‘Gilmore Girls’ baby names to fall in love with during your annual recap

Fall is here, which means that the whole Internet is starting a new year Gilmore Girls watch it again right now. There’s something about the sepia-toned opening, the “la-la-las,” and the red-and-orange leaves of Star Hollow that make for the perfect mood to cuddle up in bed with junk food and a big cup of coffee.

Naturally, it’s also a good time to learn more about the names of your favorite characters – and see how that little bit of information could also affect baby names.

Lorelai

Lorelai Gilmore was named after her father’s mother, Lorelai Gilmore the First.

Richard loves his mother – but Emily, not so much. And the feeling is mutual: Lorelai the First doesn’t think Emily deserves the name Gilmore. How Richard helped Emily to name her daughter after her mother, the world does not know.

Its name comes from a German legend: Lorelei is the name of a steep cliff on the banks of the Rhine River in Germany, well-known as a common site of fatal maritime accidents. It is said that a woman of the same name used to live on the rock and lured fishermen to their deaths with her song.

The meaning of this name is uncertain. Some sources say it comes from a German word lurelnmeaning “murmuring,” and leymeaning “rock” – giving it the meaning of “murmuring rock,” because of the sound of moving water on the rock.

Lorelei was the most common spelling; it first entered the top 1,000 girls’ names in 1938.

Lorelai’s style did not begin until much later – 2006, to be exact, at the end of Gilmore Girls‘ The TV runs. It has been popular for the past two decades and is currently number 289 among parents on BabyCenter.

Want to see where your favorite name is this month? Download the BabyCenter appIt will open a new window browse names, save your favorites, and see their popularity.

Rory

Rory’s full name is Lorelai, after her mother. As Rory says in the pilot episode: “She was lying in the hospital thinking about how men call boys after themselves all the time, you know, so why couldn’t they be women? She’s saying that her femininity just kind of took over.

(In Lorelai’s words: “I called her my name – I was in the hospital with Demerol…don’t remember.”)

Was it female, or was it Demerol? It doesn’t matter – everyone loves Lorelais either way.

Rory also works as a nickname for other names. BabyCenter Community member sweetscootie says: “A relative uses Rory as the name for their daughter Aurora! Gilmore Girls it is used mostly for girls.”

Interestingly, Rory is a complete name in itself. It is the English translation of a Scottish name that means “red king.”

Rory was known as a boy’s name – but when Rory Gilmore came on the scene, it quickly became popular among girls. It has been ranked as a top 1,000 girl’s name since 2001, the following year Gilmore Girls has started, and has been climbing the ranks for the past 20 years. It is currently ranked 243 for girls and 311 for boys.

Sookie

Sookie St. James, Lorelai’s best friend and business partner, won our hearts with his enthusiasm and cooking skills.

Sookie is an abbreviation of Susan or Susanna, both of which are derived from the Hebrew name meaning “lily” or “lily.” It was common in the 1700s, but it is very rare now. Sookie has never been in the top 1,000 girls’ names in the United States, and is only used by BabyCenter parents – it ranked 8,502 in 2024.

Lane

Like many Americans who come from immigrant families, Lane Kim – Rory’s best friend – has an American name and a Korean name.

It hasn’t been confirmed by the show or the writers, but Lane’s Korean name appears to be Hyun-Kyung – in the episode where her grandmother visits from Korea, that’s what she calls Lane. Hyun means “good,” “beautiful,” or “worthy,” and Kyung means “respect.”

Her American name, Lane, is traditionally a boy’s name, and actually never made the top 1,000 girls’ names. It is currently number 4,579 for girls and number 267 for boys on BabyCenter.

Lane was originally an English name used by people who lived on or near, a lane.

Paris

There’s no explanation in the show how Paris Geller, Rory’s best frenemy, got her name – but there are a few Easter eggs. One Reddit user shared the ideaIt will open a new window that it is called Paris because it is Rory’s painting, just as Paris is Romeo’s painting in Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet. (Also, his middle and last name, Eustace Geller, is the same as Ross Eustace Geller from Friends.)

The name Paris may have come from the name of the city, which is derived from the name of the Gaulish tribe that once lived in the area. It has been in the top 1,000 girls’ names since the 1980s, and was most popular in 2004, when it ranked number 157 – smack-dab among Gilmore Girls‘ run (even though it was a year after the Paris Hilton sex tape was leaked). It is currently ranked 558th among parents on BabyCenter.

Luke

What could be better on a cold morning than hot coffee in a mug from Luke’s Diner? The name of everyone who likes grump has a strange meaning: “man of light.”

Luke Danes’ first name might be Lucas – that’s what Stars Hollow mayor Taylor Doose calls him when he’s fighting (which, let’s be real, is often). But whether it’s Luke’s real name or Taylor just pushing his buttons, who can say.

Either way, Luke and Lucas both come from a Greek name meaning “one from Lucania,” a historical region in southern Italy. Lucania is thought to come from an Old Italian word for “light,” so Luke and other related names are often given the poetic meaning of “man of light” or “giver of light.”

Luke is a popular name for boys. It has been at number 100 since the early 1990s, and is currently at number 35.

Dean

Dean Forester may not be everyone’s best friend, but his place as Rory’s tall and passionate first love is irresistible.

His name, which was originally English, has two meanings. It’s coming from that’s ita Middle English word meaning “valley,” and was used by people living in the plains; and it was a child’s name for a person who worked as a deacon, or a church administrator.

The name Dean was very popular in the US in the 1950s and 60s, when it had a short time in the top 100 names for boys. It went out of style for a while, but it’s back – currently at number 100, Dean is in the top 100 names for the first time this century.

“We like creative and old names,” says Community member Michamoonlight. “We’re thinking maybe Dean Christian or Dean Angelo.”

Jess

Troubled teenager Jess Mariano shakes up Stars Hollow – and Rory and Dean’s relationship – when her uncle Luke takes her in.

As a boy’s name, Jess is a shortened form of Jese, a Hebrew name that means “gift.” (Appropriate, because Jess gifted us with this line in a show full of amazing lines: “No Yale — because do you to fall outside of Yale?”)

The name Jess was very popular in the early 1900s, when it peaked at number 164 in 1900. It has declined throughout the years, however, and came out of the top 1,000 boys’ names in 1997. Gilmore Girls — but it’s rare, and hasn’t been on BabyCenter since 2025, when it was No. 5,207.

Logan

The third and final of Rory’s boyfriend trifecta, trust-fund son Logan Huntzberger shows her another side of his grandpa’s world – joining secret societies, stealing yachts, the whole nine yards.

Logan was originally a Scottish name used by people living near a place called Logan in Ayrshire. It is thought to be of Gaelic origin and means “small hole.”

This name was very popular in 2017, when it became number 10 – the following year Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life it came out on Netflix (also year Logandefinitive Wolverine movie, released). It has been in the top 100 boy names since 1991, and is currently number 73 among BabyCenter parents.

Kirk

Of all the famous characters that make up Stars Hollow, Kirk Gleason may be the most memorable – how could anyone forget his magnum opus, film written by kirk?

From DSL installer to swan deliverer to part-time owner, Kirk’s had every job in Stars Hollow (and then some) – and he has more than one name. In the pilot episode of the show, he is called Mick.

Originally an English and Scottish name for a person who lives near a church, Kirk is derived from an Old Norse word. the congregationmeaning “church.” It last appeared in the top 1,000 boys’ names in the US in 2002 – as beloved as it is, though. Gilmore Girls‘ Kirk could not keep his name. It is currently number 2,233 among parents on BabyCenter.

Christopher

What can you say about Christopher Hayden, Rory’s absent father? Every time he shows up in Lorelai’s life, there’s bound to be drama – but the girls can’t help but love him.

Christopher is one of the most popular names on the list: It has been in the top 100 names since the 1940s, and was a top 10 name for more than four decades, reaching number 2 in 1972 and ’73, and from ’79 to ’94. It has been on the decline in recent years, and is currently number 90 on BabyCenter.

The name is of Greek origin and means “bearer of Christ.”

Emily

The ubiquitous Gilmore wit is matrilineal – there’s a brilliant line from queen Emily’s wit, a hurtful remark to Lorelai and Rory’s lightning-fast banter.

As a name, Emily was huge in the early 2000s – it dominated the top 10 names for girls. Gilmore Girls‘ all running from 2000 to 2007. Even now, it’s still a household name and is currently ranked number 57 on BabyCenter.

The origin of Emily as a name is unknown, but it is derived from a Roman surname that is thought to be derived from the Latin word for “race.”

Richard

Gilmore parent Richard has a stoic, refined exterior, but inside, he wants to know his kind of weather like the rest of us. She’s Autumn, according to a teen mag she reads at Rory’s 16th birthday party.

Richard is an old French name of German origin, meaning “strong ruler” or “brave ruler.” It was very popular in the 20th century, ranking in the top 10 boy names from 1920 to 1970. It has been on the decline since, however, and is currently number 337 among BabyCenter parents.