Literary Inventions

Cora

Greek

"maiden"

Cora is a lovely, old-fashioned girls' that has been recently rejuvenated by its contemporary-feeling simplicity. In fact, Cora seemed headed straight for the top of the popularity list when the…

Evangeline

Greek

"bearer of good news"

Evangeline is a romantic old name enjoying a major comeback, thanks to its religious overtones, Eva's popularity, and the star of the TV megahit Lost , Evangeline Lilly. Evangelia and Evangelina —…

Ophelia

Greek

"help"

Floral, elegant, and bold, Ophelia re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts. It has risen more than 700 spots since then and shows no signs of slowing down. Now in…

Vanessa

Literary invention; also a species of butterfly

Vanessa was invented by writer Jonathan Swift for a lover named Esther Vanhomrigh—he combined the first syllable of her last name with the initial syllable of her first. Swift used it in the poem…

Miranda

Latin

"marvellous, admirable"

Miranda, a shimmeringly lovely, poetic name that was invented by Shakespeare for the beautiful and admirable young heroine of his play, The Tempest , is still a recommended choice even though its…

Jessica

Hebrew

"behold or wealthy"

When Jennifer finally gave up her Number 1 place on the girls' popularity list, her crown was passed to Jessica, who reigned for not one but two decades. Jessica was the Number 1 name in both the…

Wendy

English, Celtic, Welsh

"friend or white"

It is popularly claimed that the name Wendy was invented by Sir James Barrie in 1904 for the big sister character in his play Peter Pan , which was followed by the classic novel in 1911. Barrie…

Una

Latin, Irish, or Old Norse

"one; lamb; happy"

In an epic poem, the personification of truth, beauty, and unity; this ancient name is popular in several European countries but less common in the US. The Oona spelling is slightly more popular but…

Araminta

Literature, compound of Arabella and Aminta, Greek

"loveable; unyielding + defender; unfading"

Araminta is a poetic and enchanting eighteenth-century invention with plenty of elegance and a touch of old-fashioned clunkiness. It first appeared in William Congreve's 17th century comedy The Old…

Claribel

English combination of Clara + -bel, Latin

"bright + beautiful"

Claribel improves on its mother name Clarabelle by distancing itself from the clown and the cow.

Amoret

Literary name

This lovely name from Spenser's The Faerie Queene is borne by a character who represents married love. A related unusual-yet-usable choice: Amabel.

Trilby

Place name, surname, and literary name

Trilby was used first for a character by French novelist Charles Nodier (1822) and made more famous by writer George du Maurier in an 1894 work. A Trilby hat, which Du Maurier's character wore, is a…

Evrose

Invented literary name

A combination-type name invented by L. Frank Baum for a Princess character who first appears in his book Ozma of Oz .

Clorinda

Latin literary name

Clorinda is a romantic name invented by a sixteenth-century poet, but has a synthetic sound today.

Perdita

Latin

"lost"

A Shakespearean invention for an abandoned baby in The Winter's Tale , Perdita's sense of loss has always been off-putting to parents. But her image was somewhat resuscitated by its association with…

Trillian

Literary name

Douglas Adams invented this name for a character (aka Tricia) in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy . It has a nice, trilly sound, and is accessible via its kinship with Gillian/Jillian.