By Suelain Moy and Otter Lee

First published in The Bump in 2018.

Looking for Game of Thrones baby names that work outside of Westeros? Read through The Bump list and give baby a name fit for the Iron Throne!

Here’s our guide to the best Game of Thrones baby names. The wildly popular HBO series based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice books has proven to be powerful inspiration for parents searching for the perfect baby name. If the 1,890 baby girls named Arya in 2016 are any indication, you will be hearing these Game of Thrones girl’s names and boy’s names in playgrounds and classrooms for years to come. Martin loves to give traditional names a twist, or add the flourish of an unexpected Y for his characters. Whether you’re looking for an unusual name coined in the realm of fantasy, or one that’s rooted in the familiar, you might want to start here, in the Seven Kingdoms.

ARYA

Place of Origin: Winterfell

We think the meaning of Arya should be “brave girl,” though there are as many ways to spell Arya as there are visages in the Hall of Faces. From Ariyah to Aria, the name can mean “noble” in Sanskrit, “lioness” in Hebrew, or the operatic “air” in Italian. The feisty Arya Stark is the tomboyish second daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark. She finds court life stifling, and is more at home with a sword than a needle. While others aspire to be a lady, she longs to train, and pick up ace combat and survival skills. These come in handy for her life as an avenger and assassin on the road.

KHALEESI

Place of Origin: The Dothraki Sea

In 2016, 370 baby girls were given the Game of Thrones name, Khaleesi. That’s more than double the number of girls who received the name in 2012. In Dothraki, Khaleesi means “queen.” It is the title and name given to Daenerys Stormborn when she marries Khal Drogo, the leader of a wild tribe of warriors on horseback. As queen, Khaleesi wields respect and power and fights to be recognized as a leader or khal in her own right, freeing slaves in the lands she conquers. But remember, Dothraki is a fictional language created by George R. R. Martin.

DAENERYS

Place of Origin: Dragonstone

Sure, the spelling may be a bit off-putting—how do you pronounce all those vowels? Still Old Valyrian names can be thrillingly otherworldly. Daenerys Targaryen is known by many names: Khaleesi, Mhysa, Mother of Dragons, and Dany. As an exiled royal, we see her transform from chattel (given as a bride in exchange for soldiers) into a liberator who declares, “I will take what is mine in fire and blood” on her way to the throne. George R. R. Martin sure knows his way around the letters Y, A, E. He uses them to great effect in the names of her royal relatives Rhaegar, Aemon, Naerys, and Viserys.

EDDARD

Place of Origin: Winterfell

Ned is a pet form of Edward—or in this case, the squarish Eddard. By swapping out the W in Edward for a second D, Martin introduces us to the character of Eddard “Ned” Stark. As the King of the North, Ned Stark is the moral compass of Game of Thrones, and a dedicated and conscientious father of five. The mantle of duty weighs heavily on Ned. He can be reluctant about using his full power, but still must answer the call when he is summoned to be the Hand of the King. Another variation of Edward is Edmure Tully, Catelyn Stark’s brother and the Lord of Riverrun.

CATELYN

Place of Origin: Riverrun

Lady Catelyn Stark is the wife of Ned Stark, the King of the North and the Hand of the King. The mother of Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon is fiercely protective of her brood and suspicious of the court at King’s Landing. She fears it is not a safe place for her family. The name Catelyn is a variation of Caitlin, the Irish form of Catherine, meaning “pure.” There are a multitude of ways to spell this name, from Caitlin to Kaitlyn to Katelin, and it enjoyed tremendous popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. The GOT version is pronounced “CAT-lin.”

SANSA

Place of Origin: Winterfell

The meaning of the name Sansa in Sanskrit is “praise, charm.” At the start of Game of Thrones, Sansa dreams of being a lady at court. She tries to be charming and pleasing to the eye, focusing on her needlepoint. Then Sansa experiences enough loss, betrayal, and intrigue to make Eleanor of Aquitaine blush. Her diplomatic skills and military strategy are hard won—and put to the test. From her betrothal to a mad boy-king to surviving various marriages, the once obedient Sansa demonstrates a steely reserve in battle that shows she’s got what it takes to win—or rule, if need be.

ROBB/ ROBERT

Place of Origin: Winterfell

Robb is a diminutive of Robert, now seen by parents as a proper given name in its own right, like Thom or Will. On Game of Thrones, the name has been used for two kings with tragic fates but good intentions: Robb Stark, the young King of the North, and Robert Baratheon, the older king undone by his Queen Cersei. Whether you embrace the idealism of the eldest Stark boy, Robb, or the hunt-happy Robert, Robert is a once royal name turned familiar that means “bright fame.” According to Social Security data, Robert was a top 5 boy’s name from 1900 to 1971. Nearly 6,000 boys were given this name in 2016.

BRANDON

Place of Origin: Winterfell

The second son of Ned Stark and Catelyn Stark plays a major role in both the HBO series and the books. Bran Stark is a warg, a person who can enter the consciousness of an animal and control it, and a seer, who has visions of the future and the past. On its own, the name Bran belongs to a Celtic god. It is also an ancient Welsh name meaning “raven.” His first name, Brandon, is a tribute to his uncle as well as an ancient builder and Stark king. It is an Old English surname and place name related to the words “broom or gorse” and “hill.”

RICKON

Place of origin: Winterfell

The youngest Stark child is quite young and full of wide-eyed wonder when Game of Thrones begins. Rickon’s name is a play on Richard, or Rick, with a fashionable –on ending. He escapes Winterfell with his brother, Bran, when it is captured by Theon Greyjoy. Rickon spends much of his life in hiding, escaping detection with the help of a few loyal servants. The name Richard is formed by the element ric which represents “power or rule” and belongs to three British kings, including Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionhearted.

CERSEI

Place of Origin: Casterly Rock    

Cersei is the willful, passionate, and conniving Queen of Westeros. The name’s sibilant C and S make it elegant while the “er” sound fills it with decisive, almost wicked power. Cersei will do whatever it takes to protect her children and her family’s claim to the throne—a true lioness. Her best known line? “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.” The name is pronounced identically to “Circe,” a beguiling sorceress and daughter of the sun god from Greek mythology, who turned men that lusted after her into domesticated animals like swine. 

TYRION

Place of Origin: Casterly Rock

The younger brother of Cersei and Jaime may be small in stature, but his wit and intelligence put him front and center as a power player in Kings Landing, and indispensable Hand to the King. Born a dwarf, whose entrance into the world killed his mother, he is despised by his stern father, Tywin Lannister. Tyrion’s oversized appetites for drink and women are legendary, but his shrewdness and quick thinking save King’s Landing during the Battle of Blackwater. Tyrion possesses the popular element Ty, found in boy’s names like Tyler and Tyrone.

JAIME

Place of Origin: Casterly Rock

The Spanish form of James, Jaime means “twin.” On Game of Thrones, Jaime Lannister is the dashing and handsome twin brother of Queen Cersei. Jaime is the very picture of what people expect a knight to be. Once a golden knight in the Kingsguard, there are now many cracks in his armor. His tarnished reputation brings him shame as the unofficial title of “Kingslayer,” for his betrayal and assassination of the mad king, Aeris Targaryen. He also is rumored to be the secret lover of his twin sister, the queen, and the true father of her three children.

JOFFREY

As the oldest child of Queen Cersei and heir to the throne, Joffrey is a sadistic young king, who is capable of great cruelty. His very blondeness raises the question of his paternity since King Robert had dark hair. His volatility is attributed to the incestuous union of his real parents, Queen Cersei and her twin brother, Sir Jaime Lannister. Joffrey is a variation of Geoffrey, a German name introduced to England as a result of the Norman Conquest that was popular during the Middle Ages.

MYRCELLA

Place of Origin: Kings Landing

In Princess Myrcella, we have the girl’s name Marcella spelled with a Y. Despite the reference to the Roman god of war, Mars, in her name, Myrcella is sweet and good-natured. The daughter of Queen Cersei is born in the seat of royal power, and is expected to form a political alliance through marriage when she is of age. Tyrion sends Myrcella to Dorne to form an alliance with House Martell by marrying Prince Trystane Martell. Her departure from court is a source of deep anger and sadness for her mother.

TOMMEN

Place of Origin: King’s Landing

Cersei Lannister’s second son, Tommen Baratheon, is sweet, gentle and obliging. The boy king, Tommen is nothing like his older brother, the cruel Joffrey. It’s the double M that helps to make Tommen so appealing. By pairing the name Tom with the trendy–en suffix, so popular in boy’s names from Aiden to Jayden, we have here a malleable young king.

MELISANDRE

Place of Origin: Essos

Combine the names Melissa and Sandra, and you get some venomous honey. With Melissa meaning “honey bee” and Sandra, a diminutive of Alessandra, you see “a defender of mankind” who is alluring and deadly. More likely, though, Melisandre is a variation of Melisande—Millicent is the French version—meaning “animal strength.” On Game of Thrones, the Red Witch inspires fear, dread and awe. She is sensual and capable of brute force on her mission to serve the God of Light and save mankind. Priorities, people.

MARGAERY

Place of Origin: Highgarden

Margery is a medieval pet form of Margaret, similar to Marjorie, which means “pearl.” By adding an extra ancestral A, we arrive at the formidable Margaery Tyrell, scion of an ambitious and political family. The girl who famously said, “I want to be the queen” when asked if she wanted to be a queen, sees marriage as a means to power. (That may very well be why she marries three times.) A loving sister to Sir Loras and a beloved granddaughter of Lady Olenna, she takes a modern approach to the monarchy, though her queen-at-all-costs attitude ends up costing her dearly.

LORAS

Place of Origin: Highgarden

Lord Loras Tyrell is the heir to Highgarden, and a scion of House Tyrell. A courtly champion who delights in winning countless tourneys, Loras is called the Knight of Flowers. Loras is said to be even more beautiful than his sister, Margaery. Adored by women and young girls everywhere, he only has eyes for King Renly Baratheon. A sensitive soul who finds himself mired by his family’s courtly intrigue and marriage schemes. The name Loras rhymes with the similar flower name Cloris. It is an androgynous and elegant boy’s name. His name also evokes Laurence, which means “crowned in laurel.” Crowns of laurels were often given to victors of sports and athletic games.

OLENNA

Place of Origin: Highgarden

The matriarch of House Tyrell is Olenna Redwyne, who is called the Queen of Thorns. Where her granddaughter Margaery can diplomatically go with the flow and blend in with the ruling political climate, Olenna is prickly, astute, and delightfully acerbic. She is a protective and watchful grandmother. Her name evokes the oleander shrub or tree. Prized for its beautiful blooms, oleander is also toxic.

MACE

Place of Origin: Highgarden

A word name that can mean both a medieval club weapon or a spice procured from dried nutmeg. Mace Tyrell is the blustery patriarch of the ambitious House Tyrell. The TV series portrays him as a good-natured idiot that finds military success because he surrounds himself with more powerful and intelligent people. In the books, he is pompous but quite qualified. Both versions have him dote on his children. It’s funny how a single M can turn an ace into something entirely different though still useful! Simple yet oddly effective. 

OBERYN

Place of Origin: Dorne

This time, George R. R. Martin replaces the second O of Oberon with a Y. Oberyn Martell is a passionate and sensitive prince with a taste for world travels. Educated at the Citadel, where he learned about poisons, he is known as the Red Viper of Dorne. Part-diplomat, part heroic avenger, his easy manner belies an intense desire for revenge on behalf of his murdered sister, Elia Martell. Regal and proud, Oberyn has a festive yet serious quality, much like King Oberon in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He is the father of eight daughters born out of wedlock, called the Sandsnakes.

ELLARIA

Place of Origin: Dorne

The simple addition of the feminine ending –ria to the traditional name Ella makes Ellaria sound even more elegant and sophisticated. Ellaria Sand is the paramour of Prince Oberyn Martell. She delights in life’s sensual pleasures and takes pride in her natural-born status. Though she is not of noble birth, she is passionate, tender, and righteous. Devoted to her prince, she begs him, “Don’t leave me alone in this world.” In the show, she develops a dark and twisted side, but in the books she abhors all bloodshed.

NYMERIA

Place of origin: Rhoynar, an ancient Eastern Kingdom destroyed by dragons

The original Nymeria in Westeros lore was a legendary queen and battle tactician who commanded a fleet of 10,000 ships and conquered Dorne. Despite sounding like the docile “Miriam,” its many vowels and few consonants make it sound like a war cry. The name appears twice in the Game of Thrones timeline: once for Arya Stark’s direwolf, a fierce and loyal fighter, and a second time for Nymeria Sand, (nickname Nym) one of Oberyn Martell’s daughters and a cunning assassin. 

LYSA

Place of Origin: Riverrun

The name Lysa may look like Lisa, but it’s actually pronounced Liza, a variation of Elizabeth. Lysa Arryn is the younger sister of Caitlyn Stark and the Lady of the Vale. Paranoid and bitter about being married off to a much older man, Jon Arryn, Lysa shrilly makes her presence known and excessively dotes on her son, the weak and peculiar boy, Robin Arryn. She calls him “Sweetrobin.” “Isn’t he beautiful?” she says wonderingly to Catelyn. “And strong too…Look at him, the Lord of all the Vale.”

RENLY

Place of Origin: The Stormlands

Whimsical and musical, Renly’s name reminds us of the wren, a songbird. This is a boy’s name that exudes charm. The –ly suffix adds a hint of playfulness, and is rarely seen in male names. King Renly Baratheon’s charisma and handsomeness make him a viable contender in the War of the Five Kings—despite being the youngest of the three Baratheon brothers. Renly’s love of flowers, peaches, and young men make him a progressive monarch in the harsh world of Westeros. His role as an outsider and an outlier give him a unique perspective.

YGRITTE

Place of Origin: North of the Wall

Ygritte sounds phonetically identical to the egret, a snowy white bird. Game of Thrones’ Ygritte is a wilding spearwife who is both brash and battle-ready. Her lucky red hair is seen as a sign that she is kissed by fire. Indomitable with a bow and arrow, Ygritte takes Jon Snow prisoner, but the two eventually fall in love. She teases him often by saying, “You know nothing, Jon Snow.” In a world where noble women are shielded from combat, Ygritte revels in her status as a free woman with grit and courage. The Y at the front of her name gives it a more tribal and wind tossed look.  

BRIENNE

Place of Origin: Island of Tarth (The Stormlands)

Brianna is seen as a female counterpart to the name Brian. Replace the feminine A’s with gender neutral E’s and you have Brienne. Brienne of Tarth is an unusually tall woman warrior who seeks to fight as a female knight. Honorable, almost to a fault, she believes in chivalry and loyalty above all else. As she says, “All my life, men like you’ve sneered at me, and all my life, I’ve been knocking men like you into the dust.” Despite her advanced size and strength, Brienne is a gentle giant. She has a tender heart and secretly hopes to be wooed by a handsome lord. 

SHAE

Place of Origin: Essos (Show), Westeros (Book)

In the real world, shea is a nourishing and healing African plant that can be used to produce a luscious, moisturizing butter. The character Shae is a doe-eyed camp follower and sex worker who wins the affections of Tyrion Lannister. Whether or not she truly loves Tyrion beyond the gold he offers her is a difference between the show and the book. In HBO’s Game of Thrones, Shae is feisty and affectionate with little regard for safety and no understanding of etiquette. She breaks both conventional norms and hearts. But in the book, she is a gold digger.

ASHA/YARA

Place of Origin: Pike

The Ironborn older sister of Theon Greyjoy is known as Asha in the books, but was renamed Yara for the HBO series in order to avoid confusion with another character. Both names rely heavily on the letter A. Here is a young woman with enough courage and mettle to rule as king in the grim and harsh kingdom by the sea. An experienced sailor and outstanding warrior, Yara and her people resemble Vikings for their attacks on other islands and ships.

MYRCELLA

Place of Origin: Kings Landing

In Princess Myrcella, we have the girl’s name Marcella spelled with a Y. Despite the reference to the Roman god of war (Mars) in her name, Myrcella is quite the opposite: sweet and good-natured. The daughter of Queen Cersei is born in the seat of royal power, and is expected to form a political alliance through marriage when she is of age. Tyrion sends Myrcella to Dorne to form an alliance with House Martell by marrying Prince Trystane Martell. Her departure from court is a source of deep anger and sadness for her mother.

TOMMEN

Place of Origin: King’s Landing

Cersei Lannister’s second son, Tommen Baratheon, is sweet, gentle and obliging. Next in line to the throne, the beloved boy king is nothing like his older brother, the cruel Joffrey. It’s the double M that helps to make Tommen sound so appealing. By pairing the name Tom with the trendy –en suffix, so popular in boy’s names from Aiden to Jayden, we get a malleable young king—innocent, sheltered and impressionable.

GENDRY

Place of origin: Fleabottom in King’s Landing

One of King Robert Baratheon’s many “bastards,” Gendry grows up in Fleabottom, where the lowest rung of society resides. He learns a trade and becomes a master blacksmith. He is said to resemble a young King Robert Baratheon. Later, he becomes a target and survives an assassination attempt by the Lannisters, who see all of King Robert’s offspring as a threat to Joffrey’s claim to the throne. Gendry is also pursued by the Red Witch for his royal blood. We predict this name will zoom up the popularity charts for its genteel sound and its uplifting –ee ending.