Choosing the perfect baby name for a new little one is no easy feat. The right name has to be pretty dang special. In a way, the name should be able to convey desirable personality traits and qualities and sound just as special as the little one, whether it's a boy or a girl. The right name can be seriously powerful.
Now, where do we find such a lovely name?
What better place to draw inspiration from than the literary world? Sure, classic books have inspired many baby names, such as Asher from The Giver or Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird, but to be honest, we're really feeling the names from modern-day books! From Minny from the 2009 book The Help and Lisbeth from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, here are 20 gorgeous baby names inspired by popular modern books.
Remus
Fans of Harry Potter might want to consider naming a little boy Remus. A werewolf and teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Remus Lupin was also best friends with Harry's dad.
Lisbeth
A hit psychological thriller novel and movie, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's lead character is named Lisbeth Salander. She is, in fact, the girl with the dragon tattoo. In the book, she survives a dark childhood and becomes smart, strong, and unconventional.
Oscar
The name Oscar isn't anything new. In fact, it derives from a Norman baronial name meaning "golden city." However, Junot Diaz revitalized the handsome name in his popular novel The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
Tabitha
The best-selling 2001 novel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants followed four best friends and redefined what young female friendship meant. One of the characters, Tabitha (nicknamed Tibby), was always a fan favorite. Strong, sassy, and always walking to her own beat, Tabitha befriends a younger girl with leukemia and ends up creating a touching documentary about her.
Marianne
Irish author Sally Rooney took the literary world by storm in 2018. Her novel Normal People told the complex story of two teens, Marianne and Connell. The name Marianne is sophisticated and striking. We're obsessed.
Xandra
The 2013 novel The Goldfinch follows Theo, who steals a famous painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The plotline is totally gripping, but the name that really stuck with us was Xandra, the girlfriend of Theo's alcoholic father.
Bella
If there was a book series that really swept across the world in the early aughts, it's The Twilight books. The four romance fantasy books (and five movies) follow a character named Bella, which is Latin for beautiful.
Gale
The Hunger Games trilogy gave the world so many futuristic names. Our favorite baby boy name from the dystopian series is Gale, the handsome hunter caught in the love triangle with Katniss and Peeta.
Lara Jean
To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a best-selling young adult romance novel that's also now a popular movie on Netflix. In the sweet coming of age story, the main character's name is Lara Jean. As a character, Lara Jean is sweet, caring and smart — a perfect name for a baby with similar characteristics.
Connell
Sally Rooney's Normal People protagonist Marianne's counterpart is Connell. Connell is strong and good-hearted. We adore the name.
Daisy
A best-selling book from 2019, Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a fast-paced novel about an iconic 1970s rock group. Any music lover will find Daisy a fun, sassy name.
Aria
In 2006, the world was introduced to the young adult thriller novels Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard. The books were so popular they were adapted to a television series in 2010. The book has several main female characters, one of them being Aria Montgomery, the artsy friend who has her head in the clouds. We quickly fell in love with the simple but unique name.
Primrose
Although Katniss is the main protagonist of The Hunger Games, we were big fans of the name held by her younger sister, Primrose. If it weren't for Primrose, Katniss would never have volunteered as tribute.
Elio
Elio Perlman is the name of the 17-year-old protagonist in Call Me by Your Name. The 2007 American novel was turned into a critically acclaimed movie in 2017. We adore the name Elio because it's short and sweet.
Tobias
From the well-known young adult science fiction Divergent trilogy, Tobias is fearless young man with a scar on his chin. We find the name handsome and modern, yet classic at the same time.
Beatrice
Beatrice Prior is the main character in the Divergent trilogy, who eventually falls for the handsome Tobias. However, everyone calls her Tris, which we think is the cutest nickname ever. Tris is powerful and brave.
Augustus
The bold, old-fashioned name of Augustus is revamped in John Green's 2012 young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars. Just try reading this book or watching the film adaptation without crying.
Liesel
Markus Zusak's 2005 novel The Book Thief is a powerful, poignant story that follows an orphan named Liesel during the Holocaust. Although typically short for Elizabeth, we think the name Liesel is even prettier on its own.
Landon
Remember the book A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Spark and the tearjerking movie that quickly followed? How about naming a baby boy after the main male character, Landon, who falls in love with a sweet, sensible girl named Jamie.
Edward
Take a cue from The Twilight Saga and name a baby boy after Edward Cullen, the mysterious and brooding vampire who steals Bella's heart. Of course, choose this name only if on Team Edward!
