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Literary Names You Can't Miss
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About this list
The names
Penelope
Greek
"weaver"
Penelope is an unlikely 21st century baby name success story. Off the Top 1000 for 25 years, Penelope jumped back on in 2001 and has been heading uphill ever since, propelled by the trend for…
Lucy
English variation of Lucia, Latin
"light"
A versatile classic, Lucy is both sweet and solid, a saint's name, and the heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now a popular choice in the US, The…
Alice
German
"noble"
Alice is a classic literary name that's both strong and sweet, ranking in the US Top 100 and popular throughout the Western world. Alice is derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of…
Angel
Spanish and English
"angel, messenger"
As a boys' name, Angel has two distinct name personalities. One is as a perennial favorite Hispanic boys’ name , popular in the US along with Spain, Mexico, and South America. Then Buffy the Vampire…
Arthur
Celtic
" bear"
Arthur, once the shining head of the Knights of the Round Table, is, after decades of neglect, now being polished up and restored by stylish parents, inspired perhaps by the new generation of royals.…
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…
Juliet
English from Latin
"youthful or sky father"
One of the most romantic names, the lovely and stylish Juliet seems finally to have shaken off her limiting link to Romeo. In Shakespeare's play, it was Juliet who said "What's in a name?" Juliet…
Atticus
Latin
"from Attica"
Atticus, with its trendy Roman feel combined with the upstanding, noble image of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird , is a real winner among boy names . Atticus entered the US Top 1000 in 2004…
Romeo
Italian
"pilgrim to Rome, Roman"
It wasn't so long ago that Romeo was considered as outre for an American baby as Casanova or Cupid. But that really changed when David and Victoria Beckham chose it for their second son in 2002, a…
Tristan
Celtic
"noise or sorrowful"
Tristan -- known through medieval legend and Wagnerian opera -- has a slightly wistful, touching air. This, combined with the name's popular "an" ending, makes Tristan very appealing to parents…
Carmen
Spanish variation of Carmel or Latin
"garden or song"
Carmen has long been associated with the sensuous, tragic heroine of Bizet's opera, based on a novel by Prosper Merimee; more recently it has called to mind two other bombshells: Carmen Miranda (born…
Julius
Latin
"youthful, downy-bearded"
Immortal through its association with the ancient Caesar (it was his clan name), Julius may still lag behind Julian, but is definitely starting to make a comeback, and in fact feels more cutting…
Caspian
Place name
"white"
One of the most romantic of appellations, Caspian is a geographical name referring to the large salty sea between Asia and Europe. It's also the name of the hero of C.S. Lewis's beloved Chronicles of…
Dorian
Greek, name of a tribe
The Dorians were an ancient Greek tribe, one of the three major pre-Spartan tribes. It literally means "of Doris," a Greek district, or "of Doros," referring to the son of Helen of Sparta. Dorian…
Eustace
English from Greek
"stable"
Eustace was originally popularized by St. Eustace, who was born a Norman nobleman and is said to have been converted to Christianity by seeing a crucifix between the antlers of the deer he was…
Odette
French, from German
"wealthy"
Odette is the good swan in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake , a role for which Natalie Portman won an Oscar ---and it would make a particularly sophisticated yet upbeat choice. In fact, it charted in…
Darcy
English, French, Irish
"from Arcy; dark one"
The ultimate Jane Austen hero name, Darcy makes a handsome, surname style choice. Predominantly used for girls in England and Wales, across the pond in Australia, it is a stylish Top 100 name for…
Guinevere
Welsh
"white shadow, white wave"
Guinevere was the name of the beautiful but ill-fated queen of Camelot, for so many years eclipsed by its modern Cornish form Jennifer. Today, Guinevere could be a cool possibility for adventurous…
Lenore
German variation of Leonora, Italian derivative of Eleonora, meaning unknown
A "modernization" of Leonora that has suddenly come back on the radar along with the many other Leo names--both male and female. With literary cred via a famous eponymous poem by Edgar Allan Poe (and…
Ishmael
Hebrew
"God will hear"
Ishmael is most familiar through "Call me Ishmael," the opening line spoken by the youthful narrator of Moby-Dick . Few American parents have followed that advice, though the Spanish and Arabic…