Game of Thrones characters are inspiring lots of baby names

As Game of Thrones gears for its final episode this Sunday, fans continue to name their kids after the HBO show’s fiercely loved characters. And there are enough of them to man a Dothraki horde.

Here’s a look at how some names are faring, but you should probably stop reading now if you’re not caught up on the current season.

Arya

After Air-Jordaning through the godswood and pulling a very Last-Jedi-Rey move to shatter the Night King, it’s no wonder Game of Thrones’ littlest murder machine is the most popular choice for babies named after GoT characters.

According to the Social Security Administration, Arya’s biggest year was 2018 when 2,545 Aryas were born, making it the 119th most popular name. According to pregnancy and parenting website BabyCenter, the deadliest Stark’s name is doing even better in 2019.

Cersei

Westerosi mommy dearest started to gain some naming steam despite her bad guy status, though with a rank of 9,580 in 2017, the name wasn’t super popular. It also seems to not have existed before the show. For 2019, BabyCenter reported a dip in newborn Cersei’s, but some of her enemies are on the rise.

Olenna

The late matriarch of House Tyrell and Highgarden’s revered Queen of Thorns , Olenna is a real naming MVP with a jump of 71 percent in 2019.

Ellaria

The ill-fated leader of the Sand Snakes met a brutally cruel end in season 7, but BabyCenter said the devoted (and tortured for it) mother has seen a 53 percent jump in popularity in 2019, despite her character no longer being on the show.

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Khaleesi

One of the many titles of Daenerys Targaryen, Khaleesi quickly jumped in popularity once the show took off. According to Social Security, the name has been in the top 1000 for female births since 2014. There were 560 new Khaleesi’s in 2018 and BabyCenter said that number should be up about 7 percent this year. However, with her decent into full on Mad Queen status, the butcher of King’s Landing might not be the top naming choice.

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Lyanna

As the head of House Mormont of Bear Island, Lyanna was one of the littlest, but boldest and most ferocious leaders in the North. During the Battle of Winterfell, she was one of the smallest fighters, but took out one of the biggest threats. She might be gone, but, it seems, her memory will live on thanks to fans of the show. The name Lyanna quadrupled in popularity between 2015 and 2016 and continues to climb, breaking the top 1,000 names for the first time in 2017 and 2018. Even though she’s dead, Lyanna Mormont continues to grow in popularity and could give Arya a run for her money.

Jorah

The men of Game of Thrones tend to have less unique names than the women. Though a few, Like Jorah Mormont, can be linked to the show, as the name has spiked significantly in popularity since 2015. The name took a dip in 2018, but BabyCenter said Jorah is up about another 36 percent in 2019. And that’s even before he sacrificed himself to save his queen in one of the show’s most fitting deaths.

Tyrion

The Queen’s Hand is also up in popularity, BabyCenter said, rising about 20 percent. The name Tyrion also saw a dramatic jump in popularity when the show debuted and is now six times more common than it was in 2010.

Are you a big enough fan to name your baby after a Game of Thrones character? If so, who would you choose?