Have you ever noticed how some names just seem to have a special magic to them? That’s exactly what happens with literary girl names. These beautiful names carry stories, character, and a touch of wonder that regular names sometimes lack.
Names pulled from the pages of beloved books don’t just sound pretty – they come with built-in meaning and character. When you name your daughter after a literary figure, you’re giving her a connection to something timeless and powerful.
Let’s dive into the wonderful world of literary baby names for girls and discover some gems that might be perfect for your little bookworm-to-be!
Classic Literary Names That Never Go Out of Style
These timeless names have charmed parents for generations:
- Alice – From “Alice in Wonderland,” perfect for a curious little explorer
- Emma – Jane Austen’s clever (if sometimes misguided) matchmaker
- Jane – The independent heroine from “Jane Eyre” who stays true to herself
- Matilda – Roald Dahl’s brilliant little girl with a love of books and secret powers
- Scout – The spunky narrator from “To Kill a Mockingbird”
- Juliet – Shakespeare’s young lover whose name practically whispers romance
- Charlotte – From “Charlotte’s Web” (or honoring author Charlotte Brontë)
- Madeline – The brave little French schoolgirl from Ludwig Bemelmans’ books
- Anne – The imaginative orphan from “Anne of Green Gables”
- Jo – The passionate writer from “Little Women”
I’ve always had a soft spot for Matilda. What kid wouldn’t want to be named after someone who’s super smart and can move things with her mind?
Many parents looking for names with strength and character also explore names that mean warrior to find something with similar power.
Names From Fantasy and Science Fiction
If you love magical worlds and far-future adventures:
- Hermione – The brilliant witch from Harry Potter who showed a generation that knowledge is power
- Luna – The quirky, kind-hearted Ravenclaw from Harry Potter
- Arya – The fierce young girl from “Game of Thrones”
- Lyra – The brave adventurer from “His Dark Materials”
- Éowyn – The shield-maiden who slew the Witch-King in “Lord of the Rings”
- Katniss – The “girl on fire” from “The Hunger Games”
- Coraline – The curious explorer from Neil Gaiman’s dark fantasy
- Leia – The determined princess-turned-general from “Star Wars”
- Daenerys – The Mother of Dragons from “Game of Thrones”
- Arwen – The elven princess who chose a mortal life in “Lord of the Rings”
My niece is named Lyra, and it suits her perfectly—she’s definitely got that same spark of adventure!
If you’re drawn to magical-sounding names, you might also like names that mean illusion for their enchanting qualities.
Names Honoring Female Authors
Want to celebrate the women who wrote the books we love?
- Harper – After Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird”
- Louisa – For Louisa May Alcott who wrote “Little Women”
- Toni – Honoring Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison
- Zora – For Zora Neale Hurston of the Harlem Renaissance
- Virginia – After modernist Virginia Woolf
- Sylvia – For poet Sylvia Plath
- Emily – Honoring Emily Brontë of “Wuthering Heights” fame
- Agatha – After mystery queen Agatha Christie
- Maya – For poet and memoirist Maya Angelou
- Beatrix – After Beatrix Potter, creator of Peter Rabbit
I think there’s something really powerful about naming your daughter after a woman who changed literature. It’s like giving her a built-in role model!
Parents looking for names with intellectual associations might also enjoy browsing names that mean knowledge.
Unique Literary Names That Stand Out
Looking for something more distinctive? These literary names are gorgeous but less common:
- Cosette – The sweet orphan from “Les Misérables”
- Scheherazade – The clever storyteller from “One Thousand and One Nights”
- Amaranta – From Gabriel García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
- Celie – The resilient protagonist from “The Color Purple”
- Esmeralda – The kind-hearted dancer from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
- Ophelia – Hamlet’s tragic love whose name has haunting beauty
- Guinevere – The legendary queen from Arthurian tales
- Arrietty – The tiny adventurous girl from “The Borrowers”
- Luthien – The elven princess from Tolkien’s mythology
- Sabriel – The necromancer from Garth Nix’s fantasy series
A friend of mine named her daughter Arrietty, and while it’s unusual, people just love it when they hear the story behind it!
For parents drawn to distinctive names with protective qualities like many literary heroines possess, names that mean protector or guardian might provide great options.
International Literary Names
Great literature exists in every language! These names have global literary connections:
- Amélie – The whimsical protagonist from the French novel/film
- Anna – The tragic heroine of Tolstoy’s Russian masterpiece
- Pippi – The free-spirited Swedish character created by Astrid Lindgren
- Esperanza – From Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street”
- Mariam – From Khaled Hosseini’s “A Thousand Splendid Suns”
- Lisbeth – The complex hacker from “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
- Antonia – From Willa Cather’s “My Ántonia”
- Saaski – The changeling girl from “The Moorchild”
- Gemma – From “The Gemma Doyle Trilogy” set in Victorian England
- Shahrazad – Another spelling of the “Arabian Nights” storyteller
I’m always drawn to these international names—they sound beautiful and come with such rich cultural stories attached.
If you like names with a sense of journey, you might also be interested in names that mean traveler which share that adventurous quality.
Modern and Contemporary Literary Names
From books published in recent decades:
- Hazel – The philosophical teen from “The Fault in Our Stars”
- Violet – The eldest Baudelaire orphan from “A Series of Unfortunate Events”
- Meg – The brave protagonist from “A Wrinkle in Time”
- Liesel – The book thief who finds solace in words during WWII
- Tris – The brave faction-transfer from “Divergent”
- Ronja – The bandit’s daughter from Astrid Lindgren’s adventure tale
- Elphaba – The misunderstood “wicked” witch from “Wicked”
- Stargirl – The free-spirited nonconformist from Jerry Spinelli’s novel
- Rue – The young tribute from “The Hunger Games” whose name means regret
- Inej – The stealthy “Wraith” from “Six of Crows”
My cousin just named her baby Hazel after reading “The Fault in Our Stars” during her pregnancy. The name fits her little girl so perfectly!
Parents seeking names with magical qualities like many modern literary characters have might appreciate names that mean dream.
What Makes a Name “Literary”?
So what exactly counts as a “literary” name? It’s pretty simple – any name that has strong connections to books, stories, or the writing world can be considered literary. This includes:
- Character names from beloved stories
- Author names from your favorite writers
- Names that appear in book titles
- Names with literary meanings or associations
Literary names often carry deeper significance than names chosen purely for their sound. They connect your child to stories of bravery, intelligence, creativity, and other wonderful qualities that you might hope they’ll develop.
Looking for a name that represents strength and resilience? You might consider names that mean warrior which often appear in powerful literary contexts.
Benefits of Choosing a Literary Girl Name
Why go with a literary name instead of something more conventional? There are actually tons of great reasons:
Cultural Connection
Literary names tie your child to cultural touchstones and timeless stories. They’re an homage to works that have shaped how we think and feel.
Built-in Role Models
Many literary characters embody amazing traits – from bravery to intelligence to kindness. Naming your daughter after a character you admire gives her a built-in role model.
Uniqueness With Meaning
Want something unique but not random? Literary names offer distinctiveness while still having roots and meaning. They stand out without feeling made-up.
Conversation Starters
A literary name comes with a story attached! When someone asks about your daughter’s name, you’ll have a meaningful explanation ready.
Many parents looking for names with deeper meaning also explore names that mean blessing which share that quality of spiritual significance with many literary names.
Classic Literary Girl Names and Their Origins
These timeless literary names have charmed parents for generations:
A-E
- Alice – From Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” symbolizing curiosity and adventure. This name has experienced a major comeback in recent years.
- Beatrice – The guide through paradise in Dante’s “Divine Comedy” and also appears in Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.”
- Cordelia – King Lear’s loyal daughter in Shakespeare’s tragedy.
- Daisy – The beautiful and complex object of Gatsby’s affection in “The Great Gatsby.”
- Emma – The clever but sometimes misguided matchmaker from Jane Austen’s novel of the same name.
F-J
- Fern – The compassionate young girl who saves Wilbur in “Charlotte’s Web.”
- Gwendolen – From Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
- Hester – The strong-willed protagonist of “The Scarlet Letter.”
- Iphigenia – A tragic figure from Greek mythology who appears in plays by Euripides.
- Juliet – Shakespeare’s young lover whose name has become synonymous with romance.
K-O
- Katherine – The “shrew” who’s “tamed” in Shakespeare’s comedy (though modern interpretations see her as strong-willed and independent).
- Laura – The idealized woman in Petrarch’s love sonnets.
- Matilda – The book-loving, telekinetic genius in Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novel.
- Nell – From Dickens’ “The Old Curiosity Shop.”
- Ophelia – Hamlet’s tragic love interest whose name has a haunting beauty.
P-Z
- Penelope – The patient and clever wife of Odysseus in Homer’s “Odyssey.”
- Quixote – Feminine form of the idealistic knight from Cervantes’ masterpiece.
- Rosalind – The witty heroine of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.”
- Scout – The tomboyish narrator of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
- Wendy – Created by J.M. Barrie for “Peter Pan,” this name has become a classic.
- Zora – Honoring Zora Neale Hurston, author of “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”
If you’re drawn to names with an air of mystery like many literary heroines have, you might also enjoy exploring names that mean mystery.
Modern and Contemporary Literary Girl Names
More recent literature has given us some fantastic options:
- Arya – The fierce young swordswoman from “Game of Thrones.”
- Coraline – The brave explorer from Neil Gaiman’s dark fantasy.
- Hazel – The philosophical teenage cancer patient from “The Fault in Our Stars.”
- Hermione – The brilliant witch from the Harry Potter series who showed a generation of girls that intelligence is a superpower.
- Katniss – The revolutionary “girl on fire” from “The Hunger Games.”
- Luna – The quirky, free-spirited witch from Harry Potter.
- Lyra – The adventurous protagonist from Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy.
- Renesmee – A unique name created by Stephenie Meyer for the “Twilight” series.
- Tris – The brave faction-transfer from the “Divergent” series.
- Violet – The eldest Baudelaire orphan from “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
For parents drawn to magical literary names, checking out names that mean illusion might provide additional inspiration.
Author-Inspired Girl Names
Want to honor the creators rather than their creations? These names celebrate women who changed literature:
- Agatha – After mystery queen Agatha Christie
- Charlotte – Honoring Charlotte Brontë of “Jane Eyre” fame
- Emily – For Emily Brontë, who wrote “Wuthering Heights”
- Harper – After Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird”
- Jane – For Jane Austen, whose novels remain beloved centuries later
- Louisa – Celebrating Louisa May Alcott, who wrote “Little Women”
- Maya – Honoring poet and memoirist Maya Angelou
- Sylvia – After poet Sylvia Plath
- Toni – For Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison
- Virginia – Celebrating modernist Virginia Woolf
- Zora – Honoring Zora Neale Hurston of the Harlem Renaissance
Parents looking for names with intellectual associations might also appreciate names that mean knowledge.
Unique and Rare Literary Girl Names
If you’re searching for something truly distinctive, these lesser-used literary names might be perfect:
- Araminta – Harriet Tubman’s birth name, appearing in historical literature
- Arrietty – The tiny heroine from “The Borrowers”
- Austen – A nod to Jane Austen that works beautifully as a first name
- Bronte – Honoring the literary sisters
- Cosette – The orphan from “Les Misérables”
- Éowyn – The shield-maiden from “The Lord of the Rings”
- Esmeralda – The kind-hearted gypsy from “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”
- Luthien – The elven princess from Tolkien’s mythology
- Sabriel – The necromancer from Garth Nix’s fantasy series
- Scheherazade – The storyteller from “One Thousand and One Nights”
For parents drawn to unique literary names that convey strength, names that mean protector or guardian might provide complementary options.
Literary Girl Names by Genre and Era
Children’s Classics
- Alice – “Alice in Wonderland”
- Dorothy – “The Wizard of Oz”
- Lucy – “The Chronicles of Narnia”
- Madeline – From Ludwig Bemelmans’ books
- Matilda – Roald Dahl’s young genius
Young Adult Novels
- Hazel – “The Fault in Our Stars”
- Hermione – Harry Potter series
- Katniss – “The Hunger Games”
- Liesel – “The Book Thief”
- Tris – “Divergent”
Fantasy and Science Fiction
- Arwen – “The Lord of the Rings”
- Daenerys – “Game of Thrones”
- Éowyn – “The Lord of the Rings”
- Lyra – “His Dark Materials”
- Polgara – “The Belgariad”
Historical Literature
- Anna – “Anna Karenina”
- Cosette – “Les Misérables”
- Emma – Jane Austen’s novel
- Scarlett – “Gone with the Wind”
- Tess – “Tess of the d’Urbervilles”
Many fantasy literary names share qualities with names that mean dream, which might appeal to parents looking for names with magical associations.
Literary Girl Names from Around the World
Literature isn’t just limited to English works! These international literary names offer global flair:
- Amélie – The whimsical protagonist from the French novel/film
- Anna – The tragic heroine of Tolstoy’s Russian masterpiece
- Antonia – From Willa Cather’s “My Ántonia,” a story of immigrants on the American frontier
- Celie – From Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”
- Cosette – The French orphan from “Les Misérables”
- Esperanza – From Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street”
- Lisbeth – The complex hacker from “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (Swedish)
- Madame – From the French novel “Madame Bovary”
- Mariam – From Khaled Hosseini’s “A Thousand Splendid Suns” (Afghan)
- Pippi – The free-spirited Swedish character created by Astrid Lindgren
For parents interested in names with international literary connections that also suggest journeying, names that mean traveler might be worth exploring.
The Meanings and Symbolism Behind Literary Girl Names
Literary names often carry rich symbolic meanings that add depth to your naming choice:
Juliet – While the name itself means “youthful,” it has become synonymous with passionate, enduring love through Shakespeare’s play.
Daisy – In “The Great Gatsby,” Daisy represents beauty but also superficiality and the corrupted American Dream, making this name layered with meaning.
Scout – From “To Kill a Mockingbird,” this name represents childhood innocence, moral courage, and seeing the world clearly.
Portia – Shakespeare’s character embodies intelligence, justice, and mercy – she’s a lawyer who delivers the famous “quality of mercy” speech.
Hermione – Beyond its ancient Greek origins, this name now symbolizes intelligence, loyalty, and moral courage thanks to Harry Potter.
Elizabeth – Jane Austen’s heroine represents independence of mind, wit, and the capacity for moral growth.
Parents looking for names with deep symbolic meaning might also be interested in names that mean new beginning for their transformative qualities.
How to Choose the Perfect Literary Girl Name
Finding the right literary name comes down to a few key considerations:
- Look to books you love – The most meaningful literary names come from stories that have touched your heart.
- Consider the character – Does the character embody traits you’d like for your daughter? Remember that fictional characters are complex – make sure you’re comfortable with all aspects of their story.
- Think about pronunciation and spelling – Some literary names (especially from fantasy) can be challenging to spell or pronounce.
- Test for teasing potential – Kids can be cruel – make sure the name won’t make school life difficult.
- Check popularity – Names like Harper and Emma are beautiful but have become quite common. If uniqueness matters to you, research current popularity trends.
- Contemplate family reactions – While it’s ultimately your decision, considering how family members might react to a very unusual name is worth thinking about.
- Combine with your last name – Say the full name out loud to make sure it flows well together.
- Research meaning and origin – Beyond the literary reference, understanding the name’s deeper meaning adds another layer of significance.
For parents seeking names that suggest intelligence like many literary heroines possess, names that mean smart provides excellent options to consider.
Frequently Asked Questions About Literary Girl Names
Are literary names becoming more popular?
Absolutely! Names like Harper (after Harper Lee), Emma (Jane Austen), and Aria/Arya (Game of Thrones) have seen huge increases in popularity over the past decade. Parents are increasingly drawn to names with rich stories behind them.
What are the most unique literary girl names?
Some of the most distinctive literary names include Arrietty, Éowyn, Luthien, Scheherazade, and Lyra. These stand out while still having legitimate literary roots.
How do I balance tradition and originality?
Consider using a literary name as a middle name paired with a more traditional first name, or vice versa. This gives your daughter options as she grows up.
Will my daughter be teased for having an unusual literary name?
Today’s classrooms are filled with diverse names, making unusual names less likely to cause teasing than in previous generations. However, extremely difficult-to-pronounce names or names with obvious negative associations should be considered carefully.
Can literary names work for different cultures?
Absolutely! Literary traditions exist in every culture, so you can find names that honor both literature and your heritage. Examples include Scheherazade (Middle Eastern), Esperanza (Latinx), and Zora (African American).
Parents looking for names with positive associations might also appreciate names that mean lucky for their optimistic qualities.
Final Thoughts
Literary girl names offer something special – a connection to stories that have shaped our world. Whether you choose a name from a beloved classic, a modern favorite, or honor a brilliant female author, you’re giving your daughter a name with substance and character.
The best literary names don’t just sound good – they come with ready-made role models, rich histories, and meaningful qualities that you hope your child might embody. In a world where names often feel randomly chosen, a literary name stands out as thoughtful and intentional.
Remember, the most important thing is choosing a name you love and that you believe will serve your daughter well throughout her life. Happy naming!
Ultimate List of Literary Girl Names (A-Z)
| Name | Origin | Meaning | Literary Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice | Germanic | Noble | Alice in Wonderland |
| Arwen | Invented (Elvish) | Noble maiden | The Lord of the Rings |
| Beatrice | Latin | Bringer of joy | Dante’s “Divine Comedy” |
| Cordelia | Latin/Celtic | Heart; daughter of the sea | King Lear |
| Daisy | English | Day’s eye | The Great Gatsby |
| Elizabeth | Hebrew | God is my oath | Pride and Prejudice |
| Fern | English | The plant | Charlotte’s Web |
| Guinevere | Welsh | White shadow | Arthurian legends |
| Hermione | Greek | Messenger, earthly | Harry Potter series |
| Iris | Greek | Rainbow | Greek mythology, various poems |
| Juliet | Latin | Youthful | Romeo and Juliet |
| Katniss | Invented | Edible aquatic plant | The Hunger Games |
| Lucy | Latin | Light | The Chronicles of Narnia |
| Matilda | Germanic | Mighty in battle | Roald Dahl’s novel |
| Nora | Latin | Honor | A Doll’s House |
| Ophelia | Greek | Help | Hamlet |
| Portia | Latin | Offering | The Merchant of Venice |
| Ramona | Spanish | Wise protector | Beverly Cleary’s books |
| Scout | English | To listen | To Kill a Mockingbird |
| Tess | Greek | To reap | Tess of the d’Urbervilles |
| Una | Latin | One | The Faerie Queene |
| Viola | Latin | Violet | Twelfth Night |
| Wendy | Invented | Friend | Peter Pan |
| Zora | Slavic | Dawn | Honoring Zora Neale Hurston |
Looking for something magical to pair with these literary names? Check out names that mean miracle for wonderful complementary options.