Great Gatsby Baby Names

These are baby names taken from the characters of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
  1. Buchanan
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "place of the cannon"
    • Description:

      A lesser-used presidential choice, with a charming, buccaneering sound. Fictional bearers include the Marvel Comics character James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, as well as the heroine of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby Daisy Buchanan.
  2. Catherine
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      Catherine is one of the oldest and most consistently well-used girls’ names, with endless variations and nicknames. The Catherine form feels more gently old-fashioned and feminine than the more popular K versions. Most stylish nickname for Catherine right now: Kate...or Cate, a la Blanchett.
  3. Carraway
    • Daisy
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Margaret or flower name, English
      • Meaning:

        "day's eye"
      • Description:

        Daisy, fresh, wholesome, and energetic, is one of the flower names that burst back into bloom after a century's hibernation. Originally a nickname for Margaret (the French Marguerite is the word for the flower), Daisy comes from the phrase "day's eye," because it opens its petals at daybreak.
    • Ewing
      • Origin:

        English from Greek
      • Meaning:

        "noble, well-born"
      • Description:

        A surname very rarely heard as a first, associated with Hall of Fame basketball star Patrick Ewing and, in the 1980s, the oil-rich Ewing family on the nighttime soap, "Dallas"
    • George
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "farmer"
      • Description:

        Iconoclasts though we may be, we like Fred, we like Frank, and we like George, which was among the Top 10 from 1830 to 1950, when the number of little Georges started to decline. Solid, strong, royal and saintly, yet friendly and unpretentious, we think that George is in prime position for a comeback, especially since it was chosen by Britain's royal couple.
    • Henry
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "estate ruler"
      • Description:

        Henry is back. The classic Henry climbed back onto the Top 10 in the US in 2021 for the first time in over a century, and now stands at Number 7.
    • Jay
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "jaybird"
      • Description:

        Though this feels like a modern invention, Jay has been in use for centuries. Early Jays often were named in honor of founding father John Jay, whose surname derived from the jaybird. A popular mid-century choice, Jay was in the Top 100 from 1956 to 1970. In the last couple of decades he was replaced by such more elaborate forms as Jayden, Jaylen, and Jayce. But Jay could make a comeback in tandem with cousins May, Kay, Fay, and Ray.
    • Jordan
      • Origin:

        English from Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "flowing down"
      • Description:

        Originally used for children baptized in holy water from the river Jordan, it became one of the leading androgynous names of the nineties. As the balance tips toward the boys' side, it's slipping on the girls' popularity chart. Alternate spelling Jordyn is now more popular for girls.
    • Meyer
      • Origin:

        German surname or Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "landlord, farmer; bringer of light"
      • Description:

        Favored by first-generation Jewish families from the affluent Guggenheims to criminal-producing Lanskys; now Meyer is pretty much relegated to poolside gin games in Boca.
    • Myrtle
      • Origin:

        Greek botanical name
      • Description:

        Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a plant with pink or white aromatic berries. Ruled by Venus, myrtle is a plant associated with love, peace, fertility and youth.
    • Michaelis
      • Nick
        • Origin:

          English, diminutive of Nicholas and Dominick
        • Description:

          The classic strong-yet-friendly nickname name, much used for charming movie characters.
      • Pammy
        • Tom
          • Origin:

            Diminutive of Thomas
          • Meaning:

            "twin"
          • Description:

            Just like Sam and Ben, Tom could be revived as a simple, well liked name on its own. Tom, just Tom, is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France