Why do we watch the Oscars? Are we deciding which movies to watch next? Getting confirmation for our cinematic opinions? Simply looking at the pretty people and hearing their heartfelt speeches? Admiring fashion choices we’ll never afford? Here’s one more reason to add to your list: baby-name inspiration. Yes, that’s right, we’ll be tuning in to Hollywood’s biggest night to mull over all the beautiful names we hear that are sure to not only inspire us — but the masses too.
Nameberry cofounder Pamela Redmond Satran agrees that movie stars have a huge influence over baby-naming trends.
“Saoirse Ronan has been one of the biggest surprise celebrity name influencers of recent years, considering how unusual and even difficult her name is,” she told SheKnows in 2020 when Ronan was nominated for her performance in Little Women. “Joaquin [Phoenix] and Scarlett [Johansson] have both been hugely influential. Scarlett Johansson did for her name what Scarlett O’Hara did not.”
“We are seeing Quentin [Tarantino] and Margot [Robbie]on the rise too, and I’m betting Florence will catch on in the U.S. as Florence Pugh’s star rises,” Satran continues.
Here we have some of our favorite names from the 2025 Academy Awards nomination list, just in case one of them suddenly strikes you as the perfect name for your little one too. And who knows, given how you landed on their moniker, maybe your kiddo will get the chance to walk across the Oscars stage one day.
A version of this article was published in 2020.
Colman Domingo
Image Credit: JC Olivera/Variety Colman Domingo’s beautiful name is working overtime. The Best Actor nominee’s first name means “dove,” and his last name can also be used as a first name. (Shout out to Marcello Hernandez’s Domingo on Saturday Night Live — IYKYK.) “Domingo” has Spanish and English roots and means “born on Sunday” or “Lord.” You could even turn to his Sing Sing character — Divine G — for baby name inspiration. Much like “Domingo,” “Divine” has religious undertones or can mean “excellent.”
Yura Borisov
Image Credit: JC Olivera Yura Borisov is up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Anora, and we love his seemingly gender-neutral name. “Yura” has Greek and Russian roots and means “farmer.” (Or, it could mean “Oscar winner!”)
Cynthia Erivo
Image Credit: Christopher Polk How could we not talk about the stunning Cynthia Erivo and her equally stunning name? The Wicked star is in the running for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and her name is rich with historic and multi-cultural meaning. Perhaps most famously, “Cynthia” was one of the names of the Greek moon goddess, Artemis.
You could also turn to Erivo’s character, Elphaba, for inspiration. Maybe you have a little “Elfie” or “Phoebe” on the way!
Fernanda Torres
Image Credit: John Nacion/Penske Media Much like her famous mother, Fernanda Torres is up for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her award-winning performance in I’m Still Here. “Fernanda” has Latin origins (Torres is from Brazil!), as well as German, Teutonic, and American roots. Across cultures, the beautiful name means “adventurous.”
Ariana Grande
Image Credit: Mike Marsland/WireImage We’re itching for the Social Security Administration to drop their yearly reports from their baby name database, because we have to imagine the name “Ariana” has gotten more (ahem) popular since the actress starred in Wicked — and earned a Best Actress in a Supporting Role nomination.
The name means “silver” or “holy one” in different cultures.
A similar twist on Ariana is “Arianne,” a la Arianne Phillips, the Oscar-nominated costume designer for A Complete Unknown.
Felicity Jones
Image Credit: Benjamin Askinas/Penske Media If you’re an American Girl Doll fan, you probably already have the name “Felicity” on the brain. (IYKYK!) The name means “happy” or “great happiness” in many cultures, and it’s also the name of Best Supporting Actress nominee Felicity Jones from The Brutalist.
If “Felicity” isn’t quite what you’re looking for, “Lisy” is a common nickname and the name of Conclave‘s costume designer, Lisy Christl.
Jarin Blaschke
Image Credit: JC Olivera/Variety Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke has an English baby name that is considered a modern twist on the name Jaron and means “cry of rejoicing.” And we will gladly take the low-hanging fruit and say we’re sure Blaschke will be rejoicing if he wins the Oscar for his work on Nosferatu.
Coralie Fargeat
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Penske Media The Substance director Coralie Fargeat’s name means (as you might have guessed) “coral,” and is a perfect “coconut girl” baby name.
Shiori Ito
Image Credit: John Nacion/Variety Shiori Ito — who is nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film, Black Box Diaries — has a gorgeous Japanese name. According to Behind the Name, the gender-neutral name can mean bookmark, poem, weave, and more.
Janty Yates
Image Credit: JC Olivera/Variety Janty Yates was nominated for her costume design (alongside Dave Crossman) for Gladiator II. Though she worked on a movie with themes of death, the designer’s name typically means “lively.”
Suchitra Mattai
Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Suchitra Mattai’s movie Anuja is in the running for Best Live Action Short Film, and her first name is in the running for prettiest of the bunch! After all, the Indian name can mean beautiful, holy, auspicious, informed, sensible, and more.
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Image Credit: Giles Keyte /© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
