Hunger Games Baby Names
Updated Sat Sep 16 2023
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The Hunger Games trilogy has inspired a post-Harry Potter generation of original baby names. Author Suzanne Collins used a mix of historical, mythological, and totally invented names to set the scene for her dystopian society, placed roughly 150 years in the future. In the country of Panem, Octavia and Androcles exist alongside Glimmer and Marvel.
Along with Octavia, other Hunger Games baby names in the US Top 1000 include Alma, Apollo, Bonnie, Cecelia, Darius, Felix, Otto, and Rory. Among Collins’ original creations are Haymitch, Finnick, and of course, Katniss.
Unlike Harry Potter, which influenced the rise of names such as Luna and Arabella, the Hunger Games has not inspired a baby name revolution. The biggest success has been Finnick, a name Collins created, which is now given to over 100 baby boys each year.
These Hunger Games characters' names, which include elements from ancient history and sci-fi, might be right for your literary baby. Take a look at our compilation below, ordered by their popularity on Nameberry.
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- Felix
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"happy, fortunate"Description:
Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks ranks with the standard Franks and Freds. Felix is also an international darling, ranking in the Top 100 in several European and English-speaking countries.
- Lucy
Origin:
English variation of Lucia, LatinMeaning:
"light"Description:
A versatile classic, Lucy is both sweet and solid, a saint's name, and the heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now a popular choice in the US, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.
- Otto
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"wealthy"Description:
Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers.
- Aurelius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"the golden one"Description:
Since Aurelius was given the supermodel seal of approval by Elle Macpherson, it has joined Augustus as an ancient Roman name that feels usable today. Slightly mystical and magical, Aurelius is grounded by its similarity to rising stars Aurora, Aurelia, and Atticus, and its golden aura is certainly appealing.
- Juno
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"queen of the heavens; young"Description:
Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno, this lively but strong Roman goddess name has held new potential as a baby name. Currently in the UK Top 500 and used in The Netherlands too, Juno is on the rise in the US - and is 15 times more popular than it was before the release of the film.
- Apollo
Origin:
Greek mythology nameMeaning:
"destroyer"Description:
With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, if high-pressure, option.
- Diana
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"divine"Description:
Diana, the tragic British princess, inspired many fashions, but strangely, not one for her name. For us, Diana is a gorgeous and still-underused choice.
- Persephone
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"bringer of destruction"Description:
Persephone is the esoteric name of the Greek mythological daughter of Zeus by Demeter, the queen of the harvest. After she was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld, it was decreed by Zeus that she would spend six months of the year with her mother, allowing crops to grow, and six in mourning, thus accounting for the seasons.
- Bonnie
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"beautiful, cheerful"Description:
Bonnie is an adorable nickname name, heading back up the popularity list after a 50-year nap. A Top 100 girls' name throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Americans are later to jump on the Bonnie bandwagon but now it's trending here too.
- Alma
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"nurturing, soul"Description:
Alma is a somewhat solemn, soulful name that had a burst of popularity a century ago, then faded into the flowered wallpaper, and is now finding its footing once more.
- Livia
Origin:
Diminutive of Olivia or LatinMeaning:
"blue, envious"Description:
Though it sounds like a chopped-off variation of Olivia, which means olive, the distinctively attractive Livia has been an independent name since the days of the ancient Romans, when it belonged to Livia Drusilla—the powerful wife of the Emperor Augustus—and is still commonly heard in modern Italy.
- Annie
Origin:
English, diminutive of AnnMeaning:
"grace"Description:
Annie is one of the most open and optimistic, the-sun'll-come-out-tomorrow type of name, having been celebrated over the years in song (Annie Laurie), comic strip (Little Orphan Annie), folklore (Annie Oakley, born Phoebe), and film (Annie Hall). It strikes a nice old-fashioned-but-jaunty chord that still has appeal, but we do suggest that you consider putting a more formal version on her birth certificate.
- Cressida
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gold"Description:
Cressida is a pretty mythological and Shakespearean heroine name much better known in Britain than it is here — an imbalance the adventurous baby namer might want to correct.
- Jackson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Jack"Description:
Jackson is one of those names that's much more popular than you think, coming in near the top of our annual Playground Analysis, which ranks names by grouping all their spellings together. Last year, nearly 17,000 baby boys were named Jackson -- along Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaxxon, Jaxen, Jaxyn, Jaxsen, and Jaxsyn -- which counted together makes it the Number 3 boys' name.
- Rue
Origin:
Botanical names or word nameMeaning:
"herb; regret"Description:
Rue has gone from Golden Girls actress to Hunger Games heroine. This botanical name is also a coincidental double word name, meaning "regret" in English and "street in" French. Despite these unfortunate secondary meanings, Rue has real potential to be one of the most popular new middle names for girls.
- Rory
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"red king"Description:
Rory is a buoyant, spirited name for a redhead with Celtic roots. The name Rory is getting more popular overall, but for the past few years has been trending decidedly toward the boys' side -- however, it's been rising to new heights for girls in recent years.
- Octavia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"eighth"Description:
Octavia began as the Latin, then Victorian name for an eighth child. While there aren't many eighth children anymore, this ancient Roman name has real possibilities as a substitute for the overused Olivia; recommended for its combination of classical and musical overtones. It was chosen for his daughter by Kevin Sorbo.
- Darius
Origin:
Latin, Greek, PersianMeaning:
"possessing goodness"Description:
Darius is a historic name via Emperor Darius the Great, a key figure in ancient Persian history, and several other Persian kings. His name today has an appealingly artistic image, which might well be found on a concert program or gallery announcement.
- Marcus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"warlike"Description:
Though ancient, Marcus now sounds more current than Mark, in tune with today's trend towards us-ending Latinate names.
- Effie
Origin:
English diminutive of Euphemia, GreekMeaning:
"pleasant speech"Description:
Effie is the old-fashioned short form for Euphemia. It shares a vintage charm with Hattie and Letty although is much rarer than either. Effie is a character in The Hunger Games and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.