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March 31, 2026 · Article · 8 min read
ACOTAR Baby Names: Court of Thorns and Roses Names That Parents Are Actually Using
If you've spent any time on BookTok, you already know: Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses series has taken over. The books have sold tens of millions of copies, the fandom is massive, and — yes — people are naming their babies after the characters.
We pulled the real SSA birth data to find out exactly which ACOTAR names are showing up on birth certificates. Some of these will surprise you. Others will make you whisper "Mother above" under your breath.
The Inner Circle
The Night Court's High Lord
Rhys — Here's the thing about Rhys: it was already a legitimate Welsh name before ACOTAR. But Rhysand's full-name energy has clearly given the short form a massive boost. Rhys was at 62 births in 1995 and grew steadily through the 2000s and 2010s. Then ACOTAR's BookTok explosion happened: 750 in 2021, 930 in 2023, and 946 in 2024. That's a 15x increase — and the growth is accelerating.
62 (1995) → 550 (2010) → 946 (2024, still climbing)
Births per year — SSA data
Rhysand — Yes, people are using the full name. Rhysand first appeared in SSA data in 2019 (7 births). By 2023, it hit 18. In 2024, there were 14 baby Rhysands. It's still tiny, but the fact that parents are putting a made-up fantasy name on legal documents tells you everything about how much they love this character.
0 (before 2019) → 7 (2019) → 18 (2023 peak) → 14 (2024)
The High Lady
Feyre — Feyre Archeron is the protagonist of the entire series, and her completely invented name has started appearing on birth certificates. First showing up in SSA data in 2018 (5 births), it hit 22 in 2022. In 2024, 13 girls were named Feyre. It's still below the radar, but it's growing — and with a potential TV adaptation, expect this one to jump.
0 (before 2018) → 22 (2022 peak) → 13 (2024)
The Bat Boys
If there's one thing the ACOTAR fandom obsesses over, it's the Illyrian warriors. And the SSA data shows parents feel the same way.
Azriel — This is the ACOTAR naming success story. Azriel existed as a rare Hebrew name before the books (7 births in 1995), but it was essentially unknown. Then ACOTAR happened. The name started climbing through the late 2010s, and when BookTok discovered the series in 2020-2021, it exploded: 245 in 2021, 352 in 2022, 416 in 2023, and 467 in 2024. That's a 67x increase from pre-ACOTAR levels. The shadowsinger is officially a baby name phenomenon.
7 (1995) → 93 (2010) → 467 (2024, still skyrocketing)
Births per year — SSA data
Cassian — The general of the Night Court's armies went from near-zero (5 births in 1997) to 555 in 2023. The timeline is telling: Cassian stayed tiny until 2017 when ACOWAR came out and gave him a major role — he jumped from 19 to 128 that year. Then BookTok sent him to 230 in 2021 and 555 in 2023. In 2024, 462 boys were named Cassian. This character changed a name's entire trajectory.
5 (1997) → 19 (2016) → 128 (2017 ACOWAR) → 555 (2023 peak) → 462 (2024)
Births per year — SSA data
The Archeron Sisters
Nesta — Nesta Archeron got her own book (
A Court of Silver Flames) in 2021, and the name is just starting to show up. It appeared sporadically in SSA data before — 5 births here and there — but hit 11 in 2024. With Nesta's massive fandom following, expect this one to climb. She's the kind of fierce, complicated character that parents name daughters after.
Sporadic (5-6 births, 2009-2018) → 11 (2024)
Elain — The gentlest Archeron sister has the gentlest SSA presence: just 5 births per year, popping up sporadically. Elain hasn't gotten her own book yet — but when she does, this name could jump. The spelling "Elaine" is much more common, so some parents may be using that instead.
5 births per year (sporadic appearances through 2024)
The Spring Court and Beyond
Lucien — Lucien Vanserra benefits from being a name that already works in English and French. It was at 20 births in 1995, grew steadily through the 2000s, and has recently accelerated — 202 in 2022, 250 in 2023, 255 in 2024. The ACOTAR bump is harder to isolate here because Lucien was already rising, but the recent acceleration lines up perfectly with the BookTok era.
20 (1995) → 150 (2006) → 255 (2024)
Amren — The ancient, terrifying member of the Inner Circle is now a baby name. Amren first appeared in SSA data in 2023 (8 births) and grew to 10 in 2024. It's brand new, but the fact that it exists at all is delightful. Somewhere, there are babies named after a 15,000-year-old entity trapped in a Fae body. Fiction is amazing.
0 (before 2023) → 8 (2023) → 10 (2024)
Tamlin — The Spring Court's High Lord is notably absent from SSA data. Despite being a major character in the first book, Tamlin hasn't hit the 5-birth minimum in any year we checked. Given how the fandom feels about Tamlin after book 2... this is perhaps not surprising. Character likeability matters for baby names, and Tamlin's reputation took a hit.
Not found in SSA data
Mor — Too short and too much like a common word to work as a standalone baby name. Mor (Morrigan) doesn't appear in SSA data. Parents who love the character likely use Morrigan instead.
Not found in SSA data (try Morrigan)
The ACOTAR Effect Is Just Beginning
Here's what makes ACOTAR different from other fantasy naming trends: the books are still actively growing their audience. BookTok discovered the series years after publication, and new readers are joining every day. If a TV adaptation happens (and it's been in development), expect every name on this list to multiply.
The Azriel trajectory is the one to watch. A 67x increase with no signs of slowing down? That's the kind of curve that turns a fantasy name into a mainstream one. We wouldn't be surprised to see Azriel in the top 200 within five years.
Cassian is right behind. And if Nesta gets her moment (she already has a devoted fandom), that name could break out too.
Looking for more fantasy name inspiration? Check out our articles on Throne of Glass names and book character baby names in general.
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