Everyone is talking about the comic book superhero series on Netflix, Umbrella Academy, and for a good reason. The series, based on Gerard Way’s ‘Dark Horse’, and documents the lives of seven kids, now all grown up, who have their own powers.
Just to give a bit of a background, the series starts on October 1, 1989, when 43 kids are surprisingly birthed by women who were not expectant. A Sir Reginald Hagreeves then adopts seven of these kids. Hagreeves and his robot spouse Grace, along with Dr. Phinneus Pogo, his chimpanzee assistant, bring up these extraordinary kids to become superheroes and rescue the planet. Presently, these estranged siblings have come together as adults to unravel the mysterious passing of their father, and things move on from there, although not as smoothly as hoped.
Interestingly, the seven siblings have names and numbers that give insight into their distinct personalities and mystical abilities. Perhaps their names have a deeper meaning and could inspire baby names? Read on to find out.
Luther
Meet Luther Hagreeves, also called Number One, or Spaceboy. Luther, a character played by Game of Thrones actor Tom Hopper, is extremely strong. Spaceboy has a huge gorilla upper body, which came about as a result of genetic manipulation by Reginald after Spaceboy got injured while on a mission on the moon. As stated by Reddit, Luther is a name of German origin that means ‘people army,’ so basically, an army for the people or something like that. True to that, Luther is the leader of the academy, upright, and stays by Reginald's side long after his siblings leave.
Diego
Diego Hagreeves, alias Number Two, or The Kraken is cast by David Castaneda, Jane the Virgin actor. Diego is a firebrand who possesses the ability to curve the sharp blades he throws and can hold his breath for lengthy periods. The root of the name ‘Diego’ is unclear, but many baby name websites suggest that Diego means ‘supplanter.’ This meaning is consistent, particularly with Diego’s constant jealousy of Luther.
Allison
Allison Hagreeves, a.k.a Number three, a.k.a The Rumor, lies to make others follow her bidding. The character portrayed by Emmy Raver-Lampman, A Million Little Things actress can manipulate reality. To do that, Allison must say, ‘I heard a rumor.’ Allison is a name derived from Alice, meaning ‘truth’ or ‘kind and noble.’ With her ability to control people, 'truth' sounds ironic. However, 'noble' could be a nod to the honest and upright Allison, who is also a renowned star in the series.
Klaus
Klaus Hagreeves, also goes by the name Number four. Robert Sheehan, Misfits actor plays Klaus, who possesses the power to communicate with the dead, along with the ability to cause things to hover in the air. An abbreviated version of Nicholas, Klaus means ‘the people’s victory’, and that makes sense due to Klaus’ ability to talk to ghosts and bring closure to the dead as well as to families of the deceased.
The Boy
The Boy’s real name is not told, and he just goes by the figure Reginald gave him, Number five. This role is acted by 15-year-old Aidan Gallagher, who is 58 years old but stuck inside the body of a 10-year-old in the series. According to Gerard Way in an interview with Alternative Press Magazine, Five is lightyears older than his brothers and sisters, who are yet to learn that numbers do not mean anything. Five adopted his number as a name rather than a rank and refused to have an actual name.
Ben
Ben Hagreeves, Number six, or The Horror, has the power to possess monsters from other dimensions. The role played by Pure Genius’ actor Justin H Min is dead in the series, but thanks to Klaus' ability to converse with the deceased, Ben can help his siblings. Ben is said to originate from the name ‘Benjamin’, and Reddit interprets it to mean ‘blessed.’ The name also means ‘son of my right hand, according to baby name sites, and this meaning fits the character, especially with how season 2 ends.
Vanya
Vanya Hagreeves, also called Number seven, or The White Violin, is acted by Ellen Page, an X-Men actress. Vanya comes from the Slavic name ‘Ivan’ derived from ‘John’, and it means ‘Gracious Gift of God’ or ‘God is Gracious’ in Hebrew. These meanings could very well tie into The White Violins’ supernatural ability to manipulate sound. Although Reginald medicated Vanya and led her to believe that she had no powers, it turns out that Vanya is the most powerful of them all.
Sources: reddit.com, imdb.com, altpress.com, standard.co.uk, e4-misfits.fandom.com, janethevirgin.fandom.com, netflix.com.