Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Baby Names from Books
Across 10 pages
of 10
Brett
Celtic
"from Brittany"
One of a number of single-syllable unisex B-names, Brett was first spotted as a female name in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises , via the dashing and seductive Lady Brett Ashley, who was a captivating…
Briony
Spelling variation of Bryony, Greek
"to sprout, to swell"
Briony may be the variation and Bryony the original, but many parents will see this as the more authentic-feeling version of this attractive botanical name. Melodic and bright, it was once a Top 400…
Brom
Diminutive of Bromley, English
"broom meadow"
Attached to one of the heroes of Christopher Paolini's megapopular fantasy novel Eragon , this name sounds strong yet sensitive. Paolini's character is named after another bestselling fantasy author…
Celestial
English word name from Latin
"of the heavens, planets or stars"
A pretty and almost unique word name to add to the galaxy of astral appellations. More distinctive than the better-known Celeste, it was given fewer than ten baby girls in the US last year. While…
Celie
French variation of Cecilia
"blind"
Attractive, underused name made famous by the heroine of The Color Purple. Still, if you're going to go to Celie, why not go all the way to Celia or Cecelia? You can always use Celie for short.
Chani
Diminutive of Channah or Chandra, Hebrew or Hindi
"grace or goddess of the moon"
Chani, which rhymes with Johnny, is famous as the name of the character played by Zendaya in the Dune books, video games, and movies. Another force driving the name's use is Canadian astrologer Chani…
Cirilla
Spelling variation of Cyrilla, Latin
"lordly"
This obscure antiquated name is finding new life thanks to The Witcher series, whose heroine is named Princess Cirilla, nickname Ciri. The feminine form of Cyril, Cirilla has now surpassed the…
Ciri
Diminutive of Cirilla, Latin
"lordly"
Ciri may sound exactly like the ubiquitous digital Siri, but it's achieving fame in its own right as the familiar name of Princess Cirilla of The Witcher series. The name's meaning is a nod to her…
Clarissa
Elaboration of Clara
"bright, clear"
Clarissa, the daintier version of Claire, has a long literary history of its own, having been featured in the novels of Samuel Richardson, Charles Dickens, and Virginia Woolf—Clarissa was the title…
Iracema
Tupi
"honey lips"
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…
Moacir
Brazilian, Tupi
"son of pain"
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…
Tamlin
Literary diminutive of Tam, Scottish
"twin; son of Thomas"
A gentle name with a playful and spirited air, Tamlin appears in a traditional Anglo-Scottish ballad that tells the story of Tamlin who is abducted by the Queen of Faeries and later rescued by his…
January
English month name from Latin
"doorway"
Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name. The first was a character named January Wayne in a bestselling 1973 Jacqueline Susann…
January
English month name, Latin
"doorway"
Cooler than the older month names like April and May, and a highly unusual and eye-catching choice. The most famous real-life January is female – January Jones – but the month is named for the Roman…
Esthappen
Malayalam and South Indian form of Stephen, Greek
"garland, ground"
Esthappen, also spelled Esthappan, is an Indian variation of Stephen, specifically used in the state of Kerala. It notably appears in the novel The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, though the…
Celaena
Variation of Celaeno, Greek, Literature
"dark one"
Celaena notably appears in the Throne of Glass book series by popular fantasy writer, Sarah J. Maas. It is borne by one Celaena Sardothien, also known as Aelin Galathynius, a teenaged assassin and…
Aelin
Literary name, possibly inspired by Turkish or Irish
"moon, light or desired"
This character name from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas has an ancient appeal, even though it seems to be a modern coinage. It may have been inspired by similar sounding names, like the…
Chaol
Popular culture, literary invention, "narrow; chaos"
"narrow; chaos"
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…
Carraway
English
"path to a triangular piece of land"
While Caraway-with-one-R brings to mind nature and herbs, the double R variant is reminiscent of Nick Carraway, the narrator of the classic novel The Great Gatsby . With its trendy surname feel and…
Carraway
English
"path to a triangular piece of land"
While Carraway brings to mind Nick Carraway, the narrator of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , there is no reason why this cool surname-name wouldn't work on a girl. Modern and stylish, with a…