Literary Names for Boys

The names may sound the same, but they have different origins and meanings. Take your pick.

Japhy Ryder was a hero of Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums. Compared with Moses and Noah, Japhy sounds downright adorable and eminently baby-worthy.

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.

This name of a character in Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is short, sweet and Southern-sounding.

A solid, brief but not brusque single-syllable surname with a presidential pedigree.

The unlikely name of the hero of Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake, named for an author his father revered.

An interesting Canadian province and city name that has some literary history as the name of a character in Dickens's Bleak House; could make a distinctive choice for parents with northern roots.

A Californian mountain range, named for the Indigenous American tribe, the Shasta People, Shasta has been predominantly been used for girls in the US. In Sanskrit, however, it is used as both the name of a male deity and a term meaning "teacher, guide, or ruler". C.S Lewis also used it as a masculine name in the 5th book of his Narnia series, The Horse and His Boy.

Used by Emily Brontë in her novel Wuthering Heights , Hareton is a distinctive, rugged and literature-inspired choice. With the sounds of an English place name and the vibes of a last name as a first name, Hareton was likely an invention of Emily Brontë's, which she created by changing up the name of a neighbourhood family, The Heatons.

Surname of a character in Henry James' What Maisie Knew.

Is it a real name....or no?

Falmouth may be a beautiful seaside spot in Massachusetts, but as a name it's perilously close to "foul mouth." Falmouth Kearney was the name of Barack Obama's great-great grandfather.

The name of the hero of Nathan Englander's The Ministry of Special Cases is also the name of the prayer Jews say for the dead, so be aware that this could definitely be seen as an offensive choice to avoid.

Samuel Johnson invented the name Rasselas for the title character of his novel, Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia. Rasselas is actually the son of the prince.

A character in the Wicked novels and musicals, Dr Dillamond is a Goat, mentor and professor. It could blend the Old English element mund meaning "protection" with Dil, a Germanic diminutive meaning "people" or an English word, referring to the herb, dill.

Also spelled Silvander, this poetic and woodsy name was used in various works of literature throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Deriving from the Roman and Biblical name Silvanus, Sylvander could also be considered a compound name, blending together Sylvester or Sylvan with Anders or Alexander.