'The Hunger Games' Series Becomes Big Baby-Name Inspiration

We may be witnessing a revolution's first shots: "The Hunger Games" has now dethroned the "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" franchises.

Want proof? Start tallying how many parents talk about their baby "Katniss" versus how many gush about Baby "Bella," "Edward," "Jacob," "Ronald" or "Harry."

OK, so it's not the biggest victory. But nevertheless, the baby-name trend-tracking site Nameberry reports that the young adult novel series and soon-released motion picture has become the biggest pop-culture name inspiration, with an increasing number of couples naming their spawn "Katniss."

In 2010, the most popular overall names in the U.S. were, in fact, "Isabella" and "Jacob."

Currently, however, the highest-ranking name from either franchise with the dueling fanbases was "Esme" from "Twilight," which barely made it at #10.

The rest of the list?

* Katniss — The Hunger Games
* Atticus — To Kill a Mockingbird
* Darcy - Pride & Prejudice (Man's name, though currently popular for girls)
* Eloise — 1950s boo series
* Gatsby — The Great Gatsby
* Holden — The Catcher in the Rye
* Kairi — Kingdom Hearts
* Rhett — Gone with the Wind
* Zuzu — It's A Wonderful Life
* Esme — Twilight: Breaking Dawn 

For the most part, none of those really surprise me much. In fact, I'm somewhat pleased. It displays a continued relevance of some classic literature and culture that should never, ever be "out of style" because those properties have such enduring legacies.

However -- and being that I love few game franchises like I love the "Kingdom Hearts" series -- I am a little surprised that apparently enough parents were inspired enough to name their daughters "Kairi" for that name to make the list.

Still, as game names go, I shouldn't bitch. It beats my friends complaining that they have to go change the soiled diaper on Baby "Solid Snake" or "Kratos." And if I ever meet an ardent "Fallout" fan that introduces me to their new son or daughter named "Stranger From Vault 101," I'll know trends have gone off the rails.