More than a million UK adults are named after Disney characters - and the trend’s rising

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More than a million UK adults are named after Disney characters - and the trend’s rising

Postby Community Editor » Fri Dec 13, 2019 10:11 am

More than a million adult Brits are named after Disney characters, it has been revealed, while names like Rex, Esmerelda and Belle have rocketed in popularity since the turn of the last decade.
 
The study found that 1.05 million adult Brits (2%) are named after a Walt Disney creation, including 8% of 18 to 34-year-olds, while a further 1.5 million (3%) are named after a character from a TV show, film or book that isn’t Disney.
 
And the data suggests that the trend will continue to rise among the next generation, as 14% say they’d consider naming their child Ariel, after The Little Mermaid, while just under one in ten (9%) say they’d be tempted to go for Nala, following the recent Lion King reboot.
 
On the other hand, 16% of UK adults think naming a child after a Disney character is a nice idea, even if it’s not something they’d do themselves.
 
The research, conducted by travel experts Florida4Less, found that three in ten 18-34-year-olds would consider naming their child after a Disney character, making them the most pro-Disney age-group.
 
The most popular Disney name overall is Jasmine, the Aladdin princess, followed by Toy Story favourite Rex and Beauty and the Beast’s Belle.
 
The ten most popular Disney-inspired baby names1:
 
  1. Jasmine (Aladdin, 1992)
  2. Rex (Toy Story, 1995)
  3. Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)
  4. Jessie (Toy Story 2, 2000)
  5. Minnie (Steamboat Willie, 1928)
  6. Tiana (Princess and the Frog, 2010)
  7. Elsa (Frozen, 2013)
  8. Woody (Toy Story, 1995)
  9. Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989)
  10. Nala (The Lion King, 1994)
 
The data also revealed some huge increases over the last decade.
 
The name Rex rose in popularity by an astonishing 767% between 2007 and 2017, while Esmerelda (up 400%), Belle (up 335%), Minnie (up 308%) and Ariel (115%) are also becoming big favourites with UK parents.
 
The Disney names rising in popularity (2007 - 2017)
 
  1. Rex (Toy Story, 1995) – Up 767%
  2. Esmerelda (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, 1996) - 400%
  3. Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991) - 335%
  4. Minnie (Steamboat Willie, 1928) - 308%
  5. Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989) - 115%
  6. Gus (Cinderella, 1950) - 80%
  7. Woody (Toy Story, 1995) - 62%
  8. Mickey (Steamboat Willie, 1928) - 42%
  9. Jafar (Aladdin, 1992) - 33%
 
But naming your child after a Disney character is not just a mum thing, in fact, the data suggests it’s more of a dad thing. 12% of men say they’d choose a Disney-inspired baby name, compared to just 8% of women.
 
Commenting on the findings, Florida4Less director, Martin Berens, said: “Many of us can share the story behind our name and it’s fascinating to learn that so many from the UK were named after a character in their parents’ favourite Disney film.
 
“But while more than a quarter (26%) say they’d consider naming their child after a character from a film, book or TV show, including Disney, three in ten told us they think too many non-traditional names are being given to children.
 
“It’ll be interesting to see how attitudes change in the future.”
 
Click here for your essential guide for planning your visit to Walt Disney World, Florida: https://www.florida4less.co.uk/florida- ... sney-world
 
Source: Press release from 
Florida4Less
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