Meet the mum who named her five boys after TV and film characters – including the Joker - and says rude strangers have even said her choice of monikers "sound like criminals".

Rachael Cresswell, 42, and her husband, Daniel, 39, a fisheries enforcement officer, took inspiration from their favourite films and TV shows when naming their sons.

The couple have a one-year-old named Leif, after discovering the birth name of Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix, who the couple are a fan of, is Leaf.

They also have Jaxon, eight, named after Sons of Anarchy character Jax, Noah, seven, from his namesake in The Notebook, Cole, six, from The Affair, and Bodhi, three, from Point Break.

Rachael has never been bothered about having a daughter and even worried her one-year-old Lief would be a little girl - saying she "didn’t know how they would mix" with her boys.

The mum-of-five says the family are constantly watched when they go out and are told by strangers how “well-behaved” the children are.

Rachael, a stay-at-home mum, from Torbay, South Devon, said: “They are all named after TV shows we were watching together while I was pregnant.

“It was really great to give us inspiration.

“We were struggling with a name for Leif.

“We were watching the film ‘Signs’ and were commenting on how good Joaquin Phoenix is in it and then found out his birth name is Leaf.

"Dan really liked him in the Joker too.

"The Scandinavian spell it Leif which is more common.

"Ocean is Leif's middle name because we live by the sea and I spent a lot of time at the beach.

“All of our sons have really grown into their names.

“Most babies suit their names I think.

“People always ask if I want a girl, but with Leif I was actually worried he might be a girl.

“Because it would be different and I didn’t know how a girl would feel about being around four boys.”

Racheal was unsure if she wanted children until she reached her 30s and decided she wanted to start a family.

After giving birth to Jaxon, now eight, via emergency c-section in February 2014, she found herself loving motherhood and fell pregnant with Noah six months later.

“I didn’t now I would enjoy motherhood so much,” Rachael said.

“We ended up with three under three.”

Their third son, Cole, was born in December 2016, followed by Bodhi in May 2019 and their youngest, Leif, in January 2022.

The choice to name their sons after TV characters and films came after Racheal and Daniel were looking for inspiration.

“It was hard having to think of things,” Rachael said.

“They are all films or shows we’ve watched together and liked when I was pregnant.

“It’s nice to have that connection to the pregnancy too.”

Rachael says some people can be opinionated about her choices for her children’s names.

“Someone told me that they though Jaxon sounded like a criminal,” she said.

“Some people were not so sure about the name Leif online but family and friends love it.

“People like to have an opinion about names.

“People comment things like ‘she did not name her child Leif.’”

Rachael says parenting five boys can be hectic but they are usually well-behaved.

“We go out to eat and people watch us,” she said.

“People will come up and say: 'We’ve been watching you and I’m surprised at how good they are.'

“I think it’s because we don’t have screens when we're out either.

“I always have Playdoh and colouring pens on me which keeps them occupied and happy.”

Rachael says her boys all get on well but have different personalities.

“Jaxon is sensible and has the purest of hearts,” she said.

“He likes to mother his siblings.

“Noah has autism and he’s quite quirky and really funny.

“Cole and Bodhi are both a whirlwind and Leif is very calm – for now.”