Your favorite literary inspired names?

General Name Discussion
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What names have you begun to like after meeting a character in a book? In other words, a name you may not have liked or considered before, but then you read a book with a character bearing that name and suddenly the name takes on a whole new meaning. A few of mine:

[name]Richard[/name] - I used to think this name boring and outdated, but after reading The Sword of [name]Truth[/name] series by [name]Terry[/name] Goodkind in which [name]Richard[/name] is the main character, I have begun to picture a [name]Richard[/name] as strong, very handsome, with good morals and values, and very likeable. Unfortunately the nickname “[name]Dick[/name]” still puts me off or I’d use it.

[name]Elizabeth[/name] - This was a name I had always liked, but that was because it is a pretty sounding name that can fit a multitude of personalities. After reading Pride and Prejudice, [name]Elizabeth[/name] now has the image of a stubborn, true-to-herself girl with a good heart and she’s not too proud to admit when she is wrong.

[name]Scarlett[/name] - I am currently reading Gone with the Wind and even though [name]Scarlett[/name] O’[name]Hara[/name] has a lot of flaws, I still think of this name in a more positive light because [name]Scarlett[/name] is again one of those true-to-herself characters that I admire so much. She is stupid at times, but this is supposed to be one of those “growing up” type stories, so we’ll see how she turns out.

[name]Ashley[/name] - on a boy. After being given a picture of a male [name]Ashley[/name], I have a better appreciation for this name as a boy’s name. I can see how it can work.

[name]Lyra[/name] - From [name]Philip[/name] Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. Another headstrong and stubborn character, [name]Lyra[/name] is also spunky and fierce and loyal to the bone, so I can’t help but like the name.

Like I said those are just a few, but I have a lot more.

EDIT: Whoops, just realized this would be better suited for the “Talk About Names” section…sorry!

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[name]Elizabeth[/name] nn [name]Beth[/name]: [name]Louise[/name] [name]May[/name] [name]Alcott[/name]'s fabulous “[name]Little[/name] Women” inspired my love of the name [name]Beth[/name]. Soft, caring, loveable. [name]Beth[/name] was everything I wanted to be at the age of seven. Until she died. That was pretty depressing. But I still love the name.

[name]Elinor[/name] and [name]Marianne[/name]: [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name]. [name]How[/name] can you not love her? “Sense and Sensibility” is my favorite [name]Austen[/name] and these two sister displayed to seperate, yet equal points of view. And they both got the guy at the end.

[name]Matilda[/name]: [name]Roald[/name] Dahl’s children’s masterpiece of the same name was the first book I read by the fantastic author. [name]Young[/name] [name]Matilda[/name] was brilliant, kind, ambitious, and courageous. I also love this name from a much older, yet much more simple-minded character from [name]Elizabeth[/name] Gaskell’s “Cranford”, known as [name]Mattie[/name].

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I tried to name my sisters after my favorite books of the time: [name]Genevieve[/name] ([name]Madeline[/name]'s dog) and [name]Laura[/name] (after [name]Laura[/name] Ingalls [name]Wilder[/name]).

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There was [name]Jarvis[/name] and [name]Sidney[/name] from A Tale of Two Cities, loved those.

[name]Frances[/name], nn [name]Franny[/name] from [name]Franny[/name] and [name]Zooey[/name], and also [name]Zooey[/name] (pr zoo-ee not zoe-ie) as a nn for [name]Zachary[/name].

[name]Lyra[/name] as well.

[name]Ron[/name] and [name]Harry[/name] from [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name]. ([name]Luna[/name], [name]Ginevra[/name], [name]Neville[/name], and [name]Draco[/name] as well)

[name]Phillip[/name](nn [name]Pip[/name]) and [name]Estella[/name], Great Expectations.

The list goes on and on…

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I love this post!

[name]Oscar[/name]: [name]Oscar[/name] Wilde! I don’t love most of his stuff (especially A Picture of [name]Dorian[/name] [name]Gray[/name]), but I do adore The Importance of Being [name]Ernest[/name]! I think it’s hilarious, haha.

[name]Elizabeth[/name], [name]Jane[/name], [name]Lydia[/name], [name]Darcy[/name], etc.–Pride and Prejudice.

[name]Sebastian[/name]/[name]Viola[/name]/[name]Olivia[/name] - Twelfth [name]Night[/name].

[name]Percy[/name]/[name]Armand[/name]/[name]Marguerite[/name] - The [name]Scarlet[/name] Pimpernel.

[name]Caspian[/name]/[name]Peter[/name]/[name]Edmund[/name]/[name]Lucy[/name] - [name]Narnia[/name]

[name]Olivia[/name], [name]Oscar[/name], and [name]Caspian[/name] are my favorite literary connections.

[name]Even[/name] though it’s not technically “literature,” haha, to me, there’s this [name]Christian[/name] children’s radio drama that has just as significant of connections, and it’s something I want to pass onto my children. So a few of the names from there I have considered, as well–[name]Jack[/name], [name]Avery[/name], [name]Whittaker[/name], etc. [name]Jack[/name] is on my top 2, and [name]Avery[/name] is possibly on my top 10. :slight_smile:

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[name]Farley[/name]-The author of The [name]Black[/name] Stallion series, [name]Walter[/name] [name]Farley[/name]

[name]Bronte[/name]-the [name]Bronte[/name] sisters, honestly know nothing about them, just like their surname

[name]Ashley[/name]-Gone With The Wind

[name]Rhett[/name]-Gone With The Wind

[name]Sabrina[/name]-I don’t know if this was a book before it was a movie but seems probable

[name]Zane[/name]-western author [name]Zane[/name] [name]Grey[/name]

*I admit to having only watched the movie and have not read Gone With The Wind.

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[name]Clare[/name], [name]Alba[/name] and [name]Henry[/name]- The Time [name]Traveller[/name]'s Wife

[name]Elspeth[/name]- Her Fearful Symmetry

[name]Primrose[/name]- The Hunger Games

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[name]Imogen[/name]/ [name]Miranda[/name]/ [name]Olivia[/name]/ [name]Juliet[/name]/ [name]Ophelia[/name]- From [name]Shakespeare[/name]
[name]Arlo[/name]- From Novel About My Wife by [name]Emily[/name] [name]Perkins[/name]
[name]Alice[/name]- [name]Alice[/name] in Wonderland, and [name]Alice[/name] [name]Walker[/name]

And I love others already mentioned- names from the [name]Narnia[/name] books, [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name], [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name], [name]Little[/name] House series, [name]Matilda[/name], etc.

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[name]Les[/name] Miserables- [name]Cosette[/name] ([name]Les[/name] mis is my favorite book ever and its my favorite name from there).
Uncle [name]Tom[/name]'s Cabin: [name]Evangeline[/name] she was the sweetest little girl, I was sad when she died. I liked that name after reading the book.
Pride and Prejudice- [name]Eliza[/name] (ok I know her name is elizabeth but I liked her nickname more.) I love the name [name]Darcy[/name].
Sense and Sensibility- I loved the name [name]Marianne[/name] after reading the book.
Pillars of the [name]Earth[/name]: [name]Aliena[/name]( I like the name in theory would never use it because of Alien). She is a strong character, [name]Philip[/name], [name]Jack[/name], [name]Tom[/name].
[name]Mariana[/name]- I really liked the name [name]Mariana[/name] after reading the book. The author also uses [name]Tom[/name].
[name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name]- [name]Bellatrix[/name] Lestrange I would never use this name. But I believe its kind of an amazing villian name.
[name]Tess[/name] of the D’Urbervilles- [name]Tess[/name], [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Louisa[/name], [name]Angel[/name]

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I love literary names

[name]Charlotte[/name]- [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Bronte[/name] is one of my heroes. [name]Jane[/name] Eyre amazes me every time I read it. I love it so much. Also, I love the connection to [name]Charlotte[/name]'s [name]Web[/name].

[name]Madeleine[/name]- [name]Madeleine[/name] L’Engle wrote A Wrinkle In Time, a book a grew up on and have read at least six or seven times in my life.

[name]Atticus[/name]- [name]Atticus[/name] [name]Finch[/name] from To Kill a Mockingbird is my idea of a perfect man. I love his character. His integrity.

[name]Holden[/name]- I love Catcher in the [name]Rye[/name] and recommended it to my boyfriend before we started dating and we bonded over it.

[name]Owen[/name]- A Prayer for [name]Owen[/name] Meany. Amazing book. So under appreciated.

[name]Anais[/name]- [name]Anais[/name] [name]Nin[/name] sort of changed my life with her freedom, feminism, and expression.

[name]Colette[/name]- After [name]Sidonie[/name] [name]Gabrielle[/name] [name]Colette[/name].

[name]Augustus[/name]- From [name]John[/name] [name]Green[/name]'s The Fault in Our Stars. I liked the name before reading the book, but after reading it I am in love with it.

Alaska- Also from a [name]John[/name] [name]Green[/name] book, Looking for Alaska. I liked the name, but upon reading the book, I love Alaska.

[name]Kingsley[/name]/[name]Sirius[/name]/[name]Severus[/name]- All from [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name]. [name]LOVE[/name]. [name]Just[/name], [name]LOVE[/name].

[name]Eliot[/name]- T.S. [name]Eliot[/name]. Prufrock is one of my favorite poems. It’s so incredibly amazing and I think it’s awesome.

[name]Milo[/name]- I grew up reading The Phantom Tollbooth, but I fell in love with [name]Milo[/name] while reading Catch-22.

[name]Gatsby[/name]- The Great [name]Gatsby[/name], obviously. So much love for it.

[name]Austen[/name]- Miss [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name]. I’d use as a middle name for a girl

[name]Estella[/name]- Great Expectations. Also, my great grandmother was [name]Estelle[/name].

[name]Ophelia[/name]/[name]Ariel[/name]/[name]Bianca[/name]/[name]Juliet[/name]/[name]Iris[/name]/[name]Helena[/name]- Shakespearean name I love.

[name]Evangeline[/name]- The poem [name]Evangeline[/name] is amazing.

[name]Sylvia[/name]- [name]Sylvia[/name] Plath’s poetry was my constant companion through my teenage years.

[name]Auden[/name]- after W.H. [name]Auden[/name]

[name]Pablo[/name]- [name]Pablo[/name] [name]Neruda[/name]

[name]Esme[/name]- For [name]Esme[/name] With [name]Love[/name] and Squalor. [name]Salinger[/name] still amazes me.

[name]Hazel[/name]- Another name I fell in love with because of [name]John[/name] [name]Green[/name].

[name]Alice[/name]- [name]Alice[/name] in Wonderland.

Wilde- [name]Oscar[/name] Wilde.

[name]Alma[/name]- The [name]History[/name] of [name]Love[/name].

[name]Yvaine[/name]- Stardust. Thank you [name]Neil[/name] Gaimann.

[name]Edith[/name]- [name]Edith[/name] [name]Wharton[/name].

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Fictional characters:

  • [name]Romola[/name] - Romola

  • [name]Alice[/name] - Alice in Wonderland

  • [name]Rosalind[/name] - As You Like It

  • [name]Eloise[/name] - Eloise

  • [name]May[/name] - Age of Innocence

  • [name]Esme[/name] - For Esme, with Love and Squalor

  • [name]Annabel[/name] - Annabel Lee

  • [name]Julian[/name] - The Famous Five series

  • [name]Archer[/name] - Age of Innocence (a last name, I know)

  • [name]Cassio[/name] - Othello (also a last name)

  • [name]Edmund[/name] - Mansfield Park

Also, this is not exactly ‘literature’ but I fell in love with [name]Barnaby[/name] after reading about [name]Barnabas[/name] in the Bible.

Authors:

  • [name]Louisa[/name] (May Alcott)
  • [name]Frances[/name] (Hudgson Burnett)
  • [name]Oscar[/name] (Wilde)
  • [name]Miller[/name] (Henry Miller)
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[name]Philippa[/name] - absolutely [name]LOVE[/name] author [name]Philippa[/name] [name]Gregory[/name]'s books
Finnick, [name]Rue[/name] & [name]Primrose[/name] - on a Hunger Games kick at the moment!
[name]Atticus[/name] - To Kill A Mockingbird
[name]Maya[/name] - [name]Maya[/name] [name]Angelou[/name]

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[name]Ellen[/name] & [name]May[/name] - Age of Innocence
[name]Theodora[/name] - The Aunts [name]Story[/name]
Remedios - [name]One[/name] Hundred Years Of Solitude

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When people say [name]Cecily[/name] is an old lady’s name, I am so confused because I always picture sprightly, sweet [name]Cecily[/name] from “The Importance of Being [name]Ernest[/name]”. That’s where I fell in love with the name.

I also first saw [name]Verity[/name] as a name in an [name]Iain[/name] M. [name]Banks[/name] novel and loved it ever since.

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Ahh yes, Little Women is another one for me. I love Amy (as a nn for Amelia), Josephine, and Louisa because of that book.

Oscar is one I have been considering for the same reason! But I actually do like The Picture of Dorian Gray, and it made me think about the name Dorian, too.

I don’t think I can ever like Lydia after reading Pride and Prejudice, the girl made me want to slap her! XD Jane and Darcy are ok though. Jane’s character didn’t do enough for the name and Darcy doesn’t feel like a first name, just a surname as it was used in the book.

I also really like Caspian, Edmund and Lucy because of Chronicles of Narnia.

I have Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre on my to-read list. It’s on my bookshelf even, just need to find time to read it! I hope it makes Jane better for me. Charlotte’s a good name, though. Also, I thought of using Austen as a girl’s middle name, too, for the same reason!