100+ Literary Baby Names for Book Lovers

Hi friends! Baby names and books… two of my favorite topics for the blog. I love character names so much. Literary baby names are classic, elegant, and whimsical. Many of these hold a special place in my heart, and I am sure you feel the same if you are a book lover. In celebration of all the bookish things, here are some beautiful choices for your little one, inspired by classic, modern, and fantasy stories.

Girls

Addie – Diminutive of Adelaide, meaning “noble”; literary: Addie from The Adventures of Addie (classic children’s stories)
Alice – From Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Anais – Inspired by writer Anaïs Nin, known for her diaries and literary works
Anne – From Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Arwen – From The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Beatrix – As in Beatrix Potter, beloved children’s author (Peter Rabbit)
Brontë – Inspired by the Brontë sisters: Charlotte, Emily, and Anne
Bryce – Meaning “speckled, freckled”; less literary, but modern usage in novels
Cadence – Means “rhythm” or “flow of words,” fitting for poetry lovers
Charlie – Literary reference: Charlie Bucket from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Circe – Mythological and literary figure from The Odyssey and Madeline Miller’s Circe
Coraline – From Neil Gaiman’s Coraline
Dove – Symbol of peace and purity in literature
Dorothy – From The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Ella – Classic name appearing in multiple literary works, including Cinderella adaptations
Elide – Means “to omit,” used in poetry; also literary sounding
Elinor – From Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Elowen – Cornish origin, “elm tree”; fantasy-inspired names
Emilia – From Shakespeare’s Othello
Emma – From Jane Austen’s Emma
Eponine – From Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Evangeline – From Longfellow’s poem Evangeline
Fable – Meaning “story with a moral”; literary-inspired
Gwyn – Welsh origin, “white, fair”; seen in fantasy literature
Hermoine – From Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Honey – Literary symbol of sweetness; appears in children’s books
Imogen – From Shakespeare’s Cymbeline
Iris – Literary flower symbol; also appears in poetry and novels
Jane – From Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Juliet – From Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
June – Appears in poetry and literature, symbolizing summer and youth
Juniper – Literary and nature-inspired name, often in fantasy stories
Kya – From Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Lisbeth – From The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Lucy – From The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Luna – From Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Lysandra – Literary and mythological name, Greek origin
Madeline – From Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Matilda – From Matilda by Roald Dahl
May – Literary and seasonal name; appears in poetry
Mira – Latin origin, “wonderful”; literary sound
Nesta – Literary/fantasy-inspired
Ophelia – From Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Paige – Modern literary-sounding name; also meaning “young servant”
Persephone – Greek mythology; literary references in poetry and fantasy
Poppy – Literary symbol of sleep and dreams; also in children’s books
Primrose – From The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Rhiannon – Welsh mythology, appears in poetry and fantasy literature
Riva – Literary and modern fantasy-inspired
Scarlett – From Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Sera – Literary/fantasy-inspired variant of Sarah
Scout – From To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Story – Perfect for book lovers; literal meaning
Tigerlily – Literary/fantasy name; also from Peter Pan
Verity – Means “truth”; literary-sounding and Puritan-inspired
Violet – Literary flower name; appears in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Winnie – From Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

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Boys

Archer – Meaning “bowman”; literary/fantasy connotation, e.g., heroes in novels
Asher – Biblical name meaning “happy, blessed”; appears in literature
Aslan – From The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Atticus – From To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Augustus – Classic literary and historical name; appears in The Hunger Games
Azriel – Literary/fantasy-inspired; means “helper of God” in Hebrew
Caspian – From The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Carver – Literary surname; reminiscent of writers like George Washington Carver (science + story)
Cassian – Literary/fantasy name; Latin origin meaning “hollow”
Casteel – Literary/fantasy-inspired surname-style name
Darcy – From Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Dorian – From The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Eliot – Literary surname; after T.S. Eliot
Ender – From Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Finn – Literary and mythological name; Irish origin meaning “fair”
Finnick – From The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Gatsby – From The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Gray – Literary and poetic surname name; also a modern aesthetic choice
Holden – From The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Holmes – Literary surname; Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Ishmael – From Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
Jacks – Modern literary/fantasy-sounding variant
Kaz – From Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Kieran – Literary/fantasy-inspired; Irish origin “dark-haired”
Kingsley – Literary/fantasy name; means “king’s meadow”
Kitt – Literary/fantasy-sounding name
Laurie – From Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Theodore “Laurie” Laurence)
Legend – Literary/fantasy-inspired; symbolic meaning
Lysander – From Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Lucien – Literary/fantasy name; French origin “light”
Marlowe – After playwright Christopher Marlowe
Milo – Appears in children’s literature and modern novels
Nathanial – Literary/classic name; appears in multiple novels
Neville – From Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Nyx – Mythological literary name; Greek goddess of night
Oberon – From Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Oscar – Literary/famous writers: Oscar Wilde
Orion – Mythology and literary fantasy constellation name
Penn – Literary/fantasy surname-style name
Percy – From Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Peter – From Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Poe – After Edgar Allan Poe
Reid – Literary surname-style; modern and strong
Rhys – Literary/fantasy name; Welsh origin meaning “enthusiasm”
Rhett – From Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Romeo – From Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Roman – Literary/classic name; evokes ancient Rome and literature
Rowan – Literary/fantasy name; nature-inspired
Ruhn – Literary/fantasy-sounding modern name
Sawyer – From The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Tate – Literary/fantasy-sounding modern name
Tristan – From Arthurian legend and Tristan and Isolde
Walden – From Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Wesley – Literary/classic name; appears in novels and fantasy works
Wilder – Literary surname; also evocative of adventure
William – Shakespeare and classic literary connections
Wolfe – Literary surname; evokes Thomas Wolfe
Xaden – Modern literary/fantasy-sounding name