If you’re pregnant with a girl, or trying to narrow down a list of names for your baby (either for the future, or if you’re expecting, but unsure of his or her gender), you’ll likely begin to think about her growing up and wonder who she’ll become. While she’ll be sure to inherit some of your own personal traits, there are probably qualities you’d like her to take on from women you have looked up to yourself. A strong maternal instinct is an admirable and powerful attribute—one that mothers hope for their own daughters if they someday become mothers themselves. So, it’s unsurprising that resilient, tenderhearted moms can easily inspire other mamas when naming their little ones. From feminine film protagonists to sitcom families’ matriarchs to classic novel characters to celebrity mother and daughter duos, we’ve got plenty of mom-inspired monikers you’ll be sure to love!
100 Mom-Inspired Baby Names
1. Andrea
Your little one might one day use you as a muse the same way Taylor Swift has written multiple songs about her mom, Andrea Swift!
2. Lorelei
She’ll either start speaking early, or be a fast-talker once she gets going à la the ladies Gilmore.
3. Kate
We can all hear Home Alone’s Kate McCallister yelling, “KEVIN!”
4. Marmee
The beloved mother’s name from Little Women was actually short for Margaret.
5. Tina
Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, as well as Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, have mothers named Tina.
6. June
Fans of The Handmaid’s Tale will know that June would do anything to get back to her daughter.
7. Mary
From a biblical standpoint, there’s no mother more noteworthy than that of Jesus Christ.
8. Carol
You’ll be sure to sing, “Here’s the story of a lovely lady,” to your little one inspired by The Brady Bunch mama.
9. Cora
Cora Crawley from Downton Abbey radiates civility and wisdom.
10. Donna
The ultimate mom-inspired baby name comes from Mamma Mia’s Donna Sheridan!
11. Helen
Does this name sound incredible? That’s likely because of Elastigirl’s true moniker, Helen Parr, from The Incredibles.
12. Ripley
Ellen Ripley (known by her surname) from the Alien film series is known for being a brave, fierce protector.
13. Kitty
Kitty Forman from That ’70s Show is recognizable from her laugh alone!
14. Marge
The Simpsons provide plenty of inspiration from Marge (short for Marjorie) Simpson.
15. Joyce
Portrayed by Winona Ryder, Stranger Things’ Joyce Byers stays strong even in chaotic circumstances.
16. Lily
The legacy of Harry Potter’s mom, Lily, is centered around her selfless love.
17. Bella
Twilight’s Bella Swan is filled with pride for her daughter, Renesmee.
18. Pam
Pam from The Office is fantastic at modeling empathy and kindness.
19. Sarah
Who wouldn’t want to be as effortlessly cool as John Connor’s mother in The Terminator?
20. Miriam
Fearless and driven, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel herself (also known as Midge) is a strong role model for any child.
21. Leia
Your sweetie will be the greatest gal in the galaxy!
22. Verona
Away We Go’s Verona De Tessant (played by Maya Rudolph) is adventurous and intentional about setting down the right roots.
23. Doria
Meghan Markle and her mom, Doria Ragland, share the sweetest bond.
24. Evelyn
A Quiet Place’s Evelyn Abbott (played by Emily Blunt) exudes strength.
25. Elaine
Strict and protective, William and Anita Miller’s mom in Almost Famous was always genuinely trying her best to raise her kids right.
26. M’Lynn
This unique moniker is the name of Sally Field’s character in Steel Magnolias.
27. Lisa
All-star mama of Zoë Kravitz, Lisa Bonet, and Sister Sister’s fictional mom, Lisa Landry (played by Jackée Harry), share this short but sweet namesake.
28. Sophia
The Golden Girls matriarch was always ready with a wisecrack.
29. Lois
Television shows Malcolm in the Middle and Family Guy both feature mothers named Lois.
30. Marion
Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird highlights a complicated relationship between mother, Marion, and daughter, Christine.
31. Katherine
NASA research mathematician, Katherine Johnson (portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in Hidden Figures), was a trailblazer that any baby girl would be lucky to share a name with.
32. Debbie
Leslie Mann hilariously plays Debbie in Judd Apatow’s This is 40.
33. Elizabeth
Didn’t everyone want to be the fabulous Elizabeth James from Parent Trap?
34. Ramonda
Black Panther’s Queen Mother of Wakanda, Ramonda (played by Angela Bassett), showcases incredible wisdom and strength.
35. Sarabi
The queen of the Pride Lands’ (Lion King) moniker might be crowned queen of your baby name list.
36. Melanie
Dakota Johnson shares her passion for acting with mom, Melanie Griffith…
37. Tippi
…just as Melanie Griffith has shared this passion with her mother, Tippi Hedren.
38. Susan
Like this one? It’s the name of Penny’s mom from The Big Bang Theory.
39. Lucy
The infamous Lucy Ricardo (played by the equally-infamous Lucille Ball) became a mother during the second season of I Love Lucy.
40. Abigail
Talk about presidential—not only was Abigail Adams the wife of John Adams, she was also the mother of John Quincy Adams.
41. Jules
Julianne Moore plays Jules, one of the moms from the film The Kids Are All Right.
42. Nic
The Kids Are All Right’s Nic, wife of Jules, is played by Annette Bening.
43. Elyse
Fans of the ’80s sitcom Family Ties will recognize Elyse Keaton as the name of the politically-minded family’s mom.
44. Jayne
Actress Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) learned a lot about the industry from her Hollywood star mom, Jayne Mansfield.
45. Eudora
Eudora is her daughter, Princess Tiana’s, biggest cheerleader in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.
46. Lucille
Arrested Development’s Lucille Bluth (played by the late Jessica Walter) is a viewer-favorite!
47. Tami
Tami Taylor (Connie Britton) from Friday Night Lights reminds us: “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.”
48. Daphne
Diane Keaton’s character, Daphne, from 2007’s Because I Said So, always wants to help her daughters—sometimes to a fault.
49. Hollie
2005’s Elizabethtown features Susan Sarandon as Hollie Baylor, the mom of Orlando Bloom’s character in the flick.
50. Rainbow
Tracee Ellis Ross, who plays Rainbow Johnson on Black-ish, personifies brains and charm.
51. Temperance
Bones character Temperance “Bones” Brennan (played by Emily Deschanel) makes forensic anthropology look easy!
52. Wilma
This moniker from The Flintstones screams, “Yabba-Dabba-Doo!”
53. Jessica
Portrayed by Constance Wu, Fresh off the Boat’s Jessica Huang chose to go by this name after the Allman Brothers Band song, “Jessica.”
54. Goldie
Dynamic duo! Goldie Hawn is mama to Kate Hudson.
55. Caroline
For those who grew up reading Little House on the Prairie, it was easy to look up to the family’s kindhearted mother, Caroline Ingalls.
56. Penelope
Draw inspiration from 2017’s reboot of One Day at a Time, where Penelope (played by Justina Machado) is an Army vet and nurse who is full of strength while raising her kids.
57. Florida
1974 sitcom Good Times features Florida Evans (played by Esther Rolle) as the glue of her family.
58. Marie
Known as the “Mother of Modern Physics,” Marie Curie won two Nobel Prizes (the first woman to win one), and her daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, won a Nobel Prize as well.
59. Tess
Jamie Lee Curtis’ Tess Coleman, from Freaky Friday, learned the hard (and hilarious) way how important selfless love is between mother and daughter.
60. Laura
Laura Barton, the wife of Marvel’s Hawkeye, was fine with a private life off the grid in order to keep her children safe.
61. Shirley
Community’s Shirley Bennett (played by Yvette Nicole Brown) is not only a mom of three, she’s the “mother hen” of the group as well.
62. Molly
Harry Potter’s Molly Weasley has a fiery spirit—especially when she’s sticking up for (or reprimanding!) her beloved kids.
63. Minnie
Actress/comedian Maya Rudolph’s mom was singer Minnie Riperton, and Maya actually incorporated the moniker “Minnie” into the names of two of her own daughters.
64. Bonnie
Bonnie Plunkett (played by Allison Janney) from the TV series Mom, has shown the importance of perseverance.
65. Rebecca
Viewers love watching Mandy Moore’s Rebecca Pearson, from This is Us, at every stage of life.
66. Claire
Modern Family’s Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen) shows how having kids can be chaotic, yet fulfilling.
67. Olivia
In the movie Boyhood, Patricia Arquette plays Olivia, a strong-willed mother, over the span of 12 actual years.
68. Sojourner
Between escaping slavery with her baby daughter, and successfully going to court to get her young son out of slavery as well, Sojourner Truth was a tenacious, selfless mother, as well as a groundbreaking, inspirational evangelist, women’s rights activist, abolitionist, and author.
69. Marilla
The Anne of Green Gables guardian cares a lot more than she lets on, and has a secret soft side.
70. Sina
No one knows how far [your baby name list] goes—but Moana’s mother’s name might be at the top!
71. Kiki
Bad Moms’ Kiki (played by Kristen Bell) is actually great at being a mom, and learns to stand up for herself as well.
72. Maya
Poet and activist Maya Angelou wrote many phenomenal collections and books—including Letter to My Daughter.
73. Leigh Anne
Leigh Anne Tuohy and her adoptive son, Michael Oher, had their story featured in the book (and subsequent movie), The Blind Side.
74. Perdita
The character of Cruella De Vil may be the most synonymous with 101 Dalmatians, but Perdita (or Perdy), pet of Anita and mother of many, many dogs, is not only extremely ladylike but also extremely vigilant when it comes to caring for her puppies.
75. Frigga
In the Marvel universe, Thor has a super-sweet relationship with his mom, Frigga.
76. Korie
Korie Robertson (of Duck Dynasty fame) is mom to John Luke, Sadie, Will, Bella, Rowdy, and Rebecca.
77. Martha
Clark Kent couldn’t be Superman without the love and support of their adoptive mom, Martha!
78. Linda
Linda Belcher of Bob’s Burgers is a great example of consistent optimism no matter what life brings.
79. Vianne
Chocolat’s Vianne Rocher shows her daughter, Anouk, how to live in a free-spirited way.
80. Isabel
Wonder’s Isabel Pullman (played by Julia Roberts) shows unrelenting care and advocacy for her children, Olivia and August.
81. Mia
Kerry Washington did an incredible job bringing her mysterious Little Fires Everywhere character to life in the show’s adaptation.
82. Elena
Reese Witherspoon’s seemingly picture-perfect character from Little Fires Everywhere has sparked plenty of conversations.
83. Ellis
Meredith Grey’s mom on Grey’s Anatomy had significant ambition and drive.
84. Bailey
Grey’s Anatomy character, Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), is easily a no-nonsense mother-figure to many of her coworkers.
85. Joan
Part of New Girl character Jessica Day’s (Zooey Deschanel) lovable quirkiness comes from her mom, Joan (Jamie Lee Curtis).
86. Jeanette
Charmin Lee’s Jeanette Wood, on Girlfriends, is Maya’s mother.
87. Veretta
This unique, beautiful moniker is shared by Girlfriends character Veretta Childs, played by Jenifer Lewis.
88. Marlene
Parks and Recreation’s Leslie Knope’s mom is tough but endearing.
89. Lila
This name might sound familiar thanks to the character of Issa’s mom on Insecure.
90. Marlo
Charlize Theron’s Tully character, Marlo, allows viewers to see a more vulnerable, challenging experience of motherhood.
91. Janet
Marvel fans may be enthusiastic over choosing the name of Hope Pym’s mother from Ant-Man.
92. Moira
Schitt’s Creek character, Moira Rose, is the perfect inspo for your bébé!
93. Diana
Between Princess Diana and Diana Ross, this is a magnificent mom-inspired moniker.
94. Meredith
Meredith Blake from Parent Trap may not have been the ideal step-mom, but she may provide the ideal influence for a first name!
95. Allison
Feel free to say “yes” to this name based on Yes Day’s Allison Torres (played by Jennifer Garner).
96. Rose
We love seeing the dynamic between The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) and her mom, Rose (Marin Hinkle)!
97. Kala
Tarzan’s Kala selflessly raises the title character as her own.
98. Nina
The movie may have been called Father of the Bride, but the mother, Nina (played by Diane Keaton), helped everyone around her stay sane.
99. Morticia
One of the most memorable mom characters of all time is Morticia Addams of The Addams Family!
100. Teresa
Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and modeled for all of us how to love others well. Check out:- 125 gender-neutral baby names- 150 unusual baby names- Celebrity-inspired baby names- 150 French baby names
