Novels are treasure troves of evocative names to consider for your new baby. If you’re looking for something vintage, classic literature can be a great source of inspiration. While older English-language classics tend to feature Western names, you can look to slightly newer books—that have quickly become classics—for names with origins in other parts of the globe.
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It’d be impossible to list every memorable name from classic literature (War and Peace alone features hundreds of named characters), but below are a few of our favorite baby names inspired by influential authors and fictional characters. Read on for over 40+ of our favorite literary baby names perfect for your little book worm.
Our Favorite Literary Baby Names
Book-Inspired Names for Girls
Ashima
Origin: Indian, Hebrew | Meaning: Limitless
Ashima, which means “limitless,” is the name of the kind, complex mother in Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, The Namesake. It is also the name of an ancient Semitic goddess.
Daisy
Origin: English | Meaning: Day’s Eye
While the leading lady in The Great Gatsby may be a complex character, Daisy is a sweet name that harkens back to the early 20th century.
Edith
Origin: English | Meaning: Riches, Blessed
Edith Wharton, the groundbreaking author of The House of Mirth, The Age of Innocence, and other novels, was groundbreaking as a prominent female author writing candidly about the American upper class in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Elizabeth
Origin: Hebrew | Meaning: God’s Promise
Jane Austen fans will be quick to recognize the name Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice. As a bonus, few names lend themselves to a wider variety of nicknames if you end up feeling like your child is more of a Liz, Liza, Elle, Betty, or Beth.
Emma
Origin: English | Meaning: Entire, Universal
The eponymous protagonist of Emma is another charming Jane Austen favorite. It was recently brought back into the limelight with the 2020 film adaptation starring Anya Taylor-Joy.
Esperanza
Origin: Spanish | Meaning: Hope
The name of the heroine in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza, means “hope” in Spanish.
Fermina
Origin: Spanish | Meaning: Strong
This lovely name is inspired by the beautiful Fermina in Love in the Time of Cholera by Colombian novelist Gabriel GarcĂa Márquez.
Juliet
Origin: English | Meaning: Youthful
It wouldn’t be a literary list without at least one inclusion from William Shakespeare. Juliet is a timeless choice that also lends itself to more modern nicknames like Julie or Jules.
Jing-Mei
Origin: Chinese | Meaning: Delicate
Fans of Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club may recognize this name as one of the daughters in the novel. While it’s received some criticism since its publication, it remains one of the most influential books of the 20th century by an Asian-American author.
Katerina
Origin: Russian | Meaning: Pure
In Anna Karenina, Katerina (nicknamed “Kitty”) was one of the leading female characters. She had a much happier fate than the protagonist, Anna.Â
Louisa
Origin: German | Meaning: Famous Warrior
When you think of a strong namesake for a girl, it’s hard to argue with Louisa May Alcott, who bucked stereotypes by writing Little Women at a time when women writers were generally not taken seriously.Â
Margery
Origin: Greek | Meaning: Pearl
A nostalgic inclusion, many of us can remember falling in love with The Velveteen Rabbit growing up. Now, you can share that love with our own little one by gifting her author Margery Williams’s lovely old-fashioned name.
Maya
Origin: Hebrew, Spanish, Greek | Meaning: Dream
With roots in many different cultures, Maya is a nod to one of the most influential African-American women writers in history, Maya Angelou, author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and many other works.
Zora
Origin: Arabic, Slavic, African | Meaning: Dawn, Sunrise
This name, which means “dawn” or “sunrise,” pays tribute to Zora Neale Hurston, author of many novels, including Their Eyes Were Watching God, a classic of the Harlem Renaissance.
Book-Inspired Names for Boys
Aldous
Origin: English | Meaning: Wealthy, Old
This elegant name is often associated with the British writer Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World and nearly 50 other books.Â
Finn
Origin: Irish | Meaning: Fair, Blessed
Ensure your little one has an adventurous spirit by bestowing him with a name inspired by perhaps the most adventurous boy of all: Huckleberry Finn.
Florentino
Origin: Spanish | Meaning: Flower, Blossom
Inspired by the hopeless romantic in Gabriel GarcĂa Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera, Florentino is a name that rolls off the tongue.
George
Origin: Greek | Meaning: Farmer, Earthworker
For a little boy whose curiosity is as big as that of the famous literary character of the same name, consider this classic moniker.
Hansel
Origin: Scandinavian | Meaning: God is Gracious
Because bringing a newborn home will be like a fairytale, give him this name from one of the Brothers Grimm classics Hansel and Gretel.
Haruki
Origin: Japanese | Meaning: Spring Child
Haruki, known by many as the name of the prolific Japanese author Haruki Murakami, is associated with spring. Therefore, it’s a sweet choice for a spring due date.
Jack
Origin: English | Meaning: God is Gracious
We’ve all wondered what it would be like to have a genie grant us one wish. But Jack got even more than that with his magic beans in Jack and the Beanstalk. We know welcoming a newborn will be like a wish come true.
James
Origin: Hebrew | Meaning: Supplanter
James pays tribute to many great authors, including James Baldwin, James Joyce, and Henry James.
Langston
Origin: English | Meaning: Long Stone
Langston is a nod to the seminal writer of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes.
Nicholas
Origin: Greek | Meaning: Victory for the People
As the name of the narrator and protagonist of The Great Gatsby, Nicholas (or “Nick”) is a solid choice for those with a special place in their hearts for this great American novel.
Oscar
Origin: Irish | Meaning: Champion Warrior
The outspoken writer Oscar Wilde—famous for The Picture of Dorian Gray and many quotable lines like, “I can resist everything except temptation”—makes a fun namesake.
Oliver
Origin: Norse, English | Meaning: Olive Tree
Inspired by Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, the name Oliver has a variety of meanings, including “the olive tree.”Â
Stuart
Origin: Scottish | Meaning: Steward
Whether you’re more keen to the classic children’s book or the ’90s film, this story about a brave little mouse is about as heartwarming as it gets—just like the name!
Wilhelm
Origin: German | Meaning: Resolute Protector
An almost forgotten but highly masculine name, parents and kids alike can thank Wilhelm Grimm and his brother Jacob for some of the most classic tales like Snow White, Rapunzel, and more.
Gender Neutral Literary Baby Names
Amory
Origin: English, German | Meaning: Home Strength
Amory, the protagonist in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel This Side of Paradise, is a stately choice for those looking for a name that’s not particularly common.
Brett
Origin: British | Meaning: Of Briton
Ernest Hemingway gave us no shortage of name inspiration from his many works. One of our favorites is a traditionally masculine name he uses for the female protagonist in his novel, The Sun Also Rises.
Darcy
Origin: Irish | Meaning: Dark-haired
The surname of Pride and Prejudice’s Mr. Darcy could just as well make a nice gender-neutral first name—and is arguably simpler than the character’s first name, Fitzwilliam.Â
Franny
Origin: English | Meaning: From France
While there are many males with this name, J.D. Salinger gave the name to his famous female character, Franny Glass. It can stand on its own or be a nickname for Francis/Frances.
Gabriel
Origin: Latin, Hebrew | Meaning: God is my Strength
With roots in antiquity and Judeo-Christian tradition, Gabriel is also a nod to Gabriel GarcĂa Márquez, author of One Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera, and other novels.Â
Harper
Origin: English | Meaning: Harpist
One of the most popular names of the last few years, the name Harper is often associated with Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman.
Hawthorne
Origin: British | Meaning: Where Hawthorn Trees Grow
A unique title, this name is brought to our list by author Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of House of Seven Gables and The Scarlett Letter, among other works.
Jo
Origin: American | Meaning: God is Gracious
The heroine of Little Women may have been named Josephine, but Jo is what we really know her by and has the added benefit of being a great gender-neutral name option.
Laurie
Origin: Latin | Meaning: Symbol of Victory
Also from Little Women, Laurie is everyone’s favorite boy next door. Though a nickname for the character, Theodore Laurence, Laurie is a solid name in itself.
Montgomery
Origin: French | Meaning: Man Power
Brought to our list by a tale that always reminds us that we’re so lucky to “live in a world where there are Octobers.” Known as Anne of Green Gables, the classic story was written by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Robin
Origin: German | Meaning: Bright, Shining
Many of us can look back on our childhood with fond memories of Winnie the Pooh. We all dreamed of becoming Christopher Robin just so we could visit our favorite characters in the Hundred Acre Woods.
Sawyer
Origin: English | Meaning: Woodcutter
Where there’s Huckleberry Finn, there’s Tom Sawyer! Honor the great author Mark Twain by using his classic 1876 novel as baby name inspiration.
Toni
Origin: Pan-European | Meaning: Flower, Flourishing
Often used as a nickname for names like Antoinette or Anthony, Toni also pays homage to Toni Morrison, author of Beloved, The Bluest Eye, and other classics.Â
Zooey
Origin: Greek | Meaning: Life
Zooey, which means “life,” is the name of Franny Glass’s brother in J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey.
