Search names

Celebrity Names · Names from the Arts and Pop Culture

Literary Baby Names Inspired by Authors

Sophie Kihm

By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026

Names127

Pages7

Total Names127

Across 7 pages

Page4

of 7

Showing 61–80 of 127

Zola
Literary surname
Authors or Francophiles – or both – could consider this zippy name in honor of renowned French writer Émile Zola, author of Germinal , Thérèse Raquin and the infamous open letter J'Accuse...! .
Wystan
English
"battle stone"
Dignified first name of poet W. H. Auden, less exposed than his currently stylish surname.
Baudelaire
French
"large dagger or short sword"
Associated with the Baudelaire siblings from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and with the poet Charles Baudelaire, this French surname is a bold literary choice, with a touch of…
Verlaine
French and Belgium place and surname
Originally used as a surname for someone from Verlaine in the Liege province of Belgium, its use as a given name was inspired by the 19th century French poet, Paul Verlaine. Predominantly used as a…
Boz
Diminutive of Bozhidar, Bosley, Boaz, or others, Slavic, English, Hebrew
"divine; Bosa's field; swiftness"
A multicultural nickname with a number of origins and multiple meanings, particular to the bearer. It can be a short form of Bozhidar, or any other name with the Slavic element "božĭjĭ", meaning…
Meridel
Combination of Mary and Del
"beloved; bitter; drop of the sea + pretty; of the; valley, dell"
A name that feels slightly whimsical and arty, but vintage too, Meridel is associated with the American writer, Meridel Le Sueur (1900-1996). She may have been named after her mother, Marian Lucy,…
Acton
English
"village with oak trees"
Chosen by novelist Anne Brontë as her pseudonym when she first began to publish her work in the mid-19th century, this buttoned-up and strong sounding surname-name could make an interesting literary…
Richmal
English
"dominant ruler + beloved, bitter, drop of the sea"
An extremely rare name, used predominantly in the town of Bury in North Western England, Richmal is most notably borne by writer Richmal Crompton, known for her Just William novels. The exact origins…
Alcott
English
"dweller at the old cottage"
Alcott evokes shades of nineteenth-century New England, and memories of the author of the books Little Women and Little Men . Louisa May Alcott was the daughter of Amos Bronson Alcott, noted…
Dessen
English, German, French, Irish
"whose, of which; highest part, above; one from South Munster"
A new-age literary name, Dessen is the surname of Y.A. author, Sarah Dessen, writer of That Summer, Just Listen, and The Truth About Forever . With nickname Dessie, it may appeal to fans of the…
Kuchenga
African, Swahili
"evasion"
Kuchena is an African name rarely used in English-speaking countries. Kuchenga Shenjé is an Afro-British journalist and author of The Library Thief .
Amis
Literary name
The surname of father-son British writers Kingsley and Martin could work very well as a first, though its Amy connection makes it sound a tad feminine.
Angelou
Literary name, Greek
"angel"
If you want to move beyond Maya, you might consider this distinctive last name of poet Maya Angelou. Born Marguerite Annie Johnson, Angelou was given the nickname Maya by her brother and adopted…
Aphra
Hebrew, variation of Aphrah
"dust"
Aphra would make an interesting choice-- especially since it's the name of the first professional female writer in English, the seventeenth century's Aphra Behn. Born in 1640, she was a prolific…
Auster
German surname
"oyster"
Fans of writer Paul Auster might consider this a worthy alternative to the trendy Austin.
Author
Word and occupational name
"writer"
An occupation name with a preppy, scholarly air, Author could fit in alongside Arthur and August or Chosen and Booker, in terms of sound and style. Author saw more usage that you might think in the…
Ayn
English
"grace"
Ayn is a nonconformist name associated with controversial Russian-born writer and philosopher Ayn Rand, (born Alisa) author of The Fountainhead , who adopted it when she moved to the US in 1926.
Baldwin
German
"brave friend"
One "bald" name we can get behind, thanks to pioneering African-American author James Baldwin – though the name is now also associated with the Baldwin brothers, particularly Alec.
Behan
Irish
"bee"
An Anglicized derivative of the Gaelic name Beatha, meaning "life," best known as the surname of Irish playwright Brendan Behan.
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.