Literature Inspired Names

~~* LITERARY NAMES ~~*

Hello, I’m wondering if any of you can suggest any lovely, classic, contemporary, perhaps a bit uncommon literary names. These can be derived from names of renowned authors, folklore and legends, or classic literature characters, etc. I know a lot of mine aren’t uncommon, and while not a deal breaker, that’s why I need your help and creativity.

I already have a Finn (short for Finnegan but inspired by Mark Twain) at home, he’s 15 months old. We also have a Piper from my husband’s previous marriage. We are planning their little sibling so looking for something in that regard. Boy or girl! Gender neutral is even better. Bonus points if you can list where the inspiration for the name comes from. Longer names shortened are okay, too.

Some that I’ve already got on my list:

Alice- Alice in Wonderland

Bennet- Pride and Prejudice

Darcy- Pride and Prejudice

Dorian- A Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar- For Oscar Wilde

Arwen- Lord of the Rings

Tauriel- Lord of the Rings

Peregrine, nn Perry- Lord of the Rings, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Scarlet- For Will Scarlet, from Robin Hood

Robin- Robin Hood

Marian- Robin Hood

Crusoe- Robinson Crusoe

Emmaline/Emma- Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’

Olive/Oliver- Oliver Twist

Mary- The Secret Garden (Is this one too stale?)

Avery- Charlotte’s Web

Clara- The Nutcracker

Arthur- from the Arthurian legends

Sophie- Howl’s Moving Castle, not necessarily literature, but eh

Fun fact: Howl’s Castle was based off a book, so it is technically literature.

Fern- Charlotte’s Web
Elinor/Eleanor- Jane Austen’s book
Austen- Jane Austen
Daisy- The Great Gatsby
Nick- The Great Gatsby
Gatsby- The Great Gatsby
Harper- Harper Lee
Scout/Jean Louise- To K*ll A Mockingbird
Marco- Howl’s Moving Castle
Montag: Fahrenheit 451
Clarisse- Fahrenheit 451
Casy- Grapes of Wrath

Scout’s real name was Jean-Louise.

Jessmyn, for Jessmyn [name_m]Ward[/name_m]
[name_f]Nelle[/name_f], for [name_f]Nelle[/name_f] [name_u]Harper[/name_u] [name_u]Lee[/name_u]
[name_m]Hammett[/name_m], for my cousin [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] [name_m]Dashiell[/name_m] [name_m]Hammett[/name_m], or [name_m]Hamnet[/name_m], after Shakespeare’s only son and the lovely book, [name_m]Hamnet[/name_m]
[name_f]Mina[/name_f], for author [name_f]Denise[/name_f] [name_f]Mina[/name_f]
[name_f]Vera[/name_f], for the [name_f]Ann[/name_f] Cleeves character
Iain/Ian/Eoin, various authors
[name_f]Olwen[/name_f], Welsh mythology
[name_m]Emrys[/name_m], another name for [name_u]Merlin[/name_u]
[name_f]Tamasin[/name_f], Cornish version of [name_f]Thomasina[/name_f]
[name_f]Daphne[/name_f] or [name_u]Kit[/name_u], from the du Mauriers, mother and son
[name_f]Honour[/name_f], from The King’s [name_m]General[/name_m]
[name_m]Giles[/name_m], from the [name_u]Swann[/name_u] trilogy by R F Delderfield or [name_u]Arthur[/name_u] Miller’s The Crucible
[name_m]Tristram[/name_m], from [name_m]Tristram[/name_m] [name_u]Shandy[/name_u]
[name_m]Barnaby[/name_m], from [name_f]Susan[/name_f] Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series, or [name_u]Cooper[/name_u] itself
[name_u]Pevensie[/name_u], from [name_f]Narnia[/name_f]
[name_u]Julian[/name_u], for Dame [name_u]Julian[/name_u] of Norwich, or [name_u]Columba[/name_u] for St [name_u]Columba[/name_u]
[name_f]Angharad[/name_f], from [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] Mahy’s The Tricksters
[name_u]Taran[/name_u], from [name_m]Lloyd[/name_m] Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain

some little women inspired names…

margaret/meg
josephine/jo
elizabeth/beth
amy
march
laurence/laurie
theodore

Scarlett (Gone With the Wind)
Margaret, Meg, Josephine, Jo, Elizabeth, Beth, Amy, Theodore, Teddy, Laurence, and Laurie (Little Women)
Holden, Phoebe (Catcher In the Rye)
Annabeth (Percy Jackson)
Abigail, Mary, Sarah, John, etc. (The Crucible)
Charlotte, Fern, Wilbur (Charlotte’s Web)
Peter, Wendy, John, Michael, Belle (Peter Pan)

Nice list!! I love [name_u]Arthur[/name_u], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_m]Crusoe[/name_m], [name_m]Oscar[/name_m], [name_u]Darcy[/name_u], [name_u]Dorian[/name_u], [name_m]Bennet[/name_m] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] :slight_smile:

A couple of my favourites

[name_f]Ginevra[/name_f] (Villette by [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] Brontë)
[name_m]Fergus[/name_m] (Waverley by [name_u]Walter[/name_u] Scott/The Tenant of Wildfell [name_m]Hall[/name_m] by [name_u]Anne[/name_u] Brontë)
[name_u]Ezra[/name_u] (The Moonstone by [name_m]Wilkie[/name_m] Collins)
[name_m]Ozias[/name_m] (Armadale by [name_m]Wilkie[/name_m] Collins)
[name_u]Collins[/name_u] (Wilkie Collins)
[name_f]Brontë[/name_f] (Brontë sisters)
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f] (Villette by [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] Brontë)
[name_f]Estella[/name_f] (Great Expectations by [name_u]Charles[/name_u] Dickens)
[name_u]Pip[/name_u] (Great Expectations)
[name_u]Jordan[/name_u] (Great [name_m]Gatsby[/name_m] -by F [name_u]Scott[/name_u] Fitzgerald/Sexing the [name_f]Cherry[/name_f] by [name_f]Jeanette[/name_f] Winterson)
[name_f]Polly[/name_f] (Villette by [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] Brontë)
[name_m]Isidore[/name_m] (Villette by [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] Brontë)
Hareton (Wuthering heights by [name_f]Emily[/name_f] Brontë)

[name_u]Sam[/name_u] - [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the Rings

[name_f]Elinor[/name_f] - Sense and Sensibility
[name_f]Estella[/name_f] - Great expectations
[name_f]Gloria[/name_f] - The [name_f]Beautiful[/name_f] and Damned
[name_f]Briony[/name_f] - Atonement
[name_f]Tatiana[/name_f] - The bronze horseman
[name_f]Lucie[/name_f] - A tale of two cities
[name_m]Frederick[/name_m] - Persuasion
[name_f]Sonja[/name_f] - Crime and Punishment
Nastas’ja - The Idiot
[name_u]Francis[/name_u] - The secret history
[name_u]Laurence[/name_u] - [name_m]Little[/name_m] women
[name_f]Eveline[/name_f] - The Dubliners
[name_u]Jude[/name_u] - A little life
[name_m]Connell[/name_m] - Normal people
[name_m]Eugene[/name_m] - [name_m]Eugene[/name_m] Onegin

1 Like

[name_m]Twain[/name_m] - after [name_m]Mark[/name_m] [name_m]Twain[/name_m]
[name_m]Tom[/name_m] - [name_m]Tom[/name_m] [name_u]Sawyer[/name_u]
[name_m]Huck[/name_m]- [name_m]Huckleberry[/name_m] [name_u]Finn[/name_u]
[name_m]Peter[/name_m]- [name_m]Peter[/name_m] [name_m]Pan[/name_m] and The Tale of [name_m]Peter[/name_m] Rabbit
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f]- The Chronicles of [name_f]Narnia[/name_f] and Peanuts comic strip
[name_f]Jane[/name_f] - [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u], [name_f]Mary[/name_f] Poppins, [name_m]Tarzan[/name_m], [name_f]Jane[/name_f] of Lantern [name_m]Hill[/name_m]
[name_f]Polly[/name_f]- The [name_m]Five[/name_m] [name_m]Little[/name_m] Peppers and How They Grew

[name_f]Titania[/name_f], [name_f]Hippolyta[/name_f], [name_u]Oberon[/name_u] - Midsummer Night’s [name_u]Dream[/name_u]
[name_f]Viola[/name_f] - 12th [name_u]Night[/name_u]
[name_f]Miranda[/name_f], [name_m]Prospero[/name_m], [name_u]Ariel[/name_u], [name_m]Alonso[/name_m] - The [name_u]Tempest[/name_u]
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_m]Lear[/name_m] - [name_m]King[/name_m] [name_m]Lear[/name_m]
[name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] - [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m]
[name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], [name_f]Phebe[/name_f], [name_m]Silvius[/name_m], [name_m]Orlando[/name_m] - As you like it
[name_m]Hortensio[/name_m], [name_f]Bianca[/name_f], Katherina/Kate, Biondello - Taming of the Shrew
[name_m]Beowulf[/name_m] - [name_m]Beowulf[/name_m]
[name_m]Balthazar[/name_m], [name_f]Rosaline[/name_f], Friar, Montegue - [name_m]Romeo[/name_m] & [name_f]Juliet[/name_f]
[name_f]Isadora[/name_f], [name_m]Duncan[/name_m], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_u]Montgomery[/name_u] - Series of Unfortunate Events
[name_f]Heidi[/name_f] - [name_f]Heidi[/name_f]
[name_f]Gretel[/name_f], [name_m]Hansel[/name_m] - [name_m]Hansel[/name_m] & [name_f]Gretel[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucie[/name_f], [name_m]Jarvis[/name_m], [name_m]Alexandre[/name_m], [name_u]Sydney[/name_u] - A Tale of 2 Cities
Ondine/Undine - Mythical tale/legend of Ondine’s Curse
[name_f]Selkie[/name_f] - [name_u]Legend[/name_u] of the Selkies
[name_m]Atticus[/name_m], [name_u]Finch[/name_u] - To Kill a Mockingbird
[name_u]Percy[/name_u] - [name_u]Percy[/name_u] [name_u]Jackson[/name_u] & the Olympians, [name_u]Percy[/name_u] [name_u]Shelley[/name_u]
[name_m]Caspian[/name_m], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_m]Peter[/name_m], [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] - Chronicles of [name_f]Narnia[/name_f]
[name_f]Cosette[/name_f], [name_f]Fantine[/name_f] - les Miserables
[name_f]Laura[/name_f], [name_u]Wilder[/name_u] - [name_f]Laura[/name_f] Ingalls [name_u]Wilder[/name_u]
[name_u]Emerson[/name_u] - [name_m]Ralph[/name_m] [name_m]Waldo[/name_m] [name_u]Emerson[/name_u]
[name_f]Eowyn[/name_f], [name_m]Theoden[/name_m], [name_m]Elendil[/name_m], Isildur, Anduril, Eldarion, Anarion - LotR
[name_m]Percival[/name_m] (optional nn Percy), [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m], [name_f]Avalon[/name_f] - Arthurian legends

If more recent novels count, then there’s also these:
[name_u]Arya[/name_u], [name_f]Saphira[/name_f], Eragon, Roran, Evandar, [name_f]Selena[/name_f], [name_f]Elva[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f], Ismira, [name_f]Katrina[/name_f] - Eragon/Inheritance Cycle
[name_u]Arya[/name_u], [name_f]Sansa[/name_f], [name_f]Khaleesi[/name_f], [name_f]Daenerys[/name_f], [name_m]Rhaegar[/name_m], [name_f]Lyanna[/name_f], [name_f]Catelyn[/name_f], [name_f]Lysa[/name_f], [name_u]Snow[/name_u], [name_u]Bran[/name_u], [name_m]Jon[/name_m], [name_f]Yara[/name_f], [name_f]Asha[/name_f], [name_m]Oberyn[/name_m], [name_u]Shae[/name_u], [name_u]Jaime[/name_u], [name_m]Tyrion[/name_m], [name_f]Myrcella[/name_f], [name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_f]Brienne[/name_f], [name_m]Samwell[/name_m], [name_f]Margaery[/name_f] - Game of Thrones
[name_m]Scipio[/name_m], [name_m]Prosper[/name_m], [name_f]Caterina[/name_f], [name_f]Ida[/name_f] - The Thief [name_m]Lord[/name_m]

[name_u]Austen[/name_u] - for [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u]
[name_f]Brontë[/name_f] - for the [name_f]Brontë[/name_f] sisters
[name_m]Buchanan[/name_m] - The Great [name_m]Gatsby[/name_m]
[name_f]Zelda[/name_f] - for [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] [name_m]Fitzgerald[/name_m]
[name_u]Dallas[/name_u] - The Outsiders
[name_m]Marius[/name_m] - [name_u]Les[/name_u] Mis
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] - [name_m]King[/name_m] [name_m]Lear[/name_m]
[name_m]Dante[/name_m] - for [name_m]Dante[/name_m] Alighieri
[name_f]Liesel[/name_f] - The Book Thief
[name_f]Desdemona[/name_f] - [name_m]Othello[/name_m]
[name_u]Calypso[/name_u] - The [name_u]Odyssey[/name_u]
[name_f]Vianne[/name_f]- The [name_u]Nightingale[/name_u]
[name_m]Watson[/name_m] - [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] [name_m]Holmes[/name_m]