Game of Thrones & House of the Dragon Baby Names: A Complete Westeros Naming Guide

No fantasy world has left a deeper mark on the modern birth certificate than Westeros. HBO's Game of Thrones, which ran from 2011 to 2019 and adapted George R.R. Martin's epic A Song of Ice and Fire, did something almost no television series ever manages: it sent real names climbing up the national charts. Its prequel, House of the Dragon (HBO, 2022–present, drawn from Martin's Fire & Blood), has since added a whole second dynasty of dragon-riding Targaryens to the mix. Between the two shows lies one of the richest naming universes in popular culture — a blend of sturdy medieval English names, clever respellings of familiar classics, and pure high-fantasy invention.

What makes these names worth a parent's attention is their range. Some are perfectly ordinary names you would never guess came from a dragon saga; others are bold, invented, and unmistakably of the show. Below we walk through the great Houses, sort every name by how wearable it really is, and close with the hard data on which Game of Thrones names American parents are actually using.

House Stark: The Names of the North

The Starks of Winterfell are the moral heart of the story, and fittingly their names are the most grounded and usable of any House — old English and Celtic names that would not raise an eyebrow on a playground.

• Arya (Sanskrit) — The fierce, sword-wielding youngest Stark daughter and the single most influential name the show produced. Arya means "noble," and it is also a long-standing Indian and Persian name, which is why it transferred so easily to real children.
• Sansa (coined by Martin) — The elder Stark daughter, whose arc runs from naive girl to shrewd queen in the North. Martin coined Sansa himself; it is soft, feminine, and instantly recognisable without sounding outlandish.
• Brandon / Bran (Old English) — Young Bran Stark, later the Three-Eyed Raven. Brandon means "from the beacon hill," a familiar staple that still ranks inside the U.S. top 250, with Bran as a fresh, short alternative.
• Robb (English) — The eldest Stark son and the King in the North. A trimmed-down form of Robert, "bright fame." The doubled spelling is the show's, though most parents would simply use Rob or Robert.
• Eddard / Ned (Old English) — The honourable Stark patriarch. Eddard is Martin's medieval-flavoured take on Edward, "wealthy guardian"; Ned, his nickname, is a charming vintage choice in its own right.
• Catelyn (Irish) — The fierce Stark matriarch. This is simply a respelling of Caitlin or Katelyn, a variant of Katherine meaning "pure" — one of the most quietly wearable names in the whole saga.
• Lyanna (invented/Celtic) — Ned's spirited late sister, and later the brave little Lyanna Mormont. It echoes real names like Liana and Leanna, giving it a romantic, lyrical feel.
• Benjen and Rickon (invented) — Ned's brother and his youngest son. Both are deeper cuts, distinctive but still pronounceable for the truly devoted fan.

House Targaryen and the Dragons

This is the fantasy heart of both shows, and the source of their boldest names. The Targaryens follow a distinctive Valyrian naming pattern — that signature "ae" sound and endings like -rys, -mon, and -gon — that makes their names feel ancient and otherworldly. They are not for the faint of heart, but for lovers of fire-and-dragon names they are magnificent.

• Daenerys (Valyrian) — The Mother of Dragons herself. Entirely Martin's creation, it is grand, melodic, and forever tied to one of television's most iconic heroines. Most parents who love it reach for the nickname Dany.
• Khaleesi (Dothraki) — Not actually a name at all, but the Dothraki word for "queen." The show carried it into real-world use as a given name — a remarkable example of fiction minting a brand-new name from scratch.
• Rhaenyra (Valyrian) — The would-be queen at the centre of House of the Dragon. Dramatic and regal, with the soft nickname Rhae.
• Rhaenys and Visenya (Valyrian) — The "Queen Who Never Was" and the historic warrior-queen, both echoing Aegon the Conqueror's legendary sister-wives.
• Alicent (English/Germanic) — The dutiful queen and Rhaenyra's great rival in House of the Dragon. Unlike most names here, Alicent is genuinely historical — a medieval form of Alice, ultimately from a Germanic root meaning "noble" — which gives this dramatic name real, wearable roots.
• Aegon, Aemond, and Aemma (Valyrian) — The conqueror's name, borne by kings; the one-eyed prince; and the gentle queen. All share that distinctive Valyrian "ae" opening.
• Viserys (Valyrian) — The kindly king of House of the Dragon and, in the original series, Daenerys's cruel brother — proof a name can outlive its least likeable bearer.
• Daemon (Greek) — The rogue prince. Unusually for a Targaryen, this one has real roots: Daemon comes from the Greek for "guardian spirit," and the everyday spelling Damon is a well-loved favourite meaning "loyal friend."
• Helaena, Baela, and Rhaena (Valyrian) — The dreamy princess and the spirited Velaryon twins; lyrical, feminine, and a step softer than the kings' names.
• Jacaerys and Lucerys (Valyrian) — Rhaenyra's dragon-riding sons, mercifully shortened in the show to the very wearable Jace and Luke.

Houses Lannister, Baratheon and Tyrell

The rival families of the south bring a clutch of strong, often classical names — from the lion-proud Lannisters to the rose-bannered Tyrells of Highgarden.

• Tyrion (fantasy) — The brilliant, sharp-tongued Lannister fan favourite. A pure coinage, yet with a strong, almost classical ring; the nickname Ty is fully modern.
• Jaime (Spanish) — The conflicted knight of the Kingsguard. Jaime is the Spanish form of James and a genuine real-world name for boys, which keeps it surprisingly grounded despite the character.
• Cersei (fantasy) — The ruthless queen. Fierce and unmistakable, it faintly echoes the mythological Circe, lending it an air of cunning power.
• Tywin (fantasy) — The formidable Lannister patriarch; commanding and weighty, a name that radiates authority.
• Myrcella (fantasy) — The gentle Lannister daughter. Essentially a fantasy respelling of the antique Marcella, it is one of the prettiest hidden gems in the cast.
• Joffrey (English/French) — The infamous boy king. Setting the character aside, Joffrey is just a medieval form of Geoffrey, meaning "peace of God."
• Tommen (invented) — The sweet younger prince; a soft, Thomas-adjacent name with an old-world charm.
• Robert, Stannis, and Renly (mixed) — The three Baratheon brothers. Robert is a timeless top-100 classic, "bright fame," while Stannis and Renly are pure Westerosi invention for the bolder fan.
• Gendry (invented) — Robert's good-hearted blacksmith son; rugged and distinctive, echoing the real surname-name Hendry.
• Margaery (French) — The clever, kind-hearted Tyrell queen. A respelling of Margery or Marjorie, from the word for "pearl."
• Loras and Olenna (fantasy) — The gallant Knight of Flowers and his razor-witted grandmother, the Queen of Thorns; both stylish, both rare.

Beyond the Great Houses: Free Folk, Dornishmen and Sworn Swords

Some of the most beloved characters belong to no great House at all — knights, wildlings, and warriors whose names span the entire range from familiar to fantastical.

• Brienne (Celtic) — The towering, honourable Lady of Tarth. A genuine feminine form of Brian, meaning "noble" or "she ascends" — strong and elegant at once.
• Samwell / Sam (Hebrew) — The bookish, loyal heart of the Night's Watch. Samwell is Martin's expansion of Samuel, "asked of God," and Sam is as friendly and timeless as ever.
• Davos (Greek) — The self-made Onion Knight, one of the saga's most decent men. An unusual but real-sounding name with a Mediterranean flavour.
• Jorah (Hebrew) — The devoted exiled knight. Jorah is a genuine biblical name, which makes it more accessible than it first appears.
• Sandor (Hungarian) — The Hound. Far from invented, Sandor is the Hungarian form of Alexander, meaning "defender of man" — a hidden gem for parents who love an international classic.
• Oberyn and Ellaria (Dornish) — The fiery Red Viper of Dorne and his beloved paramour; exotic, passionate, and richly Dornish.
• Tormund and Ygritte (Norse/invented) — The boisterous wildling and the fierce red-haired huntress; rugged names straight from beyond the Wall.
• Missandei (invented) — The brilliant, multilingual advisor to Daenerys; flowing and graceful, one of the show's most melodic creations.
• Podrick, Bronn, and Gilly (mixed) — the loyal squire, the sellsword, and the gentle wildling mother; rounding out a cast full of distinctive, characterful choices.

Real Names Hiding in Westeros

Here is the secret that makes this list more practical than it looks. Martin built his world by reaching for real medieval names and then bending them just slightly. Sort the cast this way and you can pick a name as bold or as safe as you like:

• Already completely real: Arya, Robert, Samuel, Jonathan, Brandon, Peter (Petyr), Jaime, Theon, Sandor, Jorah, and Robin are all established names you could use with no explanation needed.
• A familiar name with a Westeros twist: Catelyn is Caitlin; Margaery is Margery; Joffrey is Geoffrey; Myrcella is Marcella; Daemon is Damon; Eddard is Edward; Robb is Rob. Keep the show's spelling for the nod, or use the everyday form for ease.
• Pure high fantasy: Daenerys, Khaleesi, Rhaenyra, Cersei, Tyrion, Sansa, and Brienne were largely invented for the page. These are the boldest choices — striking, original, and unmistakable.

How Game of Thrones Changed Real Baby Names

This is where fandom meets hard evidence. Using the most recent United States births data (2024) and the historical record in our popularity database, the influence of these shows is genuinely measurable — something very few pieces of fiction can claim.

The clearest case is Arya. In 2010, the year before the show premiered, Arya ranked just #942 in the United States, given to 273 girls. As the series became a phenomenon it climbed every single year — #715 in 2011, #414 in 2012, #200 by 2015 — and peaked at #92 in 2019, the year of the finale, with more than 3,000 girls named that year. In 2024 it still sits at a healthy #162. That is one of the most dramatic show-driven name surges ever recorded.

Game of Thrones names already in common use (2024 U.S. rankings):

• Samuel (Samwell) — #17 for boys
• Jonathan (Jon) — #83 for boys
• Robert — #90 for boys
• Arya — #162 for girls
• Peter (Petyr) — #192 for boys
• Brandon (Bran) — #230 for boys
• Mya (Mya Stone, Robert's natural daughter) — #366 for girls
• Jaime — #605 for boys

Still boldly rare: Daenerys, Khaleesi, Sansa, Cersei, Brienne, Rhaenyra, Alicent, Daemon, Aegon, Theon, and Sandor remain genuinely uncommon choices. For parents who want a name with epic scale and almost no chance of a namesake in class, this is the group to mine.

How to Choose a Game of Thrones Name

A few practical guidelines for borrowing from Westeros without overcommitting:

• Decide how bold you want to be. For a name no one will question, use Arya, Robert, Samuel, or Catelyn. For recognisable-but-rare, look at Brienne, Davos, Sandor, or Daemon. For full fantasy splendour, Daenerys, Rhaenyra, and Aegon are wide open.
• Choose your spelling deliberately. Many of these names have an "easy mode": Aria for Arya, Damon for Daemon, Margery for Margaery, Edward for Eddard. The show spelling signals the tribute; the standard spelling smooths daily life.
• Put the dragon name in the middle. A dramatic first name like Rhaenyra or Aegon can feel lighter when balanced by a simple, classic middle name — or use the epic name itself as a striking middle name.
• Lean on the built-in nicknames. The shows do this constantly: Daenerys becomes Dany, Jacaerys becomes Jace, Brandon becomes Bran, Samwell becomes Sam. A grand name with a soft nickname gives a child the best of both.
• Mind the association. A few names carry heavy baggage from their characters — consider whether the story behind a Joffrey or a Cersei is one you want attached, however lovely the name itself may sound.

From the honourable Starks of the North to the dragonlords of old Valyria, the world of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon offers names with genuine weight, history, and grandeur. And as the rise of Arya proves, choosing one is not as unusual as it once was — you would simply be naming your child after a legend, in a kingdom where, more and more, the realm already has.