Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
Literary Names
Across 23 pages
of 23
Crane
English surname
"crane"
This elegant surname has great potential to turn into an unusual first name, especially with its literary associations to both Stephen and Hart Crane. Crane is a surname that originated for a tall…
Crusoe
Literary surname
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…
Cleon
Greek
"glorious, renowned"
Rare and distinctive name with intimations of antiquity, also a Shakespearean character.
Vidal
Spanish and Catalan from Latin
"life, vital"
A zippy, lively name that has never been popular, but has never completely disappeared. It is best known for writer and wit Gore Vidal, and hairdresser Vidal Sassoon and his many products.
Auric
Literary name
Auric is an Ian Fleming anti-hero, better known as Goldfinger. Better to go with James. Or even Bond.
Vida
Spanish, Slovene, Lithuanian, Persian, Swedish, Serbian,"life, visible, willow, to see"
"life, visible, willow, to see"
Vida is a multicultural gem, familiar in a number of languages by not overly popular. It featured in the US Top 1000 in the first half of the 20th century, and in recent years, it has seen renewed…
Verena
Latin
"integrity"
Verena is pleasant but old-fashioned. Whether that's the outdated kind of old-fashioned or the so-out-it's-in-again kind is your call. St. Verena was a third century nurse; Verena Tarrant is a…
Auster
German surname
"oyster"
Fans of writer Paul Auster might consider this a worthy alternative to the trendy Austin.
Hammett
English surname
A possibility for fans of the mystery writer, but most parents would prefer Dashiell.
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.
Velvet
English word name
"a fabric characterized by a short soft dense warp pile"
Velvet is a name that couldn't possibly be softer or more luxuriant. Many people have fond memories of it via the character of Velvet Brown, played by the young Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet ,…
Barley
English
"grower or seller of barley"
A bit too bad-boy (think bars, beer, Harley) for us, as well as being the name of a grain.
Barnaby
English variation of Barnabas, Aramaic
"son of consolation"
Barnaby, a genial and energetic name with an Irish-sounding three-syllable lilt, is an ancient appellation that manages to be both unusual and highly attractive and deserves to be used more than it…
Bathsheba
Hebrew
"daughter of an oath"
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…
Gulliver
Irish
"glutton"
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…
Utah
American place name, Ute
"people of the mountains"
This would make a startling but likable choice; poet Dylan Thomas used it for a character in his play "Under Milk Wood."
Behan
Irish
"bee"
An Anglicized derivative of the Gaelic name Beatha, meaning "life," best known as the surname of Irish playwright Brendan Behan.
Undine
Latin
"little wave"
Mythological water spirit with the more common spelling of Ondine, heroine of an Edith Wharton novel.
Guitar
Word name
Toni Morrison, a master of character naming, coined this one for the best friend of hero Milkman Dead in Song of Solomon . Definitely a cool choice, with a twang.
Dunstan
English
"dark stone"
A two-syllable surname feel puts this name of an important English saint in the running -- though it could sound like a confused cross between Duncan and Dustin.