The movie Top Gun: Maverick has become incredibly popular in recent years, and it’s had a surprising effect in the real world. Beyond being a box office hit, many believe it helped revitalize movie theaters after the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. But its influence didn’t stop there – it also made a significant impact on popular culture.
For over thirty years, fans begged for a follow-up to the 1986 hit Top Gun. Despite the demand, a sequel seemed unlikely for a long time. Finally, Top Gun: Maverick arrived in 2022 and became a huge success. Made on a budget of $177 million, the film earned over $1.496 billion and is now considered one of the best movies of the 2020s, continuing to have a significant impact on popular culture.
The Name “Maverick” Has Boomed Since Top Gun’s Release
As a movie reviewer, I’ve noticed some interesting trends, and it turns out Tom Cruise isn’t just a box office draw – he’s influencing baby names! According to sites like BabyCenter and Namerology, the name “Maverick” has seen a huge surge in popularity, and it all started with the original Top Gun. But the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, really sent things into overdrive. It looks like a whole generation of parents were inspired by Pete Mitchell, solidifying Tom Cruise’s place in pop culture history – and potentially creating a lot of little Mavericks running around!
At the beginning of the 21st century, the name “Maverick” was relatively uncommon, given to only 93 babies out of every million, according to BabyCenter. While this was a slight increase from earlier years, it was still a rare choice. By 2010, 266 babies per million were named Maverick. Then, the name’s popularity soared, jumping to 453 per million in 2012, 688 in 2013, 981 in 2014, and reaching 1185 babies per million in 2015.
The first jump in popularity might be because people who loved the original Top Gun movie are now having children of their own – they’d be in their late 20s or early 30s now. The name “Maverick” has become increasingly popular, with 3,558 babies out of every million being given the name in 2020.
The movie Top Gun: Maverick made the name Maverick even more popular. In 2022, the year the film came out, it was given to 4,034 babies per million. The name reached its highest point in 2023 with 4,085 babies per million, but then became slightly less common in 2024, dropping to 3,857.
As a huge movie fan, I wasn’t surprised to see how much buzz Top Gun: Maverick created! It was one of the biggest films of 2022, so it’s no shock it really boosted the name ‘Maverick’ in popularity. It’s actually pretty amazing to think about how many babies were named after the movie – it clearly had a big cultural impact on a lot of lives.
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2026-01-27 01:16