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Novelists, Playwrights, and Poets surnames
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Shelley
English
"clearing on a bank"
Despite its poetic associations, almost as dated as Sheldon, and more feminine.
Larkin
Irish
"rough, fierce"
The additional syllable makes Lark a masculine surname name, borne by poet Philip Larkin.
Burns
Scottish and English
"from the burnt house"
The final s turns this name into a manservant.
Kipling
Coleridge
English
"ridge where charcoal is burnt"
Name of a poet, this will be one for consideration by literary parents. The name fits well with the current trend towards surnames as given names, but beware the three syllable pronunciation, which…
Silverstein
Eliot
Variation of Elliot, English diminutive of Elias
"Yahweh is God"
Sleekened spelling.
Yeats
Scottish, English
"the gates"
Admirers of the haunting works of esteemed Irish poet and playwright William Butler Yeats might consider this surname-style name, especially for the middle spot. Ultimately derived from the Old…
Whitman
Shakespeare
English
"brandish spear"
This name will forever be associated with the Bard and would likely prove hard to live up to. It might be cool for a pet though.
Wordsworth
Austen
Literary surname and shortened form of Augustine, Latin
"great, magnificent"
Parents who love the great English novelist Jane Austen may choose this spelling of the popular name Austin to honor the author of Emma and Pride and Prejudice.
Woolf
Variation of Wolf, animal name
The spelling Woolf inevitably conjures writer Virginia. If you're a fan of Mrs. Dalloway and the Bloomsbury group, Woolf might be a creative way to combine a trendy animal name with an original honor…
Pope
Hemingway
English place name
No matter how much you love the novels of Papa H., don't saddle your son with this unwieldy appellation.
Poe
English
"peacock"
An evocative unisex one-syllable name, Poe is most distinguished by its literary reference. Edgar Allan Poe was an influential American author and poet, credited with inventing the genres of…
Bronte
Greek
"thunder"
This lovely surname of the three novel-writing sisters, now used as a baby name, makes a fitting tribute for lovers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights . While the original name took an umlaut over…
Camus
Thackery
Hawthorne
English
"lives where hawthorn hedges grow"
The great American novelist sets this above many other surnames (and nature names , for that matter), but it's still an imposing and adventurous choice. Do nicknames Hawk or Thorne make it more…