Baby name inspiration comes from everywhere, but nothing feels as sweet as watching a comfort movie and thinking, “Hey, that’s a nice baby name.” Sure, you can Google “vintage baby names” and unique monikers and gender-neutral names, but I also think you can find all of those categories in one umbrella — John Hughes movie baby names.
Considering Hughes’ movies — like Pretty in Pink, Home Alone, Beethoven, just to name a few — were created in the ‘80s and ‘90s, it makes sense that baby names inspired by his films will feel retro and classic. But there’s also an incredibly unique vibe to all of them, like Ferris or Maizy or Ryce. Even the more common character names, like Emily or Neal, are names that have fallen out of popularity over the years and are now more unique options than some other baby names out there. While choosing some John Hughes movie-inspired baby names, I also noticed a lot of his characters have short, fun names like Ferris or Del, and this kind of punchy name choice is just really cool and versatile.
So if John Hughes movies are already your comfort choice — why not get inspired by them for your own baby’s name?
01Samantha
“I can’t believe it. They f*cking forgot my birthday,” is an iconic John Hughes line from Sixteen Candles, starring Molly Ringwald as Samantha Baker. It’s a personal favorite of mine, and I watch it every year around my own birthday, but even without that kind of connection, Samantha is a great baby name to be inspired by. In the John Hughes universe, Samantha is strong, smart, independent, and a darn good friend.
02Miles
Uncle Buck is a John Hughes classic starring John Candy as an uncle who has to take over as Mr. Mom for a few days, and Macauley Culkin plays his nephew, Miles. Miles is curious, funny, and lovable as a character, but the name is also a nice short, spunky choice for those who want something a little more unique than Liam.
03Andrew
You don’t have to really like or relate to Emilio Estevez’s character Andrew in The Breakfast Club, but if you want a classic name, this is it. It means “manly,” “brave,” or “courageous” and is such a great name with a vintage vibe.
04Ferris
I mean, come on. If you name your kid Ferris, people are absolutely going to assume you’re a fan of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and like, who isn’t? This film is an absolute classic, and Ferris is a pretty unique choice, so you can get yourself a lot of baby name points there.
05Cameron
To be fair, Cameron is actually the better person in the Ferris/Cameron duo in the film, so feel free to give this name to your kid, too. It’s a great gender neutral choice, and Cam is the sweetest nickname.
06Emily
The moment I realized Beethoven was also done by John Hughes, I just knew why I loved it so much. Emily is the little sister in the film — the one that falls in the pool and is rescued by Beethoven — and I was always kind of blown away by her piano talent when I was a kid. Emily’s another classic name, but you don’t hear it a whole lot anymore on babies. It means “rival” or “eager.”
07Maizy
Like her brother Miles, Maizy is a big fan of her Uncle Buck when he comes to take care of them for a few days, and I’m a huge fan of her name. With the fun little spelling, it’s especially unique, and has a sweet and spunky vibe to it.
08Claire
Another Molly Ringwald character (she and John Hughes worked very well together, obviously), Claire is the “princess” in The Breakfast Club, but like all Hughes movies, you realize pretty quickly she’s more than just a surface character. The name Claire also means “bright, clear,” which is kind of poignant when you think about it.
09Jake
Jake Ryan? Oh the one and only. Jake is the heartthrob of Sixteen Candles and while some of his choices throughout the movie are questionable, he does give our girl Sam a great birthday. I love the name Jake, and you can just go ahead and skip Jacob and go right to this fun nickname.
10Ryce
I always loved the name Ryce in Beethoven, but the big sister character is absolutely worth naming your kid after, even if she didn’t have such a cool moniker.
11Neal
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is often a Thanksgiving movie tradition for families, so why not pay homage to that by naming your child Neal? It’s another name you don’t hear very often, and the character of Neal is such a good egg.
12Del
The John Candy character in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Del is such a fun choice for a baby name. I fully believe this could be for a boy or a girl, and I like the short and sweet aspect of it.
13Andie
OK, we had to include another Molly Ringwald classic — Pretty in Pink. I think John Hughes loved spunky, short names for his characters, and Andie is definitely one of them. It’s such a fun choice for a baby, and I love the spelling — whether it’s short for a name like Andrea or just stands alone.
14Duckie
So Duckie is technically a nickname in Pretty in Pink, but why not use it if you’re a major John Hughes fan? It’s a very fun, unique choice, and obviously you could use this one for a little boy or a little girl.
John Hughes was an incredible storyteller, and giving your baby a name from his universe feels pretty perfect. Choose your favorite, watch the movie, and give yourself all the warm fuzzies.
This article was originally published on scarymommy.com.