Names with strong cultural references

Lyra was a name Pullman picked from a pencil he was using. We used those pencils at school. Not one I fancy but each to her own. Everyone was called Tracy when I was at school, at least the kids have stand out names now!

The only one with strings is Lyra - very much associated with the Philip Pullman novel. I can't think of any others.
Celine, Elsa, Adele, Juliet, Delia, Miranda are just "normal" names. I think you're overthinking it.

Totally overthinking. Elsa is the only one I would associate with a pop culture reference. I know people by all the other names and never think of the celebrity you have associated.

I have no idea who Miranda and delia are.

Overthinking, and actually a literary reference is rather lovely. My siblings and I have three literary names among us and love them, and one of my daughters is both a Shakespeare character and scientist. And my son is a sportsman. I love that they have “stories” behind their/our names, so if you like the name and the character go for it.

Elsa will always be the lion in.bBorn Free for me.

Re Harrison. I've taught many and never made the Harrison Ford link.

You’re over-thinking! Especially with Miranda and Delia. The problem is that any name you choose could be a popular or celeb name by the time the child is at school. There’s a little girl at my son’s nursery called Alexa, I suspect the parents might have thought twice if she had been born after the Amazon Alexa became so popular!

We have a Harrison. No one has ever mentioned Mr Ford to us.

Emile Sande's first name is Adele but she uses her middle name professionally because of the eponymous Adele.

Very good friends have a 3 year old dd called Delia. But they arer Romanian so pronounce it Day-lia.

Very sweet name and child. Although i di still think of Delia Smith when i hear her name called.

I’d draw the line at Adele. The fact that the singer doesn’t ever use her surname, and most people would struggle to say what it is, is a hint that she’s pretty much the only person of that name anyone has heard of (unless you’re a big Fred Astaire fan?) but the others are fine.

I love the name Lyra an it would be my second favourite for a girl! I first heard it from His Dark Materials but I love it as a name on its own merits. DH won't let me name a boy Azrael though. My favourite girls name is Athena, which I first thought of using because of an awesome character from a game, it stuck in my head and now I just really like it as a name, I don't even think of the character really.

It's a bit of a gamble regardless isn't it?

2 months after your baby, the sensibly named Susan,is born there might be a huge lunatic called Susan all over the media.

dd2 is named an LOTR inspired name, it's lovely, and anyway it's only an association to people you don't know very well, not someone in your circle.

My DH vetoed pretty much every boys name because they were associated with some footballer, politician or friend. He wouldn't even consider names like David or Nicholas because he associated them with plonkers or thought his friends would think he was naming DS after them! (we weren't, but if we were, wouldn't they be flattered?) That left basically nothing! We ended up choosing a Gaelic name that has no associations with anyone! 🙄

So unless the association really bad, I wouldn't worry about it. I do know a Lyra, and pretty much everyone asks her mum if it's from the books, so as long as you're happy to answer that question all the time then go for it!

I think that Elsa is the only one which has "strings". But if you love that, go for it.

I had Elowen on our shortlist too @IMissMargaritas. It's a gorgeous name, as is Eowyn. I'm also Cornish and a huge LOTR fan!

Kylie sounds like you’ve named her after the singer but more generic names like celine or Adele are fine.

Leia- cultural
Leah- generic

Macauley- celeb
Jackson - generic

Lennon- celeb
John- generic

I know a Miranda and a Juliet, both are lovely names. Miranda often got called panda as a child! (she liked it)

We have a Lyra, named after the constellation not the character, and chosen because we have Greek family. Everyone asks if it's after the PP books but it doesn't bother me because I love the books and the character. I think only Elsa and Celina from your list would make me ask if your daughter was named after those characters. The rest are common enough names to not invite question. But I personally don't mind people asking "is that after..." because it's just a convenient little conversation filler that bridges the gap between "oh you have a baby" and "well good luck, see you around".

I wouldn't associate any of those names with any cultural reference (with possible exception of noting that Miranda and Juliet are shakespearean names)

My DD is going be called Eowyn when she's born in April - after the character from LOTR :) In my defence JRR Tolkein based the name on the Cornish name, Elowen (we're both Cornish)...which I also love...but DP is obsessed with LOTR so I'm going along with it!

Go with what you love, screw other people's opinions :P

I’d never have thought of the comedy series Miranda until you mentioned it tbh. How long since that show finished anyway? About five years?

My Dd is Elsa, named before Frozen came out. She hates it, people telling her to 'let it go' all the time and asking her if the cold bothers her. Funny the first time, not so much after 500 jokes!

Lyra is a constellation - the lyre. It wasn't made up by Pullman.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyra

I would say that the celebrity names to be avoided are those who can be referred to by their first name only and everybody knows who you mean - Elvis, Madonna, Beyonce, Kylie etc. The rest are fine! Most of those on your list are unlikely to make people think of the cultural references you mention, except perhaps Lyra, but there are precedents for names "invented" by an author which then became standard names unlikely to raise an eyebrow - Lorna and Wendy spring to mind. I bet Lyra will outgrow its origins in the same sort of way eventually.