'Game of Thrones' spawns epic baby name boom

By Stephanie Robbins

If you thought Apple and North were bizarre baby names, it seems that HBO’s hit fantasy series Game of Thrones has spurred  Americans to name their babies some strange ones.

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According to data from the Social Security Administration, in 2012, there were 146 female babies born named Khaleesi — the title given to Emilia Clarke’s character in Game of Thrones after she marries a Dothraki leader in season 1. This trumps some more common female names such as Brandy (130) and Alex (128). Khaleesi’s given name, Daenerys, wasn’t quite as popular but still garnered 21 namesakes.
With the recent news that Game of Thrones was renewed for two more years, hopefully we’ll get some even more bizarre names like Ygritte and Bran in the years to come.