These 'The Golden Girls' Baby Names Are Sweeter Than St. Olaf

Though the name Blanche isn't super musical and southern (as her daughter points out), it's still a pretty awesome name — especially if it's honoring the feisty Blanche Devereaux. Maybe your kid will have the confidence, beauty, and style that Blanche always has no matter what.

The name Blanche is "derived from the Old French blanchir (to make white), which is from blanc (white). ... The name was originally used as a nickname for someone with pale blond hair," according to Baby Name Wizard.

The name Dorothy is definitely coming back, since it's a pretty popular idea to name your kid really vintage names these days. In fact, a friend of mine has a 3-year-old daughter named Dorothy. If you name your child Dorothy after the Golden Girls character, I hope she's "very prompt, a really good speller, and well, nobody ever said it had to be three things." Blanche was always so condescending to Dorothy. But seriously, I bet your Dorothy will be really smart.

Dorothy is English and means "gift of God," according to SheKnows.

According to Rose Nylund, her name is "Rose, like the seats in a theater." But obviously, the name Rose means "flower," according to Nameberry. Let's hope if you name your child Rose they'll inherit Rose Nylund's kind heart, but not necessarily her common sense — or lack thereof.

Ironically, the name Sophia means "wisdom," according to Nameberry. "Picture it. Sicily, 1922." I wonder if the writers did that on purpose?

May your child be wise and colorful if you name them after Sophia Petrillo.

"Hi, it's me, Stan." Your child will say that whenever they enter a room. I hope, at least. But seriously, the name Stanley originates from "Old English elements stan (stone) and lēah (wood, clearing, meadow)," according to Baby Name Wizard. And combined it means "dweller near a stony clearing." Take that as you will.

I was always a huge fan of Rose's boyfriend Miles. He was a college professor who taught Hemingway (and no, Hemingway wasn't in his class like Rose thought). But he was kind, smart, and always so good to Rose. If you name your child after Miles Webber, maybe they'll be smart, kind, and open-minded. But hopefully not a snitch in a tie who gave up a guy named The Cheese Man.

Nameberry defines Miles as soldier or merciful.

The Golden Girls was quite a progressive show at the time, and it was very apparent in the episodes with Blanche's baby brother Clayton. He was just like his big sister Blanche: Great looking, charming, and irresistible to men. This episode came out in 1988, and Blanche learns an important lesson about acceptance and being an ally, even then.

If you name your kid Clayton, I'm sure he will be just as charming and great looking. Clayton means "mortal" according to SheKnows.

I always loved how much Sophia loved her late husband, Sal. And his character was always so goofy and he was just hysterical — even when that same actor played the jester at the medieval restaurant Dorothy and John went to on their date. Sal means "savior or rescuer," according to The Name Meaning, like when he saved Sophia and her dad (who was also the same actor who played her brother Anthony) from the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre.

(I think I've seen this show too many times.)

I always wished they would've shown what Rose's late husband Charlie looked like. All we know about him is that he was very stubborn, a very stylish dresser and he was tall and broad shouldered. According to Nameberry, Charlie means "free man."

We caught a glimpse of George in two episodes — one when Blanche was having a dream that George didn't really die, and then another episode when his brother came to visit Blanche and he looked just like him. He always seemed like he was a charming and fun-loving man — to say the least. Behind the Name says George means "farmer or earth worker."

Estelle Getty was the actress who played Sophia, and she was blunt and down to earth as a person, which isn't unlike all of the many characters she portrayed over the years. The name Estelle means "star" according to behind the name. How fitting.

As the only Golden Girl who is still with us, I think we should wrap Betty White up in bubble wrap for the rest of her life. We just can't lose such a talented and witty woman. Or instead of bubble wrap, I guess you could pay homage to the wonderful and talented actress who played Rose by naming your child after her.

Nameberry says Betty means "pledged to God."

Even though the meaning of the name Rue is "regret," according to Baby Name Wizard, I don't think you'd regret naming your child after the amazingly talented and stunning Rue McClanahan. Ironically, Rue the actress was very much like Blanche in many ways — she was confident, sophisticated, and very sexy.

Whether you go with the name Beatrice or just Bea, if you name your kid after Bea Arthur, they will definitely be witty and have a fantastic sense of humor. Beatrice comes from the Latin name, Beatrix, which means "bringer of joy," according to SheKnows.

Even though it's "a very common name in St. Olaf," according to Rose's high school sweetheart, Buzz, this could be a very unique and fun name for your kid if you were to name them after this Golden Girls character who was a traveling entertainer. Hopefully your kid won't be inclined to be the guy who drops his pants and goes, "Whoooop."

There are no direct meanings of the name Buzz, but Nameberry says that it's a modern nickname of the names Biff and Bud.

Oh poor sweet, dopey Sven. When Rose's cousin Sven came to visit her before meeting his future bride, who was arranged, he of course couldn't resist the charm of Blanche. It didn't help that she kissed him, held his hand, and fed him to make her boyfriend jealous. Perhaps if you name your kid Sven they will be as sweet and kindhearted as Rose's cousin. Hopefully a bit smarter though.

Of course the name Sven is Norwegian and Scandinavian, and it means "young man," according to Baby Names.

Blanche's daughter Becky went to a sperm bank to be artificially inseminated. And if that didn't make the girls shudder enough, she named her daughter Aurora. While I personally like the name (and Rose, Dorothy and Sophia didn't seem to mind it), Aurora was a name Blanche just couldn't quite get her head around, so she called her Oreo.

Hopefully if you name your child Aurora people won't accidentally call her Oreo. I doubt it since this is no longer the '80s. Nameberry says Aurora means "dawn."

Speaking of Becky, I always thought it was weird how Becky was the overweight daughter in the first episode we are introduced to her, and then she magically became very thin and athletic looking. A lot of the actors and actresses who played the girls' children seemed to be switched out quite a bit though.

Naming your kid Becky after the character on the show could possibly set them up to be confident, stubborn, and someone who knows what they want and goes for it no matter what — like Blanche's daughter did.

Becky means "captivating," according to SheKnows.

Dorothy's son Michael always seemed to get into some sort of trouble. A traveling saxophone player, of course he'd be a little eccentric, right? Whether it's marrying the singer of his band who is 20 years older than he is, or sleeping with Rose's daughter when they both end up in Miami for a visit, he had some "situations." If you name your kid Michael after Dorothy's son, let's hope they don't expect you to do their laundry and give them money when they're 30 years old.

The name Michael means "who is like God?" He is also the archangel that beats the dragon in the Bible, according to Behind the Name.

If you don't feel comfortable naming your child Fidel, Santiago is a good compromise if your favorite character on the show was Fidel Santiago. He was quite the womanizer, as he dated both Blanche and Sophia at the same time — and as we later found out, basically the entire city of Miami when his funeral was full of women. He sure knew how to make a woman feel loved though.

Behind the Name says Fidel is "From the late Latin name Fidelis meaning "faithful."