YA Author Names: Rainbow & Ransom
By Meagan, TulipByAnyName
The genre of Young Adult fiction is booming. These writers have brought characters to life with wonderful, vibrant names and many of them have equally delightful names. Let’s take a look at the names of some popular Young Adult authors.
Veronica Roth – author of the Divergent trilogy
Veronica is a Latin variation of Berenice meaning true image. Saint Veronica is well known for wiping Jesus’ face with a towel that was later found to have his image imprinted on it. At 375 in popularity Veronica is a familiar name without being overused.
Tahereh Mafi – author of the Shatter Me series
Tahereh which can also be spelled Tahira, is an Arabic name meaning pure and virtuous. A beautiful but uncommon name in the U.S., no little girls were named Tahereh, and only 35 were named Tahira last year.
Ransom Riggs – author of Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar Children
Ransom is an interesting word name that unfortunately holds the association of holding someone for ransom. Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green used Ransom as a middle name for their son Bodhi Ransom in 2014. 92 boys were named Ransom in the U.S. last year.
Suzanne Collins – author of The Hunger Games trilogy
Suzanne may have peaked in the late 1940’s, but I suspect it may be a name that we see return to popularity in the next decade. A French form of the name Susan, meaning Lily, Suzanne was only given to 77 girls last year.
John Green – author of The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska
The epitome of a classic name, John is currently number 26 in popularity, and has never dipped below number 28 in the U.S. A Hebrew name meaning God is gracious; there are many attractive international variations of John such as Sean, Ewan, and Ian.
Kiera Cass – author of The Selection series
Kiera is an angelcized form of the Irish name Ciara meaning black or dark. Kiera entered popularity in the late 1980’s. Currently number 592 in popularity, modern parents are leaning toward the spelling Keira which comes in at number 228.
Marissa Meyer – author of The Lunar Chronicles
Marissa is a variant of the Latin name Maris, meaning of the sea. Marissa peaked in the 1990’s when similar names like Alyssa and Melissa were also in fashion. Marissa is declining in popularity, although it is still readily used at spot 473.
James Dashner – author of The Maze Runner series
James is an English variation of Jacob meaning supplanter. Last year James re-entered the Top 10 at spot number 9. We also saw several celebrities gender-bending this traditionally male name and using it for their daughters. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively named their daughter James in 2014.
Rainbow Rowell – author of Eleanor & Park and Fangirl
Rainbow is Rowell’s real birth name, much to the delight of my inner eight-year-old. A whimsical, colorful word name, only 9 girls were named Rainbow last year. In 2013 Holly Madison named her daughter Rainbow Aurora.
Cassandra Clare – author of The Mortal Instruments series
Cassandra Clare is the only writer on this list that goes by a pen name. She was born Judith Rumelt. Cassandra is a Greek name meaning prophetess, currently number 516 in popularity. In Greek mythology Cassandra was a Princess of Troy.
What’s your favorite YA author’s name?