Baby Names from Books

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 and artist, the uni-named Brom (which is actually his last name).
The word broom in the name's meaning refers not to something you sweep with but to a yellow bush or plant that grows wild and is considered invasive.

Brom

Because the legendary Faust sold his soul to the devil, few parents would choose this for a child, although Fausto is commonly heard in Italy and Spain. 

Faust

Rarely heard in modern times, it was used by Norman Mailer for the hero of his book The Deer Park.

Sergius

A name with a less conventional animal meaning, rescued by the reputation of the Greek courtesan Phryne (more beautiful than Aphrodite, one of the wealthiest women in classical Athens) and the charming character Phryne Fisher from Australian author Kerry Greenwood's detective series Phryne Fisher's Mysteries, set in the 1930s. 

In the series Phryne is a wealthy Melbourne woman, but goes beyond her class and gender stereotypes - she can fly a plane, drives her own car and sometimes wears trousers. However, while displaying bohemian panache, she manages also to maintain style and class. 

With the Greek pronunciation of the name (FREE-nee), Phryne could be an alluring, unique alternative to Phoebe, although most English speakers would default to the FRY-nee pronunciation.

Phryne

Crusoe, as in castaway hero Robinson, is a literary invention by author Daniel Defoe. In the novel, the character says his name is an Anglicization of the German Kreutznaer, which may be a place name or refer to a crossing of the river Nahe. Alternatively, it may translate to "dweller by the cross", from Kreuzbewohner.
 
Short form Cru was given to over 100 boys in the US in a recent year, while Crue was chosen for around 440. Crusoe, however, has only ranked occaionally, most recently in 2021 when it was given to 10 boys.

Crusoe

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 Alencar. Iracema is the titular character of the novel that explores the relationship between an indigenous woman and a Portuguese colonist.
 
Iracema (the novel) has been adapted several times into film, notably in 1917 and 1949, which led to an increase in its use in Brazil. While it dropped out of the Top 1000 back in the 90s, it could still be considered a familiar name. 
 
Combining the Tupi words yra and tembe, it means "honey lips", making this a sweet name with a solid presence. It is possible that when the writer Alencar coined it, he intended it to have a double meaning, given that it is an anagram of America. 
 
Two interesting bits of trivia: the Brazilian actress who made her film debut in the 1917 adaption of the novel, was called Iracema de Alencar (no relation of the author), and the name of the fictional son of Iracema, Moacir, has also become a familiar name in Brazil. 
 
Musician and fashion designer Iracema Trevisan is a notable bearer.

Iracema

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 story of a relationship between an indigenous woman and a Portuguese colonist and has been adapted several times into film, notably in 1917 and 1949 which led to an increase in its use in Brazil.
 
Adapted from the word moasy meaning "pain, regret", Moacir can mean "son of pain", which, in the novel Iracema is in reference to the difficult childbirth experienced by the titular character. While this meaning may feel off-putting to some, it could also be interpreted as the son being a reward after a struggle. 
Alternatively, it may be considered alongside Delores, Tristan, Bronagh, and Calvin: familiar names whose sounds and associations balance out their perhaps less that cheerful meanings.
 
Moacir was hugely popular in Brazil from the 1930s to the 1960s when it began to decline in use, though it still ranked in the Top 1000 in the most recent stats. Also spelled Moacyr, it has been notably borne by footballers Moacir Nascimento "Barbosa", Moacir da Silva, and Moacyr Filho, along with writer Moacyr Scliar, archbishop Moacyr José Vitti, and musician and composer Moacir Santos.

Moacir

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 true love. It plays on the folktale motif of winning a lover by holding them through various trials and transformations.
 
Also appearing as Tamas-Lin, Tamlane, Tamlene, Tambling, Tam Lin, and Tam-a-Line in different versions of the ballad, Tamlin is a diminutive of Tam, the Scottish equivalent of the English Tom, ultimately from the Greek Biblical name, Thomas. It may therefore be interpreted as meaning "twin", or, as it is a diminutive, "son of Thomas".
 
Tamlin appears as a character in Sarah J Maas's book series, A Court of Thorns and Roses in which part of his story is loosely based on the traditional Tam Lin ballad.
 
Rarely used as a given name, Tamlin may nevertheless gain attention thanks to the book series, or appeal to those looking for an unusual way to honor a Thomas.

Tamlin

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 god Janus, who presided over doors and new beginnings.
 
For those after a literary reference in their child's name, January (or sometimes Januarie) was used by Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales for one of the main knights in "The Merchant's Tale. It also featured in Jacqueline Susann's novel Once is Not Enough which pushed it into the US charts in the 70s.
 
More recently, January was used for a male character in the 2024 novel The Mars House by Natasha Pulley.

January

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 character is mostly called Estha.

Esthappen

Nephthys is the Greek form of Nebet-Het, an epithet used to refer to an Ancient Egyptian goddess of mourning, the night, and death, but also of healing, childbirth, protection and magic. Nephthys was a sister of Isis and mirrored how her sister symbolised the experience of birth, by symbolising the experience of death. Her name is a surprisingly usable choice, with a mystical, distinct sound.
 
It was used by author Morowa Yejide in her novel Creatures of Passage, which was nominated for the 2022 Women's Prize for Fiction.

Nephthys

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 to watch out for. Possibly influenced by the Irish Caol meaning "narrow, slender", author Sarah. J. Maas has also noted the word "chaos" (the character's original name) as a source of inspiration. As such, the name is said like chaos, but with an L at the end, or like the word kale.

Chaol

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 literary connections, Carraway is a gem waiting to be discovered.

Carraway

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 friendly and sporty vibe, Carraway is a trendy-sounding name that feels almost vintage due to its literary connections.

A literary creation with an established sound, Livira appears in the 2023 high fantasy novel, The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence. In the novel, Livira is known for her stubborn resilience and ability to thrive in bad situations, much like her fictional namesake, which is a hardy kind of weed.
 
In the real-world, Livira may have been inspired by the popular Olivia (and its variant Olivera) meaning "olive, olive branch", or by Livia ("envy"), Liv ("life"), Vera ("truth"), Elvira ("true, white, happy"), or Liva ("banner, flag").

Livira

Appearing in Mark Lawrence's high fantasy novel, The Book That Wouldn't Burn, Evar is a contemporary, literary creation. Borne by a character raised outside of time, in a mysterious library, Evar may be a play on the word "ever".
 
Alternatively, it may be inspired by the Greek name Evaristus, meaning "well pleasing" or by Scandinavian Ivar, meaning "yew wood" or "archer". It is, however, also the abbreviation for a type of surgery called Endovascular Aneurysm Repair, used to fix abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Evar

Princess Ozma was the leading character of L. Frank Baum's book Ozma of Oz and could provide a fun way to nickname Ozzie for a girl. 
 
Alternatively, it may occasionally be used as a variation of the Arabic Uzma ("supreme, greatest") or Asma ("supreme, higher").

Ozma

A variation of the Arthurian Gawain, this form appears in the popular high fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. Names from this series like Arya and Daenerys have already appeared in the US starts and with Gwayne's similarity to Dane and Wayne, it may see some real life usage in the future.

Gwayne

This rare English surname's most famous bearers are Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie: the four siblings who are the protagonists of C. S. Lewis' Narnia books. It probably derives from Pevensey, the name of the bay in East Sussex, England where William the Conqueror landed in 1066.

Pevensie

Offred is not technically a name but the "slave name" of a woman given to a man — literally Of Fred — in Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Offred, who was stripped of her own name, is the main protagonist of the book and now the hit TV series, starring Elisabeth Moss. The novel is set in a patriarchal society in which fertile women like Offred are kept by men for the purposes of reproduction. Offred is definitely not a name you'd want to give to your baby girl.

Offred

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 8)