Choosing a baby name is one of the most difficult choices a parent has to make with their young child, along with which of several local day nurseries to bring their child to once they are a little older.
Names are exceptionally personal, and parents have many reasons to pick one name over another. This can be to commemorate a parent or grandparent, or based on some kind of symbolic significance.
For some, however, a name choice comes about because of a famous or influential person who happens to share that name.
Here are some of the most popular names throughout the years, as recorded by MyHeritage, and the celebrities that inspired them.
John And Paul
Two of the five most popular names for boys in the 1960s were inspired by the most famous band of the era: The Beatles. Rock legend John Lennon inspired his first name to get to number five, and his bandmate Paul McCartney managed to get his name to number two.
Neither of these spikes in popularity are surprising, given that The Beatles are one of the most famous bands ever.
Christopher
Throughout the 1980s Christopher was the most popular name among boys, and according to researchers the reason for this is Superman. Specifically, in a highly popular series of films made in the 1980s, Christopher Reeve played Superman and was widely adored.
As well as him, Christopher Walken, a highly prolific actor best known at the time for his major role in The Deer Hunter and as the villain of the 1985 James Bond film A View To A Kill, was also said to have been influential.
Jessica
Possibly the most bizarre influence of them all, Jessica was the third most popular name for girls in the 1990s, but the reason for this was not a human celebrity but a cartoon one.
Researchers claim that Jessica Rabbit from the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a major influence on parents choosing the name Jessica.
