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Writing-Related Names

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Tue Feb 13 2024
Writing-Related Names

Literary names, culled from great novels and the authors who penned them, have become a very stylish group in recent years. But writing-related names are an offshoot that's gotten less attention. With credit to @Vana, a Berry who created an original list of similar names, these names all relate to writing itself.

Writing-related names in the US Top 1000 include Devin, Kyrie, Legend, Lyric, and Teagan. Names connected to poetry and writing have been fashionable among celebrities in recent years. Among the choices used for celebrity babies are Canon, Epic, Hero, Ode, Poet, and Story.

Writing-related baby names can connect to poetry, plot structure, and literary devices. If you're a writer or simply a book lover, one of those original word names connected to writing may be, well, right for you.

RELATED:

Literary Names

Poetic Baby Names

Wonderful Word Names for Babies

  1. Teagan

    • Origin:

      Irish or Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "little poet or fair"

    • Description:

      As Meghan/Megan and Reagan/Regan show signs of wilting, along comes Teagan to take up the slack: definitely one to consider. The vast majority of American babies named Teagan are now girls. A variant spelling is Teaghan.
  2. Tadhg

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "poet"

    • Description:

      The name of several ancient kings and princes of Ireland, Tadhg became so common at one point that it was used to represent a kind of Irish Gaelic everyman, or man in the street, as Paddy and Mick would later. Tadhg has seen a major resurgence in recent years and is also now ranked in England.

      It is sometimes used as the Irish equivalent of Timothy and is also anglicized as Teague and Thaddeus. Tadleigh and Thad are pet forms. Pronunciation is like tide ending with a g or like the first syllable of tiger.
  3. Rune

    • Origin:

      German and Swedish

    • Meaning:

      "secret"

    • Description:

      Name with connotations both mystical and tragic, newly popular in Europe. For English speakers, though, this name might be ruined by its homonym ruin.
  4. Devin

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "poet"

    • Description:

      Devilishly handsome, Devin arrived as Kevin was moving out. Not to be confused (though it often is) with the English place-name Devon. While both Devin and Devon are flagging somewhat for boys, the names have dropped out of the Top 1000 for girls, making it more a masculine and less a unisex name these days.
  5. Booker

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "scribe"

    • Description:

      Booker would make for a very cool name, for writers, reformers, R & B fans and those wanting to pay tribute to Booker T. Washington.
  6. Fable

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "a legendary story of supernatural happenings"

    • Description:

      Fable, like Story, is a word name with real potential, combining enchanted tale-telling with a moral edge. And soundwise, it would fit right in with the likes of Abel and Mabel.
  7. Riordan

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "bard, royal poet"

    • Description:

      Has a legitimate first name history in its native land and an appealing meaning, but pronunciation is far from obvious.
  8. Quill

    • Origin:

      Irish, diminutive of Quillan or Quiller; also English word name

    • Meaning:

      "lion, scribe, writer with a quill pen"

    • Description:

      Quill is a unique possibility for the child of writers -- even if they do use computers rather than pens; could also serve as a rhyming tribute to an ancestor named Gil, Phil, or Bill (or Jill).
  9. Sonnet

    • Origin:

      English from Italian

    • Meaning:

      "little song"

    • Description:

      Could there be a more poetic name than Sonnet? Actor Forest Whitaker was inspired to choose it for his daughter.
  10. Legend

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "hero or fable"

    • Description:

      Legend joins cousins Story, Saga and Fable in the baby name pantheon of narrative words. Unlike Story and Fable, however, Legend comes with additional weight, being used for fame ("living legend") and to denote a person who is fantastic "what a legend"). Who can live up to that?
  11. Villanelle

    • Origin:

      English from Italian

    • Meaning:

      "pastoral song"

    • Description:

      Is Villanelle the new Sonnet? This elaborate name is a form of poetry — an example is Dylan Thomas's Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night — but many know it better as an assassin's codename in the TV show Killing Eve. Inspired by that, Villanelle debuted on the American charts in 2022 when it was used for five baby girls.
  12. Saga

    • Origin:

      Swedish word name

    • Meaning:

      "story; seeress"

    • Description:

      Apt name for a little drama queen with a long future ahead of her. Saga is a Top 30 girls' name in Sweden.
  13. Fable

    • Origin:

      Word name

    • Description:

      Inventive name for the child of a writer.
  14. Novella

    • Description:

      Novella is a feminine name with Latin and Italian roots, derived from 'novus' meaning 'new' or 'young.' Beyond its literal meaning, Novella carries literary associations as it refers to a short prose narrative in Italian literature – longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. This connection gives the name intellectual and artistic connotations. While not among the most common names, Novella has maintained a steady presence in Italian communities and has seen occasional usage internationally. The name carries a romantic, melodic quality typical of Italian feminine names, with its soft consonants and vowel ending. Novella offers a beautiful option for parents seeking a name with literary flair and a touch of European elegance.
  15. Lyric

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "of the lyre; songlike; a personal, emotive poem"

    • Description:

      Associated with poetry, pop music, and the Greek lyre, Lyric has a light and zippy sound to it. Currently more popular for girls in the US, it was in the Top 1000 for boys between 2007 and 2020. Currently given to around 170 boys each year, for every baby boy called Lyric, there are three girls given the name.
  16. Ceridwen

    • Origin:

      Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "beautiful as a poem"

    • Description:

      Celtic goddess of poetry, though less-than-poetic name.
  17. Hero

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "demi-god"

    • Description:

      Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their daughter's middle--and we wouldn't be surprised to see more girls with this heroic name.
  18. Virelai

    • Origin:

      French poetic form

    • Description:

      This could be an obscure choice for literary families, but beware the connotations with virus and virulent.
  19. Kyrielle

    • Origin:

      English literary term from Greek Kyrie

    • Description:

      In literature, a Kyrielle is a form of poetry that has rhyming couplets or quatrains. It originated with the French troubadour tradition. It is called a Kyrielle after the Christian Kyrie. In 2016, 16 girls in the US were given this name.
  20. Poet

    • Origin:

      Word name

    • Description:

      Poet is a new entry in both the trendy word and occupational categories as well as a member of the growing group of gender neutral names. A handful of baby boys received the name in the US last year. A perfect choice, especially in the middle, for the child of writers or those with a poetic bent. And Po is an adorable nickname for either gender.