Great Namesakes from History, Legend and Literature

General Name Discussion
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I’ve been thinking about names from history and literature lately and how having an admirable namesake can really elevate a name, and just give it more weight and substance. The same is true for names with good meanings as well.

Anyway I’ve been loving the idea lately of this genre of name, and would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on some of your favorite names from history or literature or legend that you would be delighted to bestow upon a child.

Here are some of my favorites so far:

Boys:

[name_m]Emrys[/name_m] - legendary great king of [name_m]Wales[/name_m] and one of the early names of [name_m]Merlin[/name_m]. Also Dinas [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] is a significant Arthurian location in the Welsh countryside.

Aneirin - the great ancient Welsh poet. I love the nickname “[name_m]Nye[/name_m]”.

[name_m]Arthur[/name_m] - yet another ancient Welsh namesake for the boys!

[name_u]Robin[/name_u] - [name_u]Robin[/name_u] Hood is one of my favorite legendary figures of all time. I also think [name_u]Robin[/name_u] would be quite fresh and unusual on a boy nowadays.

[name_m]Peter[/name_m] - [name_m]Peter[/name_m] is one of my favorite Biblical namesakes. Also is my fathers name so it’s double namesake points for [name_m]Peter[/name_m]! ([name_m]David[/name_m] is my other favorite Biblical figure but unfortunately [name_m]David[/name_m] is just far too common a name, [name_m]Ive[/name_m] known like 15-20 personally off the top of my head and meet so many besides. I do like the Welsh form of Daveth though!)

[name_m]Nelson[/name_m] - for [name_m]Mandela[/name_m]. I’ve never actually met a [name_m]Nelson[/name_m] despite it being so familiar. Maybe it’s ready for a comeback, and with such an admirable namesake too! At a stretch I think even [name_f]Nell[/name_f] or [name_f]Nellie[/name_f] could work as a female version if you wanted to name a girl after him. (Which are my favorite diminutives of [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]).

Girls:

[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] - there are so many great [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] namesakes but my favorite is [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] of [name_f]Aquitaine[/name_f], the great [name_m]French[/name_m] and English queen and mother of Kings [name_m]Richard[/name_m] and [name_m]John[/name_m]. Other notables include of course [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] [name_m]Roosevelt[/name_m] and [name_f]Elinor[/name_f] Dashwood. [name_m]Even[/name_m] Samwise of LOTR had a daughter [name_f]Elanor[/name_f], herself named for the “sunstar” flowers of Middle [name_f]Earth[/name_f]. (As I said above, [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]’s nickname [name_f]Nell[/name_f] could be a nod towards [name_m]Nelson[/name_m] [name_m]Mandela[/name_m] too so to me [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] is an incredibly rich name!)

[name_f]Boudicca[/name_f]/Boudicea - this is not a name I could ever consider using (although I have known a Boudicea!), but I love her as an historical figure. Ancient British warrior queen? Yes please. I just wish the name had some more usable variants.

[name_f]Morgana[/name_f] - I could not forget the great [name_f]Morgana[/name_f] [name_m]Le[/name_m] [name_f]Fey[/name_f]! She’s pretty shady in some retellings of the Arthurian myth, but she is so mysterious and probably misunderstood that I can’t help but be intrigued by her.

[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] - the faithful daughter of [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear, and an apparently great legendary [name_f]Queen[/name_f] to boot. I think this is a beautiful name (tho it took a good while to grow on me), but it would probably only be middle name territory since I know many dislike the full name and I don’t like any of the nns asides from [name_f]Della[/name_f], which unfortunately sounds really clumsy with my surname.

[name_f]Eowyn[/name_f] - one of the few strong female characters by Tolkein. I love that she is flawed, but strong and brave (the real “face your fears” kind of brave, not the heedless fearless kind). She is also kind and compassionate and loves fiercely. A wonderful namesake for an adventurous girl.

[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] - once again, so many great Elizabeths! There’s of course the great [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] the first, and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] the second. In literature there’s the feisty [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_m]Bennet[/name_m] of Pride and Prejudice. I also just think [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is so stately and timeless, even though it’s so familiar, it never seems to lose its sparkle to me, much like [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f].

[name_f]Esther[/name_f] - while [name_f]Esther[/name_f] is nms, I do think she is a fantastic strong Biblical figure and a great name sake for anyone. Also, a top choice if you’re looking for names that mean ‘star’! I did used to love her other name [name_f]Hadassah[/name_f] too which is another option.

[name_f]Angelou[/name_f] - for [name_f]Maya[/name_f] [name_f]Angelou[/name_f] (just because I prefer [name_f]Angelou[/name_f] to [name_f]Maya[/name_f] as a given name, but either are good!)

These are all I have for the moment but I’d love to hear what you all think and who your favorite namesakes are, whether they are ancient or modern! What inspires you about the character or person, and do you think you might actually use their name or think it would be usable by anyone in general?

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I’m a huge classic literature fan and my favourite book is [name_u]Les[/name_u] Miserables.
I probably wouldn’t use these names but I’ve thought about it.

[name_m]Hugo[/name_m] - After the author, [name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Hugo[/name_m].

[name_f]Fantine[/name_f] - A poor, strong single mother of [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] who will do anything for her daughter.

Another favourite book of mine is The Poisonwood Bible, who has the character:

[name_f]Ada[/name_f] - [name_f]Adah[/name_f] loves reading and has a physical disability, making her thoughts particularly interesting. She prefers the spelling [name_f]Ada[/name_f] because she has a habit of reading and writing things backwards so she loves palindromes. Also my partner’s name starts with “[name_m]Ad[/name_m]-”, so it makes me want to use it more.

One more name that I’ve had on my list but decided I won’t use is:

[name_f]Anahita[/name_f] - My partner is Afghan, so Persian history means something for the names we choose. [name_f]Anahita[/name_f] is a Persian [name_f]Goddess[/name_f] of fertility, rivers, and water.

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Fun thread! Let’s see where I can start…

Girls:

[name_f]Cassia[/name_f]: This is an ancient [name_m]Roman[/name_m] name, but it’s been seen in a variety of forms all throughout history. It comes from the Latin word [name_m]Cassius[/name_m] meaning empty. In modern days, the name further became famous as the first name of world-famous boxer [name_m]Muhammad[/name_m] [name_u]Ali[/name_u]. This name, by some, has been turned into [name_f]Kassia[/name_f], which I have since turned into ‘Karsia’! I would absolutely love to use the name Karsia, or even [name_f]Cassia[/name_f], I think it’s gorgeous and so unique. Karsia is pronounced Car-See-[name_m]Ah[/name_m], but can also be pronounced Kar-Sha or [name_m]Cas[/name_m]-EE-ah.

[name_f]Emilia[/name_f]: [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] is a character in the tragedy [name_m]Othello[/name_m] by [name_m]William[/name_m] [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m]. On the subject of [name_m]William[/name_m] [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m], we have the famous [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] Bassano, FIRST published female poet and [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m]'s muse! If you look closely, you’ll notice the name [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] cropping up in a few of [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m]'s plays. [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] Bassano was left out of the history books for years, and is now the subject of a play written by [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] [name_m]Lloyd[/name_m] [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m]. I really like this name, a lot, actually. Honestly I’d prefer to use it on a pet or in a middle name spot, but it’s definitely not off the table. It’s just delightful! Some may say its a silly version of [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], but I honestly prefer [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] to its more common spelling, [name_f]Amelia[/name_f].

[name_u]Scout[/name_u]: [name_u]Jean[/name_u]-[name_f]Louise[/name_f], nicknamed [name_u]Scout[/name_u] is a character in To Kill A Mockingbird, by [name_u]Harper[/name_u] [name_u]Lee[/name_u]. This is truly an iconic piece in literature and it inspires me so much in my own writing and even my own life. It’s one of those books I think about long after it’s finished. The character of [name_u]Scout[/name_u] is delightful, and I adore the nickname. I’d never use the name “[name_u]Scout[/name_u]” on its own, but I’d be tempted to fit [name_f]Louise[/name_f] somewhere into a name, or use [name_u]Scout[/name_u] as a nickname. So cute!

[name_f]Athena[/name_f]: [name_f]Athena[/name_f] was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare and the patron goddess of the city of Athens in Greece. Athens is an absolutely wonderful city, and I’m so excited to travel there in a few years. My family has this night-light turtle, we’ve had it for years, and we’ve named it [name_f]Athena[/name_f] for some reason. I don’t know why, but the name has just stuck for a while now. I wouldn’t use it on a child, but this name has a sweet spot in my heart.

[name_f]Anne[/name_f]: [name_f]Anne[/name_f] Of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables is so lovely. The book itself reminds me of my family in a positive way, and the book is just so beautiful, I really enjoy it, and this thread is reminding me that I need to re-read it. I also think of [name_f]Anne[/name_f] [name_m]Frank[/name_m]. I was absolutely infatuated with Diary Of a [name_m]Young[/name_m] Girl. I find [name_f]Anne[/name_f] [name_m]Frank[/name_m] so inspiring, and I truly love her diary. This name is so beautiful, I’m not surprised it’s been so common throughout history. I’m unsure if I’d use this name. I really like it, but these days it seems to be being used as a bit of a filler.

[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]: [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] Catton! A young [name_m]New[/name_m] Zealand author. She is so incredibly talented. I highly recommend her. In 2013, her novel, The Luminaries, won the [name_m]Man[/name_m] [name_m]Booker[/name_m] prize, a huge honour. I wouldn’t use this name, but I do really like it and I love to hear it on other people.

[name_f]Jacinda[/name_f]: The [name_m]New[/name_m] Zealand prime-minister is an absolutely fantastic leader, mother, women, and human in general. I admire [name_f]Jacinda[/name_f] and her work she does for her nation a lot. I don’t love this name enough to use it, but the positive association makes it a nice name to my ear.

Boys:

[name_m]Atticus[/name_m]: Refer to [name_u]Scout[/name_u]! I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] this name and [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] is my favourite character in English literature. At least, [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] in To Kill A Mockingbird, as opposed to Go [name_m]Set[/name_m] A Watchman. I don’t think I’d use this name, despite my love for it, and it being in my top 15… I’ve gotten bad feedback on it, and I don’t know how well I can imagine it on a little boy. This name will always have a special spot in my heart, though!

[name_u]Robin[/name_u]: Same reason as original poster! I plan on using this name for my first son, if I were to, and I hope I do, have a son. [name_u]Robin[/name_u] [name_m]Augustus[/name_m], to be exact! I prefer [name_u]Robin[/name_u] on males than females.

[name_m]Augustus[/name_m]: On the topic of my favourite male combo, [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] was the title given to [name_m]Octavian[/name_m], the first [name_m]Roman[/name_m] emperor. He was the adopted son of [name_m]Julius[/name_m] [name_m]Caesar[/name_m] who rose to power through a combination of military skill and political prowess. Anyways, I’d totally use this name.

[name_u]Kennedy[/name_u]: I just love the name [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u]. My association to the U.S president, [name_m]John[/name_m] F [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u], isn’t enough to put me off the name- In fact, I like it! I discovered this name via the previous president of the United States. I definitely favour this as a surname or a middle name. It’s my favourite surname- If I had to change my own surname, I’d choose this one. I like it as a middle name too, paired with a name like [name_u]Theo[/name_u]. [name_u]Theo[/name_u] [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u], or something along those lines.

[name_u]Valentine[/name_u]: Another attractive Shakespearean name! I love the romantic association, too. I enjoy names with meanings relating to love. I really like [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] on either a male or female, although ‘[name_f]Valentina[/name_f]’ on a female has been a long-term favourite of mine, which is quite similar to this. The meaning of [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] Is strong, which I really like, too! I would consider using this name.

[name_m]Harvey[/name_m]: [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] Milk was the first gay politician to be elected to the office. Need I say more?! Whether people support this effort or not, it is undeniably monumental. He was also instrumental in passing a gay rights ordinance in the 1970s. The name is also known to mean ‘battle worthy’, how appropriate! I don’t love this name enough to use it, but I appreciate it.

[name_m]Isaac[/name_m]: Sir [name_m]Isaac[/name_m] [name_m]Newton[/name_m] is credited as the inventor of differential and integral calculus. One of the most influential thinkers in history. I’d use this as a middle name, too.

[name_m]Aristotle[/name_m]: [name_m]Aristotle[/name_m] contributed in just about every area of human knowledge. He is one of the ‘founding fathers’ of science, so to call it. I’d use this in a middle name, but not in a first name spot.

There are more Biblical names I really like, but to write about them all would need a thread on its own! [name_m]Just[/name_m] know that there are definitely more in my mind!

I enjoyed reading yours. I think all of yours are useable. I find it hard to define a name as unusable- I sometimes will look at peoples ‘guilty-pleasures’ and be like “wait, we can’t use that?!” [name_m]Ah[/name_m] well, I guess we all see the subject of names differently!

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As a christian I love loads of namesakes from the Bible, but also other ones… These are the ones that come to mind:

[name_f]Antigone[/name_f] - although it’s forbidden, she wants to give her brother a proper burial. This story has always inspired me.

[name_f]Cressida[/name_f] - people often think of here as a faithless woman, but she’s a woman who behaves like a man, and she’s much more complex than people think.

[name_f]Magdalene[/name_f] - [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Magdalene[/name_f] is such a strong but loving character in the Bible.

Freyja - an independent woman from Norse mythology.

Embla - the first woman in Norse mythology, created from an elm tree.

[name_m]Ad[/name_m]élaïde - after [name_m]Ad[/name_m]élaïde Labille-Guiard, a [name_m]French[/name_m] portrait painter in the 18th century.

And for boys:

[name_m]Vincent[/name_m] - [name_u]Van[/name_u] Gogh is my favorite painter. This is also a family name, so what’s not to love?

[name_m]Zacheus[/name_m] - my favorite Biblical character, I love this story.

[name_m]Jonas[/name_m] - after Jónas Halgrímsson, an Icelandic poet, probably the most famous one. This is also my twin brother’s name.

Baldur - after the mythological Baldr. The description of his death and return is probably my favorite part of Norse mythology.

[name_m]Lev[/name_m] - [name_m]Lev[/name_m] ([name_m]Leo[/name_m]) Tolstoy is my favorite writer.

[name_m]Ashur[/name_m] - my SO has some Assyrian heritage, and [name_m]Ashur[/name_m] was one of the [name_f]East[/name_f] Semitic gods.

[name_m]Johannes[/name_m] - [name_m]John[/name_m] ([name_m]Johannes[/name_m]) the evangelist has always been my favorite of the four, and there’s also [name_m]John[/name_m] the baptist. My father’s name is Jóhann.

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@futari

You know, I’ve never seen or read [name_u]Les[/name_u] Miserables! It’s one I’ve just somehow missed but keep meaning to get round to!

I love [name_m]Hugo[/name_m]! It’s definitely grown on me and I love it’s classic, upbeat sound. It’s on my shortlist for boys.

[name_f]Ada[/name_f]/[name_f]Adah[/name_f] is beautiful. It sounds so gentle and understated.

[name_f]Anahita[/name_f] is interesting! I think this could work well as a middle name. [name_m]Even[/name_m] as a first name with nickname [name_f]Ana[/name_f].

@babettee

Loved reading your list!

I love [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] as a name, the only thing that has put me off at this point is it’s meaning of “empty/hollow”, it just sounds very sad. I love the male [name_m]Cassian[/name_m] too but have hesitations for the same reasons. I pronounce them both with the “[name_u]Cass[/name_u]” prefix rather than “[name_m]Cash[/name_m]” (though I prefer [name_m]Cassius[/name_m] as “cashus”).

[name_f]Emilia[/name_f]! Beautiful! Not one I would use myself but it is so elegant, similar to [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], but friendlier sounding somehow? I’m not sure how most pronounce it, but to me it’s kind of like [name_f]Emily[/name_f] just with -a on the end. It sounds like a smile, and it’s association with the delightful [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] [name_m]Clarke[/name_m] reinforces this even more! I love the namesake of [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] Bassano! What a great association.

[name_u]Scout[/name_u] is adorable as a nickname! It feels like it would match an adventurous girl (or boy really!)

[name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_f]Athena[/name_f]! She’s such a strong character and the name itself just sounds beautiful. I too wouldn’t use it as a first but I do love seeing it used.

Thank you for reminding me I still need to read The Luminaries!

Personally I love [name_m]Atticus[/name_m]! It sounds like the name of a Greek hero (who knows maybe it is). But I’ve decided to keep it off my shortlist as it seems to be soaring in popularity and it also doesn’t really seem to have any nicknames I like.

Oh please use [name_u]Robin[/name_u]! Like you I prefer it on boys. I’ve known many female Robyns but never a male [name_u]Robin[/name_u] and that’s just a shame! [name_u]Robin[/name_u] [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] is perfect! [name_m]Just[/name_m] the right mix of friendly and familiar, with strong and powerful.

[name_u]Valentine[/name_u] is swoon worthy. I first saw it used in Poldark (which is just a cornucopia of excellent names). I would totally use this as a middle name. I only worry that it would be teaseworthy to kids but maybe I worry too much about that.

[name_m]Harvey[/name_m] Milk is a good namesake! I don’t like the name itself unfortunately.

You’re right about most GPs! Sometimes I’ll see one of my favorite will-totally-use-one day names on someone else’s GP list and am like “oh no I can’t use that?” Haha.

@rosebeth

Oh I’d forgotten about [name_f]Antigone[/name_f]! She’s a good one for sure.

[name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_f]Magdalene[/name_f], nms but I’d love to see girls named for her.

Freyja/[name_f]Freya[/name_f] is one of my favorites. I prefer the former spelling but worry it would be troublesome in the US. I like the nn [name_f]Fae[/name_f] for her.

Embla - beautiful!

[name_m]Vincent[/name_m] is a name that has slowly grown on me, and it is certainly all the richer for having such a creative and influential namesake.

Baldur is another Scandinavian one I love, but know it would be hard to work in the US :frowning:

[name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_m]Ashur[/name_m]! I did not know that there was a name so similar to [name_m]Asher[/name_m] but with such different heritage!

While nms [name_m]Johannes[/name_m] is a good one for [name_m]John[/name_m]! I also like many of Johns international variants to honor the disciple and the baptist, like [name_m]Sean[/name_m], [name_m]Ian[/name_m], Seona, [name_m]Ivan[/name_m], [name_u]Evan[/name_u], there are so many good ones!