Literary Names
- Haydée
Origin:
Literary nameDescription:
Name of the enslaved girl in Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo sounds more like a modern invention, though it's related to another time-honored literary heroine name: Haidee from Byron's "Don Juan."
- Jolyon
Origin:
Medieval form of JulianMeaning:
"youthful"Description:
Galsworthy used this for "The Forsyte Saga," but in modern real life Julian would work better.
- Thackeray
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"place with thatching"Description:
The name of the famous British man of letters might just appeal to some English majors as a more interesting alternative to Zachary. An appropriate playmate for Russell Crowe's boy Tennyson.
- Kesey
Origin:
Irish literary name, variation of CaseyDescription:
Kesey is a possible literary hero name honoring Merry Prankster Ken Kesey, whose characters flew over the cuckoo's nest. Kesey rhymes with easy.
- Utah
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
This would make a startling but likable choice; poet Dylan Thomas used it for a character in his play "Under Milk Wood."
- Angelou
Origin:
Literary nameDescription:
If you want to move beyond Maya.
- Bluet
Origin:
Nature name, English from FrenchMeaning:
"blue"Description:
A fresh nature name — Bluet is a dainty, low-growing plant with small, light blue flowers — that feels like a mix of jazzy word-name Blue and trendy surname Truett.
- Aroon
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"darling"Description:
There is a Hindi name for boys Aroon, for the mythic charioteer of the dawn, but for girls the name Aroon relates to the Irish word for darling. Aroon is the name of the heroine of Molly Keane's classic novel of the Anglo-Irish gentry, Good Behaviour.
- Hieronymous
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"sacred name"Description:
A name used in Germany and Holland as a form of Jerome, it's the unlikely moniker of fictional detective Hieronymous "Harry" Bosch.
- Norris
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"northerner"Description:
A British surname that was used only for males until Mrs. Norman Mailer, Norris Church (born Barbara), came under the public eye.
- Arys
Origin:
Literary nameDescription:
A knight in the Game of Thrones universe, Arys debuted on the charts for both sexes in 2023.
- Lalita
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"playful, charming"Description:
Lolita without the naughty implications.
- Fenno
Origin:
A Finnish tribe and languageDescription:
If you've heard this name, it's probably from the hero of the acclaimed Julia Glass novel, Three Junes, or else the political scientist Richard Fenno. As well as a Finnish name, it's alos a Frisian diminutive from names in the Frederick family, making it is a cousin of Freddie, Fritz and Fedde. This name is so rare it's never appeared on the charts, but with its energetic O ending it might appeal if you're looking for an alternative to names like Otto and Arlo.
- Quillen
Origin:
Variation of Quillan or QuillonDescription:
The names may sound the same, but they have different origins and meanings. Take your pick.
- Neruda
Origin:
Literary nameDescription:
Evocative of the great Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda, real last name Basoalito, who took on the surname Neruda to honor a Czech poet of that name. One of the most poetic boy names starting with N, or with any letter, for that matter.
- Aemon
Origin:
Literary nameDescription:
Created by George R. R. Martin for his series A Song of Ice and Fire. Aemon Targaryen is the great-uncle of Daenerys.
- Orleanna
Origin:
Literary nameDescription:
Orleanna was the young heroine of Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible.
- Fancy
Origin:
Diminutive of FrancesMeaning:
"free man"Description:
Old fashioned nickname that some girls just might be able to pull off. You'd just have to be sure your little Fancy was one of them.
- Japhy
Origin:
Diminutive of JaphethMeaning:
"he expands"Description:
Japhy Ryder was a hero of Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums. Compared with Moses and Noah, Japhy sounds downright adorable and eminently baby-worthy.
- Darl
Origin:
Literary nameDescription:
This name of a character in Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is short, sweet and Southern-sounding.