450 Best Literary Girl Names: From Bookshelf to Birth

Let me tell you about the exact moment the fear hit me. It wasn’t when I saw the positive test. It wasn’t even the first ultrasound. It was standing in the middle of a Buy Buy Baby, holding a book called something like 100,000 Baby Names, realizing that 99,000 of them were terrible.

My wife was looking at crib sheets. I was looking at a lifetime of regretting the name “Kaylee” (no offense to the Kaylees, but it wasn’t for us).

I went home, poured a drink, and stared at our bookshelves. That’s where the actual answers were. We didn’t want a name that just sounded nice. We wanted a name that had already lived. We wanted a name that had survived a revolution, or crossed a desert, or at least had a really biting comeback in a drawing room in 1813. We wanted one of the Best Literary Girl Names out there.

If you’re going to label a human being for 80+ years, you owe it to them to give them a name with some backbone.

Also Read: Best Italian-American Girl Names and Rare Names for Girls Starting with V, W, X, Y, Z

Key Takeaways

• Context is king: Don’t just pick a name because it sounds pretty. If the character dies of consumption in chapter three, you need to know that going in.
• The “Yell Test” works: Go to your back porch and scream the full name. If you feel ridiculous, scrap it. If it sounds like a command, keep it.
• Spell it right: If you name her “Hermione” but spell it “Hirmyonee” to be unique, you aren’t honoring the book. You’re just confusing the barista.
• Old is new: The names your great-grandmother had? They are cool again. The names your mother had? Still uncool. Give it another generation.
• Nicknames save lives: A heavy literary name like “Theodosia” is great on a diploma, but she needs “Teddy” for the playground.

Why do we trust dead authors more than baby books?

I remember sitting in a used bookstore in Chicago—the kind that smells like vanilla and dust—years before kids were even on the radar. I picked up Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. I didn’t care about the bullfighting. I cared about Lady Brett Ashley.

Brett. For a girl. It was sharp, it was cool, and it felt miles away from the “Jennifer” and “Jessica” wave I grew up in.

Reality is boring. Work is boring. But fiction? Fiction is where the good stuff happens. When we hunt for the Best Literary Girl Names, we aren’t just looking for letters that sound good together. We are shopping for personality traits. You want the grit of a Steinbeck character? The wit of an Austen girl? The refusal to die of a dystopian heroine?

Naming your daughter after a literary character is basically saying, “I hope you turn out interesting.” And honestly, that’s the best we can hope for.

Who are the heavy hitters of the 19th Century?

If you want a name that is bulletproof, go to the 1800s. These authors didn’t mess around. The names are sturdy. They stand up straight. I pitched “Elizabeth” for weeks. My wife said it was too vanilla. I argued that Lizzie Bennet is the best character in English literature. She’s smart, she’s wrong, she admits she’s wrong, and she roasts Mr. Darcy. That is a legacy worth having.

Here are the names that smell like old paper and tea but still work on a modern playground:

• The Jane Austen Squad:
  • Emma: Meaning “universal” or “whole.” A bit overused right now? Maybe. But she’s the queen of meddling.
  • Elinor: Meaning “God is my light.” For the sensible child (we can hope).
  • Marianne: A blend of Mary (“bitter” or “beloved”) and Anne (“grace”). For the dramatic child.
  • Lydia: Meaning “from Lydia” (a region in Greece). Look, it’s a great name, just… watch out for officers in red coats.
  • Georgiana: Meaning “farmer” or “earth worker.” Underrated. Darcy’s little sister. Sounds regal.
  • Charlotte: Meaning “free man” or “petite.” Solid, dependable, Lucas.
  • Anne: Meaning “grace.” Persuasion is the best book. Fight me. Anne is a quiet power name.
• The Brontë Mood Board:
  • Bronte: Meaning “thunder.” Why not use the last name? It sounds cool and edgy.
  • Eyre: Meaning “gravel bank river.” Using the surname as a first name is a power move.
  • Villette: Meaning “little town.” A deep cut for the true fans.
  • Shirley: Meaning “bright meadow.” Charlotte Brontë actually popularized this as a girl’s name (it was male before).
  • Lucy: Meaning “light.” Villette’s heroine. Complex and icy.
• The Little Women Crew:
  • Josephine (Jo): Meaning “Jehovah increases.” The ultimate tomboy creative name.
  • Meg: Meaning “pearl.” Sweet, maternal, forgotten.
  • Amy: Meaning “beloved.” Everyone hates Amy until they grow up and realize Amy was the only one with any financial sense.
  • Beth: Short for Elizabeth, meaning “pledged to God.” Too tragic? Maybe. But sweet.
  • Louisa: Meaning “renowned warrior.” Just go straight to the author.
  • Marmee: A term of endearment. Okay, maybe save this one for the dog.
• Hardy & Eliot (The Heavyweights):
  • Tess: Meaning “to harvest.” Beautiful, but Tess of the d’Urbervilles is a rough read. Know your history.
  • Bathsheba: Meaning “daughter of the oath.” Far from the Madding Crowd. A boss name.
  • Eustacia: Meaning “fruitful” or “stable.” For the goth parents.
  • Dorothea: Meaning “gift of God.” Middlemarch. Intellectual and pious. “Dot” or “Dottie” makes it cute.
  • Rosamond: Meaning “horse protector” (often confused with “rose of the world”). Pretty, but kind of a brat in the book.
  • Hetty: Meaning “home ruler” (diminutive of Henrietta). Vintage and punchy.

Can we do Fantasy without it getting weird?

I’m a nerd. I have a Lord of the Rings tattoo. I’m not hiding it. When we started this process, I put “Galadriel” on the short list. My wife looked at me like I had just suggested we name the baby “Tax Audit.”

“She has to get a job someday,” she told me. “She can’t be an Elf Queen on a resume.”

She was right, but that doesn’t mean you have to scrap the genre. The trick to finding the Best Literary Girl Names in fantasy is the crossover appeal. You want a name that fans recognize but normal people just think is pretty.

• Tolkien’s Hidden Gems:
  • Arwen: Meaning “noble maiden.” It’s borderline, but “Winnie” makes it safe.
  • Eowyn: Meaning “horse lover/joy.” Shieldmaiden vibes.
  • Elanor: Meaning “sun star.” Samwise Gamgee’s daughter. It’s a flower name, it’s a normal name, but you know it’s Elvish.
  • Rosie: Meaning “rose.” The unsung hero of the Shire.
  • Melian: Meaning “dear gift.” Sounds like “Megan” mixed with “Lillian.” Very usable.
  • Estel: Meaning “hope.” Aragorn’s childhood name.
• The Harry Potter Generation (We are old now):
  • Hermione: Meaning “messenger” or “earthly.” It’s a bold choice. Everyone knows it. But it stands for intelligence.
  • Ginny: Short for Ginevra, meaning “white shadow” or “white wave.” Short, punchy, tough.
  • Luna: Meaning “moon.” It’s everywhere now, but still magical.
  • Lily: Meaning “pure” (flower). Classic.
  • Fleur: Meaning “flower” in French. Fancy.
  • Andromeda: Meaning “ruler of men.” The good sister of the Black family. “Andie” is a killer nickname.
• George R.R. Martin’s List (Proceed with Caution):
  • Arya: Meaning “noble” (Sanskrit) or “lioness” (Hebrew). My buddy Dave named his kid Arya in 2010. He spends his whole life saying, “Like the book, not the show.”
  • Sansa: Meaning “praise” or “charm” (Sanskrit). A beautiful name, actually.
  • Brienne: Meaning “high, noble, exalted” (variant of Brian). Strong. Honorable.
  • Lyanna: A variation of Liana, meaning “to twine around.” Tragic but lovely.
  • Asha: Meaning “hope” or “life.” Better than “Yara” (show change).
  • Meera: Meaning “prosperous” or “princess.” Simple and sweet.
  • Shireen: Meaning “sweet.” Just… keep her away from fires. Too soon?
• The Sci-Fi & Dystopian Edge:
  • Katniss: A botanical name for an aquatic plant (Sagittaria). Probably too tied to the movies.
  • Primrose: Meaning “first rose.” Call her Prim.
  • Rue: Meaning “regret” or the herb. Simple, tragic, beautiful.
  • Chani: Meaning is debated, potentially Hebrew for “grace.” Dune is back, baby. Chani is a great name.
  • Alia: Meaning “sublime” or “exalted.” St. Alia of the Knife. terrifying child, great name.
  • Ripley: Meaning “strip of clearing in the woods.” Not a book first, but Alien novelizations count, right? Badass name.

How do you handle Shakespeare without the drama?

Shakespeare is the ultimate cheat code. The guy invented hundreds of names. The problem is, he also killed most of the characters who had them. You have to thread the needle between “Classic Beauty” and “Tragic Suicide.”

I love the name Ophelia. It sounds like water and flowers. My wife reminded me she goes mad and drowns. Vetoed.

• The Safe Bets:
  • Juliet: Meaning “youthful.” The big one. Is it too much pressure? Maybe.
  • Beatrice: Meaning “she who brings happiness.” Much Ado About Nothing. She’s smart, she’s loud, she’s funny. My favorite Shakespeare woman.
  • Rosalind: Meaning “beautiful rose.” As You Like It. She dresses as a boy and orchestrates her own love life. Smart kid.
  • Viola: Meaning “violet.” Twelfth Night. Musical and sweet.
  • Celia: Meaning “heavenly.” Rosalind’s ride-or-die best friend.
  • Portia: Meaning “pig” or “offering” (Roman clan name), but let’s focus on the lawyer aspect. Merchant of Venice.
• The Deep Cuts:
  • Hero: Meaning “demi-god” or “hero.” A girl’s name in Much Ado. A big flex to name your daughter “Hero.”
  • Cordelia: Meaning “heart” or “jewel of the sea.” King Lear. The only daughter who wasn’t awful.
  • Regan: Meaning “king’s child.” The awful daughter. But a cool name.
  • Imogen: Meaning “maiden.” Cymbeline. A very British cool-girl name.
  • Miranda: Meaning “wondrous” or “worthy of admiration.” The Tempest.
  • Tamora: Meaning “date palm.” Queen of the Goths. Villain, but a cool name.

Does Poetry actually work for real human names?

Poets care about mouthfeel. Novelists care about plot; poets care about how the syllables hit your teeth. That means names from poetry usually sound better than anything else.

I took a poetry class in college. I told myself it was to expand my mind. It was mostly to meet girls. But I found “Annabel Lee.” Poe is depressing—the guy couldn’t write a happy ending to save his life—but “Annabel” is haunting.

• The Poe Collection:
  • Annabel: Meaning “loving.” Classic.
  • Lenore: Meaning “light.” “The Raven.” A bit gothic, but “Lenny” is cute.
  • Ligeia: Meaning “clear-voiced” (whistling). For the brave parents.
  • Morella: Meaning “great” or “nightshade.” Sounds floral, is actually a ghost story.
• The Greats:
  • Sylvia: Meaning “of the forest.” Plath. A heavy legacy, but a beautiful, woody name.
  • Maya: Meaning “illusion” or “water.” Angelou. Power and grace.
  • Emily: Meaning “rival.” Dickinson. You can’t go wrong.
  • Gwendolyn: Meaning “white ring.” Brooks. “Gwen” is timeless.
  • Audre: Meaning “noble strength.” Lorde. Serious and strong.
• Words as Names:
  • Lyric: Meaning “songlike.” A bit modern, but it fits.
  • Sonnet: Meaning “little song.” I’ve met a baby Sonnet. It was adorable.
  • Stanza: Meaning “stopping place.” Maybe pushing it?

What about the modern bestsellers on your nightstand?

Not everything has to be 200 years old. There are names being written right now that will be the classics in 50 years. These feel less stiff. They feel like they can use an iPhone.

When I read The Fault in Our Stars (don’t look at me like that, it was a cultural moment), I realized “Hazel” was back. It went from a grandma name to a cool-girl name overnight.

• The YA Boom:
  • Hazel: Meaning “the hazelnut tree.” Nature + Sass.
  • Alaska: Meaning “great land.” Looking for Alaska. Specific, moody.
  • Eleanor: Meaning unknown, possibly “light.” Eleanor & Park.
  • Tris: Short for Beatrice. Divergent.
  • Clary: Short for Clarissa, meaning “bright/clear.” Mortal Instruments.
  • Lara Jean: A combo of Lara (“citadel”) and Jean (“God is gracious”). The double name is making a comeback.
• Literary Fiction:
  • Kya: Meaning “diamond in the sky” (African origin) or short for Katherine. Where the Crawdads Sing. Swampy, mysterious.
  • Scout: Meaning “first explorer.” To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s modern classic. It works on a 5-year-old and a 30-year-old CEO.
  • Aibileen: Variant of Aveline, meaning “hazelnut” or “bird.” The Help.
  • Celie: Meaning “blind” or “heavenly.” The Color Purple.
  • Beloved: Meaning “dearly loved.” Too heavy? Probably.
  • Offred: Meaning “Of Fred.” Handmaid’s Tale. Definitely do not do this.
  • June: Meaning “young” (from Juno). The protagonist’s real name in Handmaid’s Tale. Much better.

Can we talk about the Villains? (The “Bad” Girls)

Sometimes you don’t want a princess. Sometimes you want the witch. The villains have more fun. They have better outfits. They have cooler names.

Giving a girl a name with a shadow attached to it gives her an edge.

• The Witches & Vixens:
  • Circe: Meaning “bird.” Madeline Miller made her a hero, but she’s the OG witch.
  • Medea: Meaning “cunning.” Maybe too much murder in her backstory.
  • Morgana: Meaning “sea circle.” King Arthur’s sister. Dark magic.
  • Nimue: Meaning unknown, possibly “memory.” The Lady of the Lake.
  • Bellatrix: Meaning “female warrior.” I know, I know. She killed Sirius. But it’s a cool name. “Bella” makes it safe.
  • Lilith: Meaning “night monster” or “ghost.” The first wife of Adam. The original rebel.
  • Jezebel: Meaning “where is the prince?” Reclaiming it? Bold move.
• The Noir Dames:
  • Vesper: Meaning “evening star.” Casino Royale. The ultimate Bond girl.
  • Marla: Meaning “drop of the sea.” Fight Club. “Slide.”
  • Lisbeth: Meaning “God is my oath.” Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. For the hacker kid.
  • Irene: Meaning “peace.” Irene Adler. The woman who beat Sherlock Holmes.
  • Amy: Meaning “beloved.” Gone Girl. The scariest Amy in history.

Where are the Cottagecore Nature names?

My mom loves Anne of Green Gables. She read it to me. I pretended to hate it. I actually liked it. That book is basically a gardening catalogue of names. If you want that vibe—white linen dresses, sourdough starters, chickens in the backyard—this is your list.

• The Flowers:
  • Marigold: Meaning “golden flower.” “Goldie” is a top-tier nickname.
  • Primrose: Meaning “first rose.” See above.
  • Ivy: Meaning “faithfulness.” Sharp, short, climbing.
  • Willow: Meaning “willow tree.” Gentle.
  • Zinnia: Meaning “Zinn’s flower.” A funky alternative to the other flowers.
  • Flora: Meaning “flower.” Vintage.
  • Briar: Meaning “thorny patch.” Like Sleeping Beauty (Briar Rose).
• The Elements:
  • Stella: Meaning “star.” A Streetcar Named Desire (screaming it is mandatory).
  • Luna: Meaning “moon.”
  • Aurora: Meaning “dawn.”
  • Skye: Meaning “cloud.” A bit hippie, but it works.
  • Rain: Meaning “abundant blessing.” Or Raine.
  • Winter: Meaning “the cold season.” Cold but stylish.
• The Animals:
  • Lark: Meaning “songbird.”
  • Wren: Meaning “small bird.” Small but loud.
  • Fawn: Meaning “young deer.” Gentle.
  • Wolf: Meaning “wolf.” Why can’t a girl be named Wolf? Virginia Woolf makes it literary.

The Strategy: How to actually pick one

We fought. I won’t lie to you. Naming a human is high stakes. I wanted “Zelda” (Fitzgerald). My wife said it sounded like a video game. I said, “No, it’s the Roaring Twenties!” She said, “It’s a guy in a green hat.” We were at a stalemate.

We had to gamify it.

The Rules of Engagement:

1. The Veto: Each partner gets 3 “Nuclear Vetoes.” These destroy a name forever. No questions asked. Use them wisely.
2. The Barista Test: Go to Starbucks. Give them the name. When they shout “Penelope!” across the room, do you cringe? Or do you perk up?
3. The Spelling Bee: Can your family spell it? If you have to say “It’s Siobhan, spelled S-I-O…” every single time, you are sentencing your child to a lifetime of corrections.

The Massive Rapid-Fire Lists

We need to hit 450. I’m going to throw these at you by “Vibe.” Scan them. See what jumps out.

The French Salon (Hugo, Dumas, Flaubert)

These names feel expensive. They feel like they own a silk scarf.

• Cosette: Meaning “little thing.” Les Misérables.
• Fantine: Meaning “child.” The tragic mother in Les Misérables.
• Eponine: Meaning “horse goddess.” The gritty fighter.
• Esmeralda: Meaning “emerald.” The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
• Valentine: Meaning “strong, healthy.” The Count of Monte Cristo.
• Eugenie: Meaning “well-born.” Eugénie Grandet.
• Emma: Meaning “whole.” Madame Bovary.
• Renee: Meaning “reborn.”
• Colette: Meaning “people of victory.” The author herself.
• Simone: Meaning “hearkening.” Simone de Beauvoir.
• Anais: Meaning “grace.” Anaïs Nin.
• Francoise: Meaning “free.” Françoise Sagan.
• Madeleine: Meaning “tower.” Famous for the Proustian cookie (and the children’s book).
• Eloise: Meaning “famous warrior.” Eloise at the Plaza.
• Genevieve: Meaning “woman of the race.” Patron saint of Paris.
• Odette: Meaning “wealthy.” Swann’s Way.
• Manon: Meaning “bitter.” Manon Lescaut.
• Amelie: Meaning “work.” Amélie Nothomb.
• Corinne: Meaning “maiden.” Madame de Staël.
• Delphine: Meaning “dolphin/woman from Delphi.” Balzac character.
• Fleur: Meaning “flower.” Forsyte Saga.
• Giselle: Meaning “pledge.” Ballet and folklore.
• Helene: Meaning “bright, shining light.” War and Peace (French spelling).
• Isabelle: Meaning “pledged to God.”
• Jolie: Meaning “pretty.”
• Lea: Meaning “weary.” Colette character.
• Margot: Meaning “pearl.” Queen Margot.
• Mathilde: Meaning “battle-mighty.” The Necklace.
• Nicolette: Meaning “people of victory.” Aucassin et Nicolette.
• Olympe: Meaning “from Mount Olympus.”
• Pascaline: Meaning “born at Easter.”
• Roxane: Meaning “dawn.” Cyrano de Bergerac.
• Sabine: Meaning “woman of the Sabine people.”
• Sylvie: Meaning “forest.” Sylvie and Bruno.
• Therese: Meaning “harvester.” Thérèse Raquin.
• Veronique: Meaning “true image.”
• Yvette: Meaning “yew tree.” Guy de Maupassant.
• Zoe: Meaning “life.”
• Adeline: Meaning “noble.”
• Celeste: Meaning “heavenly.” Babar’s wife (yes, the elephant).
• Diane: Meaning “divine.”
• Elodie: Meaning “foreign riches.”
• Fabienne: Meaning “bean grower.”
• Gabrielle: Meaning “God is my strength.” Colette’s real name.
• Henriette: Meaning “home ruler.”
• Ines: Meaning “pure.”
• Juliette: Meaning “youthful.”
• Leonie: Meaning “lioness.”
• Mireille: Meaning “to admire.”
• Noelle: Meaning “Christmas.”
• Solange: Meaning “religious.”
• Vivienne: Meaning “life.”

The Russian Novel (Tolstoy, Dostoevsky)

Dramatic. Long. Great for nicknames.

• Anna: Meaning “grace.” Anna Karenina.
• Karenina: The surname. Bold choice.
• Kitty: Meaning “pure.” Levin’s love in Anna Karenina.
• Dolly: Meaning “gift of God.” The suffering wife in Anna Karenina.
• Varenka: Meaning “foreign woman.”
• Natasha: Meaning “birthday of the Lord.” War and Peace.
• Sonya: Meaning “wisdom.” The humble savior in War and Peace.
• Helene: Meaning “light.” The beauty in War and Peace.
• Marya: Meaning “bitter.” Princess Marya in War and Peace.
• Liza: Meaning “oath of God.” Poor Liza.
• Katerina: Meaning “pure.” The Brothers Karamazov.
• Grushenka: Meaning “pear.” The temptress in Brothers Karamazov.
• Dunya: Meaning “world.” Crime and Punishment.
• Varvara: Meaning “stranger.”
• Aglaya: Meaning “splendor.” The Idiot.
• Alexandra: Meaning “defender of men.”
• Anastasia: Meaning “resurrection.”
• Tatyana: Meaning “fairy queen.” Eugene Onegin.
• Olga: Meaning “holy.”
• Irina: Meaning “peace.” Three Sisters.
• Masha: Meaning “bitter.” Three Sisters.
• Nina: Meaning “dreamer.” The Seagull.
• Yelena: Meaning “shining light.” Uncle Vanya.
• Zinaida: Meaning “of Zeus.” Turgenev’s First Love.
• Raisa: Meaning “rose” or “leader.”
• Feodora: Meaning “divine gift.”
• Galina: Meaning “calm.”
• Innessa: Meaning “pure.”
• Kira: Meaning “throne” or “sun.” We the Living.
• Larisa: Meaning “citadel.” Dr. Zhivago.
• Mila: Meaning “gracious.”
• Nadia: Meaning “hope.”
• Oksana: Meaning “praise to God.”
• Polina: Meaning “small.” The Gambler.
• Svetlana: Meaning “star” or “light.”
• Tamara: Meaning “palm tree.” Lermontov’s Demon.
• Ulyana: Meaning “youthful.”
• Vera: Meaning “faith.” Nabokov’s wife and muse.
• Xenia: Meaning “hospitality.”
• Yana: Meaning “God is gracious.”
• Zhanna: Meaning “God is gracious.”
• Antonina: Meaning “priceless.” Dr. Zhivago.
• Daria: Meaning “kingly.”
• Ekaterina: Meaning “pure.”
• Evgenia: Meaning “noble.”
• Faina: Meaning “shining.”
• Inga: Meaning “guarded by Ing.”
• Klavdiya: Meaning “lame” (Roman origin).
• Lidia: Meaning “woman from Lydia.”
• Marina: Meaning “of the sea.” Marina Tsvetaeva (poet).
• Natalya: Meaning “Christmas.”

Southern Gothic (Faulkner, O’Connor)

Sweaty, tense, and polite on the surface.

• Scout: Meaning “to listen.” To Kill a Mockingbird.
• Jem: Meaning “gem.” (Usually male, but works).
• Mayella: Meaning “bitter.” To Kill a Mockingbird.
• Calpurnia: Meaning “chalice.” The Finch housekeeper.
• Maudie: Meaning “battle-mighty.” Miss Maudie.
• Blanche: Meaning “white.” Streetcar Named Desire.
• Stella: Meaning “star.”
• Eunice: Meaning “good victory.” Streetcar.
• Amanda: Meaning “worthy of love.” The Glass Menagerie.
• Laura: Meaning “laurel.” The Glass Menagerie.
• Maggie: Meaning “pearl.” Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
• Caddy: Meaning “pure.” The Sound and the Fury.
• Quentin: Meaning “fifth.” (Female character in Faulkner).
• Dilsey: Meaning unknown. The Sound and the Fury.
• Eula: Meaning “sweet-spoken.” The Hamlet.
• Varner: Meaning “defending army.” Surname usage.
• Addie: Meaning “noble.” As I Lay Dying.
• Dewey: Meaning “beloved.” Dewey Dell.
• Dell: Meaning “small valley.”
• Temple: Meaning “temple.” Sanctuary.
• Drake: Meaning “dragon.” Temple Drake.
• Narcissa: Meaning “daffodil.” Sartoris.
• Sartoris: Surname. High-class Southern.
• Flannery: Meaning “red valor.” O’Connor herself.
• Harper: Meaning “harp player.” Lee herself.
• Truman: Meaning “loyal man.” Capote (unisex).
• Carson: Meaning “son of the marsh-dwellers.” McCullers.
• Eudora: Meaning “good gift.” Welty.
• Zora: Meaning “dawn.” Hurston.
• Tallulah: Meaning “leaping water.” Bankhead (Southern icon).
• Zelda: Meaning “grey fighting maid.” Fitzgerald.
• Delta: Meaning “river mouth.” Delta Wedding.
• Savannah: Meaning “treeless plain.” Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
• Georgia: Meaning “farmer.”
• Virginia: Meaning “pure.”
• Carolina: Meaning “free man.”
• Dixie: Meaning “tenth.” (Controversial, but literary history).
• Clementine: Meaning “merciful.”
• Magnolia: Meaning “Magnol’s flower.” Show Boat.
• Susannah: Meaning “lily.”
• Tabitha: Meaning “gazelle.”
• Tallie: Meaning “waiting.”
• Hattie: Meaning “home ruler.”
• Idgie: Meaning “industrious.” Fried Green Tomatoes.
• Ruth: Meaning “companion.” Fried Green Tomatoes.
• Sipsey: Meaning unknown. Fried Green Tomatoes.
• Towanda: Meaning unknown (Cherokee roots). The alter ego in Fried Green Tomatoes.

The Ancient World (Myths & Epics)

The original literary girls.

• Penelope: Meaning “weaver.” The patient wife in The Odyssey.
• Circe: Meaning “bird.” The sorceress.
• Calypso: Meaning “she who hides.” The nymph.
• Athena: Meaning “sharp praise.” Goddess of wisdom.
• Hera: Meaning “protectress.” Queen of gods.
• Aphrodite: Meaning “risen from foam.” Goddess of love.
• Artemis: Meaning “butcher/safe.” Goddess of the hunt.
• Diana: Meaning “divine.” Roman huntress.
• Juno: Meaning “queen of heaven.”
• Venus: Meaning “love.”
• Minerva: Meaning “intellect.”
• Helen: Meaning “torch/light.” The face that launched a thousand ships.
• Cassandra: Meaning “shining upon man.” The ignored prophet.
• Andromache: Meaning “battle of man.” Hector’s wife.
• Briseis: Meaning “daughter of Briseus.” The Iliad.
• Clytemnestra: Meaning “famous wooer.” The vengeful wife.
• Electra: Meaning “amber/shining.”
• Iphigenia: Meaning “strong-born.” The sacrificed daughter.
• Antigone: Meaning “worthy of one’s parents.” The rebel.
• Ismene: Meaning “knowledge.” Antigone’s sister.
• Daphne: Meaning “laurel.” Turned into a tree.
• Echo: Meaning “sound.” The nymph who faded away.
• Psyche: Meaning “soul.” Cupid’s lover.
• Ariadne: Meaning “most holy.” She of the labyrinth thread.
• Phaedra: Meaning “bright.”
• Medea: Meaning “cunning.”
• Thalia: Meaning “to blossom.” Muse of comedy.
• Clio: Meaning “glory.” Muse of history.
• Calliope: Meaning “beautiful voice.” Muse of epic poetry.
• Urania: Meaning “heavenly.” Muse of astronomy.
• Gaia: Meaning “earth.”
• Rhea: Meaning “flowing.”
• Selene: Meaning “moon.”
• Iris: Meaning “rainbow.”
• Hebe: Meaning “youth.”
• Maia: Meaning “mother.”
• Hestia: Meaning “hearth.”
• Persephone: Meaning “bringer of death/destruction.” Queen of the Underworld.
• Demeter: Meaning “earth mother.”
• Larisa: Meaning “citadel.”
• Leda: Meaning “happy.”
• Lysistrata: Meaning “liberator of the army.” Aristophanes’ heroine.
• Xanthe: Meaning “yellow/blonde.”
• Ianthe: Meaning “violet flower.”
• Evadne: Meaning “pleasing.”
• Althea: Meaning “with healing power.”
• Andromeda: Meaning “ruler of men.”
• Atalanta: Meaning “equal in weight.” The runner.
• Callisto: Meaning “most beautiful.”
• Cassiopeia: Meaning “cassia juice.”
• Danae: Meaning “parched.”
• Europa: Meaning “wide face.”
• Hermione: Meaning “messenger.” Daughter of Helen.
• Hippolyta: Meaning “unleasher of horses.” Amazon queen.
• Io: Meaning “moon.”
• Jocasta: Meaning “shining moon.” Oedipus’s mother.
• Niobe: Meaning “fern.”
• Pandora: Meaning “all gifts.” Opened the box.
• Phoebe: Meaning “bright/shining.”
• Semele: Meaning “earth.”
• Thetis: Meaning “disposer.” Achilles’ mother.

Fairy Tales (Grimm & Andersen)

Use with caution.

• Snow: Meaning “frozen rain.” Snow White.
• Rose: Meaning “flower.” Rose Red.
• Red: Meaning “color red.” Red Riding Hood.
• Briar: Meaning “thorn.” Sleeping Beauty.
• Aurora: Meaning “dawn.” Sleeping Beauty.
• Cinderella: Meaning “little ash girl.”
• Ella: Meaning “all” or “fairy maiden.”
• Belle: Meaning “beautiful.” Beauty and the Beast.
• Tiana: Meaning “princess.” The Frog Prince (modern retelling).
• Ariel: Meaning “lion of God.” The Little Mermaid.
• Rapunzel: Meaning “rampion” (a flower). Bold.
• Gretel: Meaning “pearl.” Hansel and Gretel.
• Alice: Meaning “noble.” Alice in Wonderland.
• Wendy: Meaning “friend” (invented by J.M. Barrie). Peter Pan.
• Tinker: Meaning “mender of pots.” Tinkerbell.
• Tiger: Meaning “tiger.” Tiger Lily.
• Lily: Meaning “pure.”
• Tigerlily: Meaning “flower.” Peter Pan.
• Pocahontas: Meaning “playful one.”
• Mulan: Meaning “wood orchid.”
• Jasmine: Meaning “gift from God.” Arabian Nights.
• Merida: Meaning “one who has achieved a high place of honor.”
• Elsa: Meaning “pledged to God.” The Snow Queen.
• Anna: Meaning “grace.”
• Gerda: Meaning “enclosure.” The hero of The Snow Queen.
• Kai: Meaning “sea.” (Unisex).
• Thumbelina: Meaning “tiny.” (Please don’t).
• Goldie: Meaning “gold.” Goldilocks.
• Hood: Meaning “hood.”
• Wolfe: Meaning “wolf.”
• Beauty: Meaning “beauty.”
• Ursula: Meaning “little bear.”
• Maleficent: Meaning “doing evil.”
• Grimhilde: Meaning “helmet battle.” The Evil Queen’s real name.
• Gothel: Meaning “godmother.”
• Tremaine: Meaning “stone settlement.”
• Merryweather: Meaning “fair weather.”
• Fauna: Meaning “animals.”
• Flora: Meaning “plants.”

Children’s Books (That aren’t annoying)

• Matilda: Meaning “battle-mighty.” Roald Dahl’s genius.
• Sophie: Meaning “wisdom.” The BFG.
• Charlie: Meaning “free man.” Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
• Violet: Meaning “purple flower.” Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
• Veruca: Meaning “wart.” (Brat, do not use).
• Lavender: Meaning “purple flower.” Matilda.
• Miss Honey (Jennifer): Meaning “fair shade.” The sweet teacher.
• Agatha: Meaning “good.” Trunchbull.
• Zinnia: Meaning “flower.” Wormwood.
• Ramona: Meaning “protecting hands.” Beverly Cleary’s pest.
• Beezus (Beatrice): Meaning “bringer of joy.”
• Ellen: Meaning “light.” Ellen Tebbits.
• Otis: Meaning “wealth.” (Spoford).
• Anne: Meaning “grace.” Anne of Green Gables.
• Diana: Meaning “divine.” Anne’s best friend.
• Ruby: Meaning “red gem.”
• Jane: Meaning “God is gracious.”
• Josie: Meaning “God will increase.” Josie Pye.
• Prissy: Meaning “ancient.” (Andrews).
• Rachel: Meaning “ewe.” Rachel Lynde.
• Marilla: Meaning “shining sea.”
• Cordelia: Meaning “heart.” Anne’s dream name.
• Meg: Meaning “pearl.” A Wrinkle in Time.
• Muriel: Meaning “bright sea.”
• Sandy: Meaning “defender of men.”
• Dennys: Meaning “follower of Dionysus.”
• Polyhymnia: Meaning “many songs.” (Poly).
• Charles: Meaning “free man.” Wallace.
• Lucy: Meaning “light.” Narnia.
• Susan: Meaning “lily.” Narnia.
• Jill: Meaning “youthful.” The Silver Chair.
• Polly: Meaning “star of the sea.” The Magician’s Nephew.
• Aravis: Meaning “from the city.” The Horse and His Boy.
• Jadis: Meaning “witch” (Persian origin). The White Witch.
• Hwin: Meaning “horse sound.” The talking horse.

Graphic Novels (Yes, they count)

• Jean: Meaning “God is gracious.” Jean Grey (Phoenix).
• Ororo: Meaning “beauty” (Kenyan). Storm.
• Rogue: Meaning “dishonest/wanderer.”
• Jubilee: Meaning “ram’s horn/celebration.”
• Kitty: Meaning “pure.” Shadowcat.
• Emma: Meaning “whole.” Emma Frost.
• Raven: Meaning “dark bird.” Mystique.
• Illyana: Meaning “tree” or “bright.” Magik.
• Betsy: Meaning “pledged to God.” Psylocke.
• Wanda: Meaning “wanderer.” Scarlet Witch.
• Lorna: Meaning “fox.” Polaris.
• Diana: Meaning “divine.” Wonder Woman.
• Selina: Meaning “moon.” Catwoman.
• Harleen: Meaning “hare meadow.” Harley Quinn.
• Pamela: Meaning “all honey.” Poison Ivy.
• Barbara: Meaning “foreign woman.” Batgirl.
• Cassandra: Meaning “shining.” Batgirl II.
• Stephanie: Meaning “crown.” Spoiler.
• Kara: Meaning “beloved.” Supergirl.
• Mera: Meaning “water.” Aquaman.
• Lois: Meaning “better.” Lois Lane.
• Lane: Meaning “path.”
• Chloe: Meaning “blooming.” Smallville (comics canon).
• Alana: Meaning “rock.” Saga.
• Hazel: Meaning “hazelnut.” Saga.
• Marjane: Meaning “coral.” Persepolis.
• Alison: Meaning “noble.” Fun Home.
• Nimona: Meaning “changer.” Nimona.
• Hilda: Meaning “battle.” Hilda.
• Sonja: Meaning “wisdom.” Red Sonja.

Virtue Names (The Pilgrim Vibe)

• Faith: Meaning “trust.”
• Hope: Meaning “expectation.”
• Charity: Meaning “giving.”
• Grace: Meaning “favor.”
• Mercy: Meaning “compassion.”
• Prudence: Meaning “caution.”
• Temperance: Meaning “moderation.”
• Verity: Meaning “truth.”
• Amity: Meaning “friendship.”
• Felicity: Meaning “happiness.”
• Serenity: Meaning “peaceful.”
• Constance: Meaning “constant.”
• Honor: Meaning “dignity.”
• Justice: Meaning “fairness.”
• Liberty: Meaning “freedom.”
• Patience: Meaning “endurance.”
• Joy: Meaning “happiness.”
• Glory: Meaning “glory.”
• Trinity: Meaning “triad.”
• Destiny: Meaning “fate.”
• Harmony: Meaning “unity.”
• Melody: Meaning “song.”
• Clarity: Meaning “clear.”
• Purity: Meaning “clean.”
• Comfort: Meaning “strength.”
• Blessing: Meaning “gift.”

Surnames as First Names (The Trendiest List)

• Darcy: Meaning “dark one.” Pride and Prejudice.
• Bennet: Meaning “blessed.”
• Collins: Meaning “people of victory.”
• Bingley: Meaning “from the hollow.”
• Fairfax: Meaning “fair hair.” Jane Eyre.
• Rochester: Meaning “stone camp.”
• Rivers: Meaning “stream.”
• Reed: Meaning “red-haired.”
• Temple: Meaning “temple.”
• Knightley: Meaning “knight’s meadow.” Emma.
• Woodhouse: Meaning “house in the wood.”
• Bronte: Meaning “thunder.”
• Austen: Meaning “magnificent.”
• Eliot: Meaning “Jehovah is God.”
• Harper: Meaning “harpist.”
• Wilder: Meaning “untamed.”
• Alcott: Meaning “old cottage.”
• Woolf: Meaning “wolf.”
• Plath: Meaning “plateau.”
• Sexton: Meaning “church official.”
• Morrison: Meaning “son of Morris.”
• Walker: Meaning “cloth walker.”
• Angelou: Meaning “messenger.”
• Joyce: Meaning “lord.”
• Beckett: Meaning “beehive.”
• Marlowe: Meaning “driftwood.”
• Auden: Meaning “old friend.”

“Boy” Names for Girls

• Jo: Meaning “God is gracious.”
• Teddy: Meaning “gift of God.” Little Women.
• George: Meaning “farmer.” Nancy Drew.
• Charlie: Meaning “free man.”
• Billie: Meaning “resolute protection.”
• Scout: Meaning “to listen.”
• Noah: Meaning “rest.”
• James: Meaning “supplanter.”
• Ryan: Meaning “little king.”
• Dylan: Meaning “son of the sea.”
• Blake: Meaning “dark/fair.”
• Spencer: Meaning “steward.”
• Elliot: Meaning “Jehovah is God.”
• Quinn: Meaning “wise.”
• Avery: Meaning “elf counsel.”
• Riley: Meaning “rye clearing.”
• Jordan: Meaning “flowing down.”
• Casey: Meaning “brave.”
• Alex: Meaning “defender.”
• Sam: Meaning “told by God.”
• Max: Meaning “greatest.” Maximum Ride.
• Stevie: Meaning “crown.”
• Frankie: Meaning “free.” Frankie Addams.
• Bobbie: Meaning “bright fame.” Railway Children.
• Lou: Meaning “famous warrior.”
• Ray: Meaning “wise protector.”

The End of the Story

Choosing a name is terrifying. It just is. But the beauty of a literary name is that you aren’t walking into the dark alone. You’re bringing a friend.

When we finally named our daughter, it wasn’t Galadriel. It wasn’t something obscure from a Russian play. It was simple. It was classic. It was in three of my favorite books. And when I held her in that hospital room, exhausted and terrified, I whispered it to her.

And she ignored me and went back to sleep. But the name fit.

Go to your bookshelf. The answer is there.

And if you’re looking for more history on these, check out the Library of Congress Center for the Book. It’s a treasure trove.

Good luck. You’re going to need it (and a lot of coffee).

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