Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Names Created by Authors
Across 13 pages
of 13
Arys
Literary name, or variation of Ares
A knight in the Game of Thrones universe, Arys debuted on the charts for both sexes in 2023, possibly owing to the pop culture connection, but also thanks to the popularity of Ares, a Greek mythology…
Asra
Asra is a feminine name with roots in multiple cultures. In Arabic, it means 'travel by night' or 'night journey', referring to the Prophet Muhammad's miraculous night journey in Islamic tradition.…
Astrophel
Literary name
"star lover"
Invented by 16th-century English poet Sir Philip Sidney for the hero of his sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella , this name is derived from the Greek elements aster "star" and philos "lover".…
Atreyu
Literary invention
"son of all"
German author Michael Ende created the name Atreyu for the protagonist of his 1979 novel The Neverending Story . In the original German translation of the book, the hero was Atréju — Atreyu is the…
Aurex
Invented literary name
Lady Aurex is a character in L. Frank Baum's Glinda of Oz , a sequel to The Wizard of Oz .
Avaric
Literary creation
A character from Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked and the subsequent musical. It possible comes from the word avarice meaning "extreme desire for material wearth", but other possibilities could be that…
Baela
Invented literary name
A character name in George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, featured in the GOT prequel House of the Dragon .In the series, the name is a feminine form of Baelon, the character's paternal…
Bagheera
Literary name
"tiger"
Rudyard Kipling created the name Bagheera for the black panther character in his classic collection The Jungle Book . It was derived from the Hindi word bagh , meaning "tiger." Today, Bagheera is a…
Bartleby
English surname, probably related to Bartholomew
"son of the furrow"
Bartleby (that's his last name) the Scrivener is a famous Herman Melville character whose surprisingly powerful refrain was, "I would prefer not to." Or, in the immortal words of any two-year-old:…
Bedivere
Welsh
One of the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend, who ultimately returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. Also spelt Bedevere, the name derives from Welsh Bedwyr ("birch man").
Belphoebe
Invented literary name
"beautiful shining one"
The name of the character in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" whom the poet intended as a representation of Queen Elizabeth I. While it will no doubt thrill your daughter's English professor, the…
Benjen
Modern invented name
The Westerosi equivalent of Benjamin -- meaning it's a "Game of Thrones" name, for non-fans -- is most prominently borne in George R.R. Martin's novels by Benjen Stark, younger brother of Eddard…
Beren
Literary name
"brave, bold, daring"
Beren is a Noldorin name created by J. R. R. Tolkien for his fantasy universe. A great hero in the books, Beren is notable for his love story with Luthien — so notable that Beren and Luthien are the…
Biana
Literature
"fair, white"
A literary name used in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger. Could also be a short form of Bibiana or a spin on stylish names like Tiana and Liana.
Bilbo
Fictional name; Basque
The name of the eponymous Hobbit , Bilbo is said by Tolkien himself to be "of unknown meaning". It’s also an unusual place name: Bilbo is the local Basque name for the city of Bilbao.
Boq
Literary invention
The name of a Munchkin in L Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz , who plays a much larder role in the spin off Wicked novels and musical. The meaning of the name is unknown, but it could come from Bock, a…
Brienne
Modern invented name
There aren't many characters in the notoriously amoral world of Game of Thrones with a spotless record of moral righteousness -- but Brienne of Tarth comes close. She's one of the most accomplished,…
Cadenus
Literary invention, Latin
"dean, head of a cathedral or college church"
Jonathon Swift is better known as the inventor of the popular Vanessa, however, he also invented Cadenus for the same poem, simply titled Cadenus and Vanessa . Cadenus is an anagram of the Latin…
Caissa
Italian invented name
Caïssa was invented as a goddess of chess by Italian poet Marco Girolamo Vida in 1527. The name is known in the chess community, but not much outside of that.
Capitola
Literary invention
Capitola owes its position on the US Top 1000 to the 1859 novel The Hidden Hand , also known as Capitola the Madcap . It was written by E. D. E. N. Southworth — the initials stand for Eliza Dorothy…