Baby Names from Books
Updated Fri Sep 01 2023
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If you love to read, your favorite characters might inspire the perfect name for your baby. Baby names from books can come from canonical literary classics, such as Daisy and Ulysses, or contemporary works of fiction, such as Lyra and Lisbeth.
Along with Daisy and Lyra, other baby names from books in the US Top 1000 include Alice, Atticus, Emma, Harriet, Holden, Matilda, Milo, and Santiago. You may wish to consider last names as firsts of famous literary characters, such as Gatsby, Pevensie, Marlowe, and Cullen.
Also included on this list are invented literary names, including Renesmee (Twilight), Tinuviel (Lord of the Rings), Lilliet (Queen of the Night), and Katniss (The Hunger Games). Names invented for literary characters are not all modern inventions: Pamela was invented by Sir Philip Sidney for his eponymous novel in the 16th century, and Shakespeare is believed to have invented Olivia and Jessica.
No matter the genre, there are names of book characters that can suit anyone’s style. There are more baby names inspired by books than one could ever dream of, but here we’ve gathered 100+ of the most recognizable that might work in a modern nursery, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Aibileen
Origin:
Invented Name
- Alexandra
Origin:
Greek, feminine form of AlexanderMeaning:
"defending men"
- Alice
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"noble"
- Amir
Origin:
Arabic or HebrewMeaning:
"prince, ruler; treetop"
- Anastasia
Origin:
Greek, feminine variation of AnastasiosMeaning:
"resurrection"
- Anne
Origin:
French variation of English Ann and Hebrew HannahMeaning:
"grace"
- Antonia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"from Antium"
- Arturo
Origin:
Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Arthur, CelticMeaning:
"bear"
- Astrid
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"divinely beautiful"
- Atticus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"from Attica"
- Augie
Origin:
Short form of August and variations
- Aureliano
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"gold"
- Baela
Origin:
Invented literary name
- Bathsheba
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"daughter of an oath"
- Bennet
Origin:
Variation of Bennett, EnglishMeaning:
"blessed"
- Bernard
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"strong, brave as a bear"
- Bigger
Origin:
Word Name
- Bond
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"peasant farmer"
- Brett
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"from Brittany"
- Bridget
Origin:
Anglicized variation of Gaelic BrighidMeaning:
"strength or exalted one"
- Briony
Origin:
Spelling variation of BryonyMeaning:
"to sprout"
- Celestial
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"of the heavens, planets or stars"
- Celie
Origin:
French variation of CeciliaMeaning:
"blind"
- Chani
Origin:
Diminutive of Channah or Chandra, Hebrew or HindiMeaning:
"grace or goddess of the moon"
- Charles
Origin:
French from GermanMeaning:
"man, free man"
- Charlotte
Origin:
French, feminine diminutive of CharlesMeaning:
"free man"
- Ciri
Origin:
Short form of Cirilla, LatinMeaning:
"lordly"
- Cirilla
Origin:
Spelling variation of Cyrilla, LatinMeaning:
"lordly"
- Claire
Origin:
French form of ClaraMeaning:
"bright, clear"
- Clarissa
Origin:
Elaboration of ClaraMeaning:
"bright, clear"
- Clarisse
- Cora
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"maiden"
- Cosette
Origin:
French literary nicknameMeaning:
"little thing"
- Cosimo
Origin:
Italian variation of CosmoMeaning:
"order, beauty, universe"
- Cullen
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"holly tree"
- Daenerys
Origin:
Literary name
- Daisy
Origin:
Diminutive of Margaret or flower name, EnglishMeaning:
"day's eye"
- Desdemona
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"ill-starred"
- Dorian
Origin:
Greek, name of a tribe
- Dorothea
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gift of God"
- Ebeneezer
- Edmund
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fortunate protector"
- Elinor
Origin:
Spelling variation of Eleanor
- Emma
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"universal"
- Enid
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"life, spirit"
- Eyre
Origin:
Literary name and Old NorseMeaning:
"gravel bank river"
- Feyre
Origin:
Literature, EnglishMeaning:
"fair, beautiful"
- Fitzwilliam
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of William"
- Flora
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"flower"
- Florentino
- Frances
Origin:
English from LatinMeaning:
"from France; free man"
- Francie
Origin:
Diminutive of Frances, English from LatinMeaning:
"from France; free man"
- Frodo
Origin:
Literary name
- Gatsby
Origin:
German surname and literary nameMeaning:
"from Gaddesby"
- Geralt
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"ruler with the spear"
- Gilbert
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"shining pledge"
- Gogol
Origin:
Russian surname
- Gulliver
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"glutton"
- Hamlet
Origin:
Anglicized form of Danish, Amleth
- Hannibal
Origin:
Punic and AssyrianMeaning:
"grace of Baal, god of fertility and fortune"
- Haroun
Origin:
Arabic variation of AaronMeaning:
"exalted, high"
- Harriet
Origin:
English variation of French HenrietteMeaning:
"estate ruler"
- Hazel
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"the hazelnut tree"
- Heathcliff
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"cliff near a heath"
- Hermione
Origin:
Greek, feminine version of Hermes, "messenger, earthly"Meaning:
"messenger, earthly"
- Hester
Origin:
Medieval variation of Esther, PersianMeaning:
"star"
- Hidalgo
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"nobleman"
- Holden
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"hollow valley"
- Holly
Origin:
English nature name
- Horatia
Origin:
Latin feminine variation of Horatio
- Huck
Origin:
Diminutive of Huckleberry, word name
- Ifemelu
- Ignatius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"fiery"
- Ishmael
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God will hear"
- James
Origin:
English variation of Jacob, HebrewMeaning:
"supplanter"
- Jane
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"God is gracious"
- Janie
Origin:
Diminutive of Jane, EnglishMeaning:
"God is gracious"
- Jaskier
Origin:
Literary and botanical nameMeaning:
"buttercup"
- Jo
- Joachim
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"Established by God"
- Julien
Origin:
French from LatinMeaning:
"youthful, downy-bearded, or sky father"
- Karou
Origin:
Literary nameMeaning:
"hope"
- Katniss
Origin:
Literary and botanical name
- Laura
Origin:
English from LatinMeaning:
"from Laurentum or bay laurel"
- Leopold
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"brave people"
- Liesel
- Lilliet
Origin:
Literary name
- Lisbeth
Origin:
German, diminutive of Elizabeth
- Lolita
Origin:
Spanish, diminutive of Lola and Dolores, SpanishMeaning:
"lady of sorrows"
- Lorelie
- Louisa
Origin:
Latinate feminine variation of LouisMeaning:
"renowned warrior"
- Lyra
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"lyre"
- Maisie
Origin:
Scottish diminutive of Margaret or MaryMeaning:
"pearl or bitter"
- Marlowe
Origin:
Variation of Marlow, EnglishMeaning:
"driftwood"
- Matilda
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"battle-mighty"
- Meg
Origin:
Diminutive of MargaretMeaning:
"pearl"
- Melanctha
Origin:
Literary name
- Midori
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"green"
- Milo
Origin:
Latin and Old GermanMeaning:
"soldier or merciful"
- Moby
Origin:
Literary and nickname name
- Moll
Origin:
Short form of Molly, diminutive of Mary, Hebrew or Egyptian"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Meaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
- Molly
Origin:
Diminutive of Mary, HebrewMeaning:
"bitter"
- Moody
Origin:
Surname name
- Mowgli
Origin:
Literary name
- Nancy
Origin:
English diminutive of AnnMeaning:
"grace"
- Nemo
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"nobody"
- Nigel
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"dark, black-haired"
- Offred
Origin:
Literary nameMeaning:
"of Fred"
- Oliver
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"olive tree or elf army"
- Oskar
Origin:
German variation of Oscar
- Ozma
Origin:
Literary invention
- Paloma
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"dove"
- Pevensie
Origin:
Literary and surname name
- Philip
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"lover of horses"
- Pi
- Pip
Origin:
English, diminutive of PhilipMeaning:
"lover of horses"
- Portia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"pig"
- Renesmee
Origin:
Literary invention
- Rhett
Origin:
English from DutchMeaning:
"advice"
- Robinson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Robin"
- Rodion
Origin:
Russian from GreekMeaning:
"song of the hero"
- Rupert
Origin:
German variation of RobertMeaning:
"bright fame"
- Saleem
- Santiago
Origin:
Place-name or LatinMeaning:
"Saint James"
- Scarlett
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"scarlet, red"
- Scheherazade
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"noble lineage"
- Scout
Origin:
Word name
- Sherlock
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fair-haired"
- Sidda
Origin:
Literary name
- Solomon
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"peace"
- Sula
Origin:
Literary name
- Susie
Origin:
Diminutive of SusanMeaning:
"lily"
- Tess
Origin:
English, diminutive of TheresaMeaning:
"to harvest"
- Tinuviel
Origin:
Literary nameMeaning:
"Daughter of the twilight / nightingale"
- Tomas
Origin:
German and Portuguese version of ThomasMeaning:
"twin"
- Trilby
Origin:
Place name, surname, and literary name
- Trillian
Origin:
Literary name
- Tristram
Origin:
Medieval English variation of Tristan, “noise or sorrowful"
- Ulysses
Origin:
Latin variation of the Greek Odysseus
- Walt
Origin:
German, diminutive of Walter
- Watson
Origin:
English and Scottish surname related to WalterMeaning:
"son of Wat"
- Wendy
Origin:
English, Celtic, WelshMeaning:
"friend or white"
- Werner
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"protecting army"
- Winnie
Origin:
English diminutive of WinifredMeaning:
"holy peacemaking, gentle friend"
- Winston
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"wine's town"
- Yennefer
Origin:
Literary name, variation of Jennifer or Guinevere, Cornish or WelshMeaning:
"white shadow, white wave"
- Yossarian
Origin:
Literary name
- Zadig
Origin:
ArmenianMeaning:
"Easter"
- Zazie
Origin:
French
- Zeno
Origin:
Anglicized form of Greek Zenon, related to Zeus, king of the gods
- Zhivago
Origin:
Russian literary nameMeaning:
"life"
- Zooey
Origin:
Literary name