Most Popular Character Names in Movie History

Movie characters often share a handful of first names that keep turning up across genres and decades. These names stick because they are simple to remember, easy to localize, and fit a wide range of personalities. When you start listing famous heroes and villains, a few names rise to the top again and again.

This roundup looks at ten of the most common first names you see on the big screen and pairs each one with well known examples. Along the way you will notice how these characters span different studios and eras, with releases handled by distributors like Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing, and Lionsgate, among others.

Jack

Jack shows up everywhere from sweeping romance to adventure. Jack Dawson anchors the ocean bound drama in ‘Titanic’, which rolled out in North America through Paramount Pictures, while Captain Jack Sparrow drives the high seas saga in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The name also powers stories like ‘The Shining’ where Jack Torrance turns an off season hotel stay into a chilling spiral in a film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

You will find more Jacks in action thrillers and family films. ‘Jack Reacher’ follows a drifter investigator in a Paramount Pictures release, and ‘Jack-Jack’ brings superpowered baby chaos to ‘The Incredibles’ from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Even in fantasy, ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ climbs into mythic territory in a Warner Bros. Pictures rollout.

John

John is a go to name for no nonsense protagonists. John McClane fights through a hostage crisis in ‘Die Hard’, which came to theaters through 20th Century Fox, while John Wick seeks vengeance in a stylish action series released by Lionsgate. John Rambo carries the weight of war home in ‘First Blood’, a film introduced to audiences by Orion Pictures.

There are also quieter or more mysterious Johns. John Doe becomes the faceless menace in ‘Se7en’, distributed by New Line Cinema through Warner Bros. Pictures, and John Connor represents the future of humanity in ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’, which reached theaters via TriStar Pictures under Sony Pictures Releasing. Even in science fiction drama, ‘The Matrix’ reveals John Anderson before he becomes Neo in a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

Michael

Michael spans icons on both sides of the law. Michael Corleone rises within a crime family in ‘The Godfather’, a landmark released by Paramount Pictures, while Michael Myers stalks the suburbs in ‘Halloween’, with major entries in the franchise distributed by Universal Pictures. The name also turns up in character studies like ‘Michael Clayton’, which arrived through Warner Bros. Pictures.

More examples keep the name in circulation. ‘Prometheus’ introduces the android David and the archaeologist Elizabeth Shaw alongside corporate figure Peter Weyland, but earlier we meet Weyland associate Michael in ‘Alien’ lore through 20th Century Fox releases. ‘Magic Mike’ adds a different spin to the name in a Warner Bros. Pictures rollout that focuses on performance and hustle.

Sarah

Sarah anchors some of sci fi and fantasy’s most memorable arcs. Sarah Connor transforms from a target to a leader in ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’, which reached global audiences through TriStar Pictures under Sony Pictures Releasing. In dark fantasy, Sarah navigates puzzles and creatures in ‘Labyrinth’, a film distributed by TriStar Pictures as well.

The name shows up in contemporary stories too. ‘The Descent’ follows Sarah Carter into an underground survival nightmare in a Lionsgate release, while ‘A Simple Favor’ features a mysterious Sarah in a film handled by Lionsgate. Even in family cinema, Sarah Sanderson adds witchy charm to ‘Hocus Pocus’, which was released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

James

James blends sophistication with action. James Bond headlines long running espionage adventures such as ‘Skyfall’, rolled out by Sony Pictures Releasing in partnership with MGM, and ‘No Time to Die’, which reached audiences through Universal Pictures with MGM. In superhero cinema, James Howlett is the birth name of Wolverine in ‘X-Men’ entries released by 20th Century Fox.

Plenty of dramas and thrillers feature the name. ‘The Godfather’ includes James Caan as Sonny in a Paramount Pictures classic, and ‘The James Dean Story’ documents a cultural figure in a Warner Bros. Pictures release. In science fiction, James T. Kirk captains the Enterprise in ‘Star Trek’ films that have been distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Mary

Mary is a familiar presence in family films and period pieces. ‘Mary Poppins’ brought musical magic to theaters in a beloved release by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ continued that legacy through the same distributor. In historical drama, ‘Mary Queen of Scots’ examines royal intrigue in a Focus Features rollout under the Universal Pictures umbrella.

You will also find Mary in thrillers and comedies. ‘There’s Something About Mary’ turned a romantic farce into a hit released by 20th Century Fox, while ‘Mary Shelley’ explored the author behind ‘Frankenstein’ in a film distributed by IFC Films. In horror, Mary insists on being heard in ‘The Curse of La Llorona’, which reached audiences through Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.

Alex

Alex adapts to heroes, antiheroes, and every genre in between. Alex DeLarge leads ‘A Clockwork Orange’, a provocative story distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, while Alex Murphy becomes RoboCop in ‘RoboCop’, which was originally introduced by Orion Pictures and later continued in releases handled by Sony Pictures Releasing. Contemporary adventure fans know Alex Rider from ‘Stormbreaker’, which reached cinemas via The Weinstein Company.

Animated and family films keep the name in rotation. Alex the lion anchors the ensemble in ‘Madagascar’, a DreamWorks Animation title distributed by Paramount Pictures for its initial entries. In romantic drama, ‘The Lake House’ centers on Alex Wyler across time in a film released by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Anna

Anna resonates in animation and drama alike. ‘Frozen’ features Anna of Arendelle in a modern fairy tale released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and ‘Frozen II’ continued her journey through the same distributor. In thriller territory, ‘Anna’ follows a Russian operative in a film rolled out by Lionsgate.

The name turns up in acclaimed indies and international cinema. ‘Anna Karenina’ adapts a literary classic in a Focus Features release under Universal Pictures, and ‘The Red Violin’ includes Anna Bussotti within a story introduced by Lionsgate and other partners. In horror, ‘Annabelle’ expands a haunted universe in New Line Cinema titles distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

David

David often signals determination or quiet intensity. David Fincher’s ‘Se7en’ gives us Detective David Mills in a New Line Cinema film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, while ‘Prometheus’ introduces the android David in a 20th Century Fox release. In superhero storytelling, David Dunn discovers his strength in ‘Unbreakable’, which reached audiences through Buena Vista Pictures under Walt Disney Studios.

You can find David in crime and coming of age narratives too. ‘Layer Cake’ features David Jones, better known as XXXX, in a Sony Pictures Classics release, and ‘The Social Network’ includes actor Andrew Garfield as Eduardo but the tech world still echoes with figures like venture capitalist Peter and classmates while the film itself was distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing through Columbia Pictures. In drama, ‘A Serious Man’ centers on physics professor Larry Gopnik while his student interactions include Davids in a Focus Features rollout.

Kate

Kate threads through action, drama, and romance. ‘Sicario’ follows FBI agent Kate Macer into the borderlands in a Lionsgate release, while ‘Kate’ delivers a neon soaked revenge tale on streaming after festival play without a traditional theatrical distributor for wide release but the name remains a fixture in cinemas. Classic romance features Kate Winslet as Rose in ‘Titanic’, a North American Paramount Pictures release, keeping the name in the public eye through a landmark film.

Period pieces and comedies add to the list. ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ has seen many film versions featuring Katherine or Kate in releases that reached audiences through distributors like United Artists and Columbia Pictures. In modern comedy, ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ gives us advice columnist Andie while rival editor Lana pushes a feature involving a character named Kate during development in a Paramount Pictures rollout that kept these names in circulation.

Share the character names you see all the time in movies and the examples you think we missed in the comments.