One only needs to wander down Hollywood Boulevard to come across a wealth of glamorous and enduring names. There one can find the names of the great movie stars that captured imaginations during times of war and depression, bringing laughter and heart-rending drama to screens across the world. They are names forever associated with talent, style and grace.
Whether a parent is looking for a gifted star to name her child after, or just a beautiful or unusual name, the classic Hollywood films are a wonderful place for inspiration. Remember surnames can also make original first names, while still paying homage to the star, as actress Patricia Arquette did by naming her daughter Harlow after 1930s starlet Jean Harlow.
Begin with some of the suggestions below and then make a list of some favourite classic films. Ask older family members for their favourites and rent a few on DVD. It’s a great excuse to watch some magnificent films, and the perfect way to find a touch of old world glamour to add to a child’s name.
Classic Hollywood Actresses
- Ava Gardner (1922 – 1990): Ava Lavinia Gardner, the ebony-haired American actress is famous for her beauty, wit and talent. One of Hollywood’s greatest leading ladies, she grew up in the rural south before her beauty led her to Hollywood. She became famous for her performance in the 1946 film The Killers and was nominated in 1953 for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Mogambo.
- Grace Kelly (1929 – 1982): Fashion icon Grace Patricia Kelly was an American film and stage actress of the 1950s, famous for her roles in Hitchcock’s thrillers Rear Window and To Catch a Thief, as well as her captivating performance in the musical High Society and her esteemed role in The Country Girl, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Grace Kelly retired from acting in 1956 to marry Prince Rainier III and become Princess Grace of Monaco. She is ranked by The American Film Institute amongst the Greatest Female Stars of All Time.
- Jean Harlow (1911 – 1937): Born Harlean Harlow Carpenter, platinum blonde bombshell Jean Harlow was an American sex symbol of the 1930s, famous for her many sultry roles including the blockbusters Red Dust and China Seas. Her career was cut short by sudden death at the age of 26 during the filming of Saratoga in which she was starring alongside long-time friend and co-star Clark Gable. Pre-dating Marilyn Monroe, she is considered by many to be the original 'blonde bombshell' that all others are measured against.
Other great Hollywood actresses to consider include Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn, Mae West, Vivien Leigh, Brigitte Bardot, Cyd Charisse, Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Rita Hayworth, Clara Bow, Elizabeth Taylor and Veronica Lake.
Classic Hollywood Actors
- Sir Dirk Bogarde (1921 – 1999): Born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde, handsome English actor Dirk Bogard served in World War II before becoming an actor in popular and later art house cinema such as the 1971 art house film Death in Venice. He was knighted in 1992 and wrote several volumes of autobiography. He was recently included in Empire magazine's 100 Sexiest Stars in Film.
- Cary Grant (1904 – 1986): Charismatic leading man Cary Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach, later assuming Cary Grant as a stage name. The epitome of charm, Grant starred in many classic films including Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, To Catch A Thief and An Affair to Remember. He was honoured at the 42nd Academy Awards "for his unique mastery of the art of screen acting with the respect and affection of his colleagues".
- Marlon Brando (1924 – 2004): American actor Marlon Brando, Jr. became a heart-throb in the early 1950s with starring performances in Elia Kazan’s A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront for which he won an Academy Award. Later in life he proved he was more than a sex symbol, with his second Academy Award-winning performance in The Godfather, an award he refused for political reasons. Brando was a dedicated activist, supporting American Civil Rights and American Indian Movements up until his death in 2004.
Other legendary male Hollywood leads include Gregory Peck, James Dean, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Greer Garson, Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, Vincent Price, Clark Gable, Gene Kelly, Steve McQueen, Laurence Olivier, Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
So put some popcorn on the stove and consider some of the great names that have been written in lights throughout Hollywood history.
Need more ideas? Browse these literary baby names for some inspiration from great novels, another way of giving a child a classic name with a touch of class.
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