What are your thoughts on the name Voltaire? It’s most well known as being the pen name of 17th/18th century French writer and philosopher [name]Fran[/name]çois-[name]Marie[/name] Arouet. [name]Do[/name] you think it would ever be usable, would you ever use it yourself? I’m not considering it (yet, ha!) but I’m interested in your feedback 
I like the idea of a “literary” name (My suggestion of [name]Faulkner[/name] was immediately shot down by DH!) but I think that you have to [name]LOVE[/name] the person connected to the name because people will assume that. Other people who love Voltaire will be trying to discuss it with you all the time I would think.
But that said, if you do love Voltaire the writer and Voltaire the name, I think it’s awesome. It has a cool sound to it. Might be hard for nicknames, Vol probably isn’t too appealing…
I can see the appeal of Voltaire. I like the look and sound of it as well as the literary connection. However, I can’t help but think that it would be a hard name to live up to. It would make a quirky middle name.
This is what I feel, better as a middle than a first.
I’d go for Volt as a nickname if anything. I agree with what you said though, it’s a big conversation starter and if you’re not passionate about the person in question, it’s going to look a little awkward and try-hard.
I agree that it would be fine as a middle, but as a first it comes off as really, really pretentious to me. A lot of literary names do that for me, but not all- [name]Holden[/name] and [name]Harper[/name] bring to mind To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the [name]Rye[/name], but unlike Voltaire, they aren’t irreparably tied to literature to me.
I dong think I could ever use a name like that. I feel like it is like naming your daughter [name]Monet[/name]. Too " look at me, I’m intellectual!"
I think it’s extremely pretentious as a first name, but quirky and slightly less pretentious in the middle spot.
Yes, I agree, it really does sound quite pretentious, a name someone would use when they want to appear more cultured. I like it, but it seems like it will be forever confined to a GP/pet name for me…