Useable names from literature

[MyNameIsKenAdams]

Which name would you use if you could only choose a name based on a literary connection?

One boy, one girl.

Ill go first

Boy - Lawrence /Laurie from Little Women
Girl - Alice in wonderland

I know of a Bronte and a Byron.

(Joseph) Conrad
Anne (of Green Gables)

Not literary, but there was a programme on TV a couple of weeks ago about an early 20th century archaeologist whose first name was Flinders. Isn't that just the best name ever?

He was a bit of a racist, though . . .

Sarah or Lydia from South Riding by Winifred Holtby.

Elizabeth - I was thinking of Pride and Prejudice but there are plenty of other books with Elizabeths!

Alice, of course, for the same reason as everyone else.

Max from Where The Wild Things Are.

Daniel from Daniel Deronda or Will (Ladislaw) from Middlemarch. I have to admit I am strongly influence here by the fact that Rufus Sewell in his prime played Will in the BBC adaptation of Middlemarch a few years ago now, but I do love George Eliot's novels.

Marianne (Sense and Sensibility) or Miranda (The Tempest) or Linnet (The Children of Green Knowe!)

Jacob (from Barbara Trapido's 'Brother of the More Famous Jack', my lifelong comfort read!)

Eloise, from 'Eloise'!

Arthur, of the round table.

Harriet
Thora
Petra
Scarlett
Lydia

Tristan

All going on lists.

I really really struggle with boys names. Would have Max but dd has a three letter name starting with M so itd be a bit much.

not really literature, but my ds is named after Samuel Vines. I have never told anyone IRL that that's why I went for the name. it feels a bit ..... sad somehow.

I'm named after the Golden Notebook.

I'd pick
Jem (mockingbird) and Dido (willoughby chase series)

Boy: Heath(cliff)

Katherine is one of my absolute faves too.

If I was brave enough/ could persuade my dh I'd have:

Walter - Anne of green gables son - also love Jem - which is from aogg ANd to kill a mockingbird ( bonus!)
Alais- from Kate Mosses' labyrinth - or Blanchette - from Katherine

Sebastian and Viola - Twelth Night.

My children are both Marvel comic characters which is sort of not really literature.

Just have to jump on the bandwagon and say how lovely it is to see so much love for Katherine! Has been my absolute favourite book since I read it aged 14! In fact if we have a girl in a few weeks time Anya is one of our names, I just need to convince DH that it's the best one on the list

I was going to use Katherine, but had three boys.

When DS1 was about to be born the midwife asked me what I thought I was having & I said a girl. She asked the name & I said we were thinking of Katherine. A little while later the baby arrived & we found out the sex when the midwife announced, "Well, it's not a Katherine!" .

The other literary name which was always on my list is Emma.

I also love Emma (from Emma), Elinor (From Sense & Sensibility, and Arya (from the Inheritance books).

Men are harder!

Isolde -sort of literary
Jem from mockingbird - I actually came so close to getting it with ds3

I also like

Frederick - persuasion
Anna - karenina
Benedict - much ado

My son is called Heathcliff. A crazy woman told us he would be a psychopath cos of him name. Um thanks! He's always known as Heath- after a favourite actor.

Bronte as a first name? Hmm.

Cassandra - I Capture the Castle
Elizabeth - P&P
Lydia - P&P
Marianne - S&S
Lyra - HDM

Good girl's Shakesperean names -
Cordelia
Hermione
Miranda
Imogen
Iris
Perdita
Viola
Emilia

ps - Katherine is one of my favourite books :)

Lysander (any number of literary appearances. I'm thinking of MWMHJ, obvs).

Thisbe

I love Hedda from The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt. She got it from Ibsen who I haven't read. But Hedda is so strong and elegant to me, I would def use it now if I had a kid.

I always liked Darrell too Darrell Waters and Emily Lake, oh Malory Towers!

Dorothea
Felix

Both from brilliant George Elliot books.

I love the name Darryl from Malory Towers too and her best pals name, Alicia, is also lovely. My own name has been mentioned above and I'm glad it's mine.
Also love Taggie (Campbell-Black) from Jilly Coopers books, not very high brow though!

Taggie's name is Agatha isn't it, which is actually quite trendy now I'd say!

Re Malory Towers, I'd also vote for Wilhelmina (Bill in the books)!

I have a Tess, named after Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Oooh Tess is marvelous and goes perfectly with DDs name (M e g)