Expecting parents are taking a stab at it — quite literally.
Villains, crooks and knife-wielding nuts. Although they’re bad guys of society, their first names are becoming bloody good options for moms and dads-to-be, per a nightmarish new report.
Baby names inspired by true crime icons, such as accused con artist Anna Delvey and mass murderer Ted Bundy, are on the rise, according BabyCentre UK and its Top 100 Baby Names of 2025.
But the bloodcurdling trend has less to do with wrongdoer-worship and more to do with Hollywood’s outlaw obsession.
“These names aren’t being chosen because of crime,” SJ Strum, a BabyCentre naming expert and author, explained in a statement. “More often, parents are unconsciously absorbing popular culture, and these names creep into our minds via gripping TV, podcasts and viral content.”
“It’s a fascinating lens on how culture shapes language, and by extension, baby names,” she added.
Exotic is believed to have orchestrated a murder-for-hire attempt to kill animal activist Carole Baskin.Netflix US/AFP via Getty Images
Nursery rhymes and true crime. The killer kiddos of Generation Beta — tots born this year and beyond — can blame the theme on the streams.
Streaming platforms, like Netflix, have recently made a killing off of shows, documentaries and movies that spotlight salacious sins of notorious rouges. Think Zac Efron as Bundy in 2019 flick “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” Joe Exotic’s story in 2020 series “Tiger King” and Delvey’s “Inventing Anna”-inspired thriller in 2022.
In a number of cases, the cinematic sneak peek into the lives of the offenders has offered audiences a new perspective on the men and women behind the crimes, humanizing the antiheroes as misunderstood martyrs.
