Thanos is apparently one of the most popular Disney characters for baby names. Marvel Studios was teasing the existence of the Titan long before he made his proper debut in Avengers: Infinity War. Despite the delay in his official introduction, directors Joe and Anthony Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely were able to establish him as the most dangerous villain the Avengers had ever seen.
Now, Marvel Studios is moving away from the Infinity Saga and into the MCU's Multiverse Saga. However, Thanos' impact on the MCU continues to affect the franchise's current storytelling. One particular way it does is how the Titan was able to convince a portion of the universe's population that, ultimately, eliminating half of life in the universe in the name of balance made sense. The "Thanos was right" sentiment has been tackled in projects like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Hawkeye, as well as Eternals. It turns out, despite all his transgressions, the Mad Titan was also able to garner some followers in the real world – so much so that they opted to name their kids after him.
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A new report from Organic Baby Formula (via ComicBook.com) claims that Thanos is one of the most popular Disney character names for babies. Based on the chart, he's in ninth place, behind Quill, Kristoff, Rey, Aladdin, Merida, Belle, Simba, and Olaf. He is followed by The Lion King's Timon, who rounds up the list's top 10. The ranking is based on the increase in popularity one year after their respective debuts.
Marvel Studios isn't really known for coming up with great villains – while they thrive with their relatable heroes, they tend to pit them against one-dimensional, generic bad guys. Things were starting to turn around, however, towards the end of the Infinity Saga, with the introduction of Black Panther's Erik Killmonger and Thanos. Both characters were highly motivated by a goal, and they truly believed they were doing the right thing. The Mad Titan specifically was adamant about killing half of life to ensure the universe's future. There was arrogance to the idea that he can play god just because he believed he was the only one who can save the galaxy. At the end of the day, the Snap was objectively wrong, but for some, it doesn't seem like it's as simple as that, hence why they are willing to name their kids after the purple alien.
Otherwise, those who choose Thanos as their baby's name may not be focusing on what the villain actually did and stood for in the MCU. Instead, they merely want their children to be associated with such an iconic character. For what it's worth, the list also features other prominent Disney villains, such as Kylo and Anakin from Star Wars in 12th and 13th place, respectively.