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Jane Austen Names

Jane Austen Names

If you're a fan of Jane Austen, you might draw inspiration for baby names from her characters. The author of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma, among others, lived in Georgian England, where classical and biblical names were widely used, and Germanic names started to become fashionable.

Along with Emma, other Jane Austen baby names in the US Top 100 include Anna, Caroline, Eleanor, Henry, James, John, Lydia, Sophia, and William. Names with particularly strong character ties include both Fitzwilliam and Darcy, as well as Bennet and Bingley.

Many of Austen’s character surnames would make excellent contemporary baby names. Choices such as Annesley, Drummond, Palmer, and Shepherd would pay homage to her writing in a modern way.

Jane Austen names are perfect for parents who value strength, sophistication, and substance. The Jane Austen-inspired baby names here are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Literary Names

Names from the 1800s

  1. ClaraHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "bright, clear"
    • Description:

      Clara is a strong, lovely girls' name that's always ranked among the US Top 1000 girl names but has been climbing since the turn of this century. Now holding steady around Number 100, Clara is a modern classic, neither too popular nor too unusual.
  2. CharlotteHeart
    • Origin:

      French, feminine diminutive of Charles
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl names in many English-speaking and European countries.
  3. EleanorHeart
    • Origin:

      English variation of French Provencal Alienor, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      Eleanor's straightforward feminine image combined with its royal medieval history is striking just the right note for parents in search of a girls' name that combines substance and style.
  4. ArthurHeart
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      " bear"
    • Description:

      Arthur, once the shining head of the Knights of the Round Table, is, after decades of neglect, now being polished up and restored by stylish parents, inspired perhaps by the new generation of royals. Arthur has led the list of possible names for the young British princes, chosen as a middle name for Prince Louis, son of William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales.
  5. JamesHeart
    • Origin:

      English variation of Jacob, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys' baby names, and is the most common male name, counting people of all ages, in the US.
  6. HenryHeart
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"
    • Description:

      Henry is back. The classic Henry climbed back onto the Top 10 in the US in 2021 for the first time in over a century, and now stands at Number 7.
  7. LucyHeart
    • Origin:

      English variation of Lucia, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "light"
    • Description:

      Lucy is both saucy and solid, a saint's name and heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now popular in the US as well.
  8. LucasHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin form of Luke
    • Meaning:

      "man from Lucania"
    • Description:

      Lucas is a Top 10 boys' name with a slightly-less-popular almost-identical twin brother, Luke. Like Elijah and Elias, Lucas and Luke come from the same root and have the same meaning and so feel even more popular than they are.
  9. PenelopeHeart
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "weaver"
    • Description:

      Penelope is an unlikely 21st century baby name success story. Off the Top 1000 for 25 years, Penelope jumped back on in 2001 and has been heading uphill ever since, propelled by the trend for mythological names, Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, and some high-profile celebrity babies.
  10. EmmaHeart
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "universal"
    • Description:

      Emma has now been among the top girl namesin the United States for several years, claiming the Number 1 crown in 2008 and again from 2015 to 2018. It now stands at Number 2 in the US, but is still the Number 1 girls' name in Switzerland, Austria, and Argentina.
  11. ElizabethHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Elizabeth, one of the premiere classic girls' names and most popular Hebrew names for girls, is now just outside the Top 10, having been replaced in 2014 by the rising Charlotte. Yet Elizabeth has so much going for it—rich history, broad appeal, and timeless style—that no matter how many little girls there are named Lizzie, Eliza, and Beth out there, you can still make Elizabeth your own.
  12. WilliamHeart
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

      William is one of the most enduring of classic names for boys. It's also among the most popular boys' names, as American parents see it as being ideally conservative yet contemporary, and hands-down the most popular baby name beginning with W of all time.
  13. LydiaHeart
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "woman from Lydia"
    • Description:

      Lydia is one of the first place names, after an area of Asia Minor whose inhabitants are credited with strong musical talent great wealth. Always among the US Top 1000 girl names, Lydia is a quietly fashionable classic.
  14. JackHeart
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of John
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Jack is a derivative of John that originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack. The name was so common in the Middle Ages that Jack became a generic term for a man.
  15. JaneHeart
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      No, we don't consider Jane too plain. In fact, for a venerable and short one-syllable name, we think it packs a surprising amount of punch, as compared to the related Jean and Joan.
  16. ThomasHeart
    • Origin:

      Aramaic
    • Meaning:

      "twin"
    • Description:

      Thomas is the Greek variation of the Aramaic name Ta’oma’. It came about because there were too many apostles named Judas; Jesus renamed one Thomas—meaning "twin"—to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot and the Judas also known as Thaddeus. At first, it was used only for priests.
  17. ElizaHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Eliza is a name with a wonderful combination of streamlined zest and Eliza Doolittle charm and spunk. It's a classic that's popular right now -- but not too popular.
  18. HannahHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "grace"
    • Description:

      Hannah is one of the nation's top biblical girls' names—it surpassed Sarah in 1998, and ranks in the Top 50 along with Elizabeth, Abigail, Chloe, and Naomi. Hannah is a name with many sources of appeal: Old Testament roots, soft and gentle sound, and a homey yet aristocratic image.
  19. SophiaHeart
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "wisdom"
    • Description:

      Sophia, which was the Number 1 girls' name in the US from 2011 to 2013, is among the top girl names in the Western World, with a sensuous sound and high-minded meaning. A real winner, Sophia reached the top of the charts without losing any—okay, much—of its sophisticated beauty.
  20. RoseHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "rose, a flower"
    • Description:

      Rose is derived from the Latin rosa, which referred to the flower. There is also evidence to suggest it was a Norman variation of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis, meaning "famous type," and also Hros, "horse". In Old English it was translated as Roese and Rohese.