“Blessed be the fruit”: The Handmaid’s Tale-inspired baby names

Image: Hulu

Over the years we’ve seen baby name inspiration can come from a variety of places, including TV shows like Game of Thrones and Mad Men. 

Now there’s another show with a whole new cast of names that parents are are falling in love with: The Handmaid’s Tale. 

For those who haven’t seen it, The Handmaid’s Tale is adapted from the 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood. In a nutshell, after birth rates plummet, all fertile women are stripped of their rights given one job – to repopulate the country. 

Considering how harrowing the viewing is, you wouldn’t be alone if you thought this naming trend was a little odd.

Regardless, the names are popping up on baby name lists around the world. Decider is just one publication that has delved a little deeper into the stats around this trend. 

Here’s what they found. 

Names give to strong women

It’s clear that parents are loving names given to strong women, with June, Serena and Rita all proving to be very popular.

June. The main character who played by Elizabeth Moss. Not surprisingly, the name jumped 67 spots between 2017 and 2019 in the U.S. 

Serena. The name given to the wife of the commander, Frederick Waterford, who helped create the system that treats women like a commodity, has climbed 49 places since 2019 alone.

Rita – The name given to a friend of June’s that has jumped 126 places since 2019. 

But wait there’s more!

Naming website, Nameberry did some research of their own (back in 2017) into baby names inspired by The Handmaid’s Tale and have a few more to add.

While this list is a few years old, we’re sure these names are still rising in popularity.

Alma – A handmaid who offers to help June find out information. The vintage name is becoming popular in the US and in Sweden. 

Cora – A ‘Martha’ (servant, not a sex slave), assigned to the same house as June. Popular in the ’80s, Cora had been making a steady comeback. However, Nameberry says they aren’t sure if this trend will continue as it’s too similar to coronavirus.

Frederick – The Commander of the house that June is assigned to. Nameberry says Frederick has been a name “staple” for a long time. However, it’s currently sitting at #776 in the U.S, which is up 82 spots from last year.

Luke – June’s husband and the father of her daughter. The name Luke is popular all over the world, featuring in “top 100 spots in the U.S., England, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, and Australia,” says Nameberry. 

Lydia – Despite being the name given to the character of a vicious aunt, Lydia is a popular name in the U.S. It ranked 114 on Nameberry’s 2021 list of top baby names.

Moira – The name given to Offred’s best friend. This Scotish and Irish name is due for a comeback.  

Nick – Another U.S staple, Nick is June’s lover.