Do names in books motivate your naming?

General Name Discussion
1

They certainly do mine! I never knew how huge the impact of a lifetime of reading was on my name preferences until I became active on nameberry.

From [name_f]Anne[/name_f] of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables: [name_f]Marilla[/name_f], [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m], [name_f]Jamesina[/name_f], [name_u]Jem[/name_u], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_u]Owen[/name_u], [name_u]Leslie[/name_u], [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_m]Walter[/name_m].
From [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women: [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] and [name_f]Meg[/name_f].
From [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] Enright: [name_f]Garnet[/name_f], [name_u]Linden[/name_u], [name_m]Timothy[/name_m], [name_m]Jasper[/name_m], [name_m]Titus[/name_m], [name_m]Martin[/name_m], [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f], [name_m]Yancey[/name_m], [name_m]Rush[/name_m], [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Tarquin[/name_m].
From [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_u]Drew[/name_u], etc.: [name_f]Bess[/name_f], [name_f]Effie[/name_f], [name_f]Eloise[/name_f], [name_u]Carson[/name_u], [name_m]Fenton[/name_m], [name_m]Hardy[/name_m], [name_f]Louise[/name_f], [name_u]Dana[/name_u], [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f].
From [name_f]Agatha[/name_f] [name_u]Christie[/name_u]: [name_f]Felicity[/name_f], [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Dolly[/name_f].
From [name_m]Nero[/name_m] [name_m]Wolfe[/name_m]: [name_m]Archie[/name_m], [name_m]Saul[/name_m], [name_m]Fred[/name_m], [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], [name_u]Orrie[/name_u].
From [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] L. [name_m]Sayers[/name_m]: [name_m]Peter[/name_m], [name_m]Reginald[/name_m], [name_f]Harriet[/name_f], Eliuned, [name_m]Charles[/name_m], [name_u]Freddie[/name_u].
From [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] [name_m]Hardy[/name_m]: [name_f]Tamsin[/name_f], Diggory, [name_f]Tess[/name_f], [name_u]Jude[/name_u], [name_f]Bathsheba[/name_f], [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m], [name_u]Clem[/name_u].
From [name_f]Barbara[/name_f] Pym: [name_f]Ianthe[/name_f], [name_f]Mildred[/name_f], [name_f]Belinda[/name_f], [name_f]Agatha[/name_f], [name_m]Henry[/name_m], [name_f]Catherine[/name_f], [name_m]Digby[/name_m], [name_f]Prudence[/name_f].
From [name_m]Winston[/name_m] [name_m]Graham[/name_m]: [name_f]Demelza[/name_f], [name_m]Ross[/name_m], [name_f]Morwenna[/name_f], [name_f]Prudie[/name_f].

And so on…

Of course if I didn’t love English books so very much, my names would be quite different. :slight_smile:

is there anyone else out there so influenced in her name loves by books as I am?

2

Definitely! The most pronounced example for me is probably my love of the name [name_m]Phineas[/name_m] nn Finny from A Separate [name_u]Peace[/name_u]. I can’t use the name because it’s too similar to our dog’s name; no one would ever know whether we were calling the kid or the dog!

There are probably a number of others, but that’s the one where I can truly say my only exposure to the name comes from the book and is the reason I love it so.