Celebrity Names · Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Literary Baby Names Inspired by Authors
Across 7 pages
of 7
Bly
English surname name
"friendly"
The surname of enterprising journalist Nellie Bly and poet Robert Bly makes a simple, modern, and upbeat sounding choice for either a boy or a girl.
Eudora
Greek
"generous gift"
Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and…
Ellison
English
"son of Ellis"
Updates Ellis -- but also has a lot of feminine potential thanks to Allison/Ellie similarity.
Flannery
Irish
"descendant of Flannghal"
Long before the vogue of using Irish surnames for girls, writer Flannery O'Connor gave this one some visibility. It has a warm (flannelly) feel and the currently popular three-syllable ee-ending…
Forster
English, variation of Foster
"scissors maker"
Forster, a variation of Foster or potentially even Forester, is associated with British novelist E.M. Forster, author of A Passage to India , Howard's End , and A Room with a View . But if you choose…
Frost
English
"freezing"
Long heard as a last name, as in venerable poet Robert, U.K. talk show host David, British actress Sadie and old Jack Frost, Frost has suddenly entered the scene as a possible first, along with other…
Galway
Place-name
Associated with the poet and novelist Galway Kinnell, this name of an Irish city, county, and bay would make an evocative choice. For further literary cred, writers Liam O'Flaherty and Frank Harris…
Gide
French surname
Pronounced GHEED, this surname of Nobel Prizewinning novelist Andre could make a smooth, sleek middle name choice.
Eliot
Variation of Elliot, English diminutive of Elias
"Yahweh is God"
Eliot is the sleekest spelling of the original, very occasionally used for girls, perhaps to honor novelist George Eliot.
Gore
English
"wedge-shaped object"
Surname from a landscape feature, associated with author Gore Vidal and Bill Clinton's Vice President Al Gore. Its alternative meaning - as in gory - may explain why it's never made it into the…
Hammett
English surname
A possibility for fans of the mystery writer, but most parents would prefer Dashiell.
Bellow
English occupational name
"bellows maker"
Might be an honorific for novelist Saul Bellow, although bellowing is not the gentlest of sounds. Consider Saul instead.
Auden
English
"old friend"
The poetic, soft-spoken Auden has recently started to be considered as a first name option, used for both sexes, appreciated for its pleasing sound as well as its link to the distinguished modern…
Harte
English
"stag"
Most often spelled without the final "e"--unless you're a particular fan of writer Bret.
Hemingway
English place name
No matter how much you love the novels of Papa H., don't saddle your son with this unwieldy appellation.
Homer
Greek
"security, hostage, pledge"
Homer is a name of two halves, associated with the ancient Greek poet of the epic Odyssey and with the (often) doltish patriarch of The Simpsons . So does that make Homer a classic and scholarly…
Djuna
Invented name, variation of Juna, English from Latin
"born in June; young; moon"
Novelist Djuna Barnes introduced this interesting and unusual name with an arty, Bohemian feel to the mix. She explained that it was invented by her father, saying it came about as a combination of…
Behan
Irish
"bee"
An Anglicized derivative of the Gaelic name Beatha, meaning "life," best known as the surname of Irish playwright Brendan Behan.
Jerzy
Polish variation of George
"farmer"
Writer Jerzy Kosinski put this foreign variation on the U. S. name map.
Didion
Didion is a masculine name with roots as a surname, most famously associated with American author Joan Didion. As a first name, it remains extraordinarily rare. The name likely derives from ancient…