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15 Literary Baby Names That’ll Raise A Future Bookworm
When you’re picking out potential names for your baby, why not trade the baby naming book for one of the many reads on your bookshelf? If reading is one of your favorite hobbies, this is probably a no-brainer. After all, there are many literary baby names that still sound fresh today. And you’ll always have a great story on hand when people ask how you arrived at a particular name.
Now, I’m not suggesting you name your child Frankenstein or Gatsby (although that would be fabulous), but literature is a good source of names because writers spend a lot of time thinking about pleasing sounds and their meanings in the context of a language. So it stands to reason that writers have come up with some of the most beautiful and just plain cool-sounding names around.
So here are 15 literary baby names to help you get those creative juices flowing. With examples from Shakespeare to Philip Pullman and most eras in-between, you’re almost certain to find a name that will perfectly suit your own growing family. And won’t your child enjoy growing up knowing that his name was inspired by a famous character? Yeah, that kid will definitely grow up to be a bookworm.
1Denver
Denver is a dynamic, intelligent youngest child of the protagonist Sethe in Toni Morrison’s Beloved. This is also a unique unisex name for a modern baby.
2Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bennet is one of the sharpest characters in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, managing her family and suitors with her quick wit and strong will. Why not honor such a strong women when naming your own kid?
3Estella
Estella is the unattainable beauty in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. This name, which means star, is also a gorgeous choice for your own child.
4Ethan
The titular character of Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome is a sensitive man with a tremendous love of the outdoors. It’s also become a popular boy’s name in recent years, and has cracked the top ten list of popular names since 2002.
5Eustacia
Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native features the passionate Eustacia Vye, who has the eye of most every man in her town. Can you imagine calling your own girl by such a stunning name?
6Georgiana
Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre features a minor character named Georgiana Reed, who appears as a sort of reformed mean girl in later parts of the novel. Everyone loves a redemption arc, right? Furthermore, this pretty name is also unusual, as it has not been in the top 1,000 names in the last five years.
7Grant
Grant Wiggins is the protagonist of Ernest J. Gaines’ poignant A Lesson Before Dying. A complex character, Grant displays considerable compassion when mentoring an inmate. You might consider this solid name for your own little boy.
8Jean
Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables features Jean Valjean as one of the most sympathetic protagonists of all time. Jean is also a classic boy’s name that still sounds great today.
9Lyra
Lyra’s spunk and spirit dominates Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. This unique name would be fitting for your own one-of-a-kind girl.
10Mathilde
Although the Mathilde in Guy de Maupassant’s short story “The Necklace” does not fare particularly well, this gorgeous name that means battle maiden is still fitting for a modern girl.
11Melanie
Melanie is the most sweet-tempered character in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind. You can honor your own good-natured girl with this name.
12Miles
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is a classic ghost story that includes a charming boy by the name of Miles. Ghosts aside, it’s also just a really cool name that means mild” or “peaceful.
13Pearl
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter features some great names. But Pearl, the heroine’s vibrant young daughter, stands out because she is so perceptive and charming. This might make a great name for your own little treasure.
14Roderick
Okay, so Roderick Usher in Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Fall of the House of Usher" is about 50 shades of cray. But isn’t the name Roderick just so stately and neat?
15Viola
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night features Viola in a story of shipwrecks and misplaced loves. It’s also a timelessly lovely name for any child.
Images: Stephanie/Flickr
