Baby Names Inspired by Literature and Poetry

Why choose a literary name?

Names drawn from literature and poetry carry stories, character, and cultural weight. A literary name connects your child to a tradition of imagination and ideas, offering depth and conversation built right in. From Shakespeare to modern children's fiction, the written word has given us some of the most beautiful and enduring names.

Names from classic literature

• Atticus - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Meaning: man of Attica. Associated with moral integrity and quiet strength
• Juliet - Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. Meaning: youthful
• Darcy - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Meaning: from the fortress, dark one
• Elinor - Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Meaning: bright, shining light
• Heathcliff - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Meaning: cliff near a heath
• Jane - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Meaning: God is gracious
• Pip - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Meaning: lover of horses
• Dorothea - Middlemarch by George Eliot. Meaning: gift of God
• Orlando - Orlando by Virginia Woolf. Meaning: famous throughout the land
• Scout - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Meaning: to observe, explorer
• Holden - The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Meaning: hollow valley
• Estella - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Meaning: star

Names from children's and young adult fiction

• Matilda - Matilda by Roald Dahl. Meaning: mighty in battle
• Lyra - His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. Meaning: lyre, constellation
• Alice - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Meaning: noble, truthful
• Wendy - Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. Meaning: friend (coined for the story)
• Charlotte - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Meaning: free woman
• Heidi - Heidi by Johanna Spyri. Meaning: noble one
• Madeline - Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. Meaning: woman from Magdala
• Pippi - Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. Meaning: lover of horses
• Kit - The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. Meaning: bearing Christ
• Roald - Not a character but the beloved author himself. Meaning: famous ruler

Names from poetry

• Dante - The Divine Comedy. Meaning: enduring, steadfast
• Byron - Lord Byron, the Romantic poet. Meaning: from the barns
• Shelley - Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley. Meaning: clearing on a slope
• Tennyson - Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Meaning: son of Dennis
• Keats - John Keats. Meaning: a kite (the bird)
• Sylvia - Sylvia Plath. Meaning: from the forest
• Sappho - Ancient Greek lyric poet. Meaning: sapphire
• Rumi - The 13th-century Sufi poet. Meaning: from Rome
• Neruda - Pablo Neruda. A surname used as a given name, evoking poetry and passion
• Eliot - T.S. Eliot and George Eliot. Meaning: the Lord is my God

Names from mythology and epic literature

• Penelope - The Odyssey by Homer. Meaning: weaver. Known for loyalty and patience
• Cassandra - Greek mythology and literature. Meaning: she who entangles
• Hector - The Iliad by Homer. Meaning: holding fast
• Tristan - Arthurian legend. Meaning: sorrowful, bold
• Isolde - Tristan and Isolde. Meaning: ice ruler
• Ariadne - Greek mythology. Meaning: most holy
• Calista - Greek literature. Meaning: most beautiful
• Odysseus - The Odyssey. Meaning: wrathful, man of pain
• Persephone - Greek mythology. Meaning: bringer of destruction (though associated with spring and renewal)
• Atlas - Greek mythology. Meaning: to carry

Names from Shakespeare

• Beatrice - Much Ado About Nothing. Meaning: she who brings happiness
• Cordelia - King Lear. Meaning: heart, daughter of the sea
• Miranda - The Tempest. Meaning: wonderful, admirable
• Viola - Twelfth Night. Meaning: violet
• Rosalind - As You Like It. Meaning: gentle horse
• Sebastian - Twelfth Night. Meaning: venerable, revered
• Oberon - A Midsummer Night's Dream. Meaning: noble, bearlike
• Portia - The Merchant of Venice. Meaning: offering
• Helena - A Midsummer Night's Dream. Meaning: bright, shining light
• Imogen - Cymbeline. Meaning: beloved child

Tips for choosing a literary name

• Consider whether the character's story is one you are happy for your child to be associated with
• Some literary names are so well known that they carry strong associations, both positive and negative
• Lesser-known literary names can feel more distinctive while still carrying depth
• Pair a more unusual literary name with a straightforward middle name for balance
• Poetry names (Keats, Byron, Tennyson) work well as either first or middle names

Sources

• Behind the Name. Literary names database. behindthename.com
• Nameberry. Literary baby names. nameberry.com
• Office for National Statistics (ONS). Baby names in England and Wales. ons.gov.uk