Known as ‘The Toy Story Effect’, these names have increased in popularity after the release of the Toy Story films.
New research from Smyths Toys Superstores has revealed just how much Disney Pixar’s Toy Story has influenced families over the past 30 years.
The study has confirmed that thousands of parents have seemingly taken baby name inspiration from iconic characters in the franchise, including Woody, Buzz, Rex, and Jessie. These names have soared in popularity after the release of popular animated films.
The popularity of Toy Story-inspired names increased by an average of over 30% in the two years following each movie’s release date.
Buzz was the highest jumping name of the lot, with registrations increasing by 280% following the release of Toy Story 4. Similarly, babies named Jessie increased by 91% after Toy Story 3, and Rex registrations jumped up by almost 70% after the film’s release.
Finally, the number of babies named Woody increased by 36% after the third movie.
Smyths Toys Superstores said that this research “spotlights the lasting cultural impact of one of the world’s most-loved film franchises, showing how beloved characters have influenced not just toy boxes and cinema screens, but birth certificates too!”
The 5th film in the Disney franchise will be released in cinemas on Friday, June 19th.
