Based on a long-running series of brutal fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin, HBO’s Game of Thrones is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed TV shows ever. And why wouldn’t it. It’s got everything that makes anything good: epic battles, every good British actor in history, dragons, hand to hand combat, Pete Dinklage, nuns shouting “shame!”, dragons, murdered child kings, conspiracies, alliances, resurrections, a cool made-up language (Dothraki), and, because it’s on HBO, excessive nudity. (It’s got to be the first show with both dragons and prostitutes to win the Emmy for Best Drama.) Watching Game of Thrones every Sunday night has been a hallmark of Spring since 2011, except this year, when filming of season 7 was pushed back, thus pushing back the premiere of new episodes. So, to tide you over until the show airs, here some cool facts about the incredibly intricate world of Westeros and all the people hell-bent on taking control of it.
1. More than 150 babies were named “Khaleesi” in 2012.
2. The fastest-growing baby name in the U.S. is Arya, as in Arya Stark. Also gaining in popularity: Maisie, as in Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark.
3. Gwendoline Christie, who plays Brienne of Tarth, doesn’t know the actual date of her birth, only that she was born in 1978.
