When Books Inspire Baby Names
For book-loving parents, choosing a baby name is an opportunity to honor the stories that have shaped them. Literary baby names carry a sense of romance, adventure, and intellectual curiosity that few other name categories can match.
From the pages of classics like To Kill a Mockingbird to modern fantasy series, these names are rich with meaning and association.
Classic Literature Names
Name Source Gender Atticus To Kill a Mockingbird Boy Scout To Kill a Mockingbird Girl Holden The Catcher in the Rye Boy Daisy The Great Gatsby Girl Gatsby The Great Gatsby Boy Darcy Pride and Prejudice Unisex Alice Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Girl Emma Emma Girl Matilda Matilda Girl Oliver Oliver Twist Boy Romeo Romeo and Juliet Boy Juliet Romeo and Juliet Girl Heathcliff Wuthering Heights Boy Catherine Wuthering Heights Girl Pip Great Expectations Boy Estella Great Expectations Girl Modern Literature Names Name Source Gender Lyra His Dark Materials Girl Katniss The Hunger Games Girl Daenerys A Song of Ice and Fire Girl Aslan The Chronicles of Narnia Boy Hermione Harry Potter Girl Renesmee Twilight Girl Gus The Fault in Our Stars Boy Hazel The Fault in Our Stars Girl Jonas The Giver Boy Tris Divergent Girl Children's Book Names Ramona — Ramona Quimby series
- Huck — The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- Eloise — Eloise series
- Sawyer — Tom Sawyer
- Finn — The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- Matilda — Matilda
- Charlotte — Charlotte's Web
- Wilbur — Charlotte's Web
- Max — Where the Wild Things Are
- Madeline — Madeline
How to Choose a Literary Name
- Consider the character — Choose a name from a character you admire. What qualities do they embody that you'd like to inspire in your child?
- Check the associations — Some literary names carry strong associations. Make sure you're comfortable with the character's story arc.
- Balance the exotic — A literary name like Atticus or Lyra can be paired with a more common middle name to balance the uniqueness.