Baby Names From Classic Books Are Ideal for Your Future Bookworm

If you’ve got a love of literature and a baby on the way, no doubt you’re looking for a baby name that’s got character — or is actually a character from a book.

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From Holden (The Catcher in the Rye) to Jane Austen’s Lydia, taking a peek inside the pages of some classic books is a sure way to find a baby boy or baby girl name that’s picture perfect.

Unique boy names from classic books

Although the characters in these books are not written in modern times, their names are the perfect mix of unique and cool.

• Atticus: To Kill a Mocking Bird
• Holden: The Catcher in the Rye
• Gatsby: The Great Gatsby
• Phineas: A Separate Peace
• Aslan: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
• Winfield: The Grapes of Wrath
• Yossarian: Catch-22
• Cash: As I Lay Dying
• Rhett: Gone with the Wind
• Dallas: The Outsiders
• Newland: The Age of Innocence

Unique girl names from classic literature

These classic names are as feminine and as classic as the literature they come from. Here are some of our favorites:

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• Jane: Jane Eyre
• Lily: The House of Mirth
• Hester: The Scarlett Letter
• Josephine: Little Women
• Aurora: Terms of Endearment
• Esmeralda: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
• Lara: Doctor Zhivago
• Scarlett: Gone with the Wind
• Violet: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Shakespearean names

Shakespeare is a classic literary author of the 16th century who offers some beautiful names to consider for your baby girl or baby boy.

Shakespearean girl names

• Ophelia
• Portia
• Cressida
• Audrey
• Rosalind
• Gertrude
• Cordelia
• Bianca
• Juliet

Shakespearean boy names

• Oliver
• Orlando
• Hamlet
• Marcellus
• Horatio
• Nathaniel
• Romeo
• Paris

Jane Austen character names

From Pride and Prejudice to Emma, Jane Austen’s books are as charming today as they were in the 19th century. Her character’s names are traditional and take you back to a simpler time.

Baby boy names from Jane Austen

• Frederick
• George
• Edward
• Edmund
• John
• Thomas
• William
• Charles
• Henry
• James

Baby girl names from Jane Austen

• Anne
• Caroline
• Catherine
• Charlotte
• Augusta
• Harriet
• Henrietta
• Lydia

More: Powerful Baby Names for Your Natural-Born Leader

Charles Dickens character names

Dickens is famous for his unique characters — and unique names. Here are some of our top picks.

Dickensian boy names

• Barnabas
• Charles
• Ebenezer
• Fagan
• Nicholas
• Oliver
• Nickleby
• Tomorth
• Uriah

Dickensian girl names

• Cherry
• Dora
• Dorrit
• Estelle

Originally posted December 2015. Updated August 2017.