Whether from classic animated films like “The Jungle Book” or newer favorites like “Encanto,” parents often choose Disney-inspired baby names for their bundles of joy.
“With millions of names to choose from, selecting the perfect name for your baby can be a daunting task for parents and it can be hard to know where to begin,” said Louise Thomas of confused.com (an insurance and finance comparison website). “The research shows that some parents-to-be are clearly turning to popular culture to gain baby name inspiration.”
A new study by confused.com has revealed the top ten most popular Disney-inspired baby names, from classic to modern Disney characters. Did your favorite make the list?
Top Disney-inspired Baby Names
The top three names inspired by Disney characters are all female names, with Aurora as the number one choice in 2021 with 5466 babies, thanks to the beloved Princess Aurora in Disney’s 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty” as well as the new story of “Maleficent” (2014). In second place is Gabriella with 3087 babies, which has been in the top 100 baby names since 2000 but gained even more popularity after the release of the first High School Musical film in 2006. The third most popular Disney-inspired baby name is Ariel from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” (1989), with 1331 babies.
Aurora in “Sleeping Beauty”
Ariel in “The Little Mermaid”
Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella in “High School Musical”
The top two male names on the list are Troy – also from the High School Musical movies – in fourth place with 733 babies and Kylo from “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” (2015) in fifth place with 555 babies.
Zac Efron as Troy in “High School Musical”
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren In “The Force Awakens”
Here are the ten most popular Disney-inspired baby names in 2021:
| Rank | Name | Known From | Gender | 2021 babies |
| 1 | Aurora | Maleficent | Female | 5466 |
| 2 | Gabriella | High School Musical | Female | 3087 |
| 3 | Ariel | The Little Mermaid | Female | 1331 |
| 4 | Troy | High School Musical | Male | 733 |
| 5 | Kylo | Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens | Male | 555 |
| 6 | Tiana | The Princess & the Frog | Female | 454 |
| 7 | Nala | The Lion King | Female | 384 |
| 8 | Elsa | Frozen | Female | 272 |
| 9 | Belle | Beauty and the Beast | Female | 239 |
| 10 | Cassian | Rogue One | Male | 228 |
Methodology
Confused.com sourced the number of babies born with each Disney-inspired name using the official baby names data from 2021 from the Social Security Administration.
