Baby Names from Books

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 royal status.

Ciri

Aibileen

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 name in the UK back in the 90s but has since fallen out of favor, as has Bryony.
 
The name of a vine once used for medicinal purposes, Briony is derived from the Greek bryo meaning "to swell, sprout, grow", likely in reference to the plants ability to climb. As such, Briony isn't related to the similar sounding Brian, though it could nevertheless make an honor name for one.
 A literary choice, Briony appears in Ian McEwan's popular novel, Atonement, in which the young, imaginative Briony Tallis sets the plot in motion. In the screen adaptation, she was played by Saoirse Ronan, for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
 
In the most recent stats, no girls were called Briony (or Bryony) in the US, while in the UK, just over 30 babies were given the names collectively. With potential nicknames Bonny, Brie, or Bee, Briony could make an unexpected yet familiar option.

Briony

The disgraced heroine of The Scarlet Letter's name, after long neglect, just might have a chance at revival, following in the wake of sister-name Esther. We've characterized her elsewhere as an eccentric aristocrat, much more accepted in the U.K. than she has been here.
 Hester's beyond-Hawthorne's literary appearances include as characters in Theodore Dreiser's novel An American Tragedy, in Oscar Wilde's play A Woman of No Importance, in John Irving's novel A Prayer for Owen Meaney, and as Niles and Frasier Crane's mom on Frasier.
 Hetty is Hester's usual nickname, sometimes used independently.

Hester

For lovers of Pasternak's great doctor, a lively middle name choice, one made by actress Nia Long. 

Zhivago

The original Zooey, hero of J.D. Salinger's Franny & Zooey, was male, but nowadays the name is more closely associated with actress/singer Zooey Deschanel. With Zoe at number 31 for girls and Zoey in the Top 50, the related Zooey feels more female than ever. But it's distinctively quirky for either sex.

Zooey

The swashbuckling, clever literary hero Zorro — appropriately, "fox" in Spanish — was created in 1919 by American writer Johnston McCulley. Known for defending villagers and Indigenous Californians, Zorro is a worthy namesake for a child.


Zorro

Samuel Johnson invented the name Rasselas for the title character of his novel, Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia. Rasselas is actually the son of the prince.

TV auteur Sally Wainwright recently used the name Rasselas for one of the heroes of her show Renegade Nell.

Rasselas

Featherleigh Dale is the femme fatale of a certain age in American writer Elin Hilderbrand's novel The Perfect Couple, adapted as a television series by Netflix.

The book also features characters named Tag, Greer, and Merritt (the murder victim).

Featherleigh

A knight in the Game of Thrones universe, Arys debuted on the charts for both sexes in 2023, possibly owing to the pop culture connection, but also thanks to the popularity of Ares, a Greek mythology name meaning "bane, ruin" which as been trending upwards. It was given to a small handful of babies in a recent year.

Arys

Gulliver is an obscure Gaelic surname known almost solely through its literary Travels until actor Gary Oldman used it for his son, instantly transforming it into a lively option. British actors Damian Lewis, of Homeland, and Helen McCrory also have a son named Gulliver.

Gulliver

The unlikely name of the hero of Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake, named for an author his father revered.

Gogol

An admirable meaning, with roots in a Germanic word meaning wisdom, but we fear it will never be detached from the hobbit hero of The Lord of the Rings.

Frodo

This lovely name is best-known as the surname of eponymous Bronte heroine, Jane Eyre, and would make an appealing and distinctive middle name for the child of fans of that book. While the surname Eyre is found mainly in England, its origins are Norse and it's thought to derive from Norse settlers. Still, the status of the classic books means Eyre deserves to stand proudly among <a href="/baby-names/164/english-names">English baby names</a>.

Eyre

Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. But at this point in time, there might be some adventurous parents willing to overlook that.
 Jeffrey Eugenides used the name for a character in his novel Middlesex.
 And for those seeking some celestial cred, Desdemona belongs to the Shakespearean Portia Group of satellites, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda and Perdita.

Desdemona

Popular with the Puritans, this name of the shrewd and beautiful wife of King David and mother of King Solomon could be a bit of a load for a modern girl to carry. 
 Bathsheba is the name of the central character in the Thomas Hardy novel Far from the Madding Crowd and there's a Harry Potter character named Bathsheba Babbling, Ancient Runes professor at Hogwarts.

Bathsheba

A character name in the Shadow and Bone book series, invented by author Leigh Bardugo. It is intended as a Ravkan form of Malcolm, meaning "disciple of St Columba".

Malyen

Invented by Swedish author August Strindberg for a 1909 poem of the same name, this quirky choice is rare even in its native land but would make for an extremely eye-catching choice outside it. It may be based on Vellamo, a Finnish sea goddess.

Villemo

The name of the protagonist in Richard Wright's 1940 novel Native Son.

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Faustus is a masculine name with ancient Roman origins, derived from the Latin word 'faustus' meaning 'lucky' or 'favorable.' It shares roots with the word 'auspicious' and was used during the Classical period to denote good fortune. 

The name gained literary significance through works like Christopher Marlowe's 'Doctor Faustus' and Goethe's 'Faust,' which tell the story of a scholar who makes a deal with the devil. These associations have given the name a somewhat mysterious, intellectual, and dark quality.

Faustus

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.

. 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.

 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.

Baby names from beloved books, characters, and authors, including girl names from books and boy names from books, with meanings, origins, and popularity. (Page 7)