Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Names from Wreck-It Ralph

via imdb.com

A friend of mine sent my kids some toys from the movie Wreck-It Ralph and told me I would appreciate the names of the characters.  I have not seen the movie yet, but to say that I enjoy the names mentioned on the box the toys came in would be an understatement:

Gloyd Orangeboar
Crumbelina DiCarmello
Snowanna Rainbeau
Vanellope Von Schweetz
Taffyta Muttonfudge
Adorabeezle Winterpop
Candle Head
Rancis Fluggerbutter
Jubileena Bing-Bing
Minty Zaki
Swizzle Malarkey

How fun! While most of these names are probably not meant to be taken seriously, some of them can definitely be considered:

Snowanna - Nature-lovers who want to honor a family member named Anna could be drawn to this name.

Rainbeau - The name Rainbow was given to 10 girls in 2011. This alternate spelling could be attractive to those wanting to use it for a boy.

Taffyta - Taffeta is a type of fabric, and was a given name to 5 girls in 1966. Taff, Taffi, Taffie, and Taffy were also given names from the 1940s through the 1990s. Taffyta is a varied spelling that would go along with the current "y" trend.

Vanellope - I'm guessing this is pronounced like Penelope, which is becoming more and more popular ever since it reentered the top 1000 in 2001. Van and Nell are just a couple of possible nicknames.

Rancis - Subtract the F in Francis and you have Rancis. Unfortunately, it's a little too close to the word "rancid" for my liking, but others may see the name's appeal. Twenty-eight boys were named Rance in 2011.

Jubileena - Just add a popular ending to Jubilee and you have Jubileena.  Jubilee was given to 103 girls in 2011.

There are other interesting names from the movie. From what I understand, some of them are names from video games, but I think you can see some similarities in the types of names chosen (not in the top 100 and falling in popularity):

Ralph - Ranked #953 in 2011 and holding steady in the 900s after falling.

Felix - Ranked #311 in 2011 and has remained in the 300s for the past 60 years.

Calhoun - Political history buffs like me might recognize this surname from the first half of the 19th century, and it was a given name to at least 5 boys in 1886.

Wynnchel - Wynchell is an English name and means "drawer of water".

Mary - Ranked #112 in 2011 and falling.

Don - Fell off the Top 1000 after 2001.

Deanna - Ranked #817 in 2011 and falling.

Roy - Ranked #565 in 2011 and falling.

Duncan - Ranked #799 in 2011 and falling.

Clyde - Fell off the Top 1000 after 1998.

Ken - Fell off the Top 1000 after 1995.

Ryu - Japanese in origin and means "dragon".

What do you think of the names from Wreck-It Ralph? Do you have a favorite?

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3 comments:

  1. ~ Snowanna << I like it in a guilty pleasure kind of way, so I wouldn't use it.
    ~ Rainbeau << I don't like the name nor this spelling.
    ~ Taffyta << I don't like this one much.
    ~ Vanellope << I'm not fond of this one -- I prefer Penelope.
    ~ Rancis << I'm with you on this one -- it's too close to "rancid" for my liking. That, and it reminds me of Francis which is one of my least favorite boys names of all time.
    ~ Jubileena << I don't love this one, though Jubilee is alright I suppose.
    ~ Ralph << This one's alright but I don't love it.
    ~ Felix << I love the name Felix!
    ~ Calhoun << I don't really like this one.
    ~ Wynnchel << I'm not fond of this one either.
    ~ Mary << Kind of boring, but otherwise an alright name.
    ~ Don << I prefer Donny (and I like it best as a nickname), but Don's cool too =)
    ~ Deanna << I'm not super fond of this one.
    ~ Roy << I don't like Roy much at all.
    ~ Duncan << I'm not super fond of Duncan.
    ~ Clyde << I don't like this one at lall.
    ~ Ken << I'm not fond of it.
    ~ Ryu << I LOVE this name, though it's somewhat of a challenge to pronounce. The "Ky-" Japanese names (like Kyo and Kyoto) are easier for me to say, but I'm getting better at pronouncing the "Ry-" names.

    My favorite overall is Ryu <3

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  2. LOVED Wreck-It Ralph. And I really fell in love with Vanellope!

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