Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Names Created by Authors
Across 13 pages
of 13
Valmai
Welsh
"like May"
Briefly popular in New Zealand back in the 1930s, Valmai is a literary invention derived from the Welsh phrase fel Mai translating to "like May". It was created by the best selling Welsh author,…
Asterid
Variation of Astrid, Scandinavian, Greek, literary invented name
"divinely beautiful; star"
If we tie it to Aster, it's undeniably a nature name. "Aster" comes from the Greek word astēr , meaning "star," and it's the name of a daisy-like flower with star-shaped blooms. On the flip side, it…
Miriamele
Literature, Hebrew
"beloved, bitter + God"
Used by the writer Tad Williams in is fantasy series Memory Sorrow and Thorn , Miriamele is borne by an altruistic and clever princess in the books. Her name is likely a blend of the classic Miriam…
Burdock
English, plant name
The name of an herbaceous plant in the daisy family. Burdock has never been recorded as a name in the US, but it may provide some woodsy steampunk flair. In Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games prequel —…
Hagrid
Literary name
Gentle giant Rubeus Hagrid is the groundskeeper at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter novels (probably after Hagrid Rubes, the equally kind ancient Greek mythological giant), but that's not the only reason…
Haidee
Literature, English
"modest, reverant"
While Haidee may sound like a variant of Heidi or Hailey, it's actually a separate name with a literary history. First appearing in Byron's epic poem Don Juan (1819), it was likely inspired by the…
Hareton
Literary name
"hare town"
Used by Emily Brontë in her novel Wuthering Heights , Hareton is a distinctive, rugged and literature-inspired choice. With the sounds of an English place name and the vibes of a last name as a first…
Haymitch
Invented literary name
Hamish spinoff created by author Suzanne Collins for her trilogy The Hunger Games .
Heathcliff
English
"cliff near a heath"
Heathcliff is the name of the original passionate macho hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights , and also of the cartoon cat. It was chosen by fashionista Lucy Sykes for her son, and inspired the…
Kaladin
Literary name
An archetypal fantasy name with a cool Cal/Kal sound and short form, Kaladin is a character in The Stormlight Archive by Utah resident Brandon Sanderson. Westerners are early adopters: of the 97 baby…
Ianu
Invented literary name
Fanciful name created by L. Frank Baum for a character in his book Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz .
Illusia
Invented name
"illusion"
Illusia was created in 1944 by the Finnish author Yrjö Kokko for his fairy tale Pessi and Illusia . In the story, Illusia is a rainbow-dwelling fairy who falls in love with an initially-pessimistic…
Istredd
Literary name
Istredd is the name of sorceress Yennefer's former lover in The Witcher series, created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Some sources theorize that the name is related to the Scandinavian royal…
Ivanhoe
English, possible variation of Ivan
So identified with the hero of the Sir Walter Scott novel, it would be almost impossible for any boy to carry.
Jadine
Modern invented name
Unusual and unfashionable name found in Toni Morrison's novel Tar Baby .
Jadis
French or Persian
"long ago or magic, witch"
Queen Jadis, also known as The White Witch, is the main villain in The Chronicles of Narnia . She is the force responsible for freezing Narnia and creating the Hundred Year Winter. Author C.S. Lewis…
Janice
Variation of Jane
"God is gracious"
For a minute or two this sounded more modern than Janet, now equally outmoded.