Mental Floss

Every State’s Favorite Fictional Mom, Mapped

From Lorelai Gilmore to Marge Simpson, discover which iconic fictional moms are most loved in every state.
ByCaLea Johnson|
Morticia Addams and Daenerys Targaryen are the clear winners.
Morticia Addams and Daenerys Targaryen are the clear winners. | PrivacyJournal

From classic sitcoms to fantasy series, Americans have strong opinions about their favorite on-screen moms. Just in time for Mother’s Day, the online security review website PrivacyJournal recently revealed which fictional mom each state loves most in its latest report [PDF].

The site created this map by first making a list of iconic mothers across generations and genres of media. They then analyzed search interest in these characters over the past 12 months using data from Google Trends. Analysts homed in on search trends by state to determine which mothers were most popular in each region.   

privacy journal map
The map is pretty diverse across America. | PrivacyJournal

According to the study, the country’s favorite moms include characters from live-action shows, like Sophia Petrillo from The Golden Girls and Renee Perry from the ABC series Desperate Housewives. But the U.S. hasn’t forgotten about animation. Cartoon moms, including Marge Simpson from The Simpsons and Elastigirl from The Incredibles (2004), also got some well-deserved space on the map.

The Addams Family‘s Morticia Addams and Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen both tied as the most-searched fictional mothers. Carolyn Jones first depicted Mrs. Addams in 1964 when the show premiered, and her charm, elegance, and devotion to her family made the character one of America’s favorite goths and moms. Twelve states, including Indiana, Kansas, and Kentucky, fell for Morticia the hardest.

Meanwhile, Alaska, Connecticut, Utah, and nine other states preferred Daenerys Targaryen from the TV series based on George R.R. Martin’s series A Song of Ice and Fire. She earned the title “Mother of Dragons,” showing her strength, bravery, and will to defend those she loves. Lorelai Gilmore falls two states short of Morticia and Daenerys, gaining the most searches in California, New Jersey, Texas, and seven more places. As a single mom who gave birth as a teenager, the Gilmore Girls character is one of the youngest mothers on the list. The quality of her relationship with her daughter is also a hot topic of debate among viewers.  

You can read up on the greatest non-fictional mothers here. 

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