Baby Names Inspired by Star Wars: Heroic Luke and More

Star Wars characters blend the heroic and the dastardly, household names and obscure figures. Inevitably, Star Wars baby names have influenced parents for generations.

What started with a single movie, from a “galaxy far, far, away” in 1977 has become a sprawling series, including multiple movies, television series, books, video games, comics, so much merch, and even theme parks.

Disney took over the Star Wars ‘verse in 2012 and has continued to expand the stories that George Lucas introduced. 

That’s one place where things get complicated: there’s a whole extended Star Wars universe that isn’t included in the canon, mainly from projects that pre-date the Disney merger. 

This list focuses on the best-known Star Wars characters, the beloved figures we’ve followed on screens big and small. But some names were so good that they earned a spot here, even if only the biggest fans of the franchise will recognize them.

Also noteworthy: from Chewbacca and C-3PO to Jar Jar Binks and Qui-Gon Jinn, Grogu and Fives, some of the best Star Wars characters don’t have names that work for a person.

And if their names did work? Naming a child after Darth Maul, Thrawn, or Emperor Palpatine is always going to be a judgment call.

If you’re looking for a Star Wars-inspired baby name, this is your list.

STAR WARS BABY NAMES for GIRLS

AAYLA

Jedi knight Aayla Secura appears in the prequels. She’s a Twi’lek – which means she has tentacles on her head. Sounds unusual, but a number of Twi’leks feature on this list and in the universe. Like many Star Wars baby names, Aayla represents a tiny twist on popular Isla and Ayla.

AURRA

Bounty hunter Aurra Sing first appears in the prequels, and eventually in The Clone Wars, too. She’s a mentor to Boba Fett.

ELSBETH

Morgan Elsbeth appears in The Mandalorian and then Ahsoka. A member of the Night Sisters, Elsbeth is a villain – but her name offers a fresh update to Elizabeth.

HERA

The pilot of the Ghost in Star Wars: Rebels, an animated series on Disney XD beginning in 2014, Hera is a general in the Rebellion. Long before we ever considered Star Wars baby names, Hera was a Greek goddess, the wife of Zeus.

JYN

Jyn Erso is the main character in Rogue One, the prequel that answers a key question: how did the rebels get their hands on the Death Star plans in the first place?

LEIA

We first met Princess Leia Organa in A New Hope. At first she’s a damsel in distress, known only through the message she’s given to R2-D2, imploring Obi-Wan Kenobi for help. But we quickly learn she’s a fearless part of the Rebel Alliance, willing to risk it all to defeat the Empire. By the time The Force Awakens in 2015, she’s known as General Organa.

LYS

A Jedi youngling from the animated series Young Jedi Adventures, and an alternative to Liv – or possibly a nickname for Elizabeth/Elisabeth.

MERRIN

A Nightsister from video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

NASH

Popular as a boys’ name, Nash appears as the name of a female character in Young Jedi Adventures. Nash Durango is a talented pilot and mechanic.

PADME 

Played by Natalie Portman, PadméAmidala is introduced in The Phantom Meance as the newly elected Queen of Naboo. By the end of the prequel trilogy, she’s also served as a senator, fallen in love with Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, and given birth to their twins. Her story ends in heartbreak during Revenge of the Sith, but she’s a critical part of the story.

QI’RA

In Solo: A Star Wars Story we learn all about the reluctant hero’s early life on Corellia. That includes Han’s love  for Qi’ra. It’s a really unusual spelling for Kira, a name well-established as a popular well before the 2018’s movie release. A handful of girls have been named Qira in the years following.

REY

The protagonist of the sequels, Rey starts out as a penniless orphan and scavenger. Through a series of only-in-Star Wars events, the legendary Luke Skywalker become her mentor, as did General Leia Organa. Spoiler alert: at the close of the sequels, Rey successfully leads the Resistance to defeat the First Order, and takes the name Skywalker for her own. Rey’s name means king in Latin, which makes this a fitting choice for a character who comes out on top.

ROOK

Another Mandalorian – and human – Rook fights on the side of the bad guys. Her unisex nature name has plenty of potential, but remains rare.

SABINE

A Rebel – that is, a good guy – Sabine Wren is a Mandalorian by birth, and eventually goes on to train as a Jedi. Sabine is also known as an artist, her work inspiring the Rebel Cause.

SATINE

Satine Kryze is the Duchess of Mandalore; that is, the Mandalorian leader. They’re a people known for constantly training for war; Satine’s claim to fame was maintaining peace – at least during her lifetime. The name Satine first appears in the US popularity data following the 2001 musical movie Moulin Rouge!

TALLIE

A capable pilot for the Resistance, Tallie’s full name was Tallissan.

WREN

From Sabine Wren’s surname. Clan Wren also included Ursa. Alrich, and Tristan.

STAR WARS BABY NAMES for BOYS

ANAKIN

Jedi prophecy told of a chosen one; they believed Anakin Skywalker might bring balance to the force. Instead, he joined the Dark Side and became known as Darth Vader. Famously, he’s father to Luke Skywalker – whom he ultimately saved before losing his own life. The origin and meaning of Anakin are much debated, but there’s no doubt that Anakin has caught on since the first prequel – Vader’s origin story – was released in 1999.

BAYLAN

A character introduced in the Ahsoka series, Baylan’s name feels like an update to Jaylen and company. It fits with Star Wars baby names, but doesn’t sound obviously borrowed from science fiction.

BEN

This name surfaces in both the original trilogy and the sequels. Obi-Wan Kenobi is known as Ben Kenobi on Tatooine, while he’s watching over Luke Skywalker from a distance. Years later, Leia and Han name their son Ben, in honor of Obi-Wan’s heroism.

BRIDGER

A surname borrowed from Ezra Bridger, which might be the most compelling first-last combination in the galaxy. See the entry on Ezra for his story. His parents’ names, Ephraim and Mira, might be worth considering, too.

CAL

A Jedi who survived Order 66 – which wiped out the overwhelming majority of Jedis during Revenge of the Sith – Cal Kestis debuted in a video game series.

CASSIAN

Rogue One introduced us to Cassian Andor, a thief recruited by the Resistance to steal for a higher purpose. Andor loses his life after stealing the plans for the Death Star, along with Jyn Erso. But we get to see more of Andor, played by Diego Luna, in Disney+ prequel series Andor.

CODY

Commander Cody debuts in the second prequel movie Attack of the Clones, released in 2002. Cody is one of the first clones with a name rather than a number. He serves as commander of the 212th legion under General Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Clone Wars.

DJARIN

You might known Din Djarin as Mando or the Mandalorian, the adoptive father of Grogu – aka Baby Yoda. But Djarin’s story is detailed across multiple seasons of The Mandalorian. Like several other characters, Djarin works as a bounty hunter – but gives it up to protect Grogu. The D in his name is silent.

DRYDEN

The villain in Solo: A Star Wars Story is Dryden Vos, played by Paul Bettany. He works for a crime syndicate, with Darth Maul at the head.

EDMON

For all the names invented from whole cloth, Star Wars also uses a number of names that resemble traditional choices from today. One example: Edmon Rampart’s name looks quite a bit like Edmund or Eamon. He’s a character in The Bad Batch.

EZRA

An orphan who survived by stealing, a young Ezra Bridger is caught by the Rebel Ghost Crew. He learns that he’s a Jedi – force sensitive, in Star Wars parlance – and trains under Kanan Jarrus.

FINN

When we first meet Finn, he’s a stormtrooper, known by his serial number: FN-2187. He defies his conditioning to leave his unit, and adopts a name inspired by the letters FN: Finn. Along with Rey and Poe, Finn becomes part of the new trio of heroes at the heart of The Force Awakens and the rest of the sequel series.

GREGOR

We meet Gregor in The Clone Wars. A clone who struggled with memory loss, he went on to fight valiantly in the final battle during Star Wars Rebels. 

HAN

One of the giants of the Star Wars universe, we meet a young, arrogant Han Solo in the very first movie. He’s the pilot of the Millennium Falcon, a ship that “made the kessel run in less than twelve parsecs.” He’s ultimately hunted down by Jabba the Hutt in The Empire Strikes Back, but our hero survives and returns in the sequels, too. Han is probably based loosely on John – as in Johannes, the Latin form of the name.

HUNTER

The Star Wars universe includes plenty of soldiers, like the clone troopers in The Bad Batch. Hunter is the leader of “the Bad Batch” – a group of misfit clones.

HUX

In the sequels, the First Order has taken the place of the Empire. General Armitage Hux is right hand man to the villainous Kylo Ren for most of the sequels – only to switch sides at the last minute. Hux fits right in with modern favorites like Jax.

JACEN

This name appears twice in Star Wars. First, the non-canon books gave Leia and Han a son named Jacen. But in the canon universe, Jacen is the son of Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla.

JANGO

Jango Fett is the father of Boba Fett. We all know Boba Fett as the most famous of the bounty hunters to pursue Han Solo. We meet Jango in Attack of the Clones. It’s his DNA that creates the clone troopers.

JEDI

A handful of boys have been named Jedi in recent years – and probably more than one Jedidiah has used the nickname. It’s not a personal name in Star Wars, of course – it’s an order of knights, pledged to protect the galaxy.

JESSE

The name of another clone, Jesse served under General Anakin Skywalker. As Star Wars baby names go, Jesse would be incredibly subtle.

KAI

Kai Brightstar is another Jedi youngling in the animated series Young Jedi Adventures.

KANAN 

We first meet Kanan Jarrus in Star Wars Rebels. He’s a Jedi in hiding after the Empire has taken control. We eventually learn that Kanan’s birth name was Caleb Dume, before he was forced to go on the run. He eventually rejoined the fight, and agreed to train Jedi Ezra Bridger.

KIT

Kit Fisto  is a member of the Jedi Order. He appears in The Clone Wars, as well as the prequel movies. He’s a Nautolan, from an aquatic planet.

KYLO

As in Kylo Ren, born Ben Solo, the son of Leia and Han. Kylo is the villain in the sequels … until he’s not.

LANDO

In The Empire Strikes Back, we meet Lando Calrissian, the administrator of Cloud City. He’s a friend to Han … and then he’s not. (But then he is again.) We meet a younger version of the character in Solo: A Star Wars Story. His full name is the imposing Landonis Balthazar Calrissian III. One more fun fact? He’s the original owner of the Millennium Falcon, until he lost it to Han in a game of sabacc.

LUKE

We first met Luke Skywalker in 1977, in the original Star Wars movie. (It’s now known as Episode IV: A New Hope.) He’s been at the center of six of the nine movies, and the prequels all led up to his story, too. Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan of any kind, chances are you know his basic tale: the secret son of Darth Vader, trained by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Grand Master Yoda to wield his father’s lightsaber and save the day. It all comes out in 1983’s Return of the Jedi. The rest is pop culture history.

Traditional Luke was already rising when we first visited a galaxy far, far away. But there’s no question that the name soared in use following the success of the first movie.

MACE

Purple lightsaber-wielding Jedi Master Mace Windu was played by the legendary Samuel L. Jackson in the prequel trilogy. Why was his lightsaber purple? Because Jackson requested it – and George Lucas obliged by making it a central part of his character.

OWEN

As a newborn, Luke is taken to Tatooine, where he grows up as an ordinary farmboy with this Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Owen Lars is stepbrother to Anakin Skywalker, though they didn’t know each other well. Owen and Beru take their responsibility seriously, ultimately sacrificing their lives to protect him.

POE

We meet Poe Dameron, a pilot for the Resistance, in The Force Awakens, the first of the sequel trilogy. A New Hope gave us beloved droid R2-D2, and the sequels gave us Poe’s droid BB-8. 

QUINLAN

Quinlan Voss features in The Clone Wars and the prequels, as well as the book Dark Disciple. He’s a Jedi, though whether his actions are good is up for debate.

REX

Captain Rex is a clone – made to fight for the Republic. He serves under General Anakin Skywalker, a critical part of The Clone Wars.

TOBIAS 

Actor Woody Harrelson played professional thief Tobias Beckett in Solo. He’s a key part of Han’s story. 

WOLFFE

The Clone Wars also gives us Wolffe. Worth noting: when created, clones are given numbers. They eventually choose their own names.

Do you have favorite Star Wars characters? Would you consider any of their names for a child?

Originally published on May 4, 2019, this post was revised and republished on May 4, 2021; May 4, 2023; and again on April 20, 2024.