Literary Baby Names

[Práxedes Jamal]

Literarynames, drawn from the characters in books for both adults and children as well as from the names of well-loved authors, are gaining in popularity. Literary names can confer meaning on a child as well as provide a worthy hero or heroine to look up to.

Along with Alice and Charlotte, literary baby names from children's and young adult books ranking in the US Top 500 include Sawyer, Matilda, Finn, Holden, Lyra, and Eloise. Unique literary names from children's books or of young characters gaining attention include Huck, Ramona, Scout, and Hermione.

Historical novels also provide a rich source of popular literary names. Drawn from the works of authors from Shakespeare to Jane Austen to F. Scott Fitzgerald, top historical literary names include Juliet, Archer, Scarlett, and Darcy, for both genders.

Literary works adapted in recent years for popular television shows and movies have had a strong influence, especially from the name-rich works of J.K. Rowling and George R. R. Martin. Literary names that have been created or popularized by the Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Hunger Games, and Twilight franchises include Arya, Khaleesi, Katniss, Albus, and Bella.

The best place to start your search for the perfect literary baby name is with your favorite books and authors, of course. But you might love the name first and read the book or research the author afterwards.

What are the best literary names for your soon-to-be baby bookworm? Literary names for girls, literary names for boys, and gender-neutral names based on famous books, authors, and characters are smart, sweet, stylish selections that will set your kiddo apart and, hopefully, inspire a life-long love of the printed page!

Some of the best literary names for babies include Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird, Scarlett from Gone with the Wind, Holden from The Catcher in the Rye, Emma from Jane Austen's Emma, and Dorian from The Picture of Dorian Gray. These names are inspired by memorable characters in literature and could be a unique choice for your child.

Moving on to Greek and Roman mythology, we have an endless list of names that tend to sound quite fancy. Here are my favorites, in alphabetical order: Apollo, Artemis, Atlas, Athena, Diana, Gaia, Hera, Hestia, Juno, Nyx, Orion, Phoebe, Rhea, Selene, Theia, Vesta.

And from European fairytales retold by the Grimm brothers and Charles Perrault, you have some ethereal-feeling options, like Belle, Gretel, Hansel, Rapunzel, Briar (or the full thing, Briar Rose), and even Ella (as in Cinderella). I would avoid Rumpelstiltskin.

Both Toni and Morrison would make adorable baby names and allow you to pay homage to one of the greats. Ditto with Alice and Munro, Ralph and Ellison (okay, Ralph has a slightly dated feel, but Ellison sounds more modern), and Langston and Hughes (well, Hugh).

American War by Omar El Akkad is set in a near future after climate change has wreaked havoc on the southern United States, and it features several familiar-but-uncommon names. Sarat, the main character, is fascinating. Other names from the book include Marina, Simon, Karina, Yousef, and Dana.

Growing up, my favorite book was [name]Little[/name] Women. My love for the names [name]Josephine[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name] (sisters [name]Jo[/name] and [name]Beth[/name]) stem from there. Their other sisters are [name]Margaret[/name] ([name]Meg[/name]) and [name]Amy[/name] - great names as well!

[name]Just[/name] out of curiosity do an of you dislike names because of literary connections, like I dislike the name [name]Caroline[/name] because of [name]Caroline[/name] Bingley in Pride and Prejudice.

[name]Davida[/name] -Not Without My [name]Sister[/name]

[name]Elspeth[/name], [name]Valentina[/name] -Her Fearful Symmetry

[name]Emmeline[/name], [name]Mathilde[/name], [name]Aurelius[/name] - The Thirteenth Tale

Literature is a portal to the past, the future, and imaginary realms. Humans have communicated through poetry, songs, and stories for centuries. Searching for literary baby names is logical for those of us who enjoy the beautiful and rich world of literature. After all, we would like to give names to our little ones that capture and reflect the stories and authors that we have come to admire.

Hermione and Ginny are excellent characters to name your daughter after, but Luna would be best of the lot. Luna Lovegood taught the readers that one must never be afraid to love his or her full and true self.

Literary names are a great way to pass on family traditions to future generations. If someone in the family loves reading or is a fan of a certain author, literary names could give them joy. It could also inextricably connect the baby with them. Moreover, you can make it a family tradition to name firstborns or baby girls after literary figures.

Literary names were always a favorite way to name babies. Moreover, as more new parents discover the joy of reading and encourage their children to read more, the popularity of baby names is rising. New parents wish to pass on their love of reading to their children and thus name their babies after literary figures.

Selecting a proper literary name for your baby is of utmost importance. Make sure the character or author you choose to name your child after has the same set of values and beliefs as you do. Another aspect of giving your baby a literary name is the spelling. Fantasy books have certain names that are difficult to pronounce and spell correctly. If you choose such names for your baby, they may be subject to ridicule in the future. However, as a parent, you know what is best for your child, and hence, it is up to you to decide which name would suit them best.

Some modern literary names that are popular are Luna, Katniss, Hermione, Esme, Lyra, and Arwen, which you can give to girls. Holden, Atticus, Augustus, Ronan, and Elio are trending literary names for boys.

Literary names such as Hester, Heathcliff, Portia, Quixote, Bathsheba, and Tess have periodically gone out of vogue. However, naming trends change constantly, and these names could become popular again.

Literary names are usually chosen from a selection of literature works from a particular region or culture. These names symbolize the cultural heritage of the region. Moreover, it encourages the development and love of language.

Whether from an ancient literature source or modern scripts, a literary name is classic, exhilarating, and seems to emerge from a gripping novel. Look at these names inspired by some famous characters from the literature.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

William for a boy! (Shakespeare, Blake, Wordsworth, Godwin, Yeats, Golding, Somerset Maugham, Faulkner, Wharton etc - loads of the most prominent/classic male writers seem to have been called William as well as it being used for characters from Shakespeare, Austen, Bronte, Dickens, Tennyson... ). Mary/Maria or maybe Jane would probably be the girls equivalent.

But I'm guessing you mean names that instantly make you think "literary character" because they are relatively uncommon or invented by the writer - so Atticus, Lysander, Orlando, Caspian, Holden, Lyra, Coraline, Miranda, Perdita, Cordelia, Ophelia are some of my fave more obvious character names (even if I don't always like the characters themselves).

I like Laurie/Lawrence inspired by Little Women (though I don't think it was his actual name- I think it was his surname?) and also Josephine from the same book.

I'm sure there are more, but it's still early!

Surely most names have some sort of literary connection if you look. What books do you like and are there any names you can think as a starting point? Charlotte and James are literary, but so are Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin. Or Harper and Holden. Or Frodo and Galadriel.

People turn to all kinds of things for baby name inspiration. Some stare at their fruit bowl (hello, Apple Martin), some stare at their favorite aircraft (OK, Elon Musk), and some turn to their bookshelves. For these literary-minded folks, I've rounded up 25 literary baby names from classic stories that are guaranteed to make you sound smart and like you read more than just your Instagram feed.

The perfect name for the brooding baby who loves to toddle through the wild, endless moors. This of course comes from the Emily Bronte classic Wuthering Heights, about the tragic love affair between Catherine and the dark, tortured Heathcliff. It means, well, "cliff near a heath," and it's a name that inspires drama and passion. Or if your baby is way more chill than all that, you can just call him "Cliff."

This is another nod to a J.D. Salinger character, that of Franny Glass from the short story collection Franny and Zooey. Meaning "of France" or "free one," the name is like Holden in that it's always going to get a nod of approval from hipsters of a certain ilk. (Salinger is a favorite of filmmaker Wes Anderson. You get the idea.)

Jarvis Lorry is a character from Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. He is a cold-hearted businessman who is later revealed to be a tender and loyal friend. The name Jarvis means "servant of the spear," and to give it a little extra dash of cool, it's also the name of the lead singer of the Brit Pop band Pulp.

OK, so yes, this is the name of a tragic character who trades his soul in order to gain eternal youth, but I stand by the fact that it's still an awesome name. (And could be great for a girl, no?) Surely enough time has passed since Oscar Wilde first published The Picture of Dorian Gray that the name can now be reclaimed? (Though if you do choose it, be sure to regularly check on that baby photo stashed away in the attic...)

Author Ralph Ellison penned the groundbreaking novel The Invisible Man, a book about a Black man's experience in 1950s America. The book is considered an American classic, and Ellison is widely regarded as a literary genius. The name "Ellison" is generally considered a girl's name, though it totally could work for a boy as well. It means "son of Ellis."

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