Of course, if you want books to continue being printed (or written) in the future, it might help if you give your kid a strong, literary name. That way, when people eventually ask why the hell you settled on that baby name, you can remind them there’s such a thing as books and they’re freakin’ awesome. From magical teens to mad scientists, here are the baby names that’ll make the preschool roll-call a hell of a page turner.
Literary Names For Girls
Hermione
For: Hermione Granger Why: As Harry Potter’s super-smart and powerful gal-pal, Hermione helps us all feel like, even though we have muggle parents, we could have the capacity to cast a patronus charm that is otterly ridiculous. If you don’t get that reference, this is not your daughter’s name. Moving on.
Lisbeth
For: Lisbeth Salander Why: Calling the protagonist of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo a “girl” is a bit misleading. Lisbeth is a badass with a violent streak and a way with breaking into computers. Of course there is a danger that your own girl could grow up to play with fire. Keep the extinguisher handy.
Hester
For: Hester Prynne Why: Hawthorne’s great character received a scarlet letter from the puritanical asshats that ran her town, sure. Still, she grew to develop a deep sense of individual strength and moral understanding that you can only hope your little Hester develops without all the drama. Bonus? She’s likely to be an A student.
Scout
For: Jean Louise “Scout” Finch Why: The curious and ever wide-eyed Scout of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is the perfect narrator to help readers discover what right and justice really is. Her name personifies tree-climbing and precociousness. Frankly, no one can say boo about this moniker.
Shug
For: Shug Avery Why: Alice Walker’s blues singer from The Color Purple is more than just a sultry voice and good looks. She helps usher Celie, the book’s main character, out of a world of abuse into a world of love and self-empowerment. But will people possibly mistake your girl’s name for “Shrug”? Shrug.
Literary Names For Boys
Ishmael
For: Ishmael Why: Dude’s the narrator in Melville’s Moby Dick. It’ll also mean your kid has the best opening line in any conversation he ever has: “Call me Ishmael.” Boom. Genius.
Huck
For: Huckleberry Finn Why: Huck is the wandering philosopher to Tom Sawyer’s chaotic trickster. His raft journey with his compatriot and escaped slave Jim are a portrait of seeking, though not always finding, freedom. For a spirited boy, Huck is the perfect name. But not Huckleberry, unless you want the kid to be hounded.
Dorian
For: Dorian Grey Why: As Oscar Wilde’s symbol of narcissism and eternal youth, there’s a certain cleverness in naming your kid Dorian. Because like their namesake’s portrait you’re basically getting decrepit while your kid stays relatively youthful. That lucky jerk. Actually, symbolism sucks.
Ezekiel
For: Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins Why: Walter Mosley’s incredible private investigator and protagonist of 14 crime novels is as clever and tough as they come. He’s a hero tracing the socio-political arc of the greater Los Angeles region with a hero’s eye. Also he was portrayed by Denzel Washington, who had a Devil of a time.
Haroun
For: Haroun Khalifa Why: As the main character of Salman Rushdie’s Haroun And The Sea Of Stories, this kid takes on a massively imaginative journey that allows him to defeat a creativity-despising force. He also manages to overcome some serious ADHD. At the very least the name will have other people paying attention.
