24 of the best book-inspired baby names
Gorgeous monikers from Tolkien, Shakespeare, the Brontës, King, Morrison, Capote and more!
Looking for bookish inspiration for your baby’s name? You’ve come to the right place.
As well as going back a few hundred years for some classic inspo, you can find unusual names in more modern tomes that mean your child won’t have to be known by their first name plus surname initial throughout their school years.
Note that Atticus and Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird aren’t included as they are, arguably, two the greatest names from literature.
Enjoy the inspiration in the galleries below!
Hester
The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn (1850)
Meaning: Star
Considered one of the first great female protagonists in American literature, this pretty name has a lovely meaning and can be shortened to Hetty.
Abra
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (2013)
Meaning: Mother of nations
Doctor Sleep carries on the story of The Shining and follows grown-up Danny Torrance (the kid from first book) and his encounter with Abra, who also possesses ‘The Shining’.
Eliza
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (1913)
Meaning: Oath of God
A sweet name that evokes beautiful Audrey Hepburn from My Fair Lady, which is based on the book by Bernard Shaw.
Hermia
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare (1594-1596)
Meaning: Messenger
Shakespeare’s character is a strong and graceful woman who makes a stand against her father with maturity and poise.
Ginevra
Villette by Charlotte Brontë (1853)
Meaning: White, smooth
A carefree 18-year-old, this protagonist enjoys others attending to her lavish tastes.
Agnes
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë (1848)
Meaning: Lamb
Brought back into popularity by the fantastic Despicable Me movies, Agnes appears in what was considered one of the most feminist novels of its time. Bronte wrote it under the male pseudonym of Acton Bell.
Sula
Sula by Toni Morrison (1973)
Meaning: Peace
Morrison’s lead is called Sula Peace, and the tale is one of women facing down adversity.
Zillah
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
(1847)
Meaning: Shadow
Popping up in this classic novel, prettily named Zillah is Heathcliff’s housekeeper.
Celie
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)
Meaning: the blind one
Celie’s story is a powerful one about overcoming oppression and finding loyalty and joy.
Liesel
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (2005)
Meaning: Pledged to God
A gorgeous name that’s German and Hebrew in origin, Liesl (with one e) also features in The Sound of Music by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay.
Lyra
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (1995)
Meaning: Lyre, harp
Set in Pullman’s Northern Lights universe, this sweet name also has a lovely meaning.
Hedda
Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen (1890)
Meaning: Warrior
Ibsen’s character is powerful, strong-willed and determined to do things for herself, and her way.
Ibsen would be a lovely name too!
We’re mad about the boy and these names are a mix of unusual and classic, plus several of them work well as gender-neutral names.
Check out the gallery below.
Jay
The Great Gatsby by Truman Capote (1925)
Meaning: Victory
A lovely name that works well with all sorts of surnames. Works well as a gender-neutral name – or you might fancy Truman, or Capote instead!
Fergus
Dragonfly In Amber by Diana Gabaldon (1992)
Meaning: Virility
Scottish in origin, this strong name evolved in the Outlander book series when the lead, Jamie, renamed Claudel Fraser as Fergus Fraser.
Gilbert
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (1908)
Meaning: Noble youth
This name can take your bub from newborn to old man! From Gilly through to Bert.
Gage
Pet Sematary by Stephen King (1983)
Meaning: Pledge or promise
Ok, so not everyone wants to name their son after a character in a horror story – but you don’t find many boys called Gage out there.
Booker
God Help The Child by Toni Morrison (2015)
Meaning: Scribe
This name might feel American in origin as a surname as a first name, but it’s British in origin. A great name for a bookish family.
Beren
Beren and Lúthien by JRR Tolkien (2017)
Meaning: Strong, clever
While Beren is male in the Tolkien book, it also works beautifully for a gender-neutral name.
Jasper
The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens (1870)
Meaning: Bringer of treasure
The character in Edwin Drood is John Jasper, but we love Jasper.
Fact: the unfinished novel was published after Dickens’ death in 1870.
Caius
King Lear by William Shakespeare (1606)
Meaning: Joyful
Pronounced ‘kai-us’, this gorgeous name, the character in King Lear is strong, loyal and devoted.
Rodion
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1866)
Meaning: song of the hero
A name of greek-Russian origin, the book’s lead has a hard and immoral life but it leads to atonement and salvation.
Holden
Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (1951)
Meaning: Hollow valley
Sure, you could name your son after a car brand, but it’s arguably cooler to opt for Salinger as the influence.
Oberon
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare (1600)
Meaning: noble bear
Shortens to the cute ‘Obi’, this ancient name is also considered gender neutral.
Silas
Silas Marner by George Eliot (1861)
Meaning: Wood, forest
As was common at the time, Mary Anne Evans wrote under the pen name George Eliot. Her character Silas is a kind and honest weaver.
