Names Created by Authors

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 "heart of the glen", though it could also be considered a compound name, combining masculine Glenn with Cora, to mean "maiden of the valley".

Glencora

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 be related to the Welsh Glenda, itself a 20th century invention or to the Germanic Galinda, as used by Gregory Maguire in his Wizard of Oz spin off, Wicked.

Glinda

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 has said this is incorrect. The correct pronunciation is GOD-oh, with the first syllable stressed.

Godot

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. 

Gollum

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 the fact Timon of Athens is less well known than the likes of Hamlet. 

Nevertheless, Phrynia is a distinctive name with an animal meaning, originally derived from the Ancient Greek Phryne, which translates more literally to "the brown animal". It likely originated as a nickname for someone with a "snub nose" — reminiscent of a toad — and was borne by a Greek hetaira (or courtesan). It has also been used as the name of a crater on one of Uranus's moons, Titania.

Phrynia

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 heroic Lithuanian princess. The name embodies both beauty and strength, as Mickiewicz's character was portrayed as a brave warrior woman. Pronounced roughly as 'gra-ZHI-na,' the name carries a distinctly Slavic character with its 'z' and 'y' combination. While common in Poland and Lithuanian communities, it remains relatively unusual in English-speaking countries, giving it an exotic and distinctive quality. Women bearing this name often embrace its connections to beauty, feminine strength, and cultural heritage within Eastern European traditions.

Grazyna

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 unusual way to nicknames Rose or Rosie.

Rosasharn

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 from the Welsh elements mor and wen, giving it the alternative meaning "white, blessed sea".
 
Morwen appears in Tolkien's Middle-Earth mythology, where it means "dark maiden" in Sindarin. It can also be found in the The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, a series of fantasy-dragon novels by Patricia C. Wrede, in the novel A Secret of Witches by Louisa Morgan, and on a character in The Elder Scrolls video game franchise.
 
Slightly fantastical and witchy, Morwen could make an interesting alternative to Morgan.

Morwen

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 the real world, and could work alongside the likes of Flynn, Conrad, or Griffin. Plus, it's a unique to get to a nickname Finn.

Finrod

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 Adventures of Esplandián, in which it was borne by a queen.
 
Montalvo possibly based it on the Spanish form of the Arabic title, khalifa, elaborating califa into something that sounded more name-like.
 
It could make an interesting nod to California, or provide an unusual route to Callie, Fia, or Calla.

Calafia

Ethereal, yet with the familiarity of Lily about it, Lilliandil is a name created by Douglas Gresham for the movie adaptation of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, based of C.S Lewis's Narnia novels. An unnamed character in the novel, inspired by Luthien and Arwen from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Gresham chose the name Lilliandil inspired by the sea of lilies, also known as the Silver Sea, that appears in the book.
 
While Lilliandil as a name doesn't appear in the classic 'canon' of Narnia, it is lent substance by the fact Douglas Gresham is the stepson of C.S. Lewis.

Lilliandil

While there are many who would certainly be put off by the association with spiders, Cavatica has a spirited and spikey feel and sounds enough like Cassia, Catalina, and Callista that it leans "name-y". Cavatica appears in E.B White's popular novel, Charlotte's Web about a spider called Charlotte. A. Cavatica.

Cavatica

A unisex name of Welsh origin, Eilir has a mystical yet familiar feel. It was coined by the 18th century Welsh poet, antiquarian and literary forger, Iolo Morganwg, from the elements ail meaning "second" and ir meaning "fresh, verdant". Often associated with Spring, renewal, and regeneration, it might also be an old Welsh word for butterfly. The name is borne by composer Eilir Owen Griffiths, by a character in The Emberverse series by S.M. Stirling, and by comedian Eilir Jones. Alban Eilir is also the Welsh name for the Spring Equinox

Eilir

A unisex name of Welsh origin, Eilir has the mystical and intriguing feel of Eowyn and Emrys, but also the familiarity of Elinor and Eli. It was coined by the 18th century Welsh poet, antiquarian and literary forger, Iolo Morganwg, from the elements ail meaning "second" and ir meaning "fresh, verdant". 
 
The name is therefore associated with Spring, renewal, and regeneration, however, it might also be an old Welsh word for butterfly, giving it another layer of meaning.
 
The name is borne by composer Eilir Owen Griffiths, by a character in The Emberverse series by S.M. Stirling, and by comedian Eilir Jones, while Alban Eilir is the Welsh name for the Spring Equinox
 
Currently a rare choice, it was last appeared in the England and Wales stats in 2001.

Popular in Brazil, Moacir derives from the Indigenous Tupi–Guarani language, and likely gained attention due to its use in the classic 1865 novel, Iracema by José de Alencar. The novel tells the story of a relationship between an indigenous woman and a Portuguese colonist and has been adapted several times into film, notably in 1917 and 1949 which led to an increase in its use in Brazil.
 
Adapted from the word moasy meaning "pain, regret", Moacir can mean "son of pain", which, in the novel Iracema is in reference to the difficult childbirth experienced by the titular character. While this meaning may feel off-putting to some, it could also be interpreted as the son being a reward after a struggle. 
Alternatively, it may be considered alongside Delores, Tristan, Bronagh, and Calvin: familiar names whose sounds and associations balance out their perhaps less that cheerful meanings.
 
Moacir was hugely popular in Brazil from the 1930s to the 1960s when it began to decline in use, though it still ranked in the Top 1000 in the most recent stats. Also spelled Moacyr, it has been notably borne by footballers Moacir Nascimento "Barbosa", Moacir da Silva, and Moacyr Filho, along with writer Moacyr Scliar, archbishop Moacyr José Vitti, and musician and composer Moacir Santos.

Moacir

Popular in Brazil in the early half of the 20th century, Iracema derives from the Indigenous Tupi–Guarani language, and likely gained attention due to its use in the classic 1865 novel by José de Alencar. Iracema is the titular character of the novel that explores the relationship between an indigenous woman and a Portuguese colonist.
 
Iracema (the novel) has been adapted several times into film, notably in 1917 and 1949, which led to an increase in its use in Brazil. While it dropped out of the Top 1000 back in the 90s, it could still be considered a familiar name. 
 
Combining the Tupi words yra and tembe, it means "honey lips", making this a sweet name with a solid presence. It is possible that when the writer Alencar coined it, he intended it to have a double meaning, given that it is an anagram of America. 
 
Two interesting bits of trivia: the Brazilian actress who made her film debut in the 1917 adaption of the novel, was called Iracema de Alencar (no relation of the author), and the name of the fictional son of Iracema, Moacir, has also become a familiar name in Brazil. 
 
Musician and fashion designer Iracema Trevisan is a notable bearer.

Iracema

Created by the author Aldous Huxley for his novel, Brave New World, Lenina is a feminine form of Lenin, the surname of the founder of the Soviet state. It is borne by the central female character in the novel, Lenina Crowne, but in the real world, it is also been used occasionally in South America, notably in Brazil. 
 
The Soviet Lenin's birth surname was Ulyanov, however he changed it to Lenin, possibly adapting it from the name of the River Lena in Russia. This could link it to Helena meaning "shining torch", or more likely, to the original name of the river, Elyu-En, meaning "large river". 
 
Another theory is that it links to Leonard, Leonid, Lenya, and similar, lending it a leonine meaning.

Lenina

Several names that are used in the popular book series Throne of Glass have been gaining attention in recent years, including Celaena and Aelin, and though Chaol has yet to join them, it may be one to watch out for. Possibly influenced by the Irish Caol meaning "narrow, slender", author Sarah. J. Maas has also noted the word "chaos" (the character's original name) as a source of inspiration. As such, the name is said like chaos, but with an L at the end, or like the word kale.

Chaol

Majestic and poetic at the same time, Calidore appears in Edmund Spenser's 16th century epic poem, The Faerie Queene, in which Sir Calidore is a courteous and heroic knight. It may intrigue those looking for rare alternatives to Callum, Caleb, Callan, and Calvin, or those seeking unique options that still remind them of Theodore. 
 
Likely made up of the Greek elements kallos and doron meaning "beauty" and "gift" respectively, it comes from a piece of literature that has been fairly influential on naming, introducing Arlo, Amoret, Briana, and Claribel.

Calidore

Truvy is a name with a fresh yet retro sound, Southern charm, and a modern, nickname-y vibe. It appears in the 1987 play, Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling, and its subsequent film adaptation where Truvy was played by Dolly Parton. 
 Also spelled as Truvie, the name is likely drawn from Gertrude's diminutive, Trudy. A recent year saw it given to 7 babies, and we can see it rising alongside Jovie, Tru, Joni, and Truly.

Truvy

Names created by authors include newly conceived options like Rhaenyra and Katniss, as well as names that are so assimilated, you probably didn't even realize they were invented — Jessica, anyone?

In addition to Jessica, mainstream names including Miranda (

) were coined by writers and now have taken on lives outside of the book pages.

 were invented by J. R. R. Tolkien, such as Theoden, Tauriel, and Frodo.

, including Geraldine, Vanessa, Fiona, Stella, and Amanda.

Literary names invented by authors, writers, and poets, including Fiona, Mowgli, and Renesmee, with meaning, origin, and popularity (Page 8)