Gilmore Girls Baby Names Beyond Rory That Deserve Another Look

"Gilmore Girls" is my favorite comfort show. Every fall, I head back to Stars Hollow, fall in love alongside Rory (I'm Team Logan and Team Jess, but never Dean), run an inn with Lorelai, and enjoy Friday night dinners with Emily and Richard. The Gilmores are like another family, as I've been obsessed with this early 2000s series for decades. In fact, I even named my firstborn son after one of the characters on the show — and my husband didn't realize the connection until years later.

Lorelai and its nickname, Rory, are beautiful names for your baby-to-be, but there are so many more wonderful options for fans of the show. If you want to pay tribute to "Gilmore Girls" with your baby's name, you can also look to Rory's friends, neighbors, and other people in the series for inspiration. Your baby boy's or baby girl's name could have a subtle nod to the show that only you know, either based on a favorite character or just because you fell in love with their name. In my case, it was both (but we'll get back to that below).

Looking for a more uncommon name? Just look to Rory's best friend Lane Kim (Keiko Agena) for inspiration. Lane, which means "from the narrow road," is the sheltered, music-loving daughter of Mrs. Kim, who plays mean drums and is the only one who can keep up with the fast-talking Gilmores. This name is pretty, gender-neutral and not included on the U.S. Social Security Administration's top 1000 baby name list, so your baby Lane will be unique.

My eldest son's name is Logan, and I would by lying if I said it wasn't partially influenced by the cute and charismatic Logan Huntzberger (Matt Czuchry). Rory's boyfriend at Yale, Logan challenges Rory and introduces her to new experiences, like the secret society, the Life and Death Brigade. Logan (a great name if I do say so myself) is of Scottish origin and means "little hollow."

Everyone loves to hate Paris Geller (Liza Weil) on "Gilmore Girls," but you can't fault a determined, hard-working woman (is she really so different from any of the Gilmores?). Paris is a pretty, French name that evokes the "City of Light", and even if your daughter's personality doesn't always match up with this light-hearted name, at least you know she'll be one tough lady.

Babette is a cute, retro name that began as a nickname for Elizabeth or Barbara but is totally adorable on its own. Babette is a French name that means "my God is my oath." It's also the name of Lorelai and Rory's neighbor, played by Sally Struthers, who loves cats, her husband, Morey, and town gossip (not necessarily in that order). She is eccentric with a big heart and a lust for life — and fine-looking men.

Rory met a lot of wild, adventurous people in the Life and Death Brigade with Logan, including Finn (Tanc Sade). This famous Australian could never seem to remember Rory, although we remember his cool name. Finn is of Irish origin and means "fair," "white," or "blessed." You could also use this as a nickname for Finlay, Finnean, or Phineas.

Madeline (Shelly Cole, right) is one of the popular girls at Chilton and also has a popular name, ranking number 81 in the SSA's top baby names list for 2025. In "Gilmore Girls," Madeline prefers fashion over homework and loves talking about boys with best friend Louise (Teal Redmann, left). She's a girly girl with an enduring name that's perfect for your baby girl.

Who could forget everyone's favorite Y2K crush Chad Michael Murray's short stint on "Gilmore Girls"? He played Tristin, one of Rory's classmates at Chilton who was alternatively mean to her and had a huge crush on her. He may not have been one of her famous boyfriends, but we still hold a special place in our hearts for this bad boy. Tristin is a Celtic name that means "sad" or "sorrowful." It's most commonly spelled Tristan, so spelling it like Tristin from "Gilmore Girls" will make it stand out as more unique.

April Nardini (Vanessa Marano) may be a controversial character in "Gilmore Girls" — although it's not her fault Luke couldn't deal with being a dad and planning a wedding to Lorelai at the same time — but her name is still so beautiful. April comes from Latin and means "to open," which is most commonly associated with blooming flowers of spring.