Names from Children's Literature

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Children love anything with their name on it. Thank goodness we live in the digital age, because now you can personalize everything imaginable. Even books. A whole new industry has been created--its sole purpose is to make your child the main character of his or her books. This is great (and very cute), but it's also fun to share a name with a classic character. I've compiled a list of main-character names from award-winning children's books--see if you can sense a theme.

Girls
Alice- Alice in Wonderland 
Anne- Anne of Green Gables
Charlotte- Charlotte's Web
Coraline- Coraline
Eloise- Eloise 
Frances- Bread and Jam for Frances
Harriet- Harriet the Spy
Madeline- Madeline
Margaret- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
Matilda- Matilda
Meg- A Wrinkle in Time
Olivia- Olivia
Pippi- Pippi Longstocking
Ramona- Ramona the Pest

Boys
Alexander- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Charlie- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Clifford- Clifford the Big Red Dog
David- No, David!
George- Curious George
Harry- Harry Potter
Hugo- The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Max- Where the Wild Things Are
Milo- The Phantom Tollbooth
Stanley- Holes

Don't all these names sound like they belong in one big sibset? I was a little surprised to see so many classic, British names. I've read all these books (with the exception of Coraline and A Wrinkle in Time), and all of the title characters are worthy namesakes. If these names are your style, definitely consider one for your child. Trust me, it's a lot of fun.

10 Names R You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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The only two R names for boys in the top 100 are Ryan and Robert. Those are both great names, of course, but some parents are looking for something a little more unique. These 10 boys names I'm going to talk about today are just that--none of them are even in the top 1000.

Rafe- Rafe is sometimes used as a nickname for Rafferty or Ralph, but I think he's fine as is. I can picture a Rafe at any age--which is important when it comes to naming your child.

Rafferty- Rafferty is a great Irish boys name with tons of potential. He seems to be a hipster favorite right now, but I could see him gaining favor overall.

Ralph- Many people don't know this, but Ralph has two pronunciations. He can be said like Rafe, or you can pronounce the L. Most people use the latter. I was surprised to learn he wasn't in the top 1000, Ralph fits in with many of today's vintage picks like Theodore and Maxwell.

Reading- Reading is pronounced RED-ing, not like the verb. He's stylish pick with a rare -ing ending. He would be perfect for parents from Philadelphia, to honor the city's Reading Terminal Market.

Ren- Ren could be a nickname for so many boys names--Warren, Lawrence, Soren, etc. By himself he sounds effortlessly cool and masculine. His briskness makes him an excellent choice for people with long last names, or the middle position.

Reynold- Reynolds is quite a popular surname, but hasn't yet become a first name option. If Reynolds is a surname in the family, consider adding Reynold to your list of baby names. Plus, you can always call him Ren.

Rhodes- I've heard a lot of Rhodes among the hipster crowd, but nowhere else. He strikes a perfect balance between preppy and hipster--two trends Americans are fond of.

Ridge- Once society finds out about Rhodes, I suspect the hipsters will move on to Ridge. He's an Urban Nature Name--hippies won't use him, but hipsters will.

Rockwell- I've talked about Rockwell quite a few times before (here, here, here, and here). He's modern and chic--and you can call him Wells!

Rumo- Rumo is a very sweet name, best known in the context of these books. He may be a "made-up name," but I think he would work well on a baby.

Full Names for Beth

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Beth is a modern classic of a nickname. She can be easily worn on a grown woman, as well as a baby (the character Quinn from Glee named her daughter Beth). Most people only consider her a nickname for Elizabeth, but there are plenty of options when it comes to getting to the Beth. Let me know which one is your favorite.

Expected:
Bethany- This Hebrew name peaked in the '80s, but she wouldn't be very out of place today.
Elizabeth- She's forever popular, but these days her nickname is more likely to be Elsie or Ella. Beth makes a strong alternative.

Unique:
Annabeth- Young readers will recognize her as a feature character in the Percy Jackson series; could she be a popular name of the future? Until then she's an unpopular smoosh name that is most popular in Denmark.
Lisbeth- Lisbeth had a strong and sudden increase in popularity in 2002, for reasons I can't figure out (anyone know?). She fell quickly after that, and doesn't rank in the top 1000 anymore. Nowadays this beauty (with Hebrew, Scandinavian, and Spanish roots) is an interesting way to get to Beth.

Unheard of:
Bethan- Bethan is a frills-free Bethany. She's a bit more modern, and offers a great way to honor Aunt Bethany.
Bethania- Talk about an elaborate name. At least you can call her by the more simple Beth.
Bethel- I get why Bethel might not be so appealing. She sounds like Ethel with a B, which dates her. But using the nickname Beth makes her seem more usable.

Nicknames for Eloise

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The first time I met an Eloise, I was eleven years old. Even back then I was astonished to meet one that was so close to my age. These days I feel like I hear Eloise all over the place! She's a lovely name--and how can you resist when there's the amazing book series? Now is a great time to use Eloise, but be careful, she's quickly moving up the charts. I have some great nicknames listed here for Eloise, just in case she needs one (and I know how much you guys love nicknames).

Expected:
Ellie- Very sweet and girly. Perfect for a childhood nickname.
Elle- After watching Legally Blonde, many of my classmates with El- names (and some without) wanted to be called Elle. It's very likely your Eloise will love it too.

Unique:
Lou- I think Lou is one of those "perfect nicknames." She's short, not too girly or too masculine, and can work on almost any girl.
Lulu- It's funny how Lou is not very feminine, but you add another one, and BAM. She's girly to the max. Lulu is adorable, but more appropriate for a child. Luckily she has Eloise to fall back on.

Unheard of:
Elsie- We all love Elsa these days, but what about Elsie? She ranks 365 on her own--not far behind Eloise--but is scarcely heard as a nickname for her.
Loie- You don't hear of many Loies. I know a couple of women with this chic French name, but she is not listed on many of the popular baby name websites. She's gorgeous, unique, and one of those nicknames you can use for the rest of your life.

Full Names for Dot

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You guys, is Dot not the most adorable name ever? I can't get enough of her, and she's inching her way up my favorites list. I love Dot by herself, but I know many of you think she needs to be a nickname. So, I have compiled a list of possible fuller forms. Let me know what you think!

Expected:
Dorothea- A very grand name. She's a bit of a style outlier for Americans, but Dot makes her more accessible.
Dorothy- I can't wait till Dorothy comes back into style. She has so many great nicknames, but Dot is forever my favorite.

Unique:
Dortha- A slightly frumpier form of Dorothy. She's not my cup of tea.
Theodora- She doesn't lend herself to Dot as easily as Dorothy does, but all the letters are there, so why not? There aren't many Theodoras running around, but I bet the ones that are answer to Theo rather than Dot.
Theodosia- I read a book series about a girl named Theodosia when I was in middle school, so I have a soft spot for this name. It's always fun to read books about kids with your name, so start your daughter off with a collection of the books.

Unheard of:
Domitilla- The obvious nickname for Domitilla is Dom or Domi, but Dot is so much cuter.
Peridot- If you've been reading here for a while, you will know that I love Peridot. Half of the reason why I love her is because she's the coolest way to get to Dot (the other half is because she's totally rad).

Literary Names: Atonement

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I have just finished reading Atonement by Ian McEwan for my summer homework, and it is chock full of interesting names. The book takes place in WWII era, and the names were spot on. Some were rather surprising, including the main character's name, Briony. Take a look at the names and tell me what you think.

Girls:
Arabella
Betty
Briony
Cecilia
Doll
Emily
Hermione
Lola
Polly
Victoria
Venus

Boys:
Albert
Cecil
Clem
Danny
Jack
Jackson
Leon
Marshall
Paul
Perriot
Quintus
Robbie

Great Gatsby Names

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We just finished reading The Great Gatsby in my English class, and I was shocked how many names were packed into that little book. It's been around 100 years since these names were in vogue for babies, which means most of them are due to come back very soon. Whether you're a fan of the book or not, these names make for great picks for a son or daughter.

Girls:
Ardita
Carraway
Catherine
Claudia
Consuela
Daisy
Faustina
Fay
Gloria
Jacqueline
Jordan
Judy
June
Lilly
Lucille
Myrtle
Pammy
Sigourney

Boys:
Arthur
Benny
Carraway
Cecil
Chester
Clarence
Don
Duke
Edgar
Ernest
Francis
Gatsby
George
Gus
Henry
Horace
Jay
Lester
Meyer
Nick
Rex
Russell
Tom
Ulysses
Willie
Wilson

All of these names make for good inspiration, but if you want to honor the book, I would choose a more obvious name, like Gatsby, Carraway, or Daisy.

10 C Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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We're on to C names today. This week is the girls, and it's an excellent group. If you're looking for a C name (way) less trendy than Charlotte or Chloe, I've got your back. Take a look.

Calais- I think names that end in -lais are gorgeous. Calais is a wonderful name, and makes a great middle as well, due to the emphasis on the second syllable.

Cameo- One of my favorite word names. Name your daughter Cameo, then decorate her nursery in vintage silhouettes. It will be awesome.

Carmela- A very sweet name that is often overlooked.

Celestine- Celeste ranks at 469. Too popular for you? Try Celestine, her cooler, moodier older sister.

Ciel- More creative than naming your baby Sky.

Circe- I'm not a big fan of Greek names, but I adore Circe. She's upbeat and spunky.

Citron- Citron is one of my guilty pleasure names. She's a little outlandish, but I think people would get over it.

Cleo- It baffles me that people don't use Cleo. Every -eo name is so popular, how could she have missed the boat? I say take her for yourself. Another cute spelling is Clio, like Abby's daughter.

Clove- I thought this name was going to get a boost from The Hunger Games but it didn't. She's more modern than Clover, and a great name for a foodie.

Coral- Has Downton Abbey made your favorite girl name too trendy? Darn. Give Coral a chance, she'd be super adorable on a baby, plus you have a built in color scheme for the nursery.