Influencer criticized for naming baby after Disney character

A Disney-inspired baby name has kicked up a storm online after a social media influencer chose it for her newborn, drawing taunts from critics who called it a “brilliant stripper name.” The mother, unfazed, says the choice is perfect for her child—and points out she’s not alone in loving it.

In January 2023, Molly-Mae Hague announced the birth of her daughter with Tommy Fury, whom she met on Love Island. Soon after, she revealed the baby’s name—Bambi—posting a sweet photo from the little girl’s beautifully decorated bedroom. The reveal was met with a rush of negative comments about the unusual, Disney-inspired choice. “I was brought back down to planet earth very quickly, of how nasty this world can be,” Hague said on YouTube. “I know it’s unusual and unique and not going to be to everyone’s taste… in my mind, it’s a beautiful name.” Fury agreed: “There was only one name for our little girl, and it was Bambi… When Molly was young, she only ever wanted to call her daughter one thing and that was Bambi… and I love the name anyway.” The pair—who have since split—disabled comments on the announcement to keep trolls at bay.

Around the same time, Australian TikTok creator Indy Clinton, 25, named her daughter Bambi Valentine, believing it was “unique, unusual… that nobody would use.” When Hague revealed the same name months later, Clinton simply laughed it off: “Great minds think alike.” Like Hague, Clinton’s affection for the animated fawn goes back to childhood; she often read the storybook to her two-year-old son, Navy. “I was reading the book to Navy one night and it came to me… ‘What about Bambi?’ and from then on it stuck,” she said. She had originally considered Paloma, but when her daughter arrived in October 2022—with big brown eyes and a sweet, curious nature—“She couldn’t be a Paloma now—she’s my Bambilicious.”

Clinton’s choice drew mixed reactions too. Some sneered—“Brilliant stripper name,” one commenter wrote—while others celebrated it: “How beautiful she is! And what a gorgeous forever name you have gifted her,” one person posted, with many more chiming in, “So cute, love her name!” Clinton brushed off naysayers: “People will criticize anything these days, so at least give them something to talk about.” She added that distinctive names are trending: “Bambi is going to fit right in with the Rivers, Bears, Forests, Stormis, and Wolfs.” As for changing it? “That is her name, and nothing is going to change that.”