Entertainment
Since its initial release in July 2016 — and specifically the recent Stranger Things 3 season premiere — it seems like everyone has jumped on the Stranger Things mania train, myself included. It’s the perfect show. It’s got romance, drama, horror, humor, great writing, and of course all the ‘80s nostalgia you could ever want. If you’re as obsessed with this hit show on Netflix as everyone else seems to be and you’re expecting your own little "nerd" to make his or her appearance soon, you'll want some baby names from Stranger Things.
Speaking of amazing ‘80s nostalgia, of course the writers of Stranger Things did their homework when coming up with names for the characters. A Vulture article from back when the show first premiered went through the names of all of the recurring characters in the show, and the names were all super popular in the ‘80s for the kids and teens (and the adults were named from popular names from their birth year, which means a lot of adults in the ‘80s were named Joyce, Jim (James), Karen, etc). Well, except for the name Dustin, but more on that later. So not only will you be honoring the best TV show on Netflix, but you’ll be paying homage to some of the most popular names of the ‘80s for kids, teens, and parents.
Stranger Things 3 spoilers ahead.
9
Elle (El)
Though the characters of Stranger Things spell it differently than Elle, She Knows suggested that Elle is an abbreviation of Eleanor and Ellen, which means beautiful fairy. Not sure how 11 would feel about this meaning — I mean, she is magical like a fairy, but I think she's a little tougher. Also, according to numerology, 11 is considered a "master number." I think 11 would like that better.
10
Max
Though Max is female in Stranger Things, I think Max would make an awesome name for a guy, too. According to Baby Center, Max is short for Maximillian, which means greatest.
11
Maxine
Maxine is Max's birth name in the series, and even though she hates it, the name actually has a pretty cool meaning, just like Max according to Nameberry. It also means greatest.
12
Robyn
How cool is Robyn in Season 3? Fun fact I just learned: the actress who plays Robyn is Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke's daughter. Mind. Blown. But the character Robyn is super funny and smart, so Robyn would be a good name for your kid, too. According to Baby Name Wizard, Robyn is German and means bright fame.
13
Steve
Steve "the hair" Harrington. How fitting his name is derivative of Stephanos, which means a crown or garland.
14
Alexei
Alexiei totally stole my heart, even though he was behind the opening of the gate to the upside down group of Russians. Strangely enough, Alexei means defending men according to Nameberry.
15
Barb
I still miss you, Barb. Even though your character was short lived on the show, maybe there's still hope for you out there. Justice for Barb. According to She Knows, "In Catholic custom St. Barbara is a protectress against fire and lightning." Maybe Barb is protecting us all from the other side.
16
Nancy
According to the Vulture article, "Nancy in the early ‘80s was more of a woman’s name than a girl’s — which fits our Nancy, who’s just a little bit smarter and more mature than her peers." Truth. Nancy is an English name, according to She Knows, and it means favor or grace.
17
Jonathan
Jonathan was a very popular name in my kindergarten class, along with Ashley and Heather, which makes sense, because Jonathan was a top-20 name in the '80s, according to Vulture. But none of the Jonathans I knew were as awesome as Jonathan in Stranger Things. Sorry, guys. Jonathan means Jehovah's gift, according to She Knows.
18
Joyce
According to She Knows, Joyce means happy, which is not an emotion Joyce Byers has felt much of throughout the entire series. Vulture reported that "in 1983, this would have been a mom-name among mom-names" since it was such a popular name for babies born between 1930 and 1947. Makes sense.
19
Jim
Jim is a derivative of James, which means "supplanter," according to Nameberry. I had no clue what this meant so I had to look it up. And apparently, it means someone that "takes over or takes the place of someone else, usually on purpose."
Is Hopper's name foreshadowing for something more down the road? As far as it being an '80s name, according to Vulture, "James was the No. 1 most-popular name for boys from 1940 to 1952," so that makes sense why Hopper's name was James/Jim. And what a tribute to the hero in Stranger Things to name your child after him. Excuse me while I go sob into my pillow.
20
Demi
If you want to go on the dark side and name your kid after the villain in the show, the Demogorgon, but think naming your kid Demogorgon may be too much, there's always Demi, which means ... half?
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