‘Game Of Thrones’ Baby Names: 146 Girls Were Named Khaleesi In 2012; But What Does Daenerys Targaryen’s Nickname Really Mean?

There’s a huge responsibility that comes with having children. Not only do you have to feed and clothe these little helpless creatures, but you also take on the task of giving them a name that will follow them for the rest of their lives. No pressure.

And because we know how daunting a duty this can be, we’ve decided to bring you the most popular names for babies—“Game of Thrones” style. Oh, you haven’t heard? According to data from the Social Security Administration, a handful of children born in 2012 were named after the Mother of Dragons: Khaleesi.

That’s right! Approximately 146 female babies born that year were dubbed after Emilia Clarke’s “GoT” character. Adorable, right? Perhaps your feelings about the name will change when you learn the meaning behind Khaleesi.

The queen’s original name was Daenerys Targaryen. But after she was sold into marriage to the Dothraki Khal Drogo, her titled was altered to Khaleesi.

Khaleesi is a Dothraki title referring to the wife of the khal, a Dothraki warlord. A khaleesi’s status can vary drastically from being very influential to being worth less than the khal’s horse. According to reports, the khal’s bloodriders would sometimes share the khaleesi, but never share the khal’s horse. Yikes.

Entertainment Weekly added that the fictitious name trumped more common ones such as Brandy, which 130 girls were named, and Alex, 128. Daenerys also made the list with 21 female babies being name after the flaxen-haired queen but proved not to be as popular as her nickname.

Would you name your child after Khaleesi? Let us know by taking the poll below and don’t forget to catch “Game of Thrones” when the hit HBO series returns Sunday with a brand new episode.