The character Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family was named after the line "Wednesday's child is full of woe" from the classic nursery rhyme "Monday's Child." This rhyme, first published in 1838, assigns characteristics to children based on the day of the week they were born. Charles Addams, the creator of The Addams Family cartoons, chose the name for the character when the cartoons were adapted into the 1964 television series. The name suits her dark, gothic, and woeful personality in the series. The character's unique name helped popularize Wednesday as a given name following the show's success. This naming backstory is even referenced in the 2022 Netflix series "Wednesday," where the rhyme is explained as the inspiration for her name.