Magical Mystery Names

In our baby-naming books, from Beyond Jennifer & Jason on, we’ve often offered lists of name-inspiring authors and literary characters. But it occurred to me recently that we’ve neglected one of the richest sources–the genre of mystery writers and their fictional heroes and heroines–from Agatha Christie to Alex Delaware. The band of gumshoes, shamuses, cerebral sleuths, police inspectors and forensic investigators populating vintage and modern mystery books and television detective shows provides some really interesting choices, among them:

AUTHORS

AGATHA CHRISTIECHANDLER, Raymond
Arthur CONAN Doyle
COLIN DEXTERCONNOLLY, Michael

CRISPIN, Edmund
DASHIELL HammettELLERY QueenIAN RankinJASPER FfordJOSEPHINE TEYMARGERY AllinghamNEVADA BarrNGAIO MarshPOE, Edgar AllanPLUM, Stephanie
REX StoutSAX RohmerWILKIE Collins

DETECTIVES

ADAM DaglieshALEX DELAWAREARCHER, Lew
CARTER DicksonCAT MarsalaEASY Rawlins
ELLERY Queen (both author and character)ELVIS COLEGERVASE FenGIDEON FellJANE MarpleKAY ScarpettaKINKY Friedman (both author and character)KINSEY MillhoneMAIGRET, Jules
MARLOW, Philip
MASON, Perry
NERO WolfePHILO VANCEPOIROT, Hercule
SIMON TemplarSPENSERTHURSDAY NextTRAVIS McGEE

TV SLEUTHS

ADDISON, David
ADRIAN MonkBANYONBARETTABARNABY JonesCAGNEY, Christine
COLUMBO
FLETCHER, Jessica
FOX MoldourHAMISH MacbethLACEY, Mary BethMADOLYN (MADDIE) HAYESMAGNUMMcCLOUDMORSENASH BridgesOLIVIA BensonQUINCY
REMINGTON SteeleTENNISON, Jane
THEO Kojak