Here is just a thread on names you came across in a book, or like because of a connection to a literary work.
For me:
[name_f]Layla[/name_f]- the epic poem [name_f]Layla[/name_f] and Majnun turned me on to this name.
[name_u]Romilly[/name_u]- I came across [name_u]Romilly[/name_u] years ago in a book that I can’t for the life of me recall!
[name_m]Reynard[/name_m]- [name_m]Reynard[/name_m] Muldoon from the Mysterious [name_m]Benedict[/name_m] society! [name_f]My[/name_f] family reads those books aloud in the evenings.
Edit: I remembered a bunch more!
Christopher- Christopher Rowe from the Blackthorn Key series
Rosen- Rose de Nose from Ender’s Game (hated the character, loved the name)
Julian- Julian Delphiki from Ender’s Shadow
Edgar- Edgar Allen Poe
Peregrine- from LOTR
Oliver- Oliver Twist! One of my favorites!
Sawyer- Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
Rue- Hunger Games
Finnick- Hunger Games
Gale- Hunger Games
Bennet- Pride and Prejudice
Simon- Lord of the Flies, also the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn Trilogy
Jack- Lord of the Flies (but I also have a close friend named Jack)
Eric- Lord of the Flies
Roger- Lord of the Flies, His Dark Materials
Lyra- His Dark Materials
Septimes- the Septimus Heap series
Caspian- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Romeo- Romeo and Juliet
Lenore — because I’m a huge fan of [name_u]Poe[/name_u]’s poetry
Annabel — also a [name_u]Poe[/name_u] reference
Edgar — once again, [name_u]Poe[/name_u]
Vincent — The Glass Hotel, which used it on a girl
Darry — The Outsiders
Peregrine / [name_u]Pippin[/name_u] — LOTR
Arwen — LOTR
Fieke — ran across this in a YA book series a couple years ago and fell in love with it
Kirsten — Station [name_u]Eleven[/name_u] made this name “cool”
Minerva — discovered because of [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] but love because of pagan mythology
Ginny — again, discovered because of [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] but that’s not why I still love it (and I like it as a nn for [name_f]Virginia[/name_f] more than [name_f]Ginevra[/name_f])
Simon — this is my #1 favorite boy name and I’m pretty sure it’s because of a book but idk which
Amelia nn [name_f]Mia[/name_f] — The [name_f]Princess[/name_f] Diaries
Salamanca — Walk Two Moons
Turtle (as a nn) — The Westing Game
Alice — [name_f]Alice[/name_f] in Wonderland, of course!
Matilda — I’m also a huge Dahl fan
Heath — I first discovered the name [name_m]Heathcliff[/name_m] in Wuthering Heights; I prefer [name_m]Heath[/name_m] on its own though
Arya — Eragon (I really don’t like Game of Thrones, sorry!! Plus this was pre-the TV show)
Bess — [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_u]Drew[/name_u], which also introduced me to the idea of “boy” names on girls ([name_u]George[/name_u])
There are also names I don’t like because of literary connections, but that’s a whole new thread.
I love HP, [name_u]Poe[/name_u], Eragon, Dahl, Tolkien, S. E Hinton… basically all of your choices, and a lot of your names! I forgot about [name_m]Edgar[/name_m] are [name_u]Peregrine[/name_u], which are definitely some of my top names because of literary connotations. [name_m]Heath[/name_m] is wonderful as well!
Valentine - The [name_m]Count[/name_m] of [name_m]Monte[/name_m] Cristo
[name_u]Ruby[/name_u] - [name_u]Anne[/name_u] of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables
[name_f]Alyosha[/name_f] (m) - The Brothers Karamazov
[name_f]Meg[/name_f] - [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women
[name_f]Annabel[/name_f] (this spelling) - [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] [name_u]Lee[/name_u] (before reading the poem I used to prefer [name_f]Annabelle[/name_f], but this one is gorgeous!)
[name_u]Carey[/name_u], from [name_f]Mary[/name_f] O’[name_f]Hara[/name_f]'s [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_u]Friend[/name_u] Flicka books.
[name_f]Posy[/name_f], from [name_f]Posy[/name_f] Fossil in Ballet Shoes by [name_u]Noel[/name_u] Streatfeild
[name_f]Perdita[/name_f], from The 101 Dalmations by [name_f]Dodie[/name_f] [name_m]Smith[/name_m]
[name_f]Melinda[/name_f], from a Judgement In [name_m]Stone[/name_m] by [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] Rendell. I barely remember the book and I don’t think [name_f]Melinda[/name_f] was a relatable character but I clearly remember reading a part along the lines of: “I do think our parents did well to name us [name_m]Peter[/name_m], [name_f]Paula[/name_f] and [name_f]Melinda[/name_f],” convinced that [name_m]Peter[/name_m] and [name_f]Paula[/name_f] got the worse deal and [name_f]Melinda[/name_f] was from a totally different category of name and by far and away the best of the bunch
[name_f]Beth[/name_f], from [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women
[name_f]Silky[/name_f], the fairy from [name_f]Enid[/name_f] Blyton’s the Faraway Tree.
Roo from Milne’s [name_f]Winnie[/name_f] The Pooh.
ETA I looked up the Peter, Paula and Melinda line. It occurs in the context of Melinda interrogating another character, Eunice, about the meaning of her name, and she’s pondering what they would have been called if they were boys and asks Eunice what her favourite name is! So I take that back about Melinda not being relatable. Melinda had very Berry-like tendencies!!
Leopold & [name_m]Ulysses[/name_m] - both because of [name_m]Ulysses[/name_m] by [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_u]Joyce[/name_u]
[name_u]Konstantin[/name_u] - from Tolstoys [name_f]Anna[/name_f] Karenina
[name_m]Laertes[/name_m] - from [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m]
[name_f]Alyosha[/name_f] - The brothers Karamazov (Dostoevsky)
[name_u]Maurice[/name_u] - from the novel by E.M. [name_m]Forster[/name_m]
[name_m]Hanno[/name_m] - [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] Mann’s The Buddenbrooks
[name_f]Cressida[/name_f] - from Troilus and [name_f]Cressida[/name_f] ([name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m])
[name_f]Edda[/name_f] - from the name of the Icelandic / Old Norse literary work
[name_f]Lyra[/name_f] - His Dark Materials
[name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] - As you like it
Afanasy - The Old World Landowners and [name_m]Philemon[/name_m] - Baucis and [name_m]Philemon[/name_m]
[name_f]Mercedes[/name_f], Haydée - The [name_m]Count[/name_m] of [name_m]Monte[/name_m] Cristo
[name_u]Anne[/name_u] - [name_u]Anne[/name_u] of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables
[name_f]Anna[/name_f], [name_m]Stepan[/name_m] “Stiva” and [name_f]Varvara[/name_f] “[name_f]Varenka[/name_f]” - [name_f]Anna[/name_f] Karenina
[name_m]Omar[/name_m] - for [name_m]Omar[/name_m] Khayyam
[name_m]Paul[/name_m] - for [name_m]Paul[/name_m] Celan
[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] - for [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] Plath
Oh, wow! I’m so happy someone else knows the Mysterious [name_m]Benedict[/name_m] Society books! That’s the reason I like the name [name_f]Constance[/name_f]!
Mercedes - The [name_m]Count[/name_m] of [name_m]Monte[/name_m] Cristo
[name_f]Jane[/name_f] - [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u]
[name_u]Ruby[/name_u] - H20 (not my favorite book, but it brings back memories)
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] - for [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_m]Farmer[/name_m], author of “A Girl Named Disaster” and “The House of the [name_m]Scorpion[/name_m]”. Her work is phenomenal.
Villette from [name_f]Bronte[/name_f]
[name_u]Flannery[/name_u] from O’[name_u]Connor[/name_u]
[name_f]Eudora[/name_f] from Welty
[name_f]Chestina[/name_f] ([name_f]Eudora[/name_f] Welt’s mother and co-gardener)
[name_f]Ianthe[/name_f] Broome from [name_f]Barbara[/name_f] Pym
[name_f]Cathy[/name_f] from [name_f]Bronte[/name_f]
Most of these names I probably “liked,” but the books made me like more:
[name_f]Annabeth[/name_f] - [name_u]Percy[/name_u] [name_u]Jackson[/name_u]
[name_f]Reyna[/name_f] - Heroes of [name_m]Olympus[/name_m]
[name_f]Hazel[/name_f] - Heroes of [name_m]Olympus[/name_m] (I still don’t like it but it made me like it more)
[name_u]Skye[/name_u] - The Penderwicks
[name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] - The Penderwicks
[name_f]Amy[/name_f] - [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f] - [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] - [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] - [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women
(I’ve always liked [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f])
[name_m]Finnick[/name_m] - The Hunger Games
[name_f]Katniss[/name_f] - I love the character so I don’t hate it as much as everyone else does
There’s probably more, but I can’t think of it right now.
When it comes to books I read when I was younger I’ve always liked [name_f]Emma[/name_f] because of the [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u] novel and also the kids names from Narnia (especially [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] and [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]). Apart from that it’s names from classics that resonates the most with me: A Tale of Two Cities ([name_m]Charles[/name_m], [name_f]Lucie[/name_f]), Little Women ([name_u]Laurie[/name_u], [name_f]Amy[/name_f]), The Great [name_m]Gatsby[/name_m] ([name_u]Scout[/name_u]), [name_f]Astrid[/name_f] Lindgren’s stories ([name_m]Alfred[/name_m], [name_f]Kajsa[/name_f], [name_f]Ylva[/name_f]-li, [name_f]Fredrika[/name_f]), The [name_f]Secret[/name_f] Garden ([name_f]Mary[/name_f], [name_m]Archibald[/name_m]) and more.
Adele! I love the reminder of Jane [name_f]Eyre[/name_f]. I love [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] for the literary ties, too ([name_m]Longfellow[/name_m]’s poem!). [name_m]Fitzwilliam[/name_m], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_u]Darcy[/name_u], etc., have cool literary ties too, but [name_f]Adele[/name_f] and [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] are my favorites.
Flavia, [name_f]Daphne[/name_f], and [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] from the [name_f]Flavia[/name_f] De [name_u]Luce[/name_u] series (although I have ancestors named [name_m]Flavian[/name_m] and [name_f]Daphne[/name_f]) and their father [name_f]Haviland[/name_f].
I loved Haydee from A [name_m]Count[/name_m] of [name_m]Monte[/name_m] Cristo.
Hastings, an [name_f]Agatha[/name_f] [name_u]Christie[/name_u] character.
Grauben from [name_u]Journey[/name_u] to the Center of the [name_f]Earth[/name_f].
Temperance from the [name_f]Kathy[/name_f] Reichs series.
Dorothy from [name_m]Wizard[/name_m] of [name_m]Oz[/name_m].
Henrietta from the 100 cupboards series.
Fitzwilliam and [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] from pride and prejudice.
Weirdly, [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Eyre[/name_f] essentially destroyed the name [name_f]Jane[/name_f] for me.
Theodore [name_u]Laurence[/name_u]/ [name_u]Laurie[/name_u] - [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women. I really wanted to use [name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] but my partner isn’t keen. ( We did use [name_u]Theo[/name_u] as a middle name though)
Caspian. [name_m]Prince[/name_m] [name_m]Caspian[/name_m]. The lion the witch and the wardrobe.
Ozma- [name_m]Wizard[/name_m] of [name_m]Oz[/name_m].
Probably a few more but they are the immediate ones I thought of.
Altheda: from the Fountain of Fair [name_u]Fortune[/name_u] in the Tales of Beedle the [name_m]Bard[/name_m]
[name_f]Lysistrata[/name_f]: from the Sequel to the Hunger Games, the [name_m]Ballad[/name_m] of Songbirds and Snakes
[name_f]Minerva[/name_f]: [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m]
And anything ending in -wen or -wyn, because I was first introduced to such names from LOTR, the Hobbit, and the Silmarillion. Most that I have on my list are Welsh, but quite a few are some kind of Elvish. : )
I always loved the names [name_u]Asher[/name_u] and [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] since reading “the Giver” in middle school. I’m bummed that I won’t be able to use [name_u]Asher[/name_u] for my little one on the way due to a family member having already used it.
