue that, at first, she was fighting for a righteous cause, but she’s always been a ruthless monster. > > As, of course, are most of the other folks in that series. She was also raped as a child, willingly ate a still beating horse heart, smothered her husband and impaled those who displeased her and set them out outside the city walls so all could see. But she’s a pretty dragon Queen so, Ima name my kid Kaleesi. My husband reminds me she also burned all the Kals alive. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/9 "2019-05-18T16:44:22Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > [I am a teacher and had two girls the same year with the name Isis and I thought it was kind of funny.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant) > [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Yes. [Plenty of people named a kid Atticus](https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-fam-atticus-baby-name-20150713-story.html). Heh… there’s hope for Atticus, the latest Broadway version seems to be getting good reviews. IMO if you have to provide a “creative” or “meaningful” name you could always go the middle name route and try to combine with a boring family or community-culture one, as a backup. Or just own it and go big. Never mind TV or contemporaty novels, name your girl Kali and your boy Temujin. Let them learn what it means on their own sweet time and see if they then find it… motivational 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/10 "2019-05-18T18:20:37Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Yes. [Plenty of people named a kid Atticus](https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-fam-atticus-baby-name-20150713-story.html). He was defending an accused rapist. Not a great optics in the era of #metoo? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/11 "2019-05-18T23:12:41Z")
“Khaleesi” is the title for a wife of a Khal. Sure, one particular Khaleesi was featured in the show, but one could claim it isan’t after anyone in particular. Like Tsarina or Queenie. Brian ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/12 "2019-05-18T23:35:35Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > She was also raped as a child, willingly ate a still beating horse heart, smothered her husband and impaled those who displeased her and set them out outside the city walls so all could see. But she’s a pretty dragon Queen so, Ima name my kid Kaleesi. My husband reminds me she also burned all the Kals alive. 1. She wasn’t raped in the book. She was a willing bride, albeit 13 years old, so I can see HBO staying far away from that one. 2. I thought the heart was already dead? 3. Her husband was dead, for all intents and purposes. Call it assisted suicide. 4. They had previously crucified children as she entered the city. 5. They had kidnapped her and threatened to gang rape her because she became Khal after Drogo died instead of retiring gracefully as Khal widows are supposed to do. I’m not happy with this 180 swerve they did. I’m sure this has been debated in other threads, so I will just say I know of one little girl and one on the way named Arya. Funny…I haven’t seen any Sansas. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/13 "2019-05-19T02:57:13Z")
You have to feel bad for all those German kids who got named Adolf around 1933. You know, before things turned ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/14 "2019-05-19T03:53:14Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You have to feel bad for all those German kids who got named Adolf around 1933. You know, before things turned ugly. I feel sorry for the Uber driver named Osama who picked me up in Seattle a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/15 "2019-05-19T03:59:16Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Or just own it and go big. Never mind TV or contemporaty novels, name your girl Kali and your boy **Temujin**. Let them learn what it means on their own sweet time and see if they then find it… motivational 😉 Bolding mine. That is a good one! But then, I have a cat named Atilla. He was named for a cat in a comic strip, but still. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/16 "2019-05-19T12:39:44Z")
Just to be clear, does anyone actually know of any real child really named “Daeneris” or “Khaleesi”, or are we all just laughing at a hypothetical stupid thing that a hypothetical stupid person might have done? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/17 "2019-05-19T12:43:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Just to be clear, does anyone actually know of any real child really named “Daeneris” or “Khaleesi”, or are we all just laughing at a hypothetical stupid thing that a hypothetical stupid person might have done? [Real people](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniemcneal/what-moms-of-babies-named-khaleesi-think). ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/18 "2019-05-19T13:01:02Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > “Khaleesi” is the title for a wife of a Khal. Sure, one particular Khaleesi was featured in the show, but one could claim it isan’t after anyone in particular. Like Tsarina or Queenie. > > Brian Right it’s basically like calling her queen in a fake language. Queen of a people who’s main activities were rape, pillaging and rape. Best not to look too deep at it. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/19 "2019-05-19T13:21:23Z")
I keep thinking back to one of the best history professors I had in college, this devout, dapper little guy who taught World History as a bunch of stories and social movements. To forestall a lot of the outrage people would have in learning of the terrible things done in history, he began the semester by warning us: “Most of the people we’re studying went to Hell.” Then he went right on teaching us about Caesar and Hammurabi and Charlemagne and the rest. The fact that Daenerys is going to Hell doesn’t mean she’s not a great character. Still not naming my kids after her, though. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131/20 "2019-05-19T13:41:50Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I feel sorry for the Uber driver named Osama who picked me up in Seattle a few years ago. Osama Uber Laden? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-naming-your-child-after-fictional-character-goes-wrong-got-spoilers/834131.md?page=2)