I’ve been thinking about my style recently, and I realized how much I gravitate towards names that were used for characters in books I read when I was younger! [name_f]My[/name_f] current favorites (Rudy + Fern) fit this pattern as well. I would love to hear what names you can think of that are used in children’s books (picture books, YA, etc) and maybe any you’re particularly fond of because of a book. Maybe it will give me (or someone else!) some inspiration.
Some of my favorites off the top of my head:
Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz
Wendy & Peter from Peter Pan
Anne, Diana, & Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables
Polly & Edmund from The Chronicles of Narnia
Margaret “Meg” from Little Women
Teddy & Ilse from Emily of New Moon
Laura from Little House on the Prairie
Colin from The Secret Garden
[name_f]Junie[/name_f] (B Jones)
[name_f]Ramona[/name_f] (Quimby)
[name_f]Gloria[/name_f] (officer buckle and Gloria)
[name_f]Camilla[/name_f] (a bad case of stripes)
[name_f]Trixie[/name_f] (knuffle bunny)
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] (fancy Nancy)
[name_u]David[/name_u] (no David)
[name_f]Lilly[/name_f] (Lilly’s purple plastic purse)
[name_u]Owen[/name_u] (Owen)
[name_u]Penny[/name_u] (penny and her marble)
[name_f]Irene[/name_f] (brave Irene)
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] (Alice the fairy)
[name_u]Spencer[/name_u] (too many toys)
[name_f]Stellaluna[/name_f] (stellaluna)
[name_f]Nora[/name_f] (noisy Nora)
[name_m]Fergus[/name_m] (good boy Fergus)
[name_u]Henry[/name_u] (Henry’s freedom box)
[name_u]Jack[/name_u] and [name_f]Annie[/name_f] (magic tree house)
[name_f]Lola[/name_f] (Lola at the library)
[name_f]My[/name_f] first love: [name_m]Lars[/name_m]- [name_f]Kirsten[/name_f] [name_u]An[/name_u] American [name_f]Girl[/name_f]
Also from American Girls:
[name_f]Samantha[/name_f], [name_f]Felicity[/name_f], [name_f]Nellie[/name_f], [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f]
little women is a big one for me, probably where my whole naming style/aesthetic comes from. it made me love margaret, meg, josephine, amy, elizabeth, theodore, laurie, and laurence
@Emarkulics Harry Potter has so many great names! It made me love Ginny, Luna, Molly, Neville, and so many others
same here!! You have such a great list of classics; I love it!!
@kidpix21 I actually don’t know most of these books which is cool to see! Junie, Ramona, Jack, and Annie are all definitely favorites though thank you for this list!!
@katinka this is a fantastic list oh my goodness!! Nameberry wins again Thank you for linking it!!
@JessAnn0422 American Girls does have some great names! It actually made me love Kirsten I love so many of the names you listed; thank you!
@new.romantic I love Little Women too!! Definitely has some really incredible and cozy names
How about The Penderwicks?
The family has 5 daughters with a huge range in naming style:
[name_f]Rosalind[/name_f]
[name_u]Skye[/name_u]
[name_f]Jane[/name_f]
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] (nn Batty)
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f]
[name_f]My[/name_f] daughter, while not named after them, shares a name with one of the characters, and it was a delightful surprise when I read the books.
Alice-Miranda (The Alice-Miranda series by [name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] Harvey)
[name_f]Clementine[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] (The [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] series by [name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] Harvey)
[name_u]Kensington[/name_u] (The Kensy and [name_u]Max[/name_u] series by [name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] Harvey)
[name_f]Katniss[/name_f] (The Hunger Games trilogy by [name_f]Suzanne[/name_f] Collins)
[name_u]Malin[/name_u] (The [name_f]Valkyrie[/name_f] duology by [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] Hocking)
[name_u]Ember[/name_u] (The Hawkweed Prophecy by [name_f]Irena[/name_f] Brignull)
[name_u]Amani[/name_u] (The [name_u]Rebel[/name_u] of the Sands series by [name_u]Alwyn[/name_u] Hamilton)
Merricat (Mary [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] Blackwood, We Have Always Lived in the Castle by [name_f]Shirley[/name_f] Jackson)
Okay, I know the last one isn’t children’s literature. I just think Merricat is a cool name.
I love [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] from the babysitters club books! [name_f]Josefina[/name_f] from the American [name_f]Girl[/name_f] [name_m]Doll[/name_m] books.
thank you for this list!!