Technically Khaleesi is a title, not a name. If you’re looking for baby name inspiration from Game of Thrones‘ Daenerys Targaryen, the one who holds that title, the more obvious choice might be… well, Daenerys. Or Dany. But hey. She has weirder titles. Parents could be naming their daughters “the Unburnt,” “Mother of Dragons,” or “Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men” (Queenie for short), and wouldn’t that last one be awkward when they have to learn to spell it?
According to The Baby Name Wizard Blog there are now 146 American girls named Khaleesi, up 450% from 2011. Before then the name “was completely unknown,” much to my lack of surprise. (Though not a single book reader named their kid Khaleesi before the show started? No one? Bueller?) I can’t imagine the whole “but it’s not a naaaame” thing matters much to the parents who named their kid that. They probably just liked Game of Thrones and/or Daenerys and/or thought Khaleesi sounds cool. More power to you, procreating fellow nerds.
Though it does raise the question of how parents will teach these kids to pronounce their name. According to Dothraki language creator David J. Peterson the way most people pronounce it—”ka-LEE-see”—is wrong. Technically speaking it should be “KHAH-lay-see.” But hey. The world is full of brave souls who buck authority and pronounce things the way they want instead of the way their creators say they should be pronounced. (Looking at you, .gif. The g stands for “graphics.” I don’t know where you’re getting the soft g from. Come at me.)
Godspeed, baby Khaleesis. May you and all the little girls named Arya grow up to take over the world.
(via: Nerd Approved)
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