Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
  • TotalFilm
  • Edge
  • Newsarama
  • Retrogamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
Streaming Services The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
Tim Roth as Beckett reading with his feet on a desk in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Crime Movies Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man villain Tim Roth starred in The Incredible Hulk to "embarrass" his kids
Ice Cube in War of the Worlds
Sci-Fi Movies War of the Worlds dominates nominations for anti-Oscars the Razzies, though we're not super surprised given its 4% Rotten Tomatoes score
Aaron Taylor Johnson and Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later
Horror Movies 28 Years Later star Alfie Williams is 2025's newcomer of the year, as the star talks about the "life-changing" role
(L to R) Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro, Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars, Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne, and Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo 'Matty' Nix in The Rip.
Action Movies The 25 best Netflix action movies to watch right now
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
Amazon Prime Video The 25 best movies on Prime Video to watch right now
Glen Powell as Becket in How to Make a Killing
Comedy Movies How to Make a Killing is Glen Powell's latest mid-budget movie, and I hope he never stops making them
Scytale standing among the Fremen
Sci-Fi Movies I can't wait to see Robert Pattinson in Dune 3 – it's about time he played a blockbuster villain
Avatar Fire and Ash
Sci-Fi Movies Zoe Saldaña is now the highest-grossing actor of all time following Avatar's continued success
Superman kisses Lois Lane in James Gunn's Superman
Movies The 20 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now
Fallout season 2 poster
Sci-Fi Shows I've played every Fallout game, and these are the best Fallout NPCs I want to see in the Amazon show
Keanu Reeves as FBI Agent Johnny Utah and Patrick Swayze as Bodhi "Bodhisattva" in the movie Point Break.
Hulu The best movies on Hulu to watch right now
Harrison Ford as Dr. Paul Rhoades in Shrinking
Star Wars Movies Harrison Ford thanks George Lucas for giving him "a part in a wildly successful film" during emotional SAG awards speech
Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob in One Battle After Another
Film Festivals & Awards Oscars 2026 predictions: who will win Best Picture, Best Director, and the major acting awards?
Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick
Comedy Movies Warner Bros. chiefs say Tom Cruise is "extraordinary" in his next movie: "Like nothing you've ever seen"
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

50 Greatest Actor Names

Features
By Greg Wakeman published 9 October 2012

What's in a name?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Yahoo Serious

Why We Love It: It's the closest a name gets to an oxymoron. It sounds like something a photographer would bark at an America's Next Top Model contestant: "Give me 'yahoo!' Now, serious."

It's awesome, basically. Of all the names on this list, this is the one we'd most like to see etched on an Oscar. That may well not happen though. He's rubbish.

Sounds Like: A wacky IT consultant.

You may like
  • Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather. The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
  • Tim Roth as Beckett reading with his feet on a desk in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man villain Tim Roth starred in The Incredible Hulk to "embarrass" his kids
  • Ice Cube in War of the Worlds War of the Worlds dominates nominations for anti-Oscars the Razzies, though we're not super surprised given its 4% Rotten Tomatoes score

Olga Kurylenko

Why We Love It: We like saying it basically. Go on, try it yourself. Not too loud, mind. Your boss probably isn't expecting you to bellow the name of a terrible Bond girl across the office.

Still, fun isn't it?

Sounds Like: A premiership footballer.

Rock Hudson

Why We Love It: The sturdiest, most patriotic name imaginable, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to find out that the Giant star literally bled red, white and blue.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Or that his skin was made from granite.

Sounds Like: A superhero.

Sigourney Weaver

Why We Love It: It’s a name that is infinitely improved when uttered by anyone with a European accent. You can really wrap your tongue around those syllables too.

You may like
  • Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather. The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
  • Tim Roth as Beckett reading with his feet on a desk in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man villain Tim Roth starred in The Incredible Hulk to "embarrass" his kids
  • Ice Cube in War of the Worlds War of the Worlds dominates nominations for anti-Oscars the Razzies, though we're not super surprised given its 4% Rotten Tomatoes score

Sounds Like: A Victorian machine.

John Goodman

Why We Love It: It makes us feel all safe and warm inside, plus "The Goodman" is clearly a top-notch dude.

Sounds Like: Someone you can trust.

Skeet Ulrich

Why We Love It: What’s not to love? Any teenager would love to be named after a sport that involves a shotgun.

It’s also what you’d imagine every longhaired surfer who addresses you as “Bro” is called.

Sounds Like: A liability.

Cary Grant

Why We Love It: It’s so smooth and sophisticated you just want to drink it all up until it’s coming out of your nose.

A lot of responsibility comes with having such a cool name though. You’d probably have to constantly wear a suit or something.

Sounds Like: A man you can bring home to meet your parents.

Tuesday Weld

Why We Love It: It’s basically a statement.

So much so that there is more composure and reliability to the 1950s actress’s name than most premier league defences. Take that Roberto Mancini.

Sounds Like: A plumber’s diary entry.

Emilio Estevez

Why We Love It: Why did Martin Sheen feel like he needed to run away from his real name? Is he ashamed?

Anyway, Emilio has been single-handedly flying the flag for the Estevez clan and he’s prospered because… well, because alliteration is just tops, isn’t it?

Sounds Like: An outlaw.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Why We Love It: It just oozes charisma. Any person from any time or place in history could prosper under it. We should be grateful that it's fallen into the right hands.

The fact he’s such a handsome bugger is just annoying though.

Sounds Like: Shakespeare’s BFF.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Current page: Page 1

Next Page Page 2
Greg Wakeman
Read more
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
Streaming Services The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
 
 
Tim Roth as Beckett reading with his feet on a desk in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Crime Movies Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man villain Tim Roth starred in The Incredible Hulk to "embarrass" his kids
 
 
Ice Cube in War of the Worlds
Sci-Fi Movies War of the Worlds dominates nominations for anti-Oscars the Razzies, though we're not super surprised given its 4% Rotten Tomatoes score
 
 
Aaron Taylor Johnson and Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later
Horror Movies 28 Years Later star Alfie Williams is 2025's newcomer of the year, as the star talks about the "life-changing" role
 
 
(L to R) Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro, Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars, Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne, and Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo 'Matty' Nix in The Rip.
Action Movies The 25 best Netflix action movies to watch right now
 
 
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
Amazon Prime Video The 25 best movies on Prime Video to watch right now
 
 
Latest in Movies
Spider-Man Brand New Day
Marvel Movies Tom Holland compares Jon Bernthal's Punisher to RDJ's Tony Stark in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
 
 
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Marvel Movies Marvel Studios pushes back one of its upcoming MCU release dates while revealing two more
 
 
The Wheel of Time
Fantasy Shows The Wheel of Time is returning as a series of animated movies and shows, and a video game
 
 
Fast X
Action Movies Assassin's Creed screenwriter will pen the script for the long-awaited final Fast and Furious movie
 
 
The new GamesRadar+ logo on a dark background adorned with crosses in orange and grey
Games Leave comments, play quizzes, earn badges: Join the GamesRadar+ community
 
 
Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray in Star Wars: Starfighter
Star Wars Movies Tom Cruise interrupted filming on Star Wars: Starfighter by landing his helicopter on set
 
 
Latest in Features
Invincible VS screenshot showing Dupli-Kate using her abilities
Fighting Games Invincible VS director wants players to feel like "a f**king superhero," so expect matches that are a "knock-down, drag-out fight until the death"
 
 
A close-up of Grace talking with someone through glass in Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Resident Evil Requiem's Grace actor did "a lot of research" into panic disorders, which makes playing the game with a real-life anxiety condition the scariest the series has ever been
 
 
A painted Legio Custodes miniature on a wooden surface
Tabletop Gaming The new Warhammer Custodes look amazing, but my god, I wish they were easier to build
 
 
Star Wars Galactic Racer big preview
Racing Games "Our tracks are not procedurally-generated": Why replayability is at the heart of Star Wars: Galactic Racer
 
 
Star Wars Galactic Racer big preview
Racing Games Star Wars: Galactic Racer looks every bit the Burnout: Takedown revival I've been waiting 20 years to play
 
 
A man sits astride a wolf mount on top of a mountain in Crimson Desert, which isn't on Game Pass.
Adventure Games 100 hours of Crimson Desert made me realize how perfect Breath of the Wild is
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. A screenshot of the Adoring Fan seen in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered.
    1
    Todd Howard says Oblivion leaks didn't help Bethesda or players: "Everyone is gonna have a different version"
  2. 2
    Slay the Spire 2 devs respond to the flurry of negative Steam reviews: "No change is necessarily permanent"
  3. 3
    The new Warhammer Custodes look amazing, but my god, I wish they were easier to build
  4. 4
    3 new to Netflix movies I recommend you watch this weekend (March 21 - March 22)
  5. 5
    "My dream game": After 7 hours, Palworld publishing lead delivers his Crimson Desert verdict: "This game is made for me"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...