Literature captivates our minds and helps us understand who we are. Many of us met our first friends between the pages of a book, and we have favorites that we turn to again and again. Giving your daughter a literary name can be a very meaningful way to honor her by choosing a character who embodies the qualities you value most.
Why Choose a Literary Girl Name?
Literature has been a part of our culture for centuries. We pass down stories through the generations and remix them to keep them modern and fresh. Giving your daughter a name inspired by a literary heroine or protagonist connects her to the values those characters embody.
Often, literary names remind us of the characters that carried them. They are seen as adventurous, brave, honorable, and honest. If you give your daughter one of these names, you will provide her with the positive connotations associated with the name. In addition, many literary names have a timeless quality. Since they have been passed down through the stories they inhabit, the characters in literature tend to remain recognizable and familiar outside of their own era. These names can come across as classic and always in style.
Unique Literary Girl Names
In this list, you will find unique girl names from books, featuring women characters from a range of genres.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Arabella | Arabella Donn, ‘Jude the Obscure’ by Thomas Hardy |
| Aria | Aria, ‘Pretty Little Liars’ by Sara Shepard |
| Artemis | Artemis, ‘Artemis’ by Andy Weir |
| Athena | Athena, ‘Voyage to the Underworld’ by Dave Wolverton |
| Aurora | Aurora, ‘Terms of Endearment’ by Larry McMurtry |
| Beatrice | Beatrice, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ by William Shakespeare |
| Briony | Briony, ‘Atonement’ by Ian McEwan |
| Calliope | Calliope, ‘Women of Apollo ‘ by Robyn C. Friend |
| Catalina | Catalina, ‘Catalina’ by William Somerset Maugham |
| Clarissa | Clarissa, ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ by Virginia Woolf |
| Cleopatra | Cleopatra, ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ by William Shakespeare |
| Coraline | Coraline Jones, Coraline by Neil Gaiman |
| Cordelia | Cordelia, ‘King Lear’ by William Shakespeare |
| Eleanor | Eleanor, ‘King John’ by William Shakespeare |
| Eliza | Eliza Doolittle, Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw |
| Eloise | Eloise, ‘Eloise’ by Kay Thompson |
| Emilia | Emilia, ‘The Winter’s Tale’ by William Shakespeare |
| Eva | Eva, Tenth of December by George Saunders |
| Evangeline | Evangeline, ‘Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |
| Evelyn | Evelyn Nesbit, ‘Ragtime’ by E. L. Doctorow |
| Freya | Freya, ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’ by Richard Wagner |
| Harriet | Harriet, ‘Harriet the Spy’ by Louise Fitzhugh |
| Helena | Helena, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare |
| Imogen | Imogen, ‘Cymbeline’ by William Shakespeare |
| Isabel | Isabel, ‘Henry V’ by William Shakespeare |
| Isabella | Isabella, ‘Measure for Measure’ by William Shakespeare |
| Jessica | Jessica, ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare |
| Juliet | Juliet, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare |
| Lara | Lara, ‘Doctor Zhivago’ by Boris Pasternak |
| Leia | Leia Organa Solo, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back by Donald F Glut |
| Luciana | Luciana, ‘The Comedy of Errors’ by William Shakespeare |
| Lux | Lux, ‘The Virgin Suicides’ by Jeffrey Eugenides |
| Madeline | Madeline, ‘Madeline series’ by Ludwig Bemelmans |
| Marina | Marina, ‘Pericles’ by William Shakespeare |
| Mercedes | Mercedes, ‘The Call of the Wild’ by Jack London |
| Mercy | Mercy, ‘Mercedes Thompson Universe’ by Patricia Briggs |
| Octavia | Octavia, ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ by William Shakespeare |
| Olivia | Olivia, ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare |
| Ophelia | Ophelia, ‘Hamlet’ by William Shakespeare |
| Pandora | Pandora, ‘Prométhée’ by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |
| Portia | Portia, ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare |
| Rose | Rose Maylie, ‘Oliver Twist’ by Charles Dickens |
| Ruby | Ruby, ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by Lucy Maud Montgomery |
| Sabrina | Sabrina, ‘Sabrina’ by Sabrina Jeffries |
| Sarah | Sarah, Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan |
| Savannah | Savannah Curtis, Dear Johnby Nicholas Sparks |
| Scarlett | Scarlett O’Hara,’Gone with the Wind’ by Margaret Mitchell |
| Serena | Serena, ‘Gossip Girl ‘ by Cecily von Ziegesar |
| Sophie | Sophie, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown |
| Spencer | Spencer, ‘Pretty Little Liars’ by Sara Shepard |
| Stella | Stella, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams |
| Tara | Tara, ‘The Southern Vampire Mysteries’ by Charlaine Harris |
| Trixie | Beatrix Belden, Trixie Belden series by Julie Campbell Tatham |
| Ursula | Ursula, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ by William Shakespeare |
| Valeria | Valeria, ‘Coriolanus’ by William Shakespeare |
| Violet | Violet, ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ by Lemony Snicket |
Cute Literary Girl Names
If you are a book lover, you will instantly fall in love with these cute, adorable names for girls. This list of literary girl names will make bookworms everywhere fall head over heels.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Allie | Allie Hamilton, ‘The Notebook’ by Nicholas Sparks |
| Annie | Annie, ‘Misery ‘ by Stephen King |
| Betsy | Betsy, ‘Understood Betsy’ by Dorothy Canfield Fisher |
| Briana | Briana, ‘On the Come Up’ by Angie Thomas |
| Bundle | Bundle, ‘The Secret of Chimneys’ by Agatha Christie |
| Caddie | Caddie, ‘Caddie Woodlawn’ by Carol Ryrie Brink |
| Calypso | Calypso, ‘The Odyssey’ by Homer |
| Carrie | Carrie, ‘Little House series’ by Laura Ingalls Wilder |
| Cassie | Cassie, ‘The 5th Wave’ by Rick Yancey |
| Catelyn | Catelyn, ‘Game of Thrones’ by George R. R. Martin |
| Celie | Celie, ‘The Color Purple’ by Alice Walker |
| Cherry | Cherry, ‘Cherry’ by Nico Walker |
| Clary | Clary, ‘City of Bones’ by Cassandra Clare |
| Clover | Clover Carr, Clover by Susan Coolidge |
| Dahlia | Dahlia, ‘The Black Dahlia ‘ by James Ellroy |
| Daisy | Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald |
| Dandy | Dandy, ‘Dandy Gilver Books’ by Catriona McPherson |
| Darcy | Darcy, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen |
| Dora | Dora, ‘David Copperfield’ by Charles Dickens |
| Faith | Faith, ‘Holden Caulfield’ by J. D. Salinger |
| Fern | Fern, ‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E.B. White |
| Flora | Flora, ‘Cold Comfort Farm’ by Stella Gibbons |
| Francie | Francie, ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’ by Betty Smith |
| Janie | Janie, ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ by Zora Neal Hurston |
| Jemima | Jemima, ‘The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck’ by Beatrix Potter |
| Jewel | Jewel, ‘Lord Jim’ by Joseph Conrad |
| Jody | Jody, ‘The Red Pony’ by John Steinbeck |
| Junie | Junie, ‘Junie B. Jones’ by Barbara Park |
| Kate | Kate, ‘Magic Series’ by Victoria Schwab |
| Kendall | Kendall, ‘Chances ‘ by Jackie Collins |
| Kinsey | Kinsey, ‘alphabet mysteries’ by Sue Taylor Grafton |
| Lady | Lady, ‘Lady of the Lake’ by Marion Zimmer Bradley |
| Lily | Lily, House of Mirth by Edith Wharton |
| Linnea | Linnea, Linnea In Monet, Garden by Christina Bjork |
| Lisbeth | Lisbeth Salander, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson |
| Lizzie | Elizabeth nn Lizzie, ‘Pride & Prejudice’ by Jane Austen |
| Lottie | Charlotte Alice Katherine Enright, The Lottie Project by Jacqueline Wilson |
| Love | Love Simpson, ‘Cold Sassy Tree’ by Olive Ann Burns |
| Lucie | Lucie, ‘Lucie Manette’ by Charles Dickens |
| Maisie | Maisie, ‘Maisie Dobbs’ by Jacqueline Winspear |
| Maisy | Maisy, ‘Maisy books’ by Lucy Cousins |
| Mathilde | Mathilde, ‘Matilda’ by Roald Dahl |
| Meggie | Meggie, ‘Inkheart’ by Cornelia Funke |
| Milla | Milla, ‘Wicked’ by Gregory Maguire |
| Minny | Minny Jackson, The Help by Kathryn Stockett |
| Molly | Molly, ‘Ulysses’ by James Joyce |
| Morgan | Morgan, ‘Cymbeline’ by William Shakespeare |
| Nessa | Nessa, ‘The Wicked Witch ‘ by Gregory Maguire |
| Pansy | Pansy, ‘Four Girls’ by Isabella Macdonald Alden |
| Pippi | Pippi, ‘Pippi Longstocking’ by Astrid Lindgren |
| Polly | Pollyanna, Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter |
| Posy | Posy, ‘Ballet Shoes’ by Noel Streatfeild |
| Primrose | Primrose Everdeen, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins |
| Regan | Regan, ‘King Lear’ by William Shakespeare |
| Roxie | Roxie, ‘Heroine’ by Mindy McGinnis |
| Sookie | Sookie, ‘The Southern Vampire Mysteries’ by Charlaine Harris |
| Tacy | Tacy, ‘Betsy-Tacy’ by Maud Hart Lovelace |
| Tiggy | Antigone, Antigone by Sophocles |
| Tinker | Tinker, ‘Tinker Bell’ by James Matthew Barrie |
| Winnie | Winnie Foster, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt |
| Zazie | Zazie In The Metro by Raymond Queneau |
| Suzy | Suzy Shooter, ‘Nightside’ by Simon R Green |
Beautiful Literary Girl Names
If you are a lover of literature looking for a beautiful name for your daughter, you have come to the right place. The following literary names are inspired by female characters from books of all genres.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Albany | Albany, ‘King Lear’ by William Shakespeare |
| Amory | Amory, ‘This Side of Paradise’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| Annika | Annika, ‘Pippi Longstocking’ by Astrid Lindgren |
| Antonia | Antonia, ‘My Ántonia’ by Willa Cather |
| Arianne | Arianne, ‘A Feast for Crows’ by George R. R. Martin |
| Ariel | Ariel, ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare |
| Arkady | Arkady, ‘Second Foundation’ by Isaac Asimov |
| Arrietty | Arrietty Clock, ‘The Borrowers’ by Mary Norton |
| Augusta | Augusta, ‘Travels with My’ by Graham Greene |
| Aurelia | Aurelia, ‘Miss Havisham, Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens |
| Carmilla | Carmilla, ‘Carmilla’ by Sheridan Le Fanu |
| Cersei | Cersei, ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, |
| Ellaria | Ellaria, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire ‘ by George R. R. Martin |
| Eugenia | Eugenia, ‘Skeeter’ PhelanThe Help’ by Kathryn Stockett |
| Eugénie | Eugénie, ‘Eugénie Grandet’ by Honoré de Balzac |
| Hera | Hera, ‘Goddess of Love’ by P. C. Cast |
| India | India, ‘Scarlett O’Hara’ by Margaret Mitchell |
| Lorelei | Lorelei, ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ by Carol Ann Shields |
| Luna | Luna Lovegood, ‘Harry Potter’ by J. K. Rowling |
| Prairie | Prairie Wheeler, ‘Vineland’ by Thomas Pynchon |
| Serafina | Serafina, ‘Serafina and the Black Cloak’ by Robert Beatty |
| Tabitha | Tabitha Twitchit, The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter |
| Tamora | Tamora, ‘Titus Andronicus’ by William Shakespeare |
| Trix | Trix, ‘Eighth Doctor Adventures’ by Terrance Dicks |
Pretty Literary Girl Names
Here are some pretty, literary names for girls perfect for your sweet and adorable daughter. The names on this list will remind you of literature’s most precious characters.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Adriana | Adriana, ‘The Comedy of Errors’ by William Shakespeare |
| Alexia | Alexia, ‘The Parasol Protectorate Series’ by Gail Carriger |
| Amaryllis | Amaryllis, ‘Back to Methuselah’ by George Bernard Shaw |
| Angelina | Angelina, ‘Angelina Ballerina’ by Katharine Holabird |
| Antoinette | Antoinette, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’ by Jean Rhys |
| Ariana | Ariana, ‘Harry Potter’ by by J. K. Rowling |
| Bell | Bell, ‘The Adventures of Peter Pan’ by James Matthew Barrie |
| Bella | Bella, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer |
| Beth | Beth, ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott |
| Betsey | Betsey, ‘Aunt Betsey Trotwood’ by Charles Dickens |
| Bronwyn | Bronwyn, ‘One of Us Is Lying’ by Karen M. McManus |
| Caroline | Caroline, ‘Coraline: The Graphic Novel’ by Neil Gaiman |
| Catherine | Catherine ‘Cathy’ Earnshaw, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë |
| Charlotte | Charlotte, ‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E.B. White |
| Christine | Christine, ‘The Phantom of the Opera ‘ by Gaston Leroux |
| Clarice | Clarice Starling, The Silence Of The Lambs by Thomas Harris |
| Clarisse | Clarisse McClellan, ‘Fahrenheit 451’ by Ray Bradbury |
| Cosette | Cosette, Les Misérables by Victor Hugo |
| Demeter | Demeter, ‘Gods Behaving Badly’ by Marie Phillips |
| Ella | Ella, ‘Ella Enchanted’ by Gail Carson Levine |
| Emily | Emily, the Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi |
| Emma | Emma, ‘Emma’ by Jane Austen |
| Esmeralda | Esmeralda, ‘The Hunchback of Notre-Dame’ by Victor Hugo |
| Estella | Estella Havisham, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens |
| Fleur | Fleur, ‘Harry Potter’ by J. K. Rowling |
| Grace | Grace, ‘Little House series’ by Laura Ingalls Wilder |
| Harper | Harper, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee |
| Heidi | Heidi, ‘Heidi’ by Johanna Spyri |
| Henrietta | Henrietta Musgrove, ‘Persuasion’ by Jane Austen |
| Isabelle | Isabelle Lightwood, ‘The Mortal Instruments’ by Cassandra Clare |
| Julie | Julie, ‘Julie of the Wolves’ by Jean Craighead George |
| Juno | Juno, ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare |
| Justine | Justine Moritz, ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley |
| Katy | Katy Carr, What Katy Did by Sarah Chauncey Woolsey |
| Kim | Kim, ‘Kim’ by Rudyard Kipling |
| Kristin | Kristin, ‘Kristin Lavransdatter’ by Sigrid Undset |
| Kristy | Kristy Thomas, The Babysitters Club Series by Ann M Martin |
| Laila | Lail, ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini |
| Laura | Laura, ‘Little House series’ by Laura Ingalls Wilder |
| Lavinia | Lavinia, ‘Titus Andronicus’ by William Shakespeare |
| Leona | Leona Cassiani, ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ by Gabriel García Márquez |
| Lila | Lila, ‘Psycho’ by Robert Bloch |
| Lola | Lola, ‘Sister Carrie’ by Theodore Dreiser |
| Lucy | Lucy, ‘The Chronicles of Narnia series’ by C.S. Lewis |
| Lyra | Lyra, “His Dark Materials” by Philip Pullman |
| Madeleine | Madeleine Hanna, ‘The Marriage Plot ‘ by Jeffrey Eugenides |
| Marisa | Marisa, ‘His Dark Materials’ by Philip Pullman |
| Marla | Marla, ‘Fight Club’ by Chuck Palahniuk |
| Matilda | Matilda, ‘Matilda’ by Roald Dahl |
| Mia | Mia, The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot |
| Nikki | Nikki, ‘Heat Wave’ by Richard Castle |
| Piper | Piper McLean, The Heroes of Olympus book series by Rick Riordan |
| Rosie | Rosie, Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty |
| Rue | Rue, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins |
| Susanna | Susanna Kaysen, ‘Girl, ‘Interrupted’ by Gillian Flynn |
| Tallis | Tallis Browne, ‘A Fairly Honourable Defeat’ by Iris Murdoch |
| Valentine | Valentine, ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare |
| Waverly | Waverly, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan |
Cool Literary Girl Names
If you are in love with literature and want to be a trendsetter, then you’ll enjoy the following list. These book-inspired girl names are nothing short of trendy and stylish.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Apollonia | Apollonia, ‘The Godfather’ by Mario Puzo |
| Bellatrix | Bellatrix, ‘Bellatrix Lestrange’ by J. K. Rowling |
| Bride | Bride, ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ by David Koepp |
| Buffy | Buffy, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ by Joss Whedon |
| Clea | Clea, ‘The Alexandria Quartet’ by Lawrence Durrell |
| Compassion | Compassion, ‘Doctor Who’ by David Whitaker |
| Duchess | Duchess, ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll |
| Fortitude | Fortitude, ‘Vile Bodies’ by Evelyn Waugh |
| Godiva | Godiva, ‘The Seven Lady Godivas’ by Dr. Seuss |
| Harley | Harley, ‘The Batman Adventures’ by Rick Burchett |
| Hero | Hero, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ by William Shakespeare |
| Kanga | Kanga, ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ by A. A. Milne |
| Kari | Kari, ‘Difficult Men’ by Brett Martin |
| Katniss | Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins |
| Kit | Katherine ‘Kit” Tyler, ‘The Witch of Blackbird Pond’ by Elizabeth George Speare |
| Marin | Marin, ‘Pretty Little Liars ‘ by Sara Shepard |
| Maya | Maya, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou |
| Odyssey | Odyssey, ‘Odysseus’ by Homer |
| Opal | Opal, ‘Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception’ by Eoin Colfer |
| Polaris | Polaris (Lorna Dane) by Marvel Comics |
| Praxis | Praxis Duveen, ‘Praxis’ by Fay Weldon |
| Sabbath | Sabbath Lily Hawks, ‘Wise Blood’ by Flannery O’Connor |
| Sabina | Sabina, ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’ by Milan Kundera |
| Scout | Scout, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee |
| Skye | Skye, ‘The Penderwicks’ by Jeanne Birdsall |
| Starr | Starr Carter, ‘The Hate U Give’ by Angie Thomas |
| Thursday | Thursday, ‘Thursday Next’ by Jasper Fforde |
| Tiger | Tiger, ‘The Adventures of Peter Pan’ by James Matthew Barrie |
| Tigerlilly | Tiger Lily, ‘Peter Pan’ by James Matthew Barrie |
| Zooey | Zooey, Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger |
Unusual Literary Girl Names
Using books for inspiration is a great way to find an unusual baby name. The following literary names for girls don’t only sound unique but also have unique stories behind them.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Alia | Alia, ‘Dune’ by Frank Herbert |
| Annowre | Annowre, ‘Prose Tristan’ by Sir Thomas Malory |
| Areida | Areida, ‘Ella Enchanted’ by Gail Carson Levine |
| Askinia | Askinia, ‘And Quiet Flows the Don’ by Mikhail Sholokhov |
| Beezus | Beezus Quimby, ‘Ramona series’ by Beverly Cleary |
| Calpurnia | Calpurnia, ‘Julius Caesar’ by William Shakespeare |
| Cathinka | Cathinka, ‘The Monkey’ by Isak Dinesen |
| Célimène | Célimène, ‘The Misanthrope’ by Molière |
| Cunégonde | Cunégonde, ‘Candide’ by Voltaire |
| Daenerys | Daenerys Targaryen, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George R. R. Martin |
| Desdemona | Desdemona, ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare |
| Dionyza | Dionyza, ‘Pericles’ by William Shakespeare |
| Edmee | Edmee, ‘Cheri” and ‘The Last of Cheri’ by Colette |
| Elinor | Elinor Dashwood, Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen |
| Elphaba | Elphaba, ‘Wicked’ by Gregory Maguire |
| Idgie | Idgie Threadgoode, ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ by Fannie Flagg |
| Ifemelu | Ifemelu, ‘Americanah ‘ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie |
| Kadiatu | Kadiatu, ‘Virgin New Adventures’ by ark Gatiss |
| Keetje | Keetje, ‘Keetje Tippel’ by Neel Doff |
| Lindo | Lindo, ‘The Joy Luck Club’ by Amy Tan |
| Masami | Masami, ‘1Q84’ by Haruki Murakami |
| Melanctha | Melanctha Herbert, ‘Melanctha’ by Gertrude Stein |
| Mombi | Mombi, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ by L. Frank Baum |
| Morgause | Morgause, ‘King Arthur’s Knights’ by Roger Lancelyn Green |
| Myrcella | Myrcella, ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdom’ by George R. R. Martin |
| Oedipa | Oedipa Maas, ‘The Crying of Lot 49’ by Thomas Pynchon |
| Raksha | Raksha, ‘The Jungle Book’ by Rudyard Kipling |
| Sadako | Sadako, ‘Lemonheart’ by Koji Suzuki |
| Sayuri | Sayuri Nitta, ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ by Arthur Golden |
| Shahrzad | Shahrzad, ‘The Wrath and the Dawn’ by Renée Ahdieh |
| Ulla | Ulla, ‘Ulla Winblad’ by Carl Michael Bellman |
| Ygritte | Ygritte, ‘A Clash of Kings’ by George R. R. Martin |
| Zilla | Zilla Riesling, ‘Babbitt’ by Sinclair Lewis |
Gender-Neutral Literary Names
For a cool unisex name, you don’t have to look any further than literature. Here we’ve compiled the best gender-neutral names found in the wonderful world of literature.
| Name | Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Arya | Arya, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire Series’ by George R.R. Sula |
| Brett | Lady Brett Ashley, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway |
| Dorian | Dorian, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde |
| Ellery | Ellery, ‘Killer Characters’ by Ellery Adams |
| Ellis | Ellis, ‘Glamorama’ by Bret Easton Ellis |
| Garnet | Garnet, ‘Thimble Summer’ by Elizabeth Enright |
| Jackie | Jackie, ‘Jackie Brown’ by Elmore Leonard |
| Jael | Jael, ‘The Female Man’ by Joanna Russ |
| Jean | Jean, ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ by Muriel Spark |
| Jo | Jo, ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott |
| Jude | Jude, ‘Jude the Obscure’ by Thomas Hardy |
| Jupiter | Jupiter, ‘Cymbeline’ by William Shakespeare |
| Kay | Kay, ‘The Godfather’ by Mario Puzo |
| Leslie | Leslie, ‘Bridge to Terabithia’ by Katherine Paterson |
| Marion | Marion, ‘Psycho’ by Robert Bloch |
| Meridian | Meridian Hill, ‘Meridian’ by Alice Walker |
| Robin | Robin, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare |
| Tracy | Tracy Beaker, The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson |
| Yael | Yael, ‘Wolf’ by Wolf’ by Ryan Graudin |
Old Fashioned Literary Girl Names
This list compiles the best old-fashioned literary girl names. These names inspired by literature have stood the test of time.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Agnes | Agnes, ‘Agnes Grey’ by Agnes Grey |
| Alice | Alice, ‘Henry V’ by William Shakespeare |
| Alma | Alma, ‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins |
| Anna | Anna, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy |
| Anne | Anne Shirley, ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by Lucy Maud |
| Audrey | Audrey, ‘As You Like It’ by William Shakespeare |
| Bessie | Bessie Lee, ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Brontë |
| Beverly | Beverly, ‘It’ by Stephen King |
| Carol | Carol, ‘Marvel Super-Heroes ‘ by Roy Thomas |
| Cathy | Cathy, ‘East of Eden’ by John Steinbeck |
| Claire | Claire, ‘Outlander’ by Diana Gabaldon |
| Daphne | Daphne, ‘She’s the Man’ by Andy Fickman |
| Dolores | Dolores, ‘Lolita’ by Vladimir Nabokov |
| Edith | Edith Leete, ‘Looking Backward’ by Edward Bellamy |
| Enid | Enid Nightshade, The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy |
| Fanny | Fanny, ‘Fanny Hill’ by John Cleland |
| Florence | Florence nn Flossie Bobbsey, Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hope |
| Gilly | Gilly, ‘The great Gilly Hopkins’ by Katherine Paterson |
| Ginny | Ginny Weasley, ‘Harry Potter’ by J.K. Rowling |
| Gretchen | Gretchen, ‘Gretchen’ by Shannon Kirk |
| Gwendolen | Gwendolen, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ by Oscar Wilde |
| Hazel | Hazel Grace Lancaster, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green |
| Irene | Irene, ‘Sherlock Holmes’ by Arthur Conan Doyle |
| Jane | Jane, ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Brontë |
| Janice | Janice Evans, ‘The Member of the Wedding’ by Carson McCullers |
| Lois | Lois, ‘Double Down ‘ by John Heilemann |
| Lucinda | Lucinda, ‘Lucinda Brayford’ by Martin Boyd |
| Mamie | Mamie, ‘Mamie’ by Tania McCartney |
| Margaery | Margaery, ‘Game of Thrones’ by George R. R. Martin |
| Margery | Margery, ‘Henry VI’ by William Shakespeare |
| Marigold | Marigold, ‘Marigold’ by Eugenia Collier |
| Nancy | Nancy Drew, ‘Nancy Drew series’ by Carolyn Keene |
| Nelly | Ellen ‘Nelly” Dean, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë |
| Norma | Norma Gordon, ‘Flowers for Algernon’ by Daniel Keyes |
| Pamela | Pamela, ‘Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded’ by Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded |
| Pauline | Pauline, ‘Ballet Shoes’ by Noel Streatfeild |
| Peggy | Peggy Arnold, The Secret Island by Enid Blyton |
| Penelope | Penelope, The Odyssey by Homer |
| Penny | Penny, Cherry Tree Farm by Enid Blyton |
| Phoebe | Phoebe Caulfield, The Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger |
| Rachel | Rachel Chu, Crazy Rich Asians ‘ by Kevin Kwan |
| Rebecca | Rebecca, ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne Du Maurier |
| Rita | Rita, ‘Rita Desjardin’ by Rita Desjardin |
| Rosalind | Rosalind, ‘As You Like It’ by William Shakespeare |
| Sally | Sally, ‘A complicated hoot’ by Hiaasen |
| Samantha | Samantha, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky |
| Silvia | Silvia, ‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’ by William Shakespeare |
| Sylvie | Sylvie, ‘The Moffats’ by Eleanor Estes |
| Thelma | Thelma, ‘A Norwegian Princess’ by Marie Corelli |
| Velma | Velma, ‘Fatal Fortune’ by Virginia A. McConnell |
| Victoria | Victoria, The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman |
| Wanda | Wanda, ‘Venus in Furs’ by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch |
| Wendy | Wendy Darling, Peter Pan by JM Barrie |
Rare Literary Girl Names
These beautiful girl names are drawn from the rich world of literature. Rare and unique, these wonderful literary names are a great choice for your little bookworm.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Ada | Ada Monroe, Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier |
| Aelin | Aelin, ‘Throne of Glass series’ by Sarah J. Maas |
| Alvina | Alvina Houghton, ‘The Lost Girl’ by D. H. Lawrence |
| Annabeth | Annabeth Chase, ‘Percy Jackson’ by Rick Riordan |
| Arline | Arline, ‘He Said, “Tell Them”‘ by John E. Arline |
| Arwen | Arwen, ‘Lord of the Rings’ by J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Asha | Asha, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George R. R. Martin |
| Atalanta | Atalanta, ‘Atalanta’ by Robert Ashley |
| Ayla | Ayla, ‘The Clan of the Cave Bear’ by Jean M. Auel |
| Blanche | Blanche, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire ‘ by Tennessee Williams |
| Carlotta | Carlotta, ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ by Gaston Leroux |
| Celeste | Celeste, ‘Babar series’ by Jean de Brunhoff |
| Cressida | Cressida, ‘Troilus and Cressida’ by William Shakespeare |
| Dinah | Dinah, ‘The Red Tent’ by Anita Diamant |
| Eline | Eline, ‘Eline Vere’ by Louis Couperus |
| Esme | Esme, ‘Peaky Blinders’ by John Douglas |
| Estelle | Estelle, ‘No Exit’ by Jean-Paul Sartre |
| Esther | Esther, ‘Bleak House’ by Charles Dickens |
| Felicity | Felicity Rivers, Malory Towers by Enid Blyton |
| Franny | Franny Glass, ‘Franny and Zooey ‘ by J. D. Salinger |
| Glinda | Glinda, ‘Wicked’ by Gregory Maguire |
| Guinevere | Guinevere, ‘The Once and Future King’ by T. H. White |
| Hester | Hester, ‘The Scarlet Letter’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne |
| Honoria | Honoria, ‘Bleak House’ by Charles Dickens |
| Hyacinth | Hyacinth, ‘Hyacinth and the Secrets Beneath’ by Jacob Sager Weinstein |
| Iris | Iris, ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare |
| Isadora | Isadora, ‘Isadora’ by Amelia Gray Farrar |
| Iseult | Iseult, ‘Tristan & Isolde’ by Thomas Malory |
| Isolde | Isolde, ‘Iseult’ by Thomas Malory |
| Lenina | Lenina Crowne, ‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley |
| Lilith | Lilith, ‘Lilith’s Brood’ by Octavia Butler |
| Mina | Mina, Mina Harker, ‘Dracula’ by Bram’s Stoker |
| Mira | Mira Minkoba, ‘Before She Ignites’ by Jodi Meadows |
| Nora | Nora Arnold, The Secret Island by Enid Blyton |
| Olenna | Olenna, ‘Queen of Thorns’ by Dave Gross |
| Pearl | Pearl, ‘The Scarlet Letter’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne |
| Ramona | Ramona, ‘Ramona series’ by Beverly Cleary |
| Sabriel | Sabriel, ‘Old Kingdom’ by Garth Nix |
| Sansa | Sansa, ‘Game of Thrones’ by George R. R. Martin |
| Tamsin | Tamsin, ‘Tamsin’ by Peter S. Beagle |
| Titania | Titania, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare |
| Undine | Undine, ‘Undine’ by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué |
| Vera | Vera Thomas, ‘Native Son’ by Richard Wright |
| Verena | Verena, ‘The Bostonian’ by Henry James |
| Vida | Vida, ‘Vida’ by Patricia Engel |
| Viola | Viola, ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare |
| Winona | Wenonah, The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |
| Yihwa | Yihwa, ‘Yeon Family’s Flare’ by Slave In Utero |
| Yvette | Yvette Pottier, ‘Mother Courage’ by Bertolt Brecht |
| Zenobia | Zenobia, ‘Conan the Barbarian ‘ by Robert E. Howard |
| Zora | Zora, ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ by Zora Neale Hurston |
One-Syllable Literary Girl Names
One-syllable names are cool and modern. This list combines that modernity with the inspiration of literature. These short, single-syllable names are inspired by well-loved characters in literature, providing a stylish name for your bookish little girl.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Clare | Clare, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger |
| Dawn | Dawn Schafer, ‘The Baby-sitters Club series’ by Ann M. Martin |
| Dors | Dors, ‘Foundation series’ by Isaac Asimov |
| Gwen | Gwendolen Fairfax, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde |
| Hebe | Hebe, ‘Hebe’ by Henry David Thoreau |
| La | La, Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs |
| Laure | Laure, ‘Laure Richis’ by Antoine Richis |
| Linh | Linh Cinder, ‘The Lunar Chronicles’ by Marissa Meyer |
| Luce | Luce, ‘The Comedy of Errors’ by William Shakespeare |
| Ma | Ma, ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck |
| Meg | Meg, ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott |
| Moll | Moll, ‘Moll Flanders’ by Daniel Defoe |
| Nie | Nie, ‘Nie Xiaoqian’ by Pu Songling |
| Queen | Queen Katharine, ‘Three Dark Crowns’ by Kendare Blake |
| Red | Red Queen, ‘Through the Looking-Glass’ by Lewis Carroll |
| Roz | Roz, ‘Virgin New Adventures’ by Mark Gatiss, |
| Sam | Sam Jones, ‘Doctor Who’ by Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman |
| Sethe | Sethe, ‘Beloved’ by Toni Morrison |
| Sue | Sue, ‘Carrie’ by Stephen King |
| Tess | Tess Durbeyfield, Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy |
| Tris | Tris, ‘Divergent trilogy’ by Divergent |
| Welsch | Welsch, ‘Harriet the Spy’ by Louise Fitzhugh |
Strong Literary Girl Names
Literature often inspires us with tales of heroes and heroines who triumph in the face of adversity. The names compiled on this list are inspired by the strength of women in literature. Choosing a name from this list will inspire strength and confidence in your little girl.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Alex | Alex Craft, ‘The Female Of The Species’ by Lionel Shriver |
| Alyx | Alyx, ‘The Adventures of Alyx’ by Joanna Russ |
| Amy | Amy, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn |
| Angela | Angela, ‘Blue Angel: A Novel’ by Francine Prose |
| Anita | Anita, ‘Anita Blake’ by Anita Blake |
| Barbara | Barbara, ‘Batman: The Killing Joke ‘ by Alan Moore |
| Bernice | Bernice, ‘Doctor Who’ by David Whitaker |
| Bridget | Bridget Jones, Bridget Jones, Diary by Helen Fielding |
| Brienne | Brienne, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George R.R. Martin |
| Carmela | Carmela, ‘The Godfather’ by Mario Gianluigi Puzo |
| Cassandra | Cassandra, ‘Troilus and Cressida’ by William Shakespeare |
| Cecily | Cecily Herondale, ‘The Infernal Devices’ by Cassandra Clare |
| Celia | Celia, ‘As You Like It’ by William Shakespeare |
| Ceres | Ceres, ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare |
| Corrine | Corrine, ‘The Color Purple’ by Alice Walker |
| Dagny | Dagny, ‘Atlas Shrugged’ by Ayn Rand |
| Della | Della, ‘Gift of Magi’ by O. Henry |
| Diana | Diana, ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ by William Shakespeare |
| Dorothy | Dorothy, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ by L. Frank Baum |
| Elaine | Elaine, ‘Le Morte d’Arthur’ by Thomas Malory |
| Elizabeth | Elizabeth, ‘Henry VIII’ by William Shakespeare |
| Ellen | Ellen, ‘The Age of Innocence’ by Edith Wharton |
| Esperanza | Esperanza, ‘Esperanza Rising’ by Pam Muñoz Ryan |
| Georgina nn George | Georgina Kirrin, Famous Five by Enid Blyton |
| Gertrude | Gertrude, ‘Hamlet’ by William Shakespeare |
| Gretel | Gretel, ‘Never Take Candy from Strangers’ by Tamra Flournoy |
| Hana | Hana, ‘The English Patient’ by Michael Ondaatje |
| Hanna | Hanna, ‘Pretty Little Liars’ by Sara Shepard |
| Helen | Helen, ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ by William Shakespeare |
| Hermione | Hermione, ‘The Winter’s Tale’ by William Shakespeare |
| Hestia | Hestia, ‘Hestia’ by C. J. Cherryh |
| Horatia | Horatia, ‘The Convenient Marriage’ by Georgette Heyer |
| Jennifer | Jennifer, ‘Never Let Me Die ‘ by Kazuo Ishiguro |
| Johanna | Johanna, ‘The Hunger Games’ by Francis Lawrence |
| Josephine | Jospehine March, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott |
| Julia | Julia, ‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’ by William Shakespeare |
| Katherine | Katherine, ‘Henry VIII’ by William Shakespeare |
| Liesel | Liesel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak |
| Lina | Lina, ‘The Wheel on the School’ by Meindert DeJong |
| Louisa | Louisa, ‘The Man Who Loved Children’ by Christina Stead |
| Lucille | Lucille, ‘On the Road’ by Jack Kerouac |
| Lydia | Lydia Bennett Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen |
| Margaret | Margaret, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ by William Shakespeare |
| Marian | Marian, ‘The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood’ by Howard Pyle |
| Martha | Martha, ‘Half Magic’ by Edward Eager |
| Martine | Martine, ‘Martine’s Hand-Book of Etiquette’ by Arthur Martine |
| Mary | Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins by PL Travers |
| Masha | Masha, ‘Captain’s Daughter’ by Alexander Pushkin |
| Melanie | Melanie, ‘Gone with the Wind’ by Margaret Mitchell |
| Michaela | Michaela, ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’ by Beth Sullivan |
| Miranda | Miranda, ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare |
| Moira | Moira Davidson, ‘On the Beach’ by Nevil Shute |
| Mona | Mona, ‘Pretty Little Liar ‘ by Sara Shepard |
| Narcissa | Narcissa, ‘Harry Potter’ by J. K. Rowling |
| Patricia | Pat O’Sullivan, St. Clare series by Enid Blyton |
| Pia | Pia, ‘A Clash of Kings ‘ by George R. R. Martin |
| Rebecca nn Becky | Becky Sharp, Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackery |
| Reyna | Reyna, ‘Reyna Ramirez Arellano’ by Rick Riordan |
| Roberta | Roberta, ‘The Railway Children’ by E. Nesbit |
| Sibyl | Sibyl Vane, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde |
| Sonya | Sonya, ‘War and Peace’ by Leo Tolstoy |
| Stacey | Stacey McGill, ‘The Baby-sitters Club series’ by Ann M. Martin |
| Susan | Susan Sto Helit, The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett |
| Susannah | Susannah, ‘The Dark Tower series’ by Stephen King |
| Sylvia | Sylvia, ‘The Bell Jar’ by Sylvia Plath |
| Tiffany | Tiffany, ‘Discworld’ by Terry Pratchett |
| Wilma | Wilma, ‘Buck Rogers ‘ by Philip Francis Nowlan |
Exotic Literary Girl Names
These girl names are anything but ordinary. Rare and exotic, these wonderful literary names are a great choice for your unique little girl.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Adah | Adah Price, ‘The Poisonwood Bible’ by Barbara Kingsolver |
| Adèle | Adèle Ratignolle, ‘The Awakening’ by Kate Chopin |
| Akela | Akela, ‘The Jungle Book’ by Rudyard Kipling |
| Alexas | Alexas, ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ by William Shakespeare |
| Aliena | Aliena, ‘The Pillars of the Earth’ by Ken Follett |
| Anji | Anji, ‘Eighth Doctor Adventures’ by Colin Brake |
| Celaena | Celaena Sardothien, ‘Throne Of Glass’ by Sarah J. Maas |
| Dion | Dion, ‘The Winter’s Tale’ by William Shakespeare |
| Dorcas | Dorcas, ‘The Winter’s Tale’ by William Shakespeare |
| Dorrit | Dorrit, ‘Little Dorrit’ by Charles Dickens |
| Elya | Elya Gruner, ‘Mr. Sammler’s Planet’ by Saul Bellow |
| Éowyn | Éowyn, ‘Lord of the Rings’ b J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Feyre | Feyre, ‘A Court Of Thorns And Roses’ by Sarah J. Maas |
| Gerda | Gerda, ‘Snow Queen’ by Hans Christian Andersen |
| Hermia | Hermia, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare |
| Karana | Karana, ‘Island of the Blue Dolphins’ by Scott O’Dell |
| Kismine | Kismine Washington, ‘The Diamond as Big as the Ritz’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| Marquise | Marquise, ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses’ by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos |
| Mayella | Mayella Ewell, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee |
| Melba | Melba Beals, Warriors Don’t Cry |
| Midori | Midori Kobayashi, ‘Norwegian Wood’ by Haruki Murakami |
| Milady | Milady, ‘The Three Musketeers’ by Alexandre Dumas |
| Missandei | Missandei, ‘A Dance with Dragons’ by A Dance with Dragons |
| Nerissa | Nerissa, ‘W.I.T.C.H’ by Elisabetta Gnone |
| Niobe | Niobe, ‘She Is Life’ by Olanrewaju Oranyeli |
| Pecola | Pecola Breedlove, ‘The Bluest Eye’ by Toni Morrison |
| Petrova | Petrova, ‘Ballet Shoes’ by Noel Streatfeild |
| Phebe | Phebe, ‘As You Like It’ by William Shakespeare |
| Pilar | Pilar, ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ by Hemingway |
| Rhoda | Rhoda, ‘The Bad Seed’ by William March |
| Ronia | Ronia, ‘Robber’s Daughter’ by Astrid Lindgren |
| Sebile | Sebile, ‘Divinity: Original Sin II Game’ by Jan Van Dosselaer |
| Sula | Sula, Sula by Toni Morrison |
| Vianne | Vianne Rocher, Chocolat by Joanne Harris |
| Visenya | Visenya Targaryen, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George R.RMartin |
Long and Fancy Literary Girl Names
The world of literature is full of long, fancy names. Found within the pages of classic literature, these long and fancy names are the epitome of elegance. They are the perfect choice for your graceful little girl.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Aibileen | Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson, ‘The Help’ by Kathryn Stockett |
| Amaranta | Amaranta Ursula, ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez |
| Annemarie | Annemarie Johansen, ‘Number the Stars’ by Lois Lowry |
| Aphrodite | Aphrodite, ‘Aphrodite’ by Aphrodite Jones |
| Bathsheba | Bathsheba, ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ by Thomas Hardy |
| Blanchette | Little Red Riding Hood, ‘Nanhi Lal Chunni’ by Charles Perrault |
| Brunhild | Brunhild, ‘Die Nibelungen’ by Fritz Lang |
| Caithleen | Caithleen Brady, ‘The Country Girls’ by Edna O’Brien |
| Chrysanthème | Madame Chrysanthème by Pierre Loti |
| Cimorene | Cimorene, ‘Dealing With Dragons’ by Patricia Wrede |
| Cinderella | Cinderella, ‘Disney’s House of Mouse’ by Charles Perrault |
| Cymbeline | Cymbeline, ‘Cymbeline’ by William Shakespeare |
| Dolabella | Dolabella, ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ by William Shakespeare |
| Dorothea | Dorothea, ‘Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life’ by George Eliot |
| Dulcinea | Dulcinea, ‘Don Quixote’ by Miguel de Cervantes |
| Éponine | Éponine, ‘Les Miserables’ by Victor Hugo |
| Fermina | Fermina, ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ by Gabriel García Márquez |
| Galadriel | Galadriel, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Ginevra | Ginevra, ‘Harry Potter’ by J. K. Rowling |
| Hélène | Hélène, ‘War and Peace’ by Leo Tolstoy |
| Isidore | Isidore, ‘Timon of Athens’ by William Shakespeare |
| Jeanette | Jeanette, ‘Oranges are Not the Only Fruit’ by Jeanette Winterson |
| Katherina | Katherina, ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ by William Shakespeare |
| Leonine | Leonine, ‘Pericles’ by William Shakespeare |
| Maretha | Maretha, ‘The Piano Lesson’ by August Wilson |
| Marianne | Marianne Dashwood, Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen |
| Marilla | Marilla Cuthbert, ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by Lucy Maud Montgomery |
| Melisandre | Melisandre, ‘Game of Thrones’ by George R. R. Martin |
| Nastasya | Nastasya, ‘The Idiot’ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky |
| Nessarose | Nessarose, ‘Nessarose’ by Gregory Maguire |
| Orleanna | Orleanna, ‘The Poisonwood Bible’ by Barbara Kingsolver |
| Pollyanna | Pollyanna, ‘Pollyanna’ by Anna Sewell |
| Princess | Princess Magnolia, The Princess in Black Series by LeUyen Pham |
| Rapunzel | Rapunzel, ‘Rapunzel’ by Brothers Grimm |
| Rosaline | Rosaline, ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ by William Shakespeare |
| Thérèse | Thérèse, ‘Thérèse Raquin’ by Émile Zola |
| Trillian | Trillian, ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams |
| Tristessa | Tristessa, ‘Tristessa’ by Jack Kerouac |
| Venetia | Venetia Milton, Second Sight by Amanda Quick |
| Ysabell | Ysabell Sto Helit, Mort by Terry Pratchett |
See more Fancy Girl Names
Attractive Literary Girl Names
The names compiled on this list are attractive to both eye and ear. Like the girls who bear them, these literary names are striking and gorgeous, making them a perfect choice for your beautiful girl.
| Girl Name | Female Character, Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Alanna | Alanna, ‘Song of the Lioness’ by Tamora Pierce |
| Alison | Alison, ‘Alison DiLaurentis’ by Alison DiLaurentis |
| Ariadne | Ariadne, ‘Dead Man’s Folly’ by Agatha Christie |
| Becky | Becky, ‘Vanity Fair’ by William Makepeace Thackeray |
| Bianca | Bianca, ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare |
| Claudia | Claudia, ‘The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler’ by E.L. Konigsburg |
| Connie | Connie, ‘The Godfather’ by Mario Gianluigi Puzo |
| Holly | Holly Golightly, Breakfast At Tiffany’s by Truman Capote |
| Jenna | Jenna, ‘Pretty Little Liars ‘ by Sara Shepard |
| Katharine | Katharine, ‘Henry V’ by William Shakespeare |
| Lena | Lena Grove, ‘Light in August’ by William Faulkner |
| Lolita | Lolita, ‘Lolita’ by Vladimir Nabokov |
| Maria | Maria, ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare |
| Mariana | Mariana, ‘Measure for Measure’ by William Shakespeare |
| Natasha | Natasha Rostova, War And Peace by Leo Tolstoy |
| Paulina | Paulina, ‘The Winter’s Tale’ by William Shakespeare |
| Sara | Sara Crewe, A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett |
| Selena | Selena Kyle, Batman & Catwoman by DC Comics |
| Vanessa | Vanessa Ives, Penny Dreadful by John Logan |
Female Author Baby Names
These names provide a beautiful and strong name for your daughter while paying homage to the women who create beautiful and rich worlds with words. These female author names are a great choice to inspire your daughter’s imagination.
| Girl Name | Female Author |
|---|---|
| Adriana | Adriana Trigiani |
| Adrienne | Adrienne Rich |
| Agatha | Agatha Christie |
| Akira | Akira Toriyama |
| Alexa | Alexa Riley |
| Ali | Ali Smith |
| Alice | Alice McDermott |
| Alison | Alison Lurie |
| Allegra | Allegra Goodman |
| Ami | Ami McKay |
| Amy | A.M. Homes |
| Andrea | Andrea Barrett |
| Angela | Angela Carter |
| Angie | Angie Thomas |
| Anita | Anita Shreve |
| Ann | Ann Patchett |
| Anna | Anna Funder |
| Annabel | Annabel Chase |
| Anne | Anne Tyler |
| Annette | Annette von Droste-Hülshoff |
| Annie | Annie Proulx |
| Ann-Marie | Ann-Marie MacDonald |
| Ariel | Ariel Levy |
| Arundhati | Arundhati Roy |
| Astrid | Astrid Lindgren |
| Audre | Audre Lorde |
| Ayana | Ayana Mathis |
| Barbara | Barbara Kingsolver |
| Baroness | Baroness Emma Orczy |
| Beatrix | Beatrix Potter |
| Bebe | Bebe Moore Campbell |
| Bella | Bella Forrest |
| Belva | Belva Plain |
| Beth | Beth Gutcheon |
| Betty | Betty Rowlands |
| Beverly | Beverly Cleary |
| Billie | Billie Letts |
| Bobbie | Bobbie Ann Mason |
| Brenda | Brenda Novak |
| Brianna | Brianna Labuskes |
| Brit | Brit Bennett |
| Camille | Camille Pagán |
| Carmen | Carmen Maria Machado |
| Carol | Carol Shields |
| Carolyn | Carolyn Chute |
| Carson | Carson McCullers |
| Catherine | Catherine Ryan Hyde |
| Cathie | Cathie Pelletier |
| Cathleen | Cathleen Schine |
| Celeste | Celeste Ng |
| Charlotte | Charlotte Brontë |
| Chimamanda | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie |
| Chitra | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni |
| Christina | Christina Lauren |
| Claire | Claire Messud |
| Clarice | Clarice Lispector |
| Claudia | Claudia Rankine |
| Colette | Colette (Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette) |
| Colleen | Colleen McCullough |
| Connie | Connie Willis |
| Corín | Corín Tellado |
| Cornelia | Cornelia Funke |
| Cristina | Cristina Henriquez |
| Cynthia | Cynthia Bond |
| Danielle | Danielle Steel |
| Daphne | Daphne du Maurier |
| Debbie | Debbie Macomber |
| Deborah | Deborah Harkness |
| Delia | Delia Owens |
| Denise | Denise Robins |
| Diana | Diana Gabaldon |
| Diane | Diane Johnson |
| Disney | Disney Book Group |
| Donna | Donna Tartt |
| Doris | Doris Lessing |
| Dorothea | Dorothea Benton Frank |
| Dorothy | Dorothy Allison |
| Edith | Edith Wharton |
| Edna | Edna O’Brien |
| Edwidge | Edwidge Danticat |
| Eleanor | Eleanor Catton |
| Elena | Elena Ferrante |
| Elin | Elin Hilderbrand |
| Elinor | Elinor Lipman |
| Elizabeth | Elizabeth Gilbert |
| Ellen | Ellen Gilchrist |
| Emily | Emily Brontë |
| Emma | Emma Donoghue |
| Enid | Enid Blyton |
| Erica | Erica Jong |
| Evelyn | Evelyn Waugh |
| Evie | Evie Wyld |
| Faith | Faith Martin |
| Fannie | Fannie Flagg |
| Flannery | Flannery O’Connor |
| Frances | Frances Hodgson Burnett |
| Francine | Francine Prose |
| Gail | Gail Godwin |
| Gao | Gao Xingjian |
| Gayl | Gayl Jones |
| George | George Eliot |
| Georgette | Georgette Heyer |
| Geraldine | Geraldine Brooks |
| Gertrude | Gertrude Stein |
| Gillian | Gillian Flynn |
| Gish | Gish Jen |
| Glendy | Glendy Vanderah |
| Glynis | Glynis Peters |
| Grace | Grace Paley |
| Greer | Greer Hendricks |
| Hanya | Hanya Yanagihara |
| Harper | Harper Lee |
| Harriet | Harriet Beecher Stowe |
| Harryette | Harryette Mullen |
| Haven | Haven Kimmel |
| Heather | Heather Ann Thompson |
| Helen | Helen Oyeyemi |
| Hilary | Hilary Mantel |
| Hope | Hope Callaghan |
| Imbolo | Imbolo Mbue |
| Iris | Iris Murdoch |
| Isabel | Isabel Allende |
| Jackie | Jackie Collins |
| Jacquelyn | Jacquelyn Mitchard |
| Jamaica | Jamaica Kincaid |
| Jan | Jan Karon |
| Jana | Jana DeLeon |
| Jane | Jane Austen |
| Janet | Janet Mock |
| Jeanette | Jeanette Winterson |
| Jean-Marie | Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio |
| Jeanne | Jeanne Ray |
| Jen | Jen Sincero |
| Jennifer | Jennifer Egan |
| Jesmyn | Jesmyn Ward |
| Jhumpa | Jhumpa Lahiri |
| Jill | Jill McCorkle |
| Joan | Joan Didion |
| Joanne | J.K. Rowling |
| Jo-Ann | Jo-Ann Mapson |
| Jodi | Jodi Picoult |
| Jonis | Jonis Agee |
| Josie | Josie Litton |
| Joyce | Joyce Carol Oates |
| Judith | Judith Krantz |
| Judy | Judy Blume |
| Julia | Julia Glass |
| Julianne | Julianne MacLean |
| Julie | Julie Buntin |
| Justine | Justine Larbalestier |
| Karen | Karen Russell |
| Karin | Karin Slaughter |
| Kate | Kate Atkinson |
| Kathryn | Kathryn Harrison |
| Kaye | Kaye Gibbons |
| Keele | Keele Burgin |
| Kendra | Kendra Elliot |
| Keri | Keri Hulme |
| Kim | Kim Gordon |
| Kiran | Kiran Desai |
| Kristin | Kristin Hannah |
| Kristy | Kristy Cunning |
| Laila | Laila Ibrahim |
| Lainie | Lainie Kazan |
| Laura | Laura Ingalls Wilder |
| Lauren | Lauren Groff |
| Lee | Lee Smith |
| Leia | Leia Stone |
| Leslie | Leslie Marmon Silko |
| Lew | Lew Wallace |
| Liane | Liane Moriarty |
| Lily | Lily Archer |
| Lionel | Lionel Shriver |
| Lisa | Lisa See |
| Lois | Lois Lowry |
| Lorna | Lorna Landvik |
| Lorraine | Lorraine Hansberry |
| Lorrie | Lorrie Moore |
| Louisa | Louisa May Alcott |
| Louise | Louise Erdrich |
| Lucinda | Lucinda Berry |
| Lucy | Lucy Maud Montgomery |
| Lydia | Lydia Davis |
| Lynn | Lynn Nottage |
| Lysa | Lysa TerKeurst |
| Madeleine | Madeleine L’Engle |
| Madison | Madison Faye |
| Maeve | Maeve Binchy |
| Maile | Maile Meloy |
| Margaret | Margaret Atwood |
| Marge | Marge Piercy |
| Maria | Maria Semple |
| Marianne | Marianne Wiggins |
| Marie | Marie Lu |
| Marilynne | Marilynne Robinson |
| Martha | Martha McPhee |
| Mary | Mary Shelley |
| Maya | Maya Angelou |
| Meg | Meg Wolitzer |
| Mel | Mel Robbins |
| Melinda | Melinda Leigh |
| Michelle | Michelle Miller |
| Miranda | Miranda July |
| Miriam | Miriam Toews |
| Molly | Molly Bloom |
| Mona | Mona Simpson |
| Morgan | Morgan Parker |
| Nadine | Nadine Gordimer |
| Nadja | Nadja Spiegelman |
| Nancy | Nancy Thayer |
| Nicole | Nicole Snow |
| Nora | Nora Roberts |
| NoViolet | NoViolet Bulawayo |
| Octavia | Octavia Butler |
| Ottessa | Ottessa Moshfegh |
| Pam | Pam Muñoz Ryan |
| Patricia | Patricia Highsmith |
| Paula | Paula Sharp |
| Paullina | Paullina Simons |
| Pearl | Pearl S. Buck |
| Penelope | Penelope Fitzgerald |
| Penny | Penny Jordan |
| Phyllis | PD James |
| Pippa | Pippa Grant |
| Rachel | Rachel Kushner |
| Rainbow | Rainbow Rowell |
| Rebecca | Rebecca Solnit |
| Rita | Rita Mae Brown |
| Robyn | Robyn Carr |
| Roxane | Roxane Gay |
| Rumiko | Rumiko Takahashi |
| Ruth | Ruth Ozeki |
| Safiya | Safiya Sinclair |
| Samantha | Samantha Hunt |
| Sandra | Sandra Cisneros |
| Sappho | Sappho |
| Sarah | Sarah Waters |
| Sejal | Sejal Badani |
| Selma | Selma Lagerlöf |
| Sena | Sena Jeter Naslund |
| Shalini | Shalini Boland |
| Sheri | Sheri Holman |
| Sherryl | Sherryl Woods |
| Shirley | Shirley Hazzard |
| Sigrid | Sigrid Undset |
| Stephenie | Stephenie Meyer |
| Sue | Sue Monk Kidd |
| Susan | Susan Sontag |
| Susanna | Susanna Moore |
| Suzanne | Suzanne Collins |
| Svetlana | Svetlana Alexievich |
| Sylvia | Sylvia Plath |
| Tanwi | Tanwi Nandini Islam |
| Tara | Tara Westover |
| Tayari | Tayari Jones |
| Taylor | Taylor Jenkins Reid |
| Teresa | Teresa Driscoll |
| Terry | Terry McMillan |
| Tessa | Tessa Afshar |
| Thea | Thea von Harbou |
| Toni | Toni Morrison |
| Tracy | Tracy Winn |
| Ursula | Ursula K. Le Guin |
| Valeria | Valeria Luiselli |
| Valerie | Valerie Martin |
| Virginia | Virginia Woolf |
| Whitney | Whitney Otto |
| Willa | Willa Cather |
| Willow | Willow Wilson |
| Wisława | Wisława Szymborska |
| Yaa | Yaa Gyasi |
| Yuval | Yuval Noah Harari |
| Zadie | Zadie Smith |
| Zora | Zora Neale Hurston |
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Famous Celebrity Girls with ‘Literary’ Names
It makes sense that the arts would inspire celebrities among us, and many have chosen literary names for their own children. Some of these girl names are worthy of a Pulitzer.
The late Robin Williams gave his daughter the beautiful name Zelda Rae. Zelda is most commonly associated with Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of author F. Scott Fitzgerald and the famous inspiration for the character of Daisy in The Great Gatsby.
Famous singer Andrea Bocelli and his partner Veronica gave their baby girl the literary name of Virginia. Virginia is closely associated with the famous writer Virginia Woolf and her strong influence over women’s literature to this day.
Dave Grohl and Jordyn Blum opted to name their daughter the beautiful name of Ophelia Saint. Ophelia is a character in William Shakespeare’s drama Hamlet.
Alexis Stewart decided to name her baby girl, Jude. Jude the Obscure is a novel by Thomas Hardy featuring the protagonist, Jude Fawley.
Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins gave their daughter the pretty name Ada James. The character Ada Monroe is from Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.
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