12 Literary Baby Names From Books Worth Rereading
Book lovers have always raided their shelves for names. A character you met at twelve can stay with you for decades, and a name is a quiet way to carry that along. It also gives your child a story to look up one day, which is a nice gift from a parent who reads.
Every name here has a link to a well-known book, play, legend or writer. Some come from characters, like Matilda and Oliver. Others come from authors, like Edith Wharton and Iris Murdoch. A few are both. One warning applies to the whole list: if a character is famous enough, people will ask about the book. Your child may get tired of that question by middle school, so weigh how loud each link is.
How we picked: Each name belongs to a famous character or author, and I kept the book link to one or two well-known examples.
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Two famous Charlottes share this name: Charlotte Brontë, who wrote Jane Eyre, and the clever spider in E. B. White's farm story. Both are kind company. The playground tends to turn her into Charlie within a week, which can land her on boys' lists.
More about Charlotte → -
The Roald Dahl heroine with a stack of library books is the reason most people know Matilda today. That is fun at age six and a little tiring at thirteen. She will hear Waltzing Matilda too. Tilly and Tilda give her room to grow.
More about Matilda → -
Shakespeare gave Olivia its first big boost, through the countess in Twelfth Night. Before that the name was rare. Now it is the No. 1 girls' name of 2025. The book link is lovely, but the class list will be crowded.
More about Olivia → -
Jo March, the writer sister in Little Women, gives the short form Jo a bookish, independent side. Josephine also brings Josie and Posy. The snag: relatives each pick their own nickname, and you may not choose which one sticks.
More about Josephine → -
Silas Marner, the lonely weaver of George Eliot's 1861 novel, gave this name its best-known book. Many people read it in school, and the story ends warmly. Silas also has a sleepy sound. Watch S-heavy surnames, which make it hiss.
More about Silas → -
Dickens named his famous orphan Oliver Twist, and the book helped bring the name back in the 1800s. Expect a few 'please, sir, I want some more' jokes from older relatives. The bigger catch is popularity: it ranked No. 3 for boys in 2025.
More about Oliver → -
Edith Wharton wrote The Age of Innocence and gives this name a sharp, literary edge. Edith itself is Old English, meaning roughly fortune in battle. Some people still hear a great-grandmother, though that image is fading. Edie is a cheeky short form.
More about Edith → -
Violet Beauregarde, the gum-chewing girl in Roald Dahl's chocolate factory book, is the literary Violet most kids will know. She is not the hero, which is worth weighing. The flower meaning softens it, and Vi works well as a quick nickname.
More about Violet → -
9Iris
Iris Murdoch, the Irish-born British novelist, gives this short name a thinking reader's feel. Greek myth adds Iris, the rainbow messenger. That makes two stories for one name. Over the phone it may be heard as Irish, so spell it slowly.
More about Iris → -
10Arthur
Arthur has two bookish ties. The legends of King Arthur fill whole shelves, and Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes. That double link is the charm. The watch-out is the sound: small kids often say Arfur, and a classmate may call him King.
More about Arthur → -
11Ezra
The Snowy Day, a picture book many families read each winter, was written and drawn by Ezra Jack Keats. So this name has a gentle picture-book link. The Hebrew meaning is help. Watch surnames that start with a vowel, since the soft ending melts into them.
More about Ezra → -
12Finn
Readers think of Huckleberry Finn, though Mark Twain used it as a surname. Older listeners may think of Finn McCool from Irish legend. Either way it is a story name in one syllable. Fish fin jokes are coming, but most fade fast.
More about Finn →
Before you settle on a literary name, reread the book, or at least a summary. Characters can be more complicated than you remember, and a relative may bring up a scene you forgot. If the story still makes you smile, you have your answer. And if it does not, the name may still work for its sound alone.
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Questions about this list
Should I worry if the character is not a hero?
It depends on how famous the character is. Violet Beauregarde is a side character most kids find funny, not scary. If a book link bothers you, ask a few friends what they think of first when they hear the name.
Do these names work for parents who do not read much?
Yes. Every name here stands on its own sound, and most people will never mention the book. The literary link is a bonus story, not a requirement.
Which names here come from authors rather than characters?
Edith and Iris lean on authors, Edith Wharton and Iris Murdoch. Charlotte and Arthur have both an author and a character. Ezra links to the picture book author Ezra Jack Keats.
Ranks come from U.S. Social Security Administration data. Meanings follow the sources on each name page.