Names from literature can be a fount of great names for your baby. There are some great names to be found in classic and modern literature to inspire you when selecting that very important name for your baby.
Unique Names From Literature
If you're searching for a unique baby name, you can look over a few lists of names. In fact, you can go straight to the gender specific list to browse the potential names.
Unique Literature Names for Boys
If you are searching for a unique literature name for your baby boy, names found a few classic books can help. You can be certain your little guy won't be running into very many boys with any of these names.
- Amory: Home strength (English) This Side of Paradise
- Arcadio: Native of Arcadia (Greek), One Hundred Years of Solitude
- Athos: Gift of God (English), The Three Musketeers
- Atticus: Belonging to Attica (Latin), To Kill a Mockingbird
- Christer: Follower of Christ (Greek), The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
- Fitzwilliam (Fitz): Son of William (English), Pride and Prejudice
- Holden: Hollow in the valley (English), The Catcher in the Rye
- Inigo: Fiery (Basque), The Princess Bride
- Quimby: Estate of a woman (Norse), Ramona
- Syme: Son of Simon (Scottish), 1984
- Wilkins: Resolution, helm (Norman), David Copperfield
Unique Literature Names for Girls
When you turn to literature for a unique girl's name, you can find a few that are truly unusual. You may want to take the meaning of each name into consideration before making a final decision.
- Dulcinea: Sweetness (fictional), Don Quixote
- Elizabeth: My God is my oath (Hebrew), Pride and Prejudice
- Harriet: Home ruler (German), Harriet the Spy
- Martha: The mistress, the lady (Greek), The Pickwick Papers
- Madeline: High tower, from Magdala (English), Madeline's Rescue
- Rezia: Profit, wealth (Italian), nickname for Lucrezia in Mrs. Dalloway
- Scout: To listen (French), nickname for Jean Louise Fince, To Kill a Mockingbird
- Zillah: Shadow (Hebrew), Wuthering Heights
Baby Names Inspired by Literature
There are all kinds of genres in literature. You may decide you prefer to choose your baby's name by browsing names base son a specific genre, such as fantasy.
Names From Fantasy Books
You may find fantasy books are a great resource for possible names for your baby girl. You can explore the various meanings and if you are a fan of the book, then you may have greater insight into the character's personality.
- Arrietty: Fictional name, The Borrowers (girl)
- Arwen: Fair, fine, noble (Welsh), The Lord of the Rings (girl)
- Coraline: Fictional name from typo of Caroline (coralline, type of algae), Coraline (girl)
- Calliope: Beautiful voice (Greek), Greek mythological muse of music and poetry (girl)
- Charlotte: Free (English), Charlotte's Web (girl)
- Eilonwy: Deer (Welsh), The Chronicles of Prydain (girl)
- Katniss: She that throws arrow (Latin), Hunger Games (girl)
- Arthur: Bold, guardian (English), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (boy)
- Atreyu: Warrior, son of all, name for Trey (Sanskrit), (German), (Latin), The Neverending Story (boy)
- Eddard: Wealthy guardian (English), Song of Fire and Ice (boy)
- Hugo: Mind (German), The Invention of Hugo Cabret (boy)
- Ronan: Little seal (Irish), Battle of Hogwarts (boy)
- Rowan: Rowan tree (Scottish, Irish), Rowan of Rin (boy)
Baby Girl Names From the Twilight Saga
The Twilight Saga provides several great girl names. If you're a Twilight fan, you may want to consider a few of the major characters for the best name for your baby girl.
- Alice (vampire): Noble, exalted (German)
- Bella (vampire): Beautiful (Italian)
- Bree (vampire): Strength, exalted (Irish)
- Esme (vampire): Esteemed (French) also found in For Esme: With Love and Squalor by JD Salinger
- Irina (vampire): Goddess, personification of peace (Greek)
- Leah (werewolf): Weary (Hebrew)
- Renée (human): Reborn (French)
- Renesmee (vampire/human hybrid): Reborn and loved (made up fictional name)
- Rosalie (vampire): Rose (Dutch)
- Victoria (vampire): Victory (Latin)
Baby Boys Names From the Twilight Saga
Not to be outdone by the women of the Twilight Saga, there are plenty of baby boy names to choose from. Each character brings additional personality traits to the name that go beyond the meaning.
- Carlisle (vampire): Fort at Luguvalium (English)
- Charlie (human): Free man (German)
- Embry (werewolf): Flat-topped hill (English)
- Emmett (vampire): Universal (Hebrew)
- Jacob (werewolf): To follow, heel, assail, overreach (Hebrew)
- James (vampire): Supplanter (Hebrew)
- Jared (werewolf): He descends (Hebrew)
- Jasper (vampire): Treasurer (British)
- Laurent (vampire): Bright one, shining one (French)
- Paul (werewolf): Small, humble, rare (Latin)
- Quil, Quill (werewolf): Writer, scribe (Irish)
- Riley (vampire): Wood clearing, valiant (English)
- Sam (werewolf): God has heard (Hebrew)
- Seth (werewolf): Appointed, placed (Hebrew)
Classic Female Literary Characters
Classic literature offers many great female names. You can select a baby girl name from the wealth of women characters featured in some of the world's most famous books or plays.
Baby Girl Names From Shakespeare Plays
You may decide to stick with Shakespeare for some of the best choices for a name. Many of the names Shakespeare selected for his characters were from Latin, Italian, and Greek names. with ancient Greek literature for more unique sounding names.
- Adriana: Woman of Adria (Latin), The Comedy of Errors
- Beatrice: She who makes happy (Italian), Much Ado About Nothing
- Bianca: White (Italian), The Taming of the Shrew
- Celia: Heaven (Latin), As You Like It
- Cordelia: Heart, daughter of the sea god, jewel of sea (Welsh), King Lear
- Cressida: Gold (Greek), Troilus and Cressida
- Emilia: Rival, excel, emulate (Latin), Othello
- Helena: Shining light (Greek), A Midsummer Night's Dream and All's Well that Ends Well
- Hermione: Messenger (Greek), A Winter's Tale
- Hero: Brave (Greek), Much Ado About Nothing
- Imogen: Innocent (Gaelic), Cymbeline
- Isabella: Devoted to God (Hebrew), Measure for Measure
- Julia: Youthful, sky father (Latin) The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- Juliet: Youthful, sky father (French), Romeo and Juliet
- Katherina: Pure (Greek), The Taming of the Shrew
- Miranda: Worthy of admiration (Latin), The Tempest
- Olivia: Olive, olive tree (Latin), Twelfth Night
- Paulina: Small (Latin), A Winter's Tale
- Portia: Doorway, pig, hog (Latin), The Merchant of Venice
- Regan: King's child, big king (Gaelic), King Lear
- Rosalind: Beautiful rose, gentle horse (Italian), As You Like It
- Tamora: Date palm (Hebrew), Titus Andronicus
- Titania: Giant, great one (Greek), A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Viola: Violet (Latin), Twelfth Night
Baby Boy Names From Shakespeare Plays
There are many great boy names found in Shakespeare plays. You may want to reread the play to get a better understanding of the character that goes beyond the origin and meaning.
- Antonio: Priceless one (Italian, Spanish), The Merchant Of Venice
- Benedick: Bless (Latin), Much Ado About Nothing
- Ely: High (Hebrew), Henry V
- Frederick: Peaceful ruler (German, English), As You Like It
- Joseph: He will add (Greek), The Taming of the Shrew
- Leonardo: Lion (Italian), The Merchant of Venice
- Marcus: Mars, god of war (Roman), Titus Andronicus
- Orlando: Famous throughout the world/land (Italian), As You Like It
- Romeo: Pilgrim to Rome (Italian), Romeo and Juliet
- Shep: Shepherd (English), The Winter's Tale
- Toby: Good is Yahweh (Hebrew), Twelfth Night
- Troy: Foot Soldier (Irish), Troilus & Cressida
What Are the Most Famous Literary Names?
If you have a favorite author, you may decide to name your baby after him or her. If you have more than one favorite author, the meaning and origin of each name may help you reach a decision.
Baby Girl Names From Author Names
You may want to look over a list of female authors before deciding on your little girl's name. What could be a better tribute to your favorite female author than naming your daughter for her?
- Anne: Favor, grace (Hebrew), Anne Frank
- Beverly: Beaver stream or meadow (English), Beverly Cleary
- Bronte: Thunder (Greek), Charlotte, Anne, Maria, and Elizabeth Bronte
- Jane: God is gracious (English), Jane Austen
- Harper: Harp player (English), Harper Lee
- Toni: Priceless one (Italian), Toni Morrison
- Virginia: Maiden, virgin (English), Virginia Woolf
Baby Boy Names From Author Names
If you're searching for a baby boy name, you may wish to consider a male author or two. You can decide if any author names fit your little man.
- Ambrose: Immortal (Greek), Ambrose Bierce
- Elwyn: White, holy, fair (Gaelic), (Welsh) First name for EB White
- Ernest: Serious (German), Ernest Hemingway
- Jack: God is gracious (English), Jack London
- Nicholas: Victory of the people (Greek), Nicholas Sparks
- William: Will, desire, protection, helmet (Norman), William Goldman
Inspiring Baby Names Inspired From Literature
There are many names from literature that are ideal choices for your baby girl or boy. By keeping the characters in mind when trying on different names, you can ensure you select the most appropriate name for your baby.