Top 100 Literary Names For Your Baby

Georgia Stone
Sep 27, 2024 By Georgia Stone
Originally Published on Oct 09, 2020
Two kids wearing hats are sitting in the meadows reading a book



With the amount of good books out there, literary baby names can be difficult to narrow down.

These literary baby names come from a variety of different famous books from Catcher in the Rye to Game of Thrones to Little Women. Naming your baby after literary greats such as Jane Austen may instill a love of reading in them that they will carry for the rest of their lives.

So we have put together a list of the top 100 literary name for babies, which will you choose?

For more baby name inspiration, take a look at this list of the best boy names ending in -er or this list of the best girls' names ending in -on.

Classic Literary Baby Names For Girls

These famous female literary characters' names all come from classic books that most people have at least heard of, if not read. These baby names from books are perfect for your baby names list.

 

1. Clarisse (Latin), meaning "clear" and "bright," the name of a character from Fahrenheit 451

 

2. Daisy (Old English), meaning "day" and "eye", the name of a character from The Great Gatsby

 

3. Estella (Latin), meaning "star," the name of a character from Great Expectations

 

4. Georgianna (Old Greek), meaning "farmer," the name of a character from Pride and Prejudice

 

5. Holiday (English), meaning “holy day,” from Breakfast at Tiffany's

 

6. Jane (Hebrew), meaning "Yahweh is merciful," a name shared by Jane Eyre.

 

7. Lenina (English), meaning "like a lion," the name of a character from Brave New World

 

8. Lydia (Old Greek), meaning "woman from Lydia," the name of a character from Pride and Prejudice

 

9. Nora (Old Provencal), meaning "honored" and "honorable", the name of a character from a play called A Doll's House

Classic Literary Baby Names For Boys

 

 

These famous male literary baby names are from some of the most well known books out there. These baby names from timeless classics are perfect for your baby boy.

 

10. Arthur (Celtic), meaning “art” and “bear,” the name of a character in The Scarlet Letter

 

11. Atticus (Latin), meaning “from Attica,” the name of an important character from To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a lawyer

 

12. Gilbert (Germanic), meaning "bright pledge," the name of a character from Anne of Green Gables

 

13. Milo (Slavonic), meaning "imitating", the name of a lieutenant character from Catch-22

 

14. Philip (Old Greek), meaning "friend of horses," the name of a character from Great Expectations, the character is nicknamed Pip

 

15. Ralph (Germanic), meaning "wise" and "strong," the name of a character from Lord of the Flies

 

16. Simon (Hebrew), meaning "he who hears" and "God has heard," the name of a character from Lord of the Flies

 

17. Wilbur (Germanic), meaning "desire" and "protection," the name of a lovable pig from Charlotte's Web

 

18. Winston (Old English), meaning "friend" and "stone," the name of the main character from 1984

Girl Baby Names From Children's Books

These literary baby names come from famous literary characters in popular children’s books such as ‘Harry Potter’.

 

19. Augusta, this name comes from ‘Harry Potter’, being the name of Neville Longbottom's grandmother

 

20. Coraline (English), form of the name Coral, the name of the title character in Coraline

 

21. Isolde (Old French), meaning "beautiful" and "fair," the name of one of the title characters in a children's novel that is the retelling of an ancient legend

 

22. Junie (English), a form of June, derived from the month, the name of the title character in children’s books Junie B Jones

 

23. Matilda (Germanic), meaning “mighty in battle,” the name of the title character in Matilda

 

24. Violet (English), the name of one of three siblings in the Series of Unfortunate Events series

Boy Baby Names From Children's Books

These names come from popular literary characters in some famous children’s books.

 

25. Christopher (Old Greek), meaning “bearing Christ,” named after Christopher Robin,  a character in Winnie The Pooh, and the son of the author

 

26. Edmund (Old English), meaning “wealthy guard,” named after one of the siblings in the Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe series

 

27. Klaus (Scandinavian), meaning “victor of the people,” named after one of the siblings in the A Series of Unfortunate Events books

 

28. Peter (Old Greek), meaning “rock” and “stone,” named after one of the siblings in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

 

29. Phineas (Hebrew), meaning “oracle,” the name of a former headmaster in the Harry Potter literary series

 

30. Tristan (Celtic), meaning "riot" and "tumult," one of the title characters in a children's novel that is the retelling of an ancient legend

Baby Names From Fairy Tales

These fairy tale names come from classics.

 

31. Alice (Czech), girls' name meaning “of a noble kind,” after the title character in Alice in Wonderland

 

32. Aurora (Latin), girls' name meaning “dawn,” after the main character in Sleeping Beauty

 

33. Jack (Middle English), boys' name that was slang for “man,” after many fairytale characters from stories such as Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack and Jill

 

34. Tom (Scandinavian), from the boys' name Thomas, meaning “twin,” the title character from Tom Thumb

Names Of Famous Female Authors

These famous female authors have written some popular and classic books. Who wouldn’t want to name their daughter after a famous author like Jane Austen?

 

35. Agatha (Old Greek), derived from a word meaning "kind" and "good," named after Agatha Christie who wrote novels and short stories

 

36. Charlotte (Germanic), meaning “free man,” named after Charlotte Bronte the author of Jane Eyre

 

37. Emily (Latin), derived from a word meaning "imitating" and "rivaling," named after Emily Bronte who is known for her novel Wuthering Heights

 

38. Harper (Old English), meaning "harp player," named after Harper Lee, a novelist best known for To Kill A Mockingbird

 

39. Louisa (Germanic), meaning "fights with honor," named after Louisa May Alcott who was a novelist best known for Little Women and its sequels

 

40. Mary (Hebrew), meaning "sea of bitterness" and "rebelliousness," named after Mary Shelley, a novelist known for Frankenstein

 

41. Maya (Latin), meaning "great," named after Maya Angelou who was a poet, and civil rights activist

 

42. Toni (France), meaning "worth of praise," named after Toni Morrison who was a novelist who wrote The Bluest Eye

Names Of Famous Male Authors

Why not name your son after a talented and inspirational author?

 

43. Aldous (English), meaning “from the old house,” named after Aldous Huxley

 

44. Charles (Old German), meaning "man" and "free man," named after Charles Dickens who wrote Great Expectations

 

45. Edgar (Old English), meaning "wealthy spear" and "owner of many spears," named after Edgar Allan Poe who was a writer and poet

 

46. George (Old Greek), meaning "farmer" and "earthworker," named after George Orwell who was a novelist known for 1984 and Animal Farm

 

47. Henrik (Germanic), meaning "ruler of the home," named after Henrik Ibsen who was a Norwegian playwright known for A Doll's House

 

48. Mark (Latin), meaning "war-like" and "dedicated to Mars," named after Mark Twain who wrote the Adventures of Tom Sawyer

 

49. Oscar (English), meaning "god spear" and "gentle friend," named after Oscar Wilde who was an Irish poet and playwright

 

50. William (Germanic), meaning “desire” and “protection,” after the man considered to be the greatest English writer in history, William Shakespeare

Shakespearean Girl Baby Names

These Shakespeare girl names come straight from William Shakespeare’s plays and stories.

 

51. Celia (Latin), meaning “heaven” and “sky,”the name of a character from As Your Like it

 

52. Cordelia (Latin), meaning “little heart,” the name of a character from King Lear

 

53. Helena (Old Greek), meaning “bright one” and “shining one,” the name of a character from A Midsummer Night’s Dream

 

54. Hermia (Old Greek), meaning “heap of stones,” the name of a character from A Midsummer Night’s Dream

 

55. Juliet (Latin), meaning “Jupiter’s Child,” the name of the title character from Romeo and Juliet

 

56. Luciana (Spanish), meaning “bright” and “born at daybreak,” the name of a character from The Comedy of Errors

 

57. Ophelia (Old Greek), meaning “help” and “profit,” the name of a character from Hamlet

 

58. Portia (Latin), meaning “pig,” the name of a character from Merchant of Venice

 

59. Rosalind (Germanic), meaning “pretty rose,” the name of a character from As You Like It

 

60. Titania (Old Greek), meaning “land of giants,” the name of a character from A Midsummer Night’s Dream

 

61. Viola (Italy), derived from violet, the name of a character from Twelfth Night

Shakespearean Boy Baby Names

These Shakespeare baby names are the perfect literary baby names for those who love his plays.

 

62. Adrian (German), meaning “dark,” the name of a character from The Tempest

 

63. Alonso (Spanish), meaning “eager for battle,”  the name of a character from The Tempest

 

64. Antonio (Spanish), meaning “worthy of praise,” the name of a character from Merchant of Venice

 

65. Cassio (English), variant of Cassius meaning “empty” and “vain,” the name of a character from Othello

 

66. Claudius (Latin), meaning “lame” and “limping,” the name of a character from Hamlet

 

67. Duncan (Celtic), meaning “brown warrior” and “brown head,” the name of a character from Macbeth

 

68. Fabian (Latin), meaning “grower of beans,” the name of a character from Twelfth Night

 

69. Malcolm (Celtic), meaning “disciple of Saint Columba,” the name of a character from Macbeth

 

70. Orlando (Germanic), meaning “famous landowner,” the name of a character from As You Like It

 

71. Romeo (Latin), meaning “pilgrim to Rome,” the name of one of the title characters from Romeo and Juliet

 

72. Valencio (Latin), meaning “power,” the name of a character from Taming of the Shrew

Edgar Allan Poe Girl Names

These girl literary names are from some of Edgar Allan Poe’s most popular poems and stories.

 

73. Annabel (Scottish), meaning “beautiful grace,” the title character from a Poe poem titled Annabel Lee

 

74. Camile (Latin), meaning “acolyte” and “attendant at a ritual,” the name of a character from The Mystery of Marie Roget

 

75. Lenore (Old Greek), meaning “bright one” and “shining one,” the title character of a poem, it is also the name for his lost love in the Raven

 

76. Madeline (Hebrew), meaning “of Magdala,” a character from the Fall of the House of Usher

 

77. Marie (Czech), meaning “to swell” and “wished-for-child,” the title character from the Mystery of Marie Roget

 

78. Rowena (Welsh), meaning “slender” and “fair,” the name of a character from Ligeia

Edgar Allan Poe Boy Names

These baby names come from popular Edgar Allan Poe short stories and poems.

 

79. Adolphe (German), meaning “noble wolf,” a character from Murders from the Rue Morgue

 

80. Julien (Old Greek), meaning “Jupiter’s Child,” a character from The Premature Burial

 

81. Pluto (Old Greek), meaning “wealth,” the name of the cat in The Black Cat

 

82. Roderick (Germanic), meaning “famously powerful,” a character from the Fall of the House of Usher

 

83. Thomas (Aramaic), meaning “twin,” a character from The Balloon-Hoax

 

84. Walter (Germanic), meaning “folk ruler” and “warrior,’ a character from The Gold Bug

Non-Binary Literary Names

Sometimes you want to choose a first name that will be great with any baby, boy or girl.

 

85. Charlie (Germanic), meaning “free man,” the name of the title character from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

 

86. Darcy (Irish), meaning “dark,” the name of a character from Pride and Prejudice

 

87. Sawyer (English), meaning “woodcutter,” the surname of Tom Sawyer from the Adventures of Tom Sawyer

 

88. Spencer (French), meaning “keeper of provisions,” the surname of the history teacher in Catcher in the Rye

 

89. Theo (Old Greek), meaning “gift of god,“ typically a nickname for Theodore or Theodora, it is a name from The Goldfinch

 

90. Waverley (English), meaning “quaking aspen-tree meadow,” the surname of the title character in Waverley

Rare And Unique Literary Names

These names with character are perfect for the parents who want to choose a first name that not only means something to them but will also stand out in the crowd.

91. Aerin (Celtic), a girls' name potentially derived from a name meaning “Irish woman,” from JRR Tolkien

92. Caspian (English), a boys' name similar to Cassian which means “empty,” the title character of C.S. Lewis’ book titled Prince Caspian

93. Eddard (English), boys' name derived from Edward meaning “wealthy guardian,” a character from The Game of Thrones book series, a Song of Ice and Fire

94. Guinevere (Old Welsh), girls' name meaning “fair” and “smooth,” the name of the wife of King Arthur of Camelot

95. Gulliver (English), boys' name meaning “glutton,” the name of the title character in Gulliver’s Travels

96. Heathcliff (English), boys' name meaning “from the heath cliff,” the name of a character from Wuthering Heights

97. Primrose (Spanish), girls' name meaning “first rose,” the name of the sister in The Hunger Games

98. Roald (German), boys' name meaning “famous leader,” the name of the novelist Roald Dahl

99. Rue (English), gender neutral name derived from the evergreen shrub, a character from The Hunger Games

100. Temple (English), girls' name meaning “shrine,” the name of a character from Sanctuary by William Faulkner

Kidadl has lots of great baby names articles to inspire you. If you liked our suggestions for literary baby names then why not take a look at these Disney boy names, or for something different take a look at these modern girl names.

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Written by Georgia Stone

Bachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art

Georgia Stone picture

Georgia StoneBachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art

Georgia is an experienced Content Manager with a degree in French and Film Studies from King's College London and Bachelors degree from Université Paris-Sorbonne. Her passion for exploring the world and experiencing different cultures was sparked during her childhood in Switzerland and her year abroad in Paris. In her spare time, Georgia enjoys using London's excellent travel connections to explore further afield.

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