Literary Baby Names
Photo Credit: Veer
These days, more moms are look to best-sellers for the perfect name (Come on, had you met a Bella before Twilight came out?). Although your baby won’t read about these characters for a while, here’s the Cliff Notes version to give them.
Holden (The Catcher in the Rye)
Many consider Holden Caulfield the most important character in American Literature. Unfortunately, he’s famous for being angsty and a bit of a bad boy. Then again, what boy doesn’t go through that phase?
Alice (Alice in Wonderland)
Alice would prefer her imagination to an iPad, and hopefully your daughter will too! She may be a bit of a daydreamer, but she’ll also be determined to succeed. Just keep an eye on her when you pass a rabbit hole.
Jay (The Great Gatsby)
No one exemplifies rags-to-riches quite like Jay Gatsby. The man turned himself into a high society millionaire in hopes of winning over a woman. If your son doesn’t find love, at least he’ll be able to support you in your old age.
Nancy (Nancy Drew)
She speaks French, succeeds in several sports, and has the respect of many adults. Who wouldn’t want their daughter to emulate the famous female detective? Besides, she’d probably make more money as an after-school detective than she would at babysitting.
Harry (Harry Potter)
While the magic makes Harry a memorable character, it’s his loyalty and do-good attitude that make him the perfect namesake. Just be sure to tell your son that, try as he might, he can’t rely on magic to clean his room.
Juliet (Romeo and Juliet)
Many describe this heroine as headstrong, intelligent and beautiful. Sounds like everything you want in a daughter. Be warned: she may be a bit dramatic when it comes to boys.
William (Pride and Prejudice)
We wanted to go with Fitzwilliam, but that might be a name that gets a boy bullied. Instead, try this abbreviated version of the name for a son you’d like to have all of the charm and romance that made women fall for Mr. Darcy.
Anne (Anne of Green Gables)
Intelligent and imaginative are just a few words to describe this loveable orphan. If you plan on making your daughter after this optimistic character, don’t’ forget the “e” at the end! As Anne says, “it’s more distinguished.”
Atticus (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Who doesn’t want their son to be a lawyer? Okay, we don’t want you putting any career pressures on your son. Even if he doesn’t follow Atticus’ legal path, he will (hopefully) follow his morals and integrity.
Josephine (Little Women)
It’s hard to pick one of the Alcott sisters, but in the end we went with the tomboy of the group. Jo is able to hang with the boys and girls and, in doing so, can see life from everyone’s perspective.
What character would you name your child after? Who is your favorite character?
Plus more from The Bump:
Baby Name Inspiration from Famous Smarty Pants
The Hunger Games Inspired Baby Names
The Knot Blog
The Nest Blog
The first time I heard someone using the name Holden was in the movie “Chasing Amy”.
My second is a Holden! We didn’t originate it from Catcher in the Rye but of course knew it would forever be a reference when people hear his name. I reread the story while pregnant and it’s pretty funny how benign it is by today’s standards.
I would use the name Arya from Eragon.
I really wanted that name, but my daughter’s father didn’t agree, so I named her Saphira instead
Saphira is another good choice
Actually, my sister named her child Bella well before twilight.
My son’s name is Harry
. While not named after Harry Potter, I think he will enjoy sharing his name with such a great character.
I always loved the name Marianne from Sense and Sensibility
My daughter is named Ginny, after Ginny Weasley.
My daughter’s name is Lyra Seraphina from “The Golden Compass.”
We actually named our first Alice because we both love Alice in Wonderland so much, as well as the fact that our list was full of older names.
I always thought it was funny when this happened. I felt like a nerd because i was always attracted to literary names.. while so many of my of my friends have used tv as a reference for their children (Halie- One Tree Hill, Wyatt- charmed). I love literary names, always drawn to Scout to kill a mocking bird, and yes Josephine, I grew up on little women. Very interesting to see, thank you for sharing!
For me, Nancy is Oliver Twist rather than Nancy Drew, but then I suppose you wouldn’t name your daughter after her… I know a few cats called Bella, but no children yet.
I think Holden is a lovely name on its own, and the conclusion Holden Caulfield comes to about wanting to save children from losing their innocence is really beautiful. But I think naming a kid after him specifically is a little weird – sure all boys go through periods of rebellion and angst, but to say all boys go through what Holden did implies you may have skipped half the book. Most children can safely graduate to adulthood without going through the kinds of things Holden did, or ending up in the hospital. Had there been any worthwhile adults in that book at all, the “phase” would have been more correctly identified as a crisis. I think Holden is an absolutely beautiful name, but it’s a poor choice if you’re planning to name your children after book characters.
Holden is a vehicle in Australia. I suppose it might be trendy… About as original or classy as calling a girl ‘Mercedes’ I guess!
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