Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Names Created by Authors
Across 13 pages
of 13
Galadriel
Literary name
"maiden crowned with a radiant garland"
The name of the wise and beautiful elfin princess in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novels, best known through Cate Blanchett's immortal representation in the film series. This ethereal name…
Galinda
Germanic
"soft singing voice"
The original name of Glinda from Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked and the subsequent Broadway musical. She drops the 'a' from her name to honor a goat, who mispronounced her name as a Glinda. As a…
Gareth
Welsh
"gentle"
Gareth, the name of a modest and brave knight in King Arthur's court, makes a sensitive, gently appealing choice, used more in its native Wales than anywhere else. The name Gareth first appeared in…
Gawain
Welsh
"May hawk"
With a noble air and a distinctive yet familiar sound, Gawain is drawn from Arthurian legend, in which he is one of King Arthur's loyal knights and his nephew. Also appearing as the hero of the 14th…
Gayelette
Invented literary name
A fanciful concoction whipped up by L. Frank Baum for a beautiful and powerful princess in one of his Oz books.
Gendry
Literary name
Most of the names George R.R. Martin created for his A Song of Ice and Fire series of books are close variants of existing English names, but this is an exception. Gendry was a minor character in the…
Geraldine
German and French, feminine variation of Gerald
"ruler with the spear"
Though twin brother Gerald is still in baby name limbo, Geraldine is in line to follow the path of Josephine to imminent revival—even though Gerry is not as spunky a nickname as Josie. Geraldine was…
Glencora
Literary
"heart of the glen"
Inspired by Glendora, this name was invented by prolific Victorian novelist, Anthony Trollope for his Palliser novels. It blends the English glen with the Latin cor to make the whimsical meaning…
Glinda
Literary name
Glinda is famous as the name of the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz, invented by author L. Frank Baum. but has there ever been a real life, non-fictional Glinda? Not in the US last year. The name may…
Godot
Invented name
Samuel Beckett, inspired by the French surname Godeau, created the name Godot for his play, Waiting for Godot . Americans tend to pronounce Godot with the emphasis on the second syllable, but Beckett…
Goku
Japanese
"aware of emptiness"
Goku is the name of the protagonist of the popular "Dragon Ball" manga series, which was turned into a live action film. The character of Goku is reportedly based on Sun Wukong, the hero of the…
Gollum
Literary name
J. R. R. Tolkien introduced a plethora of new names into the world, but this is one character name that never caught on, nor will it likely ever.
Phrynia
Variant of Phryne, Literature, Ancient Greek
"toad"
Used by Shakespeare in his play Timon of Athens , Phrynia is a Shakespearean that hasn't caught on as Ophelia, Jessica, or Imogen have — possibly because of its unusual sounds, its toady meaning, and…
Grazyna
Grazyna is a feminine Polish name derived from the Lithuanian word 'gražus' meaning 'beautiful.' It gained prominence through Adam Mickiewicz's 1823 narrative poem titled 'Grażyna,' which featured a…
Rosasharn
Literature
"Rose of Sharon"
A literary creation, used by John Steinbeck in his novel, The Grapes of Wrath . It is a contracted form of "Rose of Sharon", which could make an interesting middle name to honor a Sharon or an…
Tirian
Variation of Tirion or Tyrian, Welsh, Latin, Literature
"kind, gentle, happy; of Tyre; royal purple"
Used by C.S Lewis in his Narnia novels, Tirian is a variation of the Welsh mythology name, Tirion, or the Latin name, Tyrian. From soft-but-strong Tirion, it means "kind, gentle", while from Tyrian…
Morwen
Variant of Morwenna, Cornish, Welsh
"maiden, girl"
A shorter form of Morwenna, similar in feel to Arwen or Gwen, Morwen comes from the Old Cornish word moroin and the Welsh morwyn meaning "maiden, girl". Some sources suggest the name could also come…
Finrod
Literature, Sindarin
"golden-haired champion"
Created by J.R.R Tolkien and appearing in his posthumously published The Silmarillion , Finrod feels both mystical and familiar. Like Arwen, Theoden, and Eowyn, it doesn't sound too out of place n…
Calafia
Literature
"successor"
A 16th-century literary creation, that likely inspired the names of the American and Mexican states of California. Calafia was created by writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo for his novel, The…
Aravis
Literary name and place-name
Aravis was the name of a female character in C.S. Lewis's A Horse and His Boy , and is also the name of a mountain range in southern France. With the rise of Ava, Avery, and indeed seemingly all…