People Keep Naming Their Children After This Marvel Character

I recently watched Avengers: Endgame for the first time. Late to the party, I know. But what a movie it is - the sheer enormity of it is enough to impress even the most difficult-to-please cinema critics, and overall, it’s just a phenomenal film. But you know what I didn’t think, upon seeing the credits roll? ‘I’m going to call my first born child Thanos’.

Thanos is even an unstoppable force in Elden Ring - check him out in action below.

Apparently though, that’s a more common thought than you might expect. As reported by ComicBook, a new study published by OrganicBabyFormula.com has revealed that the name ‘Thanos’ has shot up a whopping 2,892 places in the Social Security Administration's Name Popularity Index, ever since the release of Avengers: Infinity War in 2018.

The same study uncovered a number of other Disney-owned character names which have been influencing new parents’ name choices. On that list, Thanos is the ninth most popular, and Quill (after Guardians of the Galaxy’s Peter Quill) comes out on top, with Kristoff (from Frozen) in second place. Rey (hello, Star Wars) is in third, shortly followed by Aladdin (do I even need to explain?) and Merida (Brave). Other Marvel-inspired names which have seen an uptick in popularity include Loki and Wanda.

Thanos’ popularity here is, frankly, baffling. The creator of the character, Jim Starlin, told ComicBook earlier this year that he’s found the love for the big ol’ purple guy a bit of a shock, too: “The fact that Thanos has gotten as big as he has, quite frankly, surprised the hell out of me because I always thought he was just too weird and esoteric and apparently wrong,” he said. “That’s why I don't make movies.”