Bartleby
English surname, probably related to Bartholomew
"son of the furrow"Share
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Bartleby Origin and Meaning
The name Bartleby is a boy's name meaning "son of the furrow".
Bartleby (that's his last name) the Scrivener is a famous Herman Melville character whose surprisingly powerful refrain was, "I would prefer not to." Or, in the immortal words of any two-year-old: No.
Putting that aside, Bartleby is a unique baby name that could make a lively literary alternative to Barnaby.
Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street was made into movies three times, the latest starring Christian Glover. In the 1999 film "Dogma," Bartleby is a fallen angel played by Ben Affleck.
# 3319 on Nameberry
Bartleby Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
Bartleby Popularity
- 1950Nameberry2023
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Bartleby in Pop Culture
- "Bartlebythe Scrivener" (1856), Melville's short story about a scrivener, or law,copyist. The narrator, his employer, says he is "the strangest I ever saw, or heard of"
- Bartleby GainesJustin Long's character in "Accepted"