History MeaningfulName / Film

In film, the [[MeaningfulName name]] of a character can at times foreshadow a deeper connection to the plot itself.
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[[folder:Animated Films]]
* The Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon has a few. In ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', Belle means "beauty", Lumiere is a candelabra, Cogsworth is a clock, Mrs. Potts is a teapot, Chip has a chip in him…
** [=LeFou=]'s name sounds similar for "the fool", indicating his clownish and stupid behavior. In addition, as a BilingualBonus, the names translation from French means "the mad, the insane, or insanity", hinting that he is Gaston's PsychoSupporter.
** The Beast's official name (only given in [[AllThereInTheManual an online quiz]]) is Adam. It literally means "Man" in Hebrew.
* From ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}'', a ronin is a samurai without a lord to serve. [[spoiler:Fittingly, Ronin goes through most of the story without a queen to command him]].
* ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'': Nemo is Latin for nobody and it doubles the meaning of the title, because Marlin also finds the courage to be not-so-overprotective towards to his son. The name also alludes to [[Literature/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea Captain Nemo]]. It could also be a reference to "a'''nemo'''ne" (the habitat of clownfish).
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound'': Tod is Scottish for "fox"; however, Widow Tweed named him for the fact he's "such a little toddler." Vixey's name comes from "vixen", which is a female fox.
* Tip from ''WesternAnimation/{{Home}}'' gives great ''[[AnAesop tips]]'' to Oh throughout their journey. Also, her full name, "Gratuity" is another term for ''"tip"''.
** Her pet cat, Pig, is named because his tail is curled like an actual pig, not to mention his eating habits.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Hoodwinked}}'', the trope is crossed with a CutawayGag, and is {{Invoked}} and [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Red Puckett:
-->'''Red Puckett:''' They've got this all wrong, Mr. Flippers. ''[Flippers steps over to her]''
-->'''Nicky Flippers:''' Oh, I don't know. You look pretty dangerous to me. What's your name?
-->'''Red Puckett:''' Red.
-->'''Nicky Flippers:''' And why do they call you that?
-->'''Red Puckett:''' Why do they call ''you'' Flippers?
-->''[[CutawayGag [Cuts]] to Flippers on the dance floor at a disco club, wearing a flashy white suit; as the crowd chants "Go Flippers!" in the background, he does a backflip]''
-->'''Nicky Flippers:''' [[BlatantLies Uh, no reason.]]
-->'''Red Puckett:''' They call me "Red" because of [[IconicItem this red hood I wear]].
-->'''Nicky Flippers:''' What about when you're not wearing it?
-->'''Red Puckett:''' ''[quietly]'' I usually wear it.
** Boingo doesn't get his name because he's a rabbit. It's because of the distinct "boing" noise that he makes when he hops.
* Dr. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude Schadenfreude]] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Igor}}'', which is German for "pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others". The man is an EvilGenius, and his thing is stealing other evil geniuses' inventions.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie2TheSecondPart'': Rex Dangervest is a hardened tough guy who serves as a {{foil}} to the sweet-natured, idealistic Emmet, who always wears a ''safety'' vest. [[spoiler: Given that Rex turns out to be a future version of Emmet, it doubles as a MeaningfulRename.]]
* There are a lot of these in the ''[[WesternAnimation/TheRescuers Rescuers]]'' series:
** Evinrude the dragonfly, named after a manufacturer of outboard motors (which he essentially functions as).
** Cody, which in Irish means "helper"
** Orville and Wilbur, the two Albatross brothers
** Madame Medusa, the crazy-haired villain in the first film
* Astrid from ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon''. "Astrid" is an old Norse name meaning "Divine Beauty." Hiccup is clearly awestruck during her introduction in the movie, and Snotlout also tries to get her attention. Astrid is also partnered with a Deadly Nadder, the most beautiful dragon species.
* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'':
** Not only does the eponymous panda have a name which reflects his personality yet is contrary to his destiny (Po means "peace"), but his master is named Shifu ("teacher" or "master"). Meanwhile, the facility where the villain is held, Chorh-Gom, means "sitting in prison" while Tai Lung himself translates very close to "Cat Dragon"... the latter having a rather effective if {{Anvilicious}} double meaning.
** "Po" also means "blank".[[spoiler:.. which is what the Dragon Scroll turns out to be.]]
** Oogway (Wu Gui) means "turtle". Tai Lung means "Ultimate Dragon". With a name like that, it's no wonder Tai Lung grew up convinced he was meant to have the Dragon Scroll. What else was he supposed to do with his life, read tea leaves?
** In the [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2 sequel]], Lord Shen's name means either "divinity" or "flame". The former relates to his quest for power. The latter, quite obviously, is a reference to his obsession with cannons.
* [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Chi Fu]] from ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}''. His name actually means "to pester or annoy" in Chinese.
* ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'': Cruella de Vil (actually from the original book, ''Literature/TheHundredAndOneDalmatians'').
** Horace and Jasper are actually ''named'' "Baddun" (bad one(s)), both in the book and the live-action version.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'' gives us a few examples, such as the protagonist Alfredo Linguini, a "master chef" whose name means a type of pasta, and the film's antagonists; Anton Ego, who is British critic, who has almost impossible standards and takes offence if someone dares to disagree with his opinions, and chef Skinner, a reference to B. F. Skinner, who invented the Skinner Box, a device for [[strike:torturing lab rats]] animal behavioural studies. (Or the name can refer to someone who [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin skins rats]].) This being [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic a Pixar movie]], it's unlikely that these are the ''only'' examples.
* ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'': Maleficent.
* ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'': Sleepy, Happy, Grumpy, Dopey, Sneezy, Bashful, Doc.
* Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' with the Stabbington brothers, as [[spoiler:they are the ones who are constantly backstabbed by their partner [[LovableRogue Flynn]]]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'':
** Violet is a "shrinking violet" with issues of shyness, and has powers that include keeping people away with (purple) force fields. Dash has super speed. ([[WordOfGod Brad Bird]], on the DVDCommentary, says that this was deliberate; the children were given names, personalities ''and'' powers to match their ages.)
** In the animated short about Jack Jack, he seems to possess many talents, thus making him a "Jack-of-all-trades".
** Violet could also refer to the fact that she can become invisible, like ultraviolet radiation.
** The family's surname, Parr ("par"), reflects how their secret identities are an attempt to blend in with "average" society.
** Syndrome is Buddy "Pine", as in "I cry because I can't be your friend". In addition, he has the same initials as Mr. Incredible: '''B'''ob '''P'''arr and '''B'''uddy '''P'''ine. He also has a bad case of hero's '''syndrome'''.
** Edna Mode: 'Mode' means 'fashion' in several languages.
** Mirage.
** Nomanisan Island (No man is an island), which ties into the film's themes of teamwork and family. Attempted in the Spanish translation, where the island is known as Isla Palos Locos ("Crazy Sticks Island", but can also be read as ''Isla Pa'los Locos'', "Island For The Crazy").
** Continues into ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'', with the Deavor family being endeavouring. [[spoiler:Evelyn's name even sounds like "evil endeavour", and she's the BigBad.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'', Ursula's disguise, Vanessa, derives from the latin word Vanitas, which means Vanity, Worthlessness, Emptiness, and Nothingness. Although the Vanity part is extremely obvious, the latter three also have a meaning in there as well, as it hints at Vanessa being Eric's false savior.
** Other examples: Ursula's real name means "[[BearsAreBadNews she-bear]]". Triton, Ariel's father, is named for (or ''is'') the son of Poseidon. Sebastian's OverlyLongName has two references to musicians in it, Thelonious for Thelonious Monk and Sebastian for Johann Sebastian Bach. Another one of his names, "Crustaceous" is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin kind of obvious.]] He's [[SpeciesSurname a crab]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Almost everyone is named after a Swahilian term:
** Simba means "lion", Mufasa means "king", Nala means "gift", Rafiki means "friend", Sarabi means "mirage", Sarafina (Nala's mother) means "bright star".
** WordOfGod has it that before Scar received his scar and his subsequent name change, his name was Taka which means "trash". ''Anyone'' would be put off by this.
** It gets better with some of the other names. Timon means "spirited" and Pumbaa means "simpleton".
** There are the hyenas Shenzi ("savage, pagan, uncouth"), Banzai ("skulk, lurk") and... [[OddNameOut Ed]] (who was named after Ed [=McMahon=], whose job was to laugh at all of Johnny Carson's jokes). There is also a word in English, 'Eddy', which is a synonym of 'whirlpool'.
** Scar's mate is Zira which means "hate".
** Vitani (Zira's daughter) is a {{Portmanteau}} of vita ("war") and shetani ("demon").
** Zira's sons are Nuka, which means "stink", and Kovu, which means "scar".
* ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'': Jack Skellington takes over Christmas for a year. One meaning of Jack is "supplanter".
* From ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfKells'':
** The [[TheFairFolk mysterious fairy girl]], Aisling, has a meaningful name in more than one way: not only is it an Irish girl's name meaning "dream" or "vision", it's also a kind of Irish poetry that frequently features a woman who [[AnthropomorphicPersonification represents Ireland itself]], while calling back to its previous pagan beliefs. In the film, Aisling serves the same purpose.
** There's also Pangur Ban the cat, who is named after the oldest known poem written in the Irish language...which is about a cat.
* Pixar likes to do this a lot. In ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'', most of the toys are like this (including our hero Woody, who is a wooden cowboy puppet). Crosses also to PunnyName territory. [[JustifiedTrope Though, they are toys]].
** According to WordOfGod, Woody's full name is Woody Pride; which refers both to the actor he is named after (Woody Strode) and the '''''pride''''' he takes in being there for Andy.
* ''WesternAnimation/WallE'' has quite a few of these, starting with the title character whose name sounds like "Wally" (and is referred to as such throughout the shooting script). In British English, a "wally" is a foolish or naïve person. Also BURN-E, who sounds like Bernie, the put-upon teacher from ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''. The female robot's name is '''''EVE''''', and her mission is to help the humans to recolonize the Earth by finding the signs of life. [[Literature/TheBible Does it ring any bells?]] In-universe, WALL•E stands for ''Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class'', and MO is the friendly neighbourhood ''Microbe Obliterator''.
* ''WesternAnimation/WeAreTheStrange'' has "Blue", a depressed emo and "[=HIM=]", a chauvinistic and abusive boyfriend.
* In ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'' the Toon Patrol had meaningful names in the script - Smart Ass, Greasy, Wheezy, Psycho and Stupid. And [[DoomyDoomsOfDoom Judge Doom]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'':
** "Manolo" is a common nickname for "Manuel"[[note]]A bit like "Jack" being a common nickname for "John" in English.[[/note]], an also common Spanish male name which etymological origin means "God is with Us". It alludes to how La Muerte and Xibalba were involved in Manolo, (and by extension, the lives of his family and friends), because the two Gods made a bet that involved him. WordOfGod says the name was chosen for him because it has the English word "man" in it, which represents his [[TheEveryman Everyman]] qualities.
** ''Chakal'' means Jackal in regular Spanish terminology, but in Mexican slang, the word can mean '"the top" or "cool". It can also mean "someone who takes advantage of of others through force."
** ''Chato'' means different things in Spanish depending on the context, it can mean ''short''/''blunt'', ''flat'', ''snub-nosed'', or ''dear'' (as in the one you love).
** "La Muerte" is Spanish for "the death."
** "Xibalba" was the Mayan term for the underworld.
* The JerkAss villains from ''WesternAnimation/TheNightBeforeChristmas'' are named Mr. Reek and Mrs. Bottoms.
* ''WesternAnimation/StrangeMagic'': Marianne's name in Latin means bitter and in Russian means rebellious which nicely sums up [[SnarkKnight her]] [[RebelliousPrincess personality]].
* Mr. Grimes of ''WesternAnimation/TheWaterBabies1978'' is filthy both on the skin (he's a chimney sweep) and [[JerkAss inside.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' has Doctor Facilier. "Facile" is French for "easy", and his speciality is offering people the easy way out of their problems.
* When coming up with names for ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutronBoyGenius'', the animators concluded that Jimmy's dorky, asthmatic best friend should be named Carl Wheezer, on the grounds that, direct quote, "Carl wheezes".
* ''WesternAnimation/AllCreaturesBigAndSmall'': Finny, one of the film's main characters, is of a fictional species called Nestrians. Note the "nest" in "''Nest''rian"; Nestrians are stated to be good at building their own nests, which Finny and his dad are shown doing several times.
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'': "The life of Riley" is old slang for a carefree and easy life, and the movie is about the life of a girl named Riley told from the perspective of an AnthropomorphicPersonification of carefree living.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live-Action Films]]
* The police chief from ''Film/AceVenturaPetDetective'' is called Lois Einhorn ("one-horn" = unicorn). If you've seen the film you can't help but notice the irony.
* In ''Film/AmericanBeauty'', the provocative underage girl Angela has the surname Hayes which sounds exactly the same as fictions most famous underage provocateur [[Literature/{{Lolita}} Lolita Haze]].
* ''Film/AmericanJustice'': The protagonist is named Jack Justice. He's a cop.
* ''Film/AndYouThoughtYourParentsWereWeird'': The robot is named Newman because he'll be a "new man" when they get his artificial intelligence working. It turns out to have a double meaning when the robot is used to allow Matt to come back from the grave and interact with his family again.
* The ''Film/AttackOfTheKillerTomatoes'' franchise gives us Dr. Putrid T. Gangrene. He's a bad guy.
* In ''Film/{{Awake}}'', one member of the protagonist's surgical team is a young British woman named Penny '''Carver'''.
* In ''Film/BackToTheFuture'', the outrageously '''strict''' principal [[FunHatingConfiscatingAdult Mr. Strickland]] (and how!).
* In ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'' and ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII'', the irritating Needles.
* In ''Film/BeCool'': Exemplified by "Sin" [=LaSalle=] (played by Cedric The Entertainer), who will go to any lengths, up to and including murder, to get what is owed to him... or just to get even with those who disrespect him.
* In ''Film/BetterOffDead'', the JerkJock antagonist? His name is Roy [[UsefulNotes/JosefStalin Stalin]]
* In ''Film/BigFatLiar'', perpetual liar Jason ''Shepherd'' has his English paper stolen by Hollywood executive Marty ''Wolf'' and Jason isn't believed when he explains this. Their last names refer to Aesop's fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf".
* ''Film/BlackSwan'' protagonist is named Nina, a Russian name that means "little girl." Lily, meanwhile, sounds like Odile, the black swan in the ballet, and Lillith, a demonic seductress.
* ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'' begins with "Joliet" Jake Blues being released from Joliet Correctional Center.
* ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'':
** The name “ComicBook/WinterSoldier” has [[UpToEleven at least three levels]] of meaning unrelated to how it was [[MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong chosen in-universe]]. Not only can it be taken to refer to how the character spent most of his time in [[HumanPopsicle cryostasis]], it’s also a reference to the real-world [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Soldier_Investigation Winter Soldier Investigation]] (intended to challenge US military policy in Vietnam), which in turn was a reference to UsefulNotes/ThomasPaine’s quote about how “the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot” would turn their backs on their country when it asked a lot of them, [[spoiler:while presumably a corresponding “winter soldier” would stand up for the US even in dire circumstances, appropriate for an American WWII veteran who [[DisneyDeath nearly died]] for his country and is now trying to resist [[ElectricTorture repeated brainwashing]]]].
** Like his comics counterpart, ComicBook/TheFalcon has the civilian name Sam Wilson. Samuel Wilson was the name of a meat packer who was allegedly the inspiration for [[UncleSamWantsYou Uncle Sam]].
* Lilith, from ''Film/{{Case 39}}''. [[CreepyChild This doesn't]] [[EnfantTerrible need]] [[DevilInPlainSight any guesswork]].
* ''Film/CherryFalls'' is a SlasherMovie about a killer who attacks virginal teens, so the kids are all rushing to disqualify themselves by getting it on with each other. In the town of Cherry Falls. Virginia. Did you spot the meaningful name yet?
* In ''Film/{{Chicago}}'', the only two innocent characters in the musical have names that imply that they are fools:
** Hunyak, the only wrongly convicted prisoner, and the only one to be executed. "Honyock" is an ethnic slur that was popular in America from the 1880s through the 1950s. It is derived from a Hungarian word meaning (among other things) "simpleminded" and "loser." Mostly directed at Central-Eastern Europeans.
** Amos, whom Billy calls "Andy" when he steps down from the witness stand. This is a reference to ''Amos 'n' Andy'', a race comedy radio series originating from Chicago radio station WMAQ beginning in 1928. Most of the series' male characters were performed by two white comedians who had worked in minstrel shows on vaudeville. In the series, Amos was a schemer and Andy was innocent and a bit simpleminded. (This is a happy accident as the name Amos is a carryover from the original play and silent movie which both predated ''Amos 'n' Andy''.)
* The central character in ''Film/{{Clerks}}'' has the unusual first name of Dante. Work, and life in general by extension, [[Literature/TheDivineComedy is hell for him]].
* In ''Film/{{Click}}'', the [[spoiler:Angel of Death]] is named Morty.
** Also, the main character's last name is Newman, implying his change over the course of the film to literally become a "New man".
* Hud (Head-Up Display), the camera-wielding POV character from ''Film/{{Cloverfield}}''.
* In Film/CloselyWatchedTrains, there's a train dispatcher and TheCasanova '''Hubička''', which means ''‘a little kiss’'' in Czech.
* Most of the characters in ''Film/{{Clue}}''. Mr. Boddy is the DesignatedVictim.
* ''Film/{{Constantine}}''.
** Beeman is obsessed with insects and [[spoiler:dies by being infested with them]].
** Hennessy is a heavy drinker and is [[spoiler:killed by being made to drink himself to death]].
* All the characters of ''Film/{{Cube}}'' are named after prisons. Quentin is named after San Quentin State Prison in California, Holloway after the Holloway Prison in London, Kazan after the prison in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia. Rennes is named after a prison in Rennes, Britanny, France, Alderson after the prison in Alderson, West Virginia, and Leaven and Worth after the prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. The characters themselves reflect the prisons in their traits. Kazan (the autistic man) is a disorganized prison. Rennes (the "mentor") pioneered many of today's prison policies. Quentin (the policeman) is known for brutality. Holloway is a women's prison. Alderson is a prison where isolation is a common punishment. Leavenworth runs on a rigid set of rules (Leaven's mathematics), and the new prison is corporately owned and built (Worth, hired as an architect).
* Mr. Madson in ''Film/DeadAgain''. [[spoiler: He is quite mad, and kills on behalf of his mother]].
* ''Film/DeadInTombstone'' has Guerrero de la Cruz, which is Spanish for "Warrior of the Cross". Guerrero is a warrior, and he bears a inverted cross in his chest.
* The FBI agents named Johnson in ''Film/DieHard''. It's a generic name fitting faceless government suits, It's probably also a penis reference, especially since they're called Big Johnson and Little Johnson in the credits.
** The JerkAss reporter is actually named Dick. Go figure.
* In ''Film/TheDirtyDozen'', a squad of {{Boxed Crook}}s is tasked with assaulting a chateau full of Nazi officials and assassinate them, [[DeathEqualsRedemption even if it costs them their lives.]] Maggott is the worst of the bunch, a misogynist rapist serial killer who is revolting enough to live up to his name. [[spoiler:During the mission he runs off into the house to torture and stab a random woman to death and then shoots at his teammates when they try to stop him, alerting the Germans to the attack and forcing the squad to kill him and then improvise the rest of the operation.]]
* In ''Film/DraculaUntold'', Vlad is from the "House of Dracul" or House of the Dragon, from whence "Dracula" is derived. Although it can be translated to "son of the [[{{Satan}} Devil]]," "Dracula" actually means "son of the Dragon". Vlad says the dragon symbolizes [[TheGoodKing a protector of the innocent]], but the Elder Vampire says it stands for the Devil (as in [[Literature/TheBookOfRevelation the Bible]]). By the end of the film Vlad does claim to be the "son of the Devil". [[ArtisticLicenseHistory In real life]], his father Vlad II was a member of the anti-Ottoman Order of the Dragon, hence they were known as Vlad Dracul (Vlad the Dragon) and Vlad Dracula (Vlad son-of-Dracul).
** This is correct in ''Film/BramStokersDracula''. When Harker shows him a portrait of his father, Dracula describes him : "The Order of the Dracul. The Dragon.", and explains that his forefathers belonged to this "ancient society" which protected Christianity against Muslim Ottomans, and that "we, Draculs, have a right to be proud". The scene skips the meaning of ''-a'' in Dracula though.
* ''Film/DrStrangelove'' has General Buck Turgidson and General [[UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper Jack D. Ripper]]. There's also Colonel "Bat" Guano, President Merkin Muffley, and Premier Kissoff. Strangelove is also a reference to the war-as-sex motif throughout the film.
* The two protagonists in the slapstick comedy ''Film/DumbAndDumber'' are named Harold and Lloyd, a reference to slapstick pioneer Harold Lloyd.
* ''Film/EdgeOfTomorrow'' has Major Cage, who's locked in his time-loop, and Rita Vrataski (possibly from the slavic "vrata", meaning "door"), who shows him the way out.
* ''Film/EternalSunshineOFTheSpotlessMind'' -- Clementine [[spoiler:Oh my darlin' Clementine...You are lost and gone forever...]]
* All four characters of ''Film/ExMachina'' get meaningful (plot-relevant) names.
** Caleb has multiple possible meanings in Hebrew- from "dog", [[spoiler:which fits how he is almost Nathan's "pet" to "as if it understands" which fits how he apparently understands Ava's "emotions", to "a basket or a cage with contents" which mirrors his subject Ava's caged status and his own state at the end of the movie]].
** Nathan means "gift" or "gift of God", which is fitting for a man gifted with the talent to create artificial intelligence.
** Ava is a variant of "Eva" or "Eve", meaning "life" - and the whole question is whether or not Ava is "alive" in the sense of having a conscience.
** And then there's Kyoko, whose name has several possible meanings, one of which is "mirror child", [[spoiler:which is fitting for an android who reflects her creator's taste in women]].
* ''Film/ExtremeMeasures'': Burke and Hare, the dirty cops working for Myrick, share their last names with the two infamous Scottish murderers that killed people then provided their cadavers for medical research, similarly to the film (although the actual pair's motives were far less altruistic).
* ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff'': Ferris Bueller. It just makes sense for a FunPersonified con artist to have a name that calls to mind a carnival. Ferris also means "made of iron" -- quite fitting given the universe's tendency to bounce right off of him.
* ''Film/FinalDestination3'' has characters named Ashley and Ashlyn, whose deaths involving heavy burning by tanning beds.
** [[Film/FinalDestination1 the first movie]] goes for a theme of naming characters after directors known for their work in the horror genre, but at least one character's name is significant beyond that: Tod is named after Tod Browning (director of ''{{Film/Freaks}}'' and ''{{Film/Dracula}}''), but "tod" is also German for "death", and he's the first character to die in a film where the plot revolves around people dying in supernatural freak accidents after cheating death.
* The villain of ''Film/FirstKnight'' is named Prince Malagant. He was once a part of the [[KingArthur Round Table]], but turned evil, making him "malignant."
* The less-than-[[DesignerBabies genetically "perfect"]] hero of ''Film/{{Gattaca}}'' is named Vincent ''Freeman''; the man whose identity and "second to none" genetic code he assumes is named Jerome ''Eugene'' ("good genes") Morrow. Irene Cassini's surname is taken from a space probe which was, at the time of filming, on its way to Saturn's moon Titan. In the film, Vincent is preparing to embark on a manned space mission to Titan.
* [[spoiler:Ferriman]] in ''Film/GhostShip'', who is an infernal accountant collecting enough souls so he can ferry them to Hell and please his masters.
* ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'': The crazy scientist performing illicit nanobot experiments happens to be named Dr. ''Mindbender''.
** [[spoiler:Also Cobra Commander's real name is "Rex", which means "King"]].
* The ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' series and other Toho kaiju films have this in ''spades''.
** Godzilla himself in Japan is the combination of the words "''Go''illa" and "ku''jira''". His name now officially means "God incarnate".
** Film/{{Rodan}}'s Japanese name, Radon, is adapted from "pteranodon," but [[DubNameChange was changed to Rodan for English-speaking markets]] so as to avoid confusion with the chemical element radon.
** Film/{{Mothra}} is just the Japanese word for "moth", "mosu", with the common kaiju name suffix "ra" on the end (thus, "Mosura", or "Mothra" in Western markets).
** [[Film/EbirahHorrorOfTheDeep Ebirah]]'s name is similar - "ebi" is Japanese for shrimp or lobster.
** Minilla is a contraction of "Mini Godzilla."
** [[Film/SonOfGodzilla Kumonga]]'s name comes from the Japanese "kumo," meaning spider.
** [[Film/GodzillaVsHedorah Hedorah]] comes from "hedoro," or sludge.
** [[Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzilla King]] [[IHaveManyNames Shisa/Ceasar/Seesar/Seeser]] takes his name from an old Okinawan legend, the Shisa.
** [[Film/GodzillaAndMothraTheBattleForEarth Battra]] comes from "Battle Mothra." The original Japanese name, "Batora," came from "Bad Mothra," but the name was thought to be awkward to pronounce so Toho changed it to its final form.
** [[Film/SpaceAmoeba Kamoebas]] (Kameba) comes from "kame," which is Japanese for turtle.
** [[Film/GodzillaRaidsAgain Anguirus]] (spelled "Angilas" in that film) is derived from the [[StockDinosaurs ankylosaurus]], which it resembles (it's said to be an "angilosaurus," which is pronounced roughly the same in Japanese).
** [[Film/{{Godzilla1998}} Zilla]]'s name in Japan is ''Jira'', which is part of the word ''kujira'', which means whale.
** [[Film/GodzillaAgainstMechagodzilla Kiryu]]'s name is derived from the words ''kikai'' or ''ki'' ("metal"/"machine") and ''ryu'' ("dragon"); thus Kiryu combined means either "metal dragon" or "machine dragon".
** [[Film/GhidorahTheThreeHeadedMonster King Ghidorah]]'s name is a play on the Japanese word for "hydra", ''hidora'', and was also inspired by the appearance of the Yamata no Orochi (large, multi-headed serpent).
* ''Film/HotFuzz'': The hero is named Nicholas Angel, his chubby partner is Butterman, the farmer with a large weapon stash is called Webley and many of the townsfolk have names associated with their jobs (the grocer is Skinner, the gardener is Tiller. Mr. Treacher is named after ''The Siege of Treacher's Farm'', the novel on which ''Film/StrawDogs'' was based (there are repeated references to ''Straw Dogs'' throughout the film); the vicar is called Philip Shooter (P. Shooter); Eve Draper, the gossip, is a phonetic pun on "eavesdropper."
** WordOfGod has also stated that the preservation of the old tradesman's names is not only for punnery, but also an indication of how deeply insular, reactionary and endogamous Sandford actually is.
* In ''Film/HotShots'' one of the characters is nicknamed "Deadmeat". He dies.
** Another one is nicknamed "Washout". He doesn't take his treatment against walleye vision (and he is a ''pilot'').
* ''Film/IfYouBelieve'': The protagonist's name is Susan Stone and she is a shrewish book editor. What could her heart be made of?
* Everybody in ''Film/{{Inception}}'', the most obvious being Ariadne, "The Architect" (or weaver) of the dream worlds. She is named for the character in Greek mythology who gives Theseus a ball of string to help him navigate the labyrinth. There's also Cobb, who cobbles together his crew, and his love Mal, which is a root word for bad, wrong or evil, as in malevolent. Yusuf is the Arabic form of the name "Joseph"; one Joseph in Literature/TheBible was known as a dream interpreter. Also, the various character's names add up to spell "DREAMS": Dom, Robert (Fisher), Eames, Ariadne/Arthur, Mal, Saito. You should have seen that coming.
** There is also the fact that Eames is a medical man, i.e. Dr. Eames (Remove the period and space and read it out loud).
* The ''Film/JamesBond'' franchise is legendary for its female characters' names having obvious sexual subtext. Pussy Galore, anyone?
** ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly'' has a subtle one in Bibi Dahl, a play on the Tennessee Williams play "Baby Doll".
** Also, Auric ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'', who is obsessed with gold.
* Needy from ''Film/JennifersBody''. You'll never guess what her defining personality trait is.
* Victoria Thorne, the prosecutor in the Film/{{Apocalypse}} film series movie ''Judgment'', which [[SarcasmMode makes you wonder]] [[AmoralAttorney how she ever managed to get to the top of her profession]].
* ''Film/JupiterAscending'':
** Jupiter has the name of an extra-terrestrial body. Jupiter is also the name of the king of the gods, as Jupiter is the queen of the interstellar magnates. In-universe, her name is meaningful to her family as her father named her after his favorite planet, and she was born with Jupiter in Leo.
** Stinger Apini is part bee. (Apinae is the subfamily for most bees in Taxonomy).
** Caine is part canine. He's also a badass who starts out working for a bad guy, fitting with NameOfCain.
** ''Kalique'' is said the same way as ''Caligula'' -- the corrupt and decadent dictator.
** Knock off the 'm' from Balem and you have Bale, as in evil and spite.
** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraxas Abrasax]] is from Myth/GreekMythology, the name itself refers to the order of the seven classical planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). In the context of the movie, it refers to how their dynasty "owns" all of the planets.
** The elephant splice pilot is named Nesh, after the Hindu Ganesh.
** Gugu Mbatha-Raw's character is a deer-splice and Titus' right-hand woman. Fittingly, her name is Famulus, which means "assistant or servant."
* In ''Film/TheKidWhoWouldBeKing'', Alex's knights are Bedders, Lance, and Kaye, each named after King Arthur's knights - Bedevere, Lancelot, and Kay.
* ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'':
** The codenames of the Kingsmen. Galahad was one of the most pure and devoted of the Knights of the Round Table, and never gave up his quest to find the Holy Grail. Merlin was not a knight, but used his powers to help out the Knights of the Round Table behind the scenes. And Arthur was a noble leader that sought to ensure the survival of the order [[spoiler:but died by the hands of someone he trained]].
** Roxy Morton. "Roxanne" is the Greek form of the Persian or Bactrian name روشنک (Roshanak) which means "bright" or "dawn". The first could interpret her [[BrainyBrunette high intelligence]], while the latter alludes to her [[spoiler:becoming the new Lancelot]].
** The target of the Neuro-Linguistic programming test, Lady [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet Montague]]-Herring, truly lives up to her name [[spoiler:[[RedHerring given the traditional colors for the House of Montague]]]].
* In ''Literature/TheLittleStranger'':
** The name of the wealthy family at the heart of the story is "Ayres", which sounds conspicuously like "heirs".
** Roderick (Ayres) shares the name with Roderick Usher of ''Literature/TheFallOfTheHouseOfUsher'' — another man fallen victim to a decaying ancestral home.
** Michael Faraday is famous for his contributions to the studies of electricity, specifically electromagnetic induction. The protagonist, Dr. Faraday, treats Rod's leg with electrolysis and, more importantly, [[spoiler:serves as a conductor to the supernatural activity at Hundreds Hall]].
* Discussed in ''Film/ManThing'', when the main character questions about the town's name.
-->'''Kyle:''' Why they call it 'Bywater'?
-->'''Boat driver:''' Because it is by the water.
* Andy Sidaris is an occasional fan of this trope. In his first BBB (Bombs, Bullets, and Babes) film ''Malibu Express'', the race car driver is named June Khnockers. Go figure.
* ''Film/MeanGirls''. Regina George, leader of the Plastics. Regina is derived from the Latin for queen. (Her last name is "George," bringing to mind a certain President, or a certain king.)
** And in the same vein, it's surely no accident that on many different occasions, a character will mispronounce Cady's name, thinking it's pronounced "catty."
** Janis Ian shares her name with the singer of "At Seventeen," a song about discovering that the "pretty girls" get the love. The real Janis Ian is a lesbian, and was the musical guest on the first episode of ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'', the show screenwriter Tina Fey first became famous for.
*** As an aside, Tina Fey later sang a bit of "At Seventeen" in an episode of ''Series/ThirtyRock''.
* The precogs in ''Film/MinorityReport'', who were used to prevent murders, were named [[Creator/ArthurConanDoyle Arthur]], [[Creator/DashiellHammett Dashiell]] and [[Creator/AgathaChristie Agatha]].
* ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'': The aptly-named Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Film. Also, [[BeleagueredAssistant Patsy.]]
* ''Film/Ms45'': "Thana", the name of the VillainProtagonist, is derived from the name for the Greek god of Death, "Thanatos". Thanatos can also refer to the term coined by Sigmund Freud, which refers to death instinct in humans.
* In ''Film/NickAndNorahsInfinitePlaylist'', one (gay) supporting character, when Nick asks his name, replies "Whatever you want it to be." Later, he [[EmbarrassingFirstName finally reveals it]]: [[spoiler:Lothario]]. Also, the eponymous couple have the same names as the happy couple in ''Film/TheThinMan'' movies.
* ''Film/NightNurse'': Lora ''Hart'' is all heart, and it's what helps her save some little girls from an evil plot.
* In the live-action adaptation of ''101 Dalmatians'', in addition to the aforementioned Cruella De Vil, there's also Mr. Skinner, who skins animals for their fur to give to Cruella.
* ''Film/PacificRim'':
** Jaeger is the German word for hunter.
** "Scunner" is a Scottish word that basically means "scumbag".
** "Pentecost" is the feast celebrating the power of God (the holy spirit) coming to man.
** Cherno as in Chernobyl. As a Mark I it's nuclear powered.
* A couple in ''Film/{{Parallels}}'':
** Ronan is a fighter without a purpose. A {{ronin}} is a warrior without a lord.
** Polly is one of at least three. "Poly-" means "many".
* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'':
** The three main characters all have names that have to do with birds. Captain Jack ''Sparrow'' and Elizabeth ''Swann'' are obvious, and William Turner is the name of a famous ornithologist.
** Tia Dalma's name is an anagram for Dalmatia, a famous haven for pirates.
** Barbossa's name is rather close to Barbarossa, another famous pirate. It also means "Bonebeard", a probable reference to the skeletal undead the Aztec curse turned him into in the [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl first film]].
** 'Norrington' may be (consciously or otherwise) more or less a compound name of Nelson and Wellington (both commanders were a little young for this period, but it's close; the character- at least in his first appearance- has had a career more like Admiral Nelson's, but is more like General Wellington in personality.)
** Syrena from the [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides fourth film]]. The name is Greek for "siren" and, in the movie, is pronounced as the Spanish word for mermaid, "sirena." (Could count as a BilingualBonus)
*** Which made the Spanish dub sound like "[[ADogNamedDog The mermaid's name will be... Mermaid]] ".
* Averted in ''Film/{{Prisoners}}'', at least for honest, hardworking Detective [[JerkAssGods Loki]]. There's also a ([[NamesTheSame probably coincidental]]) Creator/AlexJones, who is quiet and creepy but harmless [[spoiler: and gets brutally tortured when he says one inflammatory thing too many]].
* ''Film/PulpFiction''. Esmeralda asks what Butch's name means. Although it's obviously a nickname meaning "tough" and "manly," fitting a boxer, he just says, "I'm American, honey. Our names don't mean shit."
* The Largo men in ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'' are named Luigi, Pavi and Rotti, after Luciano Pavarotti.
* ''Film/SkyHigh2005''
** Warren Peace which wasn't just a [[PunnyName pun on the famous Leo Tolstoy novel]], but also symbolized his inner turmoil due to his blood; he was the son of a supervillain (war) and a superhero (peace).
** The ''Strong''holds (both Will and his dad have superstrength)
** Principle ''Powers'' (which, since she's the principal of a school for superpowered teens, is significant)
** Though it may have been unintentional, Ethan is derived from Hebrew and means 'solid/enduring', which could be considered ironic given that Ethan's superpower is to melt.
** Magenta, who seems to only dress in various shades of purple.
* Played with mercilessly in ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}''. The ship is crewed with [[PlanetOfSteves Assholes]]. And sleepy Prince Valium.
* ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'': In the comics, the Vulture was so-named because of his withered, wrinkly appearance in conjunction with his bird-themed flight suit. In this film, the Vulture [[AdaptationalAttractiveness is not quite as geriatric]], but the name still fits because the villain uses alien technology left over from [[Film/TheAvengers2012 the Battle of New York]] to make money as an arms dealer, not unlike how real world vultures survive by scavenging carcasses for food.
* ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'': The USS ''Vengeance'' is described as a ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadnought Dreadnought]]''-class ship. The class is named after the HMS ''Dreadnought,'' a British battleship that made all other battleships obsolete when she was built. The ''Vengeance'' is supposed to do something similar to the warships of the non-Federation states in the ''Star Trek'' Universe. Considering how [[spoiler: Harrison helped design and build her]], the name ''Vengeance'' might allude to what he planned to do with her if he ever got the chance. Its name is also similar to the name of a ship from the [[spoiler: Mirror Universe episodes of ''Enterprise'', hinting that it stands for something opposite of what a Starfleet ship should]].
* In ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'', the crew of the ''Enterprise'' use a loud and powerful song to attack a swarm of ships by overwhelming them and causing them to explode. The name of that song? [[spoiler:"Sabotage" by Music/TheBeastieBoys]]
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** The Sith Lords have meaningful NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast. Darth '''Plague'''ius was an EvilutionaryBiologist, Darth Sidious (Palpatine) was an insidious force overturning the Republic from within, Darth Maul is TheBrute, Darth Tyranus (Count Dooku) wanted to rule the galaxy, and Darth Vader has both invaded several Rebel ships and bases, and has a name that's Dutch for '[[LukeIAmYourFather father]]'.
** Han Solo starts out the series as a loner who is out for himself. Hence he's "solo." Even more after ''Film/{{Solo}}'' reveals he has that name ''because'' he's a loner and had nobody, thus [[spoiler:the Imperial officer that recruited him in the Imperial Navy gave him that last name]].
** And the death stick dealer Obi-Wan encountered in ''Episode II'' is named Elan Sleazebaggano (though this got retcon'd to [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Elan_Sleazebaggano Elan Sel'Sabagno]].)
** Remember the somewhat overweight X-Wing pilot from ''A New Hope''? His name is ''Porkins''. Nicknamed "Piggy".
** The Skywalker family has an innate affinity for piloting. So naturally adept with the vehicles of the sky they might as well be able to walk in it.
** Additionally, his name was originally going to be Starkiller. Somewhat appropriate for the guy who blew up the Death Star.
** The [[http://starwars.wikia.com/Rodian Rodian]] species, composed largely of bounty hunters and other hired guns, may be named after the killer in ''Crime and Punishment'', ''Rodion'' Romanovich Raskolnikov. And speaking of Rodians, guess what Greedo the bounty hunter is like?
** General ''Grievous''. This one speaks for itself.
*** In ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' he ''choose'' that name. The Yam'rii, the enemies of his people the Kaleesh who had enslaved them for centuries and were threatening full blown genocide, killed his mate in battle... And so Qymaen jai Sheelal assumed the name of Grievous, wiped their presence on Kalee, and then [[PayEvilUntoEvil started exterminating the Yam'rii on their own colonies]], at least until the terrified Yam'rii didn't obtain an intervention from the Jedi and the Republic to stop him.
** Padme is part of "om mani padme hum," a Buddhist chant. It means lotus flower.
** Luke Skywalker's first name equally evokes [[BiblicalMotifs Luke, the author of one of the Gospels]], and the Latin word ''"Luce"'' (a variant of ''"Lux"'') meaning "Light"--both being quite fitting for an eager young Jedi apprentice who becomes a champion of the Light.
*** Overlaps with [[AuthorAvatar Author Avatar]] as the Spanish form of "Luke" is none other than [[Creator/GeorgeLucas "Lucas"]].
** "Rey" (first introduced in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'') has a name that's a homonym of "Ray", also hinting at her status as a champion of the Light. Fittingly, [[spoiler: she becomes Luke's apprentice--figuratively becoming the "Ray" descended from Luke's "Light"]].
** Many ships get in the game: in ''Film/RogueOne'' the ship that [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices itself to break Scarif's shield and allow the recovery of the Death Star plans]]]] is the ''Lightmaker'', in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' the Alliance flagship is ''Home One'', Vader's ship in ''Rogue One'' and ''Film/ANewHope'' is the ''Devastator'' (and proves just why it has that name at the Battle of Scarif), and in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' he's on the ''Executor''.
* In ''Stay'' the main character's last name, Letham, is both an anagram of Hamlet and one-letter-different from "lethal", both of which are fitting as [[spoiler: the plot is about his struggle with the question of whether To Be or Not to Be]].
* In ''The Comebacks'', Lambeau Fields is a college football coach. Lambeau Field is the Green Bay Packers' home field. One of his players is the talented receiver Aceal Tare, pronounced [[ItIsPronouncedTroPAY a-SEAL ta-REE]], who has a long successful future ahead of him unless he suffers a freak debilitating injury. Coach Fields repeatedly mispronounces his name as "ACL tear", a serious injury that often ruins sports careers. You can probably see where this is going.
* The computer in ''Film/TheDungeonmaster'' is called [=X-CaliBR8=], a play on the name of the sword {{Excalibur}}.
* ''Film/TheMachinist'' is a dark and creepy movie. The main character's name is Trevor Reznik, which subtly invokes both [[Music/NineInchNails Trent Reznor]] (who records dark and creepy music) and Darryl Revok (a character in [[Film/{{Scanners}} a different dark and creepy movie]]). In fact, the actor who played Revok, Michael Ironside, is in ''The Machinist''. He plays another machinist. "Reznik" also means "butcher" in several slavic languages.
* ''Film/TheMatrix'' is like the Construct for sci-fi movies. It has:
** Neo's "real" name Thomas intentionally or not goes with the apocryphal [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Thomas "Gospel of Thomas"]]. The excluded gospel is full of mysterious Koan-like sayings and goes "once you know your true self/become enlightened you become like UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}" (there are implications that the author learned a bit of Indian mysticism). The name Anderson may be a pun on the Greek "andros", making him the [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory "Son of Man"]].
** Neo is [[spoiler:The One, the human with the power to manipulate the Matrix and foretold to end the war between humans and machines. "Neo" is an anagram of "one"]].
** "Neo" is derived from the Ancient and Modern Greek word "νεα", meaning "new".
** There is also [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic Trinity]]
** Morpheus helps people enter and leave the "dream-world."
** [[spoiler:Cypher, meaning zero and also a type of encryption, i.e. enigma, or a secret. His most famous quote is when he tells Agent Smith, "After 9 years, you know what I have learned? Ignorance is bliss.", which also hints at his desire that the secret of the Matrix had never been revealed to him and that he wants to go back into it. There's also the fact that his "real" last name is [[UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan Reagan]] - he wants to forget his past and become an actor!]].
** Agent Smith, at first glance, may not have much of a meaningful name other than the fact that he is a program based on conformity (the agents are Anglo-Saxon, American basic-accented men, even if some of them have Australian actors to play them), but even he actually has a meaningful name: Smith was also used in the Bible, specifically Isaiah 54:16, to which, depending on whether the translation is of the regular or King James edition, it was said: "Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals, and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy..." or "Behold, I have created the Smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.", respectively, which essentially foreshadows Agent Smith's attempt at destroying the Matrix and existance as a whole. ''The Matrix Reloaded'' lampshades it in Smith's first appearance with his car, of which the license plate number has the symbols [=IS5416=].
* Mason in ''Film/TheRock'' notes that Stanley Goodspeed's surname means "godspeed."
* ''Will'' Caster from ''Film/{{Transcendence}}''. His consciousness is uploaded digitally, and the degree that this consciousness still retains his humanity is central to the film's plot. Also, [[spoiler:''Eve''lyn Caster, as her consciousness is also uploaded, and she becomes Will's 'original woman'. The remnants of her and Will still exist at the end of the movie in their garden.]]
* The antagonist of Film/TheThreeStooges' 1962 film ''The Three Stooges Meet Hercules'' is the odious King Odius, who has usurped the throne of Ithaca from Ulysses.
* ''Film/TragedyGirls'' is a PerspectiveFlip of the typical SlasherMovie, so its main characters are named after two directors famous for their slasher flicks: Sadie Cunningham, after Sean S. Cunningham (''[[Film/FridayThe13th1980 Friday the 13th]]'', ''Film/FreddyVsJason''), and [=McKayla=] Hooper, after Creator/TobeHooper (''Film/{{Poltergeist}}'', ''[[Film/TheTexasChainSawMassacre1974 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre]]'').
* The eponymous "true man" of ''Film/TheTrumanShow'' may actually be an ''in-story'' example, as [[spoiler:the entire point of his adoption and upbringing was that he was the most "real" person on television]]. Then there's the fact that the BigBad is named "Christof."
* In ''Film/TheVillain'' (released as ''Cactus Jack'' in the UK and Australia), Arnold Schwarzenegger's character Handsome Stranger is named after his father.
* All of the pubs in ''Film/TheWorldsEnd'', and in the last scene of the film, The Rising Sun - [[spoiler:the dawn of a new civilisation without the Network's influence]].
** The main characters' last names reflect their roles in the gang: (Gary) King is TheLeader (and "a very irresponsible King Arthur", as Creator/EdgarWright puts it); (Steven) Prince is the AlwaysSecondBest [[TheLancer lancer]], and [[spoiler:the one to get the girl in the end, as in Prince Charming]]; (Andy) Knightley is [[OneManArmy the best fighter]], and Gary's most steadfast friend; and (Peter) Page and (Oliver) Chamberlain are the ones to hold the least influence in the group.
* The main character of ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood'' is named [[DevilInPlainSight Daniel Plainview]].
* Inverted in Creator/GeorgeLucas's ''THX 1138'', as everyone has nondescriptive generic cyber-names...which is the point, and thus itself descriptive of the characters and the society they live in.
* In ''Film/{{Unbreakable}}'', the killer turns out to be [[spoiler:Elijah Price]]. Given that [[spoiler:Elijah is a biblical character known for genocide]], this is not exactly unexpected. At that point, it seems reasonable to [[spoiler:take his surname on face value]].
* ''Film/UndercoverBrother''. The white woman is named Penelope Snow.
* The ''Film/{{Underworld}}'' series:
** The main protagonist is named Selene, which is Greek for "moon".
** The original immortals share the Corvinus surname with the historical Matthias Corvinus, a Hungarian monarch and a political rival of Vlad Tepes. Yeah, ''[[{{Dracula}} that one]]''.
** Kraven (i.e. coward) is aptly a cowardly SmugSnake.
** Lena is a Nordic vampire with MysticalWhiteHair. Her name is the diminutive form of Elena or Helen, which means "shining" or "bright".
** Her father Vidar is named after the Norse God of agriculture and vengeance.
* In Russ Meyers ''Vixen'' the eponymous character is named Vixen Palmer. And funnily enough she isn't chaste and virginal.
* ''Film/WildWildWest''. All of Loveless' mistresses: The lip reader is "Miss Lippenreader," the one who mans the weapons he calls "Munitia," the tallest is "Amazonia", the Asian girl is named "Miss East" and he dubs West, while in disguise, "Ebonia."
* In ''You Cant Cheat an Honest Man'', Creator/WCFields plays a shady carnival operator named "Larsen E. ['larceny'] Whipsnade". This would later inspire ''ComicStrip/TheWizardOfId'' to create an homage to Fields, "Larsen E. Pettifogger".
* ''Film/{{Elysium}}'' was heaven in Greek mythology. [[spoiler:Sure enough, TheHero dies there.]]
* The title character in ''Film/AllAboutEve''. On the one hand, her name makes her sound like an everywoman, which makes her easier to sympathise with. On the other hand, it allows the title to be taken two ways: the film is all about the character, but it also deals with women in general and what it means to "be a woman" in contemporary society.
* Crematoria from ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick'', a planet where anyone unlucky enough to get caught in the sunlight is incinerated.
* ''Film/TheStuntMan.'' "Cameron" is close to "camera on", and "Eli Cross" has obvious [[AGodAmI religious implications]].
* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries''
** Wolverine was born as James ''Howl''ett; his surname is a nod to his animalistic nature.
** Professor X's middle name and surname form the name of a saint (Francis Xavier), so they hint at the character's "saintly" personality.
** Erik means "ruler" and Lehnsherr can be roughly translated as "feudal lord" (lehn = fief, herr = master). Magneto's birth name betrays his ambition to rule over humans.
** Raven Darkholme. [[spoiler:When de-powered in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', she's seen with RavenHairIvorySkin.]]
** William Stryker "strikes" at mutants.
** Warren Worthington III's code name Angel refers to his angelic looks, which include large, white wings and blond curls. (This applies to both Ben Foster's and Ben Hardy's portrayals.) In the case of the latter, he becomes Apocalypse's "angel of death" in ''Film/XMenApocalypse''.
--->'''Ben Hardy''': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAmT_RpRdlc Angel is pretty angry,]] and he casts a shadow of death across the land.
** Remy must be handsome, because his last name ([=LeBeau=]) directly translates as the masculine form of "The beautiful."
** Emma Frost has a frosty temperament, as her surname suggests.
** Viper's alias as Yashida's doctor is "Green," and she frequently wears green clothing. "Viper" also alludes to [[spoiler:the classic fable "TheFarmerAndTheViper", which perfectly describes Logan's relationship with [[UngratefulBastard her master]]]].
** In RealLife, En Sabah Nur means "The morning light" (he represents the dawn of mutantkind), but the comics translate it as "The first one."
** It's no accident that Jubilee's given name is Jubilation because she carries a sunny disposition.
* ''Film/StonehearstAsylum'': "Mickey Finn", which is slang for knockout drugs, hence "slipping a mickey".[[spoiler: Of course this is what the character with this name did to the real staff, and almost does to Newgate]]. There's some LampshadeHanging involved, as Newgate points out the significance of Mickey Finn's name just before he lives up to it.
** "Silas Lamb" sounds like a sneaky reference to a chapter in the story of another fictional madman - Hannibal Lecter.
** Doctor "Newgate" (also the name of a famous prison in London).
* ''Film/TheHungerGames'': "Panem" means "bread," which is a reference to the Roman phrase "BreadAndCircuses," which are the ways that a tyranny can keep its population under control. People from the capital have Roman names, another reference to the trope. Peeta the baker's name sounds like "pita," a type of bread. You could predict Seneca Crane's fate if you know anything about his namesake, the Roman Seneca the Younger. He was also forced [[spoiler:to commit suicide]] by his superior, Emperor Nero.
** As many species of cats are deadly hunters, we have Katniss who is pretty good at hunting herself.
* ''Blood of the Tribades'' is set in a village called Bathory, which is inhabited entirely by vampires and was founded by a vampire called Bathor. Both the village and its founder are meant to sound like [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_B%C3%A1thory Elizabeth Bathory]], a real-life Hungarian noblewoman and serial killer whose story became attached to vampire folklore. This foreshadows a plot twist at the end of the movie: [[spoiler: The male dominated cult of Bathor keep referring to their savior with male pronouns, but she turns out to actually be a woman]]. In a more minor case, [[AllThereInTheScript the credits reveal that]] a minor character who is killed while bathing is named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathsheba Bathsheba]], and she is one of a few vampires with Biblical names involved in a vampire cult with obvious parallels to Christianity.
* ''Film/CloudAtlas'':
** Two of the {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s of Seaboard in the Luisa Rey story have the last names "Hooks" and "Wiley".
** Sixsmith partially inspired Frobisher's creation (smithing) of the Cloud Atlas Sextet (a piece written for six players).
** Jocasta, the composer Vyvyan Ayrs's wife. In Myth/GreekMythology, the wife of King Laios of Thebes and mother of Oedipus. In the film, DepravedBisexual Robert Frobisher (son figure) makes love with Jocasta (mother figure), the wife of Vyvyan (father figure)
** A [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meronymy "meronym"]] means something that is part of a whole.
** "Ayrs" sounds like "airs": an air is, quite simply, a musical composition.
* In ''Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes'', the ape Koba was likely named after UsefulNotes/JosefStalin's [[UsefulNotes/RomanovsAndRevolutions pre-Revolutionary]] alias. There are certain similarities in character traits.
[[/folder]]
----

* The Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon has a few. In ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', Belle means "beauty", Lumiere is a candelabra, Cogsworth is a clock, Mrs. Potts is a teapot, Chip has a chip in him…

* ''Disney/TheFoxAndTheHound'': Tod is Scottish for "fox"; however, Widow Tweed named him for the fact he's "such a little toddler." Vixey's name comes from "vixen", which is a female fox.

* There are a lot of these in the ''[[Disney/TheRescuers Rescuers]]'' series:

* [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Chi Fu]] from ''Disney/{{Mulan}}''. His name actually means "to pester or annoy" in Chinese.
* ''Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'': Cruella de Vil (actually from the original book, ''Literature/TheHundredAndOneDalmatians'').

* ''Disney/SleepingBeauty'': Maleficent.
* ''Disney/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'': Sleepy, Happy, Grumpy, Dopey, Sneezy, Bashful, Doc.
* Inverted in ''Disney/{{Tangled}}'' with the Stabbington brothers, as [[spoiler:they are the ones who are constantly backstabbed by their partner [[LovableRogue Flynn]]]].

* In ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'', Ursula's disguise, Vanessa, derives from the latin word Vanitas, which means Vanity, Worthlessness, Emptiness, and Nothingness. Although the Vanity part is extremely obvious, the latter three also have a meaning in there as well, as it hints at Vanessa being Eric's false savior.

* ''Disney/TheLionKing'': Almost everyone is named after a Swahilian term:

* ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' has Doctor Facilier. "Facile" is French for "easy", and his speciality is offering people the easy way out of their problems.

[[/folder]]

* ''Disney/TheLionKing'':

** As many species of cats are deadly hunters, we have Katniss who it pretty good at hunting herself.

** The target of the Neuro-Linguistic programming test, Lady [[RomeoAndJuliet Montague]]-Herring, truly lives up to her name [[spoiler:[[RedHerring given the traditional colors for the House of Montague]]]].

* ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff'': Ferris Bueller. It just makes sense for a FunPersonified con artist to have a name that calls to mind a carnival. Ferris also means "made of iron" -- quite fitting given [[BlackHoleSue the universe's tendency to bounce right off of him.]]

** [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesProfessorCharlesXavier Professor X]]'s middle name and surname form the name of a saint (Francis Xavier), so they hint at the character's "saintly" personality.

** Violet is a "shrinking violet" with issues of shyness, and has powers that include keeping people away with force fields. Dash has super speed. ([[WordOfGod Brad Bird]], on the DVDCommentary, says that this was deliberate; the children were given names, personalities ''and'' powers to match their ages.)

** Han Solo starts out the series as a loner who is out for himself. Hence he's "solo."

* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'':

** Professor X's middle name and surname form the name of a saint (Francis Xavier), so they hint at the character's "saintly" personality.

** This is correct in ''Film/BramStokersDracula''. When Harker shows him a portrait of his father, Dracula describes him : "The Order of the Dracul. The Dragon.", and explains that his forefathers belonged to this "ancient society" which protected christianity against muslim Ottomans, and that "we, Draculs, have a right to be proud". The scene skips the meaning of ''-a'' in Dracula though.

* ''Film/ExtremeMeasures'': Burke and Hare, the dirty cops working for Myrick, share their last names with two infamous Scottish murderers that killed people then provided their cadavers for medical research, similarly to the film (although the actual pair's motives were far less altruistic).

* ''Film/HotFuzz'': The hero is named Nicholas Angel, his chubby partner is Butterman, the farmer with a large weapon stash is called Webley and many of the townsfolk have names associated with their jobs (the grocer is Skinner, the gardener is Tiller. Mr. Treacher is named after ''The Siege of Treacher's Farm'', the novel on which ''Film/StrawDogs'' was based (there are repeated references to ''Straw Dogs'' throughout the film); the vicar is called Philip Shooter (P.Shooter); Eve Draper, the gossip, is a phonetic pun on "eavesdropper."

* The name of Will Dormer, the troubled protagonist in the film ''Film/{{Insomnia}}'', is a cognate for the word "to sleep" in several Romance languages.

* ''Film/TragedyGirls'' is a PerspectiveFlip of the typical SlasherMovie, so its main characters are named after two directors famous for their slasher flicks: Sadie Cunningham, after Sean S. Cunningham (''Film/FridayTheThirteenth'', ''Film/FreddyVsJason''), and [=McKayla=] Hooper, after Tobe Hooper (''Film/{{Poltergeist}}'', ''Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre'').

* ''Film/HotFuzz'': The hero is named Nicholas Angel, his chubby partner is Butterman, the farmer with a large weapon stash is called Webley and many of the townsfolk have names associated with their jobs (the grocer is Skinner, the gardener is Tiller. Mr. Treacher is named after ''The Siege of Treacher's Farm'', the novel on which ''StrawDogs'' was based (there are repeated references to ''StrawDogs'' throughout the film); the vicar is called Philip Shooter (P.Shooter); Eve Draper, the gossip, is a phonetic pun on "eavesdropper."

* ''WeAreTheStrange'' has "Blue", a depressed emo and "[=HIM=]", a chauvinistic and abusive boyfriend.

* The Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon has a few. In ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', Belle means "beauty", Lumiere is a candelabra, Cogsworth is a clock, Mrs. Potts is a teapot, Chip has a chip in him...

** Horace and Jasper are actually ''named'' "Baddun" (bad one(s)), both in the book and the live action version.

* In ''Film/AmericanBeauty'', the provocative underage girl Angela has the surname Hayes which sounds exactly the same as fictions most famous underage provacateur [[Literature/{{Lolita}} Lolita Haze]].