Loganberry
Books
Named
For the Book
I know many people named after a character in
a book, and many parents who name their children after their favorite
storybook
friends. I tend to give my pets literary names too, in successive order
through the alphabet, because that's how my first pet's literary
namesake
was named. If you were named after a literary character, or know
someone
else who is, please send your
contribution.
My comments are in black.
Other comments in
color.
Bibliographic
information
follows in Arial.
Abbie
My first daughter is named Abbie, thinking of
the character Abbie Deal from "A Lantern in Her Hand" by
Bess
Streeter Aldrich. It was one of the first books I ever bought
for myself, through the Scholastic Book Club, when I was in 6th grade
in
1966. (My daughter's full name is Adelaide Barbara, named for women in
the family, and the initials make her Abbie.)
Aldrich, Bess Streeter. A
Lantern
in Her Hand. New York,
Appleton-Century-Crofts,
1950.
Abigail
My daughter Abigail Rose deserves honorable
mention.
I would have named her Aurora Rose, like the Sleeping Beauty, but
Aurora
Roberts is too much of a tongue twister. So, we settled for
Abigail
after Abigail Adams.
I'm a 34 year-old mommy of two, and when I was
a child I read voraciously. Nowadays my husband calls me a 'book whore'
for obvious reasons. While I was a very young girl, not even in school
yet, I adored Holly Hobbie and declared that I would definitely name my
daughter someday "Holly" and as I grew up I only ever met two other
Hollys
[Hollies?] and both were delightful! As fate would have it, once I
married,
my last name became 'Hall' thus dashing my hopes of having a Holly of
my
own. Both 'Toot' and 'Puddle' were also out of the question! We settled
on Abigail two days after she was born. Seems my husband's family on
his
mother's side is descended from Abigail Adams. Nothing to sniff at, to
be sure, but I had in mind that nasty Abigail in Arthur Miller's
The
Crucible. I've never told anyone this before!!!!
Miller, Arthur. The
Crucible.
Adara
We named her Adara Luthien. Adara was a
name I found in a baby book, but it also is the name of one of my
favourite
characters in David Edding's Belgariad series.
Adara
was Belgarions cousin. Luthien was the elf maiden in "Of Beren
and
Lúthien" from the Silmarillion, and spoken about
in
various other spots in the LoTR series. Aragorn and
Arwen
are both related through her. She was 'the fairest elf to ever walk
Middle
Earth'. I thought long about appropriate names for my daughter,
and
knew these were perfect.
Aenea
Our firstborn is named Thessaly
for the character in Neil Gaiman's graphic novel Sandman. Her middle
name is from Welsh Legend: Rhiannon. Our second daughter's middle
name is Cordelia after Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series,
which I devoured during my pregnancy with her, though incidentally,
Cordelia is also a figure in Welsh mythology. With our third we chose Aenea from Dan Simmons' Endymion/Rise of
Endymion series, which I read while pregnant with her.
Aenea is also the feminine form of Aeneas, the epic hero of Vergil's Aeneid.
We love having chosen literary names.
Simmons, Dan. Endymion
series.
Vergil. Aeneid.
Alexander
My son Alexander was named in part because my
favorite children's author was Alexander Key, who wrote Escape
to Witch Mountain, Magic Meadow, and Forgotten
Door.
Key, Alexander.
Alia
My daughter is named Alia, after Princess Alia
in the Dune books by Frank Herbert. Her
brother
is named David Paul after his father and grandfather, but of course, we
call him by his middle name, Paul, the main character in the books (and
Alia's brother).
Herbert, Frank. Dune.
Philadelphia, Chilton Books, 1965.
Alienna
I was reading Ken Follett's Pillars
of the Earth when I was pregnant 11 years ago. I named my baby
girl Alienna for the character of Aliena in the book--she was a strong,
beautiful princess. My girl goes by "Ali," spelled like actress
Ali
McGraw. But whenever anyone asks, "Oh are you an Alison?" she loves to
respond that she was named for a princess named Aliena. (I added the
second
"n" in her name to make it look less like "Alien.")
Follett, Ken. Pillars of
the
Earth. New York, Morrow,
1989.
Alyson
My name is Alyson - my mom got
creative with the spelling, but she "got" the name from Alison in "Peyton Place".
Amberly
My husband and I wanted to give our children
unique names that have common derivitives. We could not settle on
a name for our first-born for many months. His birth was drawing
near when I stumbled on a name in a baby book that was unique
(historical
welsh names). We each commented that we'd only encountered that
name
one time before in our lives. It was a character in a book that
we
both enjoyed. It was settled our son became Corwin
(derivitive:Corey).
Three years later we named his sister Amberly
(derivitive:Amber).
The book that inspired us... Nine Princes In Amber by Roger
Zalazney. Corwin was the main protagonist. 20 years and
one divorce later, I have fallen in love with another man. My
stepson's
name? Also, Corwyn. The only other one we've ever heard of.
By the way my kids (all of them) love the origins of their names.
Zelazny, Robert. Nine Princes of
Amber series.
Amos
I must make a plug for my first pet, a gerbil
named after the mouse who invented the Franklin stove and discovered
electricity,
and all those other things Benjamin Franklin was credited with. The
book
was my favorite children's book, Robert Lawson's Ben and Me.When
my mother started collecting children's books years ago, I asked her if
she had this book, and when she responded no, then I told her she
wasn't
really a children's book collector. She has since discovered the
wonderful
world of Lawson, and has almost all of his books now. Incidentally,
Amos
was the eldest of 26 siblings, who were named successively through the
alphabet to Z. So that's how I've named all of my subsequent pets, too.
Lawson,
Robert.
Ben
and Me. Illustrated
by the author. Little, Brown, 1949.
Used copies usually available. Sometimes
collectible first editions are also available. Please
inquire.
Amy
My mother gave me my name, Amy Jo, after her
two favorite characters in Little Women.
I was
supposed to be named Amy Jo,
from the two sisters in Little Women, my
mom's favorite book. But when the nurses in the hospital asked my
mom what she planned to name me, and she said "Amy," they all squealed
that they love that name and how wonderful it was that there were 6
"Amy's" in the nursery right now! That was the end of naming me
Amy. I got "Annelisa," the unusualness of which I am totally
happy about, but secretly I have feared that someday someone would
figure out that I was supposed to be just another Amy!
Alcott, Louisa May. Little
Women. Boston, Roberts
brothers,
1869.
Angelique
I on the other hand was almost named for Angelique
duPlessis-Belliere of the Sergeanne Golon novels, but Mom
felt
the Dark Shadows reference would date me.
I was named after Angelique also! I own
most of the books because my mom thought I would like to know where she
got the name from. I am missing two (alas!). Everyone
always
thinks I am named after Dark Shadows as well! I
have
never heard of anyone else with this same connection to these series of
books. Cool!
Ann
One book I always got a kick out of was a very
simple one about a girl, Anne, and her favourite colour. I only
remember
the lines "Anne loves red / Red, red, red". Being named Anne
myself
and loving red, I'm am quite curious to find out what the book was...
Seymour,
Dorothy
Z. Ann Likes Red. Purple
House Press, 1957, 2001. New hardback, $8.95
Now back in print!
Annika
We named our youngest daughter Annika, after
Pippi Longstocking's friend in the book series. Actually, my then
7-year-old
daughter suggested the name when she was reading the books.
Lindgren, Astrid. Pippi
Longstocking
series. New York,
Viking,
1996.
Ardis
My mom was named after a character in Jacqueline
Susann's Valley of the Dolls - Ardis. Can you give me
information
on this book?
One of the most best-selling books ever published, Valley of the
Dolls garnered as much hostility and condemnation as it did sales
and
fans. Susann's scathing portrayal of the private lives of the rich and
famous, and Hollywood's devastating effects on the psyche and its
penchant
for drug abuse have recently been made into a movie.
Susann,
Jacqueline.
Valley
of the Dolls.
Random House, 1966.
Nice hardback copy available. DJ torn a
bit, otherwise G+/G. <SOLD>
Ariel
My daughter is Ariel, from Sylvia Plath’s
book of poems by the same name and from Shakespeare’s play The
Tempest. However, she was born 18 months before the
Disney
movie came out. She’s been called the Little Mermaid a lot.
Only in India, where she spent a year as an exchange student, do they
realize
at once it’s an homage to the bard.
Shakespeare,
William.
The Tempest.
Plath, Sylvia.
Ariel. 1965.
Arwen
My daughter's name is Alexandra ARWEN Parrish
Hayes, according to my husband, ARWEN is the name of a princess in Lord
of The Rings, it means "Evening Star", now my husband has a lil
Irish in him, he can be full of blarney, is he correct? my
friends
daughter told me that ARWEN is the name of the pig in Disney's Black
Cauldren who is correct?
It's from Tolkien's The Lord of
the
Rings. The Black Cauldron oracular pig is named
Hen
Wen.
Wonderful site! I've been researching people
named
after characters in The Lord of the Rings, which is how
I
found your site. I talked to an Arwen today who loves being
named
after an elvish princess who gave up her immortality to marry a mortal.
She has bought a Burger King mug with her name on it, the only thing
she's
ever seen with her name printed on it.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord
of
the Rings trilogy.
London: George Allen and Unwin, 1954, 1954, 1955.
Ayla
We named our daughter Ayla, from Jean Auel’s series, and she lives up
to her name. Ayla is the feisty, self-sufficient heroine in The Clan of the Cave
Bear. Ayla also means “oak tree,” so, in keeping with
literary and flora reference, we named our son Sawyer.
Auel, Jean. The Clan of the
Cave Bear.
Bagheera
Our black cat, Bagheera, is named for the black
panther in Kipling's Jungle Book
(although,
to be honest, we picked it up from the Disney cartoon and not the book!)
Kipling, Rudyard. The
Jungle
Book. Garden City, N.Y.,
Doubleday,
Doran & company, inc., 1937.
Bastian
Growing up, one my very favorite children's books
was Michael Ende's The Neverending Story. I
had
always loved the name Bastian Balthazar Bux, so much so that I couldn't
quite hold off until I had a child to bestow the name on...so I named a
small fat sharpei puppy Bastian- When I found out I was having a boy
less
than a year later, it just didn't feel quite right to name my son the
exact
same name I had just given a dog. (Reminiscent of Indiana Jones, I
thought).
Instead he is Sebastian Gryffin, and has grown to become quite a
character
himself!
Ende,
Michael.
The Neverending Story.
London, Allen Lane, 1983.
Beth
Hi, My name is Beth and I have 3 sisters,
actually
named Meg , Amy and Jo!! Obviously my mother was a Louisa May Alcott
fan. Luckily, my brother did not get stuck with the names Laurie
or Theodore (Laurence)!
Alcott, Louisa May. Little
Women.
Boston, Roberts brothers,
1869.
Bogwoppit
Bogwoppit arrived this
morning.
It nearly landed on one of my cats - the one who's called Bogwoppit
!!!
At last I can prove that his name comes from a book ! I do
remember
the story from when I was a child, but it may have been on TV. Thankyou
very, very, very, very, very, very much !!!
Williams,
Ursula
Moray. Bogwoppit. Thomas
Nelson, 1978.
Boots
Sometime in the seventies I read a book about
a cat that was named Boots, because its body was a solid color,
except for the feet, which had a different color, so it looked like it
was wearing boots. That is absolutely all I can remember, but this book
is significant to me, because when I was little, my neighbors cat had
kittens,
and one had boot coloring. I remembered the book and suggested they
give
it that name, which they did. The cat was around for many years, but I
never remembered in what book I had read about its namesake.
Pursell, Margaret Sanford.
Boots The Kitten.
Carolrhoda
Books, 1976.
Series: the Animal Friends books. "Having observed his kitten
for its first three months in his aunt's house, Mike and his sister are
better able to care for the new kitten when they bring it home."
Boxcar
I found a small box turtle at the lake when I
was a kid and named it Boxcar after the wonderful Boxcar Children
series by Gertrude Chandler Warner. The originals of this
series
are extremely hard to find, and the modern paperback reprints aren't
the
same. And Boxcar the turtle went back to the lake after spending only
three
days in my makeshift tub.
Warner,
Gertrude
Chandler. The Boxcar Children.
Albert Whitman & Co., 1942.
Reissued in paperback. Used paperback
copies
usually available. Please
inquire.
Brenna
My daughter's name is Brenna for a
character
in Mary Canon's O'Hara Dynasty Series (The
Defiant,
The Survivors, The Renegades). I happened to be at my
sister
in law's house one day early in my pregnancy, paging through some of
her
books. On the first page was a synopsis of characters, and the
name
Brenna caught my eye right away. Because people often have
trouble
pronouncing it (many say Brenda or Brianna) there is now a website,
Brenna.com
devoted to this beautiful name. Their motto: "NO DA".
Canon, Mary. The O'Hara
Dynasty
series.
Brooklyn
My Russian Blue mix cat, Brooklyn, was named
after the title of my favorite book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
I'm Irish and so why shouldn't my wonderful cat get to have a little
bit
of Irish "in" her, too? Funny, she has no interest in reading, though.
Smith, Betty. A Tree Grows
in Brooklyn. 1944.
Caitlin
I was named Caitlin, after the dedication in
many Dylan Thomas works.
Thomas, Dylan.
Caleb
Franklyn Meyer's Caleb and Me
(1970ish) is a story written in first person by a boy named Bud. His
adventures
growing up with his little brother named Caleb. I liked this book
so much I named my son Caleb. Could you please find this book for
me. There was a second book written by the same author called Caleb
and Me Again I am looking for that one also. :)
I too named my son Caleb, 20 years after
loving
the Franklyn Meyer books, Me and Caleb, and Me and Caleb again. In
fact,
I have 3 children. a girl and two boys, the youngest is Celeb, and I am
now reading them these great stories.
Meyer, Franklyn. Caleb and
Me. Follett
Publishing
Company, 1962.
Carmen
What do you do with a goldfish you win at the
Jubilee? I named mine
Carmen and put her in the bathroom. She was
a fiesty little fish and lived for three years.
Bizet,
Georges.
Carmen.
An French opera, premiered in 1875.
Caroline
I SO want any of the Caroline books
to give to my own Caroline. It is no coincidence that I chose this name
for my only daughter. I'm 41, and my copy of the Golden Treasury
of Caroline and her Friends is so beat up from the countless
number
of times I read it as a child. I can't tell you how long I studied
every
last detail of those illustrations. How about that one where all
the animals are running scared out of their tent at camp because of the
little mouse or the scene of all the animals getting their check-ups at
the camp infirmary? They're so dear!!! Anyway, I have no clue as
to how to go about securing a copy of a book(s) that I now know is also
treasured by others. Any suggestions are welcome. What I'd give
for
my daughter to know the joy of this wonderful heroine who shares her
name.
Help please!
Probst, Pierre. The Golden
Treasury of Caroline and Her Friends.
Golden Press, 1961.
See more fan mail for Caroline on the Most
Requested Books page.
Carrie
My daughter Carrie was named after baby Caroline
in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the
Prairie
series. She was such a pretty baby, and grew up to be a
beautiful
young woman. I’ve always loved that name!
Wilder, Laura Ingalls . Little
House
on the Prairie. New York
and
London, Harper & brothers, 1935.
Caspian
I had a beautiful doberman one time.
Because
he was so regal looking, I named him Prince Caspian after the Narnia
book.
Lewis, C. S.. Prince
Caspian.
New York, Macmillan, 1951.
Cassandra
And she named my sister Cassandra (from Homer's
Iliad).
Homer. The Iliad.
Charis
My oldest daughter is named Charis after a girl who lived in
Atlantis
in the novel Taliesin
by Stephen Lawhead. In Greek,
Charis means grace
and is often used to represent charity.
Lawhead, Stephen. Taliesin.
Christopher
Hi, my son is in his mid-30s now, and was named
for Christopher Robin in the Winnie-the-Pooh
books. His father didn't like
the name Robin, so his name is Christopher Sean. At that time, there
were
no other Christophers that I'd heard of. Now, it seems, it's gotten to
be quite a popular name.
A. A. Milne. Winnie the Pooh.
Christy
I am 30 years old and my mother
named me for the title character in Catherine
Marshall's novel Christy, who was
a self-sacrificing, strong, brave, smart, pretty, spiritual, clever,
and loving schoolteacher in a one-room schoolhouse in the Great
Smokies. I must say, it's been a lot to live up to!
Marshall, Catherine. Christy.
Cialdene
My father's middle name is Cialdene. His mother
was reading a book and liked the name and the character in the book so
that is the name she chose.
Cimarron
I named my first son Cimarron from Edna Ferbers
book "Cimarron."
His middle name is Star, from Mollie Hardwick's book "Dutchess
of Duke Street."
Ferber, Edna. Cimarron. Garden
City, NY, Doubleday, Doran & Co., 1930.
Hardwick, Mollie. The Duchess
of Duke Street.
Cinderella
The first day we brought our kitten home, she
tried to run away from us and ran into the fireplace (fortunately
empty!).
I named her Cinderella because she was in the cinders!
Claudia
I named my daughter Claudia after the main
character
in From the
Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.
I read this book dozens of times when I was a child. Claudia in
the
book is smart, brave, resourceful, and interesting. My 7-year old
daughter has many of these qualities, too. I just hope she never
decides to run away from home!
Konigsburg, E.L.. From the
Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. New
York, Atheneum, 1967.
Colleen
My second daughter is Colleen Brown. My husband
and I weren't finding a name that we both could agree on. Then my
copy of Phyllis McGinley's "Sugar and Spice,"
illustrated by Colleen Browning,
caught my eye from the bookcase. It had been a gift for my 12th
birthday
from my uncle. I am of Irish heritage; there are is an Eileen in
the family and several Kathleens. And so Colleen it would be,
joining
the clan named for a treasured book given by a dear man.
McGinley, Phyllis. Sugar
and
Spice. New York, F. Watts,
1960.
Constance
Although not named for any Constance, three of
my favorites are Constance by Patricia Clapp,
Constance
in Sabrina by Madeleine Polland, and the
Constance
(although she goes by Connie) who is the friend of Sue Barton,
Student
Nurse.
Clapp,
Patricia.
Constance:
a story of early Plymouth.
1991.
Corally
My name is Corally. My sister who was eight
when I was born. She named me from The tale of Corally
Crothers.
I guess she liked the idea that Corally Crothers had no sisters or
brothers.
I am 47 now. My sister got over it.
I was intrigued with the person age 47 who was
named Corally after Corally Crothers. The same thing happened in
our family. In 1954, that was my daughter Lynnette's favorite
poem
from a thick collection of poems from which I read to her every
day.
She said that if our expected baby was a girl, she would like to name
her
Corally. The baby arrived on Lynnette's 6th birthday, and we did
indeed name her Corally. We gave her no middle name--it seemed
that
Corally was a mouthful. Those two lovely women are now in their
50's
and and are a delight in every way to me and her father as we
experience
the travail of growing older.
Gay, Romney. The Tale of
Corally
Crothers. Cleveland, OH,
Harper
Pub. Co., 1932.
Cordelia
Well, not so much the book, but a character
within
the story. My name is Cordelia,
after King Lear's favorite daughter
in Shakespeare's play of the
same name. I owe this knowledge to Ms. Heslep,
my 7th grade English teacher who told me to be proud of my unique name
(I wanted to be named Rita - boring).
Shakespeare, William. King Lear.
Our firstborn is named Thessaly
for the character in Neil Gaiman's graphic novel Sandman. Her middle
name is from Welsh Legend: Rhiannon. Our second daughter's middle
name is Cordelia after Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan
series, which I devoured during my pregnancy with her, though
incidentally, Cordelia is also a figure in Welsh mythology. With our
third we chose Aenea from Dan Simmons' Endymion/Rise of Endymion
series, which I read while pregnant with her. Aenea is also the
feminine form of Aeneas, the epic hero of Vergil's Aeneid. We
love having chosen literary names.
Bujold, Lois McMaster.
Vorkosigan.
Riverdale,
NY : Baen ; New York : Distributed by Simon & Schuster, 1994.
Corwin Miles
Our son is named Corwin Miles after two different
books -- Corwin in Roger Zelazny's Nine Princes of Amberseries
and Miles in Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan
books.
Also, our baby name book said that Corwin means "heart's desire" or
"friend
of the heart." He certainly is that.
My husband and I wanted to give our children
unique
names that have common dirivities. We could not settle on a name
for our first-born for many months. His birth was drawing near
when
I stumbled on a name in a baby book that was unique (historical welsh
names).
We each commented that we'd only encountered that name one time before
in our lives. It was a character in a book that we both
enjoyed.
It was settled our son became Corwin (derivitive:Corey). Three
years
later we named his sister Amberly (derivitive:Amber). The book
that
inspired us... Nine Princes In Amber by Roger
Zalazney.
Corwin was the main protagonist. 20 years and one divorce later,
I have fallen in love with another man. My stepson's name? Also,
Corwyn. The only other one we've ever heard of. By the way
my kids (all of them) love the origins of their names.
Zelazny, Roger. Nine Princes of
Amber
series.
Bujold, Lois McMaster. Vorkosigan.
Riverdale,
NY : Baen ; New York : Distributed by Simon & Schuster, 1994.
Cressida
Our dog was Cressida after Troilus and
Cressida.
Dante
The fishy friend I bought to keep Carmen company.
Actually named after my favorite pinto horse at camp who was called Dante.
Alighieri,
Dante.
The
Inferno.
My favorite edition is illustrated by Gustave
Dore c. 1860. I have the Altemus Edition of this available, a large
book
with great black and white engravings. Endpapers ripped, corners
bumped,
otherwise a nice copy at an affordable price. Tooled decorated cover.
<SOLD>
David
My mother used to read David and the
Phoenix
book to my six siblings and I at bedtime. it was our favourite
and
her 67th birthday is coming up. We would all like to sign it and
tell her how much we enjoyed her reading to us and how this has
extended
to a life long love of books and reading. My brother "David" who
is now 39 years of age and works for the forestry still likes to
pretend
it was about him.
Ormondroyd,
Edward.
David and the Phoenix.
Purple House Press, 1957, 2000. $24
See more on the Most
Requested page.
Deegie
I am on a mission! First of all my name is Deegie
and secondly my very old Aunt tells me that my name is after a book
titled
A Boy Named Deegie - I can find no reference to this book anywhere -
but
have found the Deegie and the Fairy Princess book around - well, not
the
actual book - rather references to it. Anyway, I want to know if you
can
help me determine if the book ever existed or if she is mistaken?
Rempel, Ruth. Deegie and the
Fairy
Princess. Rempel
Manufacturing,
1949.
Dill
Our cat Dill got his name because his
personality
so reminded us all of the boy in To Kill A Mockingbird.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a
Mockingbird.
Philadelphia,
Lippincott, 1960.
Dinah
My small cat, Dinah, is named for Alice
in Wonderland's cat. Mine is not capital for catching
mice,
but she does catch lots of zzzzzzs on the back of the couch, and she's
black and fuzzy.
Carroll,
Lewis.
Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland.
Macmillan, 1866.
Way too much Alice stuff to list here; please
inquire. Expect a most enthusiastic response from one of the two
Alice buffs, Harriett or Audrey (that's MY Dinah.)
Dorian
Hi! I love browsing your site - so much
to read there! I've loved books as far back as I can remember,
and
when I was young I had fun planning how many kids I would have and what
characters I would name them after. Mostly they would be named after
the
Edward Eager and E. Nesbit kids. Once I planned to have 12 kids, just
because
I liked so many names! Eventually, I had only one child, though,
a son, and named him Dorian, after a book I became enchanted by in my
late
teens: Oscar Wilde's "Picture of Dorian Grey".
I named one of the stray cats that I feed
Dorian
the Grey. She's all grey with a white spot on her nose. I
swear
that, since her naming, she has become just a tad evil looking. I
figured the name could be male or female, and the cat doesn't seem to
care
as long as I put the food out at the appointed hour.
Wilde, Oscar. Picture of Dorian
Grey.
Duward
A patron's father was born in 1915 and was named
Duward after a character in a book. She is wondering what the
book
could be.
Dylan
Just to jump on the bandwagon, my oldest son
Dylan is named for Dylan Eil Ton, the child who swam away upon birth in
"The Mabinogi" (the Welsh book of legends). Of course, I can't
hate
the fact that it belonged to Dylan Thomas, either.
Ford, Patrick K. (translator). The
Mabinogi. University
of California Press, 1977.
Edgar
Every Halloween, my daughters and I have
a tradition of reading "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe together.
Last
Halloween, we found a kitten that we assume had been dumped near here
and
somehow found his way into our garage, so we named him Edgar.
Poe, Edgar Allen. The Raven.
Edith
My name is Edith and I grew up near New York
City in the early '60s, reading the wonderful Edith and the Bears
series. Having recently unearthed four, 1st edition Edith books
that
my aunt (an editor with Doubleday) gave me, I noticed that there was
one
from that era that I'd never seen,
The Little One It
would mean a lot if I could add this book to my collection.
Thanks
so much!
Zelda Dare gets her middle name not from the
doll,
but from the bold author of this acclaimed series of picture books.
Wright, Dare. The Lonely
Doll.
Doubleday, 1957. Houghlin Mifflin, 1998.
Back in print! Hardback $16. Paperback $6.95
See more on the Most Requested page.
Elanor
My daughter is named Elanor, from Lord of the
Rings. She hated her name being pronounced 'ell-R-nor' which is correct
from the appendices on pronunciation, and what we had called her from
birth.
When she went to school she told everyone her name was pronounced
'ell-A-nor',
and now no-one spells her name properly and she is forever having to
correct
them. You just can't win, can you?
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord
of
the Rings trilogy.
London: George Allen and Unwin, 1954, 1954, 1955.
Elisabeth
I have been a voracious reader since a very young
age. One of my prized possessions as a young child was the
collection
of Louisa May Alcott books my grandmother had given to my
sisters
and me. They never did read theirs, so I adopted them. My
daughter,
Elisabeth is named for Beth in Little Women. I
always
wanted to be sweet and gentle like Beth, but identified more with Jo.
Alcott, Louisa May. Little
Women.
Boston, Roberts brothers,
1869.
Eliza
My third daughter is named Eliza, who was a
favorite
character of mine in the book Except for Me and Thee by Jessamyn
West. It is the sequel to Gentle Persuasion.
It is a lovely name for a gentle personality, as my eleven year old
daughter
has.
West, Jessamyn. Except for
Me and Thee. New
York,
Harcourt Brace & World, 1969.
Elizabeth
This is the story of a little girl who gets a
doll for Christmas, names her Elizabeth, has a rotten cousin who gets a
fancier doll but doesn't really love
it....Elizabeth
is "lost" and eventually found. The book was small, and we got it from
the library several times but never found it in a bookstore. It would
make
a lovely graduation gift for my Elizabeth, who loved it!
Skorpen, Liesel Moak. Elizabeth.
Harper
& Row, 1970.
Note: it's rare and expensive. We'll keep looking!
I know several Elizabeths named for Betsy Ray
in Betsy-Tacy, and even one Tacy!
Lovelace, Maud Hart. Betsy-Tacy.
1940.
Elnora
My grandmother loved A Girl of the
Limberlost,
by Gene Stratton-Porter. My father loved it. I
loved
it--and named my first daughter "Elnora", in honor of our shared
affection.
It's the quaint and lovely story of a poor but determined girl, named
Elnora
Comstock, growing up fatherless in the Indiana "Limberlost" at the turn
of the (last...it's 2001, now!) century. The book lovingly
details the beauties of nature that inspire Elnora...and despite it's
typical
"syrupy" tone, remains fresh and comforting reading even today. A
useful benefit of having such an unusual name is that she rarely has to
compete with other "Elnora's" to maintain her identity. <g>
And
we're charmed by how many older women, in particular, upon hearing her
name, beam and say, "Oh! You're named after the book! How I
loved that book when I was a girl!"
Stratton-Porter, Gene. A
Girl
of the Limberlost. Doubleday,
1909.
Eloise
As a child I used to stay at the Plaza Hotel
in New York City. During that time (late 1950s-early 1960s) my
mother
was on the road and I have a nanny. My favorite story was Eloise
at the Plaza then because I really identified with the
precosciousness
of the character and her life situation. My fantasy always
was to have a daughter and name her Eloise. I shared my dream
with
a friend who many years later sent me an old copy. At the time
the
books were no being re-released. I noticed that the illustrators
name was Hilary knight……given the fact that my first name is
Hillary…….
I named my daughter Eloise in 1981 when she was born. I search
long
and hard for the Eloise books then. Today the Eloise
series is everywhere due to Kay Thompson’s death. I suspect there
will be a new generation of little girls named Eloise in the near
future.
A truly wonderful name for a little girl…a fabulous name for a
woman.
That’s my little story. Have a great day. Thanks
Thompson, Kay.
Eloise.
Illustrated
by Hilary Knight. Simon & Schuster, 1955.
Back in print! See the Back
in Print page.
Elspeth
For a long time, one of my favorite books has
been The Flame Trees of Thika, by Elspeth Huxley.
So when our daughter was born five years ago, that was the name we had
already settled on - Elspeth. She is VERY good at correcting
people
who don't listen and call her 'Elizabeth' or 'Elsabeth'. I've told her
where her first name comes from, and it makes her eyes get sooo
big.
I hope she reads and loves that book just as I do.
I named my daughter Elspeth, after Elspeth
Huxley's
memoir The Flame Trees of Thika. We have met only a few Elspeths
over the years (my daughter is 18), but invariably we find that this
book
is the source of the name. The little girl who played Elspeth in
the BBC adaptation of the book was just marvelous and that may have
inspired
parents as well.
Huxley,
Elspeth.
The
Flame Trees of Thika.
William Morrow, 1959.
Emily
Anne
I loved all of the L.M. Montgomery books,
in fact I named my daughter Emily Anne after Anne of Green
Gables
and
Emily
of New Moon.
Montgomery,
L.M.
Anne
of Green Gables. Page,
1908.
Montgomery, L.M.
Emily
of New Moon. Frederick
A. Stokes Co. 1923.
Wow... two books in one name! Used copies of
the Anne series usually available. The Emily
series
is only sometimes available.
Please
inquire.
Emily Elizabeth
When I was pregnant with my
third child my 2 older daughters wanted to name the baby EMILY
ELIZABETH after the character in the book CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG.
When they went to see the ultrasound they waved to the baby on the
screen and said hi to EMILY ELIZABETH. We did not know the sex of
the child but my older daughters just knew that would be the
name. The baby was a girl and of course we had to name her EMILY
ELIZABETH and we all read her the book series many times over the years.
Emily and Adam
I'm very interested in 2 different books written
by Anglund: Emily and Adam, Book of Opposites
and Emily and Adam. Apparently there is also a
line
of collectables in the Emily and Adam series- can you shed any light on
this for me? I recently had boy/girl twins and guess what their
names
are? EMILY and ADAM!!! I'm determined to find these
books/memorablias!
Thanks in advance!
Anglund, Joan Walsh. The
Adam Book, The Emily Book and The Emily
and
Adam Book of Opposites. Random House, 1979.
For more on JWA, see Most Requested Books.
Eowyn
One of my nieces is named after a Lord of the
Rings Princess, "Eowyn" (pronounced AY-o-win). The family at
first thought
they were crazy but the name has grown on us and she is a delightful
little
girl. My youngest calls her "Ay-o".
Tolkien, J.R.R. The
Lord of
the Rings trilogy.
London: George Allen and Unwin, 1954, 1954, 1955.
Evangeline
My daughter is named Evangeline (it's
a long story, but has to do with a vacation home in Nova Scotia, etc.,
etc.) Several years ago I began a collection of published copies of the
Longfellow poem for her. I collect copies in all languages (I have one
in German already), all years, all illustrations, etc.
I gave my daughter the middle name Evangeline
from Longfellow.
Longfellow,
Henry
Wadsworth. Evangeline.
1847.
Many editions and poetry collections both in
and out of print. Please
inquire.
Einstein
& Frolic
I wouldn't want you to think that I skipped
over
E and F in my pet alphabet, but I must admit that these aren't really
book
names. Frolic and Einstein were the two gerbils I had as a youth and
for
whom I built massive Habitat mansions and mazes. Fun stuff. Einstein
was
named for her tiny brains, and Frolic for her behavior. But they were
sometimes
hard to tell apart...
Many of Einstein's books and essays as well as some interesting
biographies
are often available. Please
inquire.
Faline
Hi how are you going? my parents named me faline,
after the deer in Bambi. I have only ever heard of one
other
faline but the spelling was different. I have been wondering if anybody
knows if Faline means anything or where it was from origonally?
Faramir
My family has had two cats with Tolkien inspired
names. First was Faramir, a black kitten my sister adopted while
attending the University of Georgia in 1983. When she moved to an
apartment that didn’t allow pets, my sister gave Faramir to our father,
who fell in love with him and doted on him for years. Faramir
grew
up to be strong but gentle, very much like his namesake in The
Lord
of the Rings. He was a great hunter and fearless in his
determination
to rid the world, or at least the neighborhood, of rats and mice.
At the same time Faramir was very friendly, patient with children, and
a natural leader. The other neighborhood pets respected him,
too.
Faramir lived to be 15 before his health broke down and he had to be
put
to sleep. People in the neighborhood still talk about him.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord
of
the Rings trilogy.
London: George Allen and Unwin, 1954, 1954, 1955.
Felim
Our cat, Thomas Felim O'Leary is named for Felim
Brady, the Bard of Armaugh, as per the folk song.
Franny
My first cat was named Francis by his first
owner.
I called him Franny after I adopted him. When I got another
cat I decided to name him Zooey. Franny and Zooey were best
friends
and I was reminded of one of my favorite books every time I said their
names at the same time.
J.D. Salinger.
Franny
and Zooey.
1961.
Gareth
When my mother was in high school she
decided
to name her first child after Gareth of "King Arthurs Round
Table"
Eight years later in 1953 I was born but there was a slight problem, I
was a girl. So she named me Kareth instead.
Garp
...for the bucket full of tadpoles that I
caught
at my uncle's pond in Massachuetts and transported back to our lake in
Ohio. Wonder if any of them ever grew up into frogs?
Irving, John.
The
World According to Garp.
Ballantine, 1978.
Used copies usually available. Sometimes
collectible first editions are also available. Please
inquire.
Gawain
I have a very special black cat whose official
name is Sir Gawain Van Tassel. Sir Gawain comes from the Knights
of the Round Table tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Van
Tassel
was the last name of the family Icabod Craine was sent to aid in the
classic
tale of the Headless Horseman.
Arthurian Legend
Gaynell
My grandmother was named after this book and
it is my middle name and my daughters also Read it once in my early
teens
and would love to get my hands on a copy. Its a story of a working
class
girl Gaynell who falls in love with Percy the man who owns the cotton
mill
she works in. Tragedy befalls them over and over but love survives
Libbey, Laura Jean. Willful
Gaynell.
New
York, N. L. Munro, 1890.
Georgina
I must admit... My daughter Georgina was named
after Roger Brook's friend Lady Georgina Worsley in Dennis Wheatley's Roger
Brook series.
Wheatley, Dennis. Roger Brook
series.
London, Hutchinson, 1955.
Gillian
This was a children's novel set, I think, in
the English countryside. It seems as if there were four or five
children,
possibly from two families. I think they might have been on
holiday.
It seems as if there was a lot of outdoor activity and adventure,
children
roaming about without the benifit of close adult superivsion. The
main thing I remember is a girl named Gillian who was called by either
Gill or Gilly and that I was fond of the book. I would love to
find
this book to read to my little girl, Gillian.
Reply to Book Stumper #G58--Gillian, Gilly,
Gill:
Mystery
of the Witches' Bridge, by Barbee Oliver Carleton, has
a
girl named Gilly, and similarities to the book described. Even if
it's not the right one, it's cheaply and easily available online and
well
worth having! Doesn't sound like The Great Gilly Hopkins,
or Gillian, Gillian, Gillian Jiggs, your room looks as if it was
lived
in by pigs!
My sister
was named after a movie (I don't know if it was a book first), Gillian from "Bell, Book & Candle".
Ginny
I raise Border Collies, particularly in the rare
color of red. When I knew I would be keeping a red haired female,
and knowing the very intelligent, spunky and energetic yet shy nature
of
the breed I could think of no better name than Ginny, as in Ginny
Weasley
from the Harry Potter series! Boy, does the name ever fit the dog!
Rowling, J.K.. Harry
Potter
series. Arthur A. Levine
Books,
1998.
Grahame
My second son is named Grahame, for the author
of "Wind in the Willows" Kenneth Grahame.
Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the
Willows. New York,
Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1908.
Grendel
...And, several of my cats have been named for
literary monsters: Grendel from Beowulf, Fafnir from the Norse myths
and
Caliban from The Tempest.
Raffel, Burton. Beowulf.
Harriett
I wasn't named after Harriet Tubman (I have more
t's than she does), but I've been on a Harriet Tubman kick
lately.
At least a children's book Harriet Tubman kick.
She's
the ultimate feminist role model: born into slavery, escaping, and then
returning to rescue hundreds of people from slavery. Live free or
die. Go, Harriet, go!
McGovern, Ann.
"Wanted
Dead or Alive" The True Story of Harriett Tubman.
Scholastic, 1965. New paperback, <SOLD>
Lawrence, Jacob.
Harriet
and the Promised Land.
Simon & Shuster, 1968, 1993. Gorgeously
illustrated
with simplicity and power and song-like narration by Harlem Renaissance
artist Jacob Lawrence. A New York Times Best Illustrated
Book.
New hardback, <SOLD>
McMullan, Kate.
The Story of Harriet Tubman, Conductor of the Underground Railroad.
Illustrated by Steven James Petruccio. Gareth Stevens Publishing,
1997. New hardcover. <SOLD>
Ringgold, Faith.
Aunt
Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky.
Crown Publishers, 1992. New hardback,
<SOLD>
Hazel and Pipkin
I had two hamsters named for characters from
Watership
Down. Hazel was a chubby brown hamster and Pipkin was a
tiny
fluffy teddy bear hamster. This book has been my favourite
throughout
my entire life, and I loved being able to use those names.
Adams, Richard. Watership Down.
London, Rex Collings Ltd, 1972.
Hedda
Hedda is my darling cat, named after Ibsen's
great Hedda Gabler, one of my favorite plays. Someday I
will
work on a production of this, do you think Hedda is up for the role?
Ibsen, Henrik.
Hedda
Gabler.
Norway, 1890.
Used copies usually available in several
translations.
Please
inquire.
.
Heffalump and
Woozle
Heffalump and Woozle are our adopted Brooklyn
cats, litter mates saved from behind the River Cafe. We named them
after
the Heffalump and Woozle that Pooh and Piglet hunt in the Winnie the
Pooh
books. Heffalump is the girl, and Woozle the boy.
Milne, A. A.. Winnie the Pooh.
Heidi
Hello! I am Heidi. Enough said.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Munchen,
F. Schneider, 1968.
Several used copies of Heidi
usually
in stock. Please inquire.
Hermione
Long before the fantastic success of the Harry
Potter movies, my husband Aaron was a rabid fan of the series by JK
Rowling. Having met in a bookstore, our marriage is firmly
rooted
in the idea that books are the most important thing you can have in
common.
Before we married Aaron was lonely bachelor and got himself a
puppy.
He didn't get a manly dog or a big dog, he chose a tiny Yorkshire
Terrier.
He had several names in mind, including Adia (from the Sarah McLachlan
song), but dashed all of those ideas as soon as he laid eyes on his
pup.
Her scrappy disposition and wild hair and her intelligence left him no
choice but to name her Hermione. As she has aged Hermione has
come
to embody more and more of her namesakes qualities. We named her
sister dog Pixie and everyday Hermione wrestles her to the ground like
so many magical creatures in a Defense Against the Dark Arts
Class.
Before the HP movies people had a hard time remembering little
Hermione's
name, now we have a different problem, convincing them that we
named
her for the character in the books, not the films.
Rowling, J.K.. Harry
Potter
series. Arthur A. Levine
Books,
1998.
Hilary Ruth
I named my daughter Hilary Ruth after the main
characters in the book Jane's House.
Imajica
Above and beyond the literary character influence
for a name, I named my daughter after an entire universe. Imajica by
Clive
Barker struck me in the chest and wouldn't let me breathe for two
months.
Years later, tossing around endless boy and girl names, I plopped down
in front of my bookcase. Hours later it was decided without much
conscious thought. Bastian for a boy (after the Neverending Story
character),
and the perfect girl-child now two and confusing Day Care Providers
everywhere,
Imajica Catherine. She has a lifetime ahead including the phrase
"It's a 'j', not a 'g'."
Barker, Clive. Imajica.
New York, NY, HarperCollins, 1991.
India
I had a great-aunt by marriage with the first
name of India. This great-aunt was born in Georgia and had lived
in Atlanta, according to family legend, a few a blocks from the house
where
Margaret Mitchell was writing "Gone with the Wind." We often
wondered
if my relative's first name somehow came to the attention of Margaret
Mitchell
and was then used in the book. My great-aunt never confirmed nor
denied our questions about her name. She would have already been
a middle-aged woman in the mid/late 1930's. Nevertheless, she was
to me, a child growing up in Pennsylvania, a wonderful "Southern Lady",
always gracious, always displaying the best manners, and having
sense
of what was "correct." I've never encountered another person with
the first name of India.
Mitchell, Margaret. Gone
With
the Wind. New York, The
Macmillian
company, 1939.
Indigo
A good friend of mine named her daughter Indigo
after Ntozake Shange's novel. Must be a good luck name, 'cause
her
daughter has racked up what seems a monopoly of awards in sports,
academics,
good will, theatre... yooza.
Shange,
Ntozake.
Sassafrass,
Cypress & Indigo : A Novel. New
York, St. Martin’s Press, 1982.
Used copies of many of Shange's titles often
in stock. Please inquire.
Iphigenia
A white pelican got lost one year and took up
residence in the Shaker Lakes near my home. I've seen brown pelicans in
the Carolinas, but not their southern relatives, the whites, so it was
most exciting and disorienting to see one in Ohio. She stayed in the
same
place day after day, feasting on fish, and despite efforts to scare her
into migration, she stayed after the first and second frosts. But when
it really began to snow, I think she figured out that south was the way
to go. Generally named after the Greek mythological character,
specifically
after the title character in
Euripides'
Iphigenia in Aulis.(I
think everyone in the area "adopted" this bird as their own special
friend...)
Euripides. Iphigenia
in Aulis.
Athens, 405 B.C.
Used copies usually available in several
translations.
Please
inquire.
Isabel
My Sara got her middle name from a famous
character:
Isabel
Archer from James' A Portrait of a Lady. Of
course,
that poor woman didn't suffer the happiest fate, but still, she's one
of
my heroines.
James. A Portrait of a
Lady.
Isabella
My other cats name is Isabella. I was reading
books by Sharon Kay Penman at the time and this was a popular lady's
name
in the historical time periods she writes about.
Ivy
When I was a kid I loved Zilpha Keatley Snyder
and one of my favorites was The Changeling, which
featured
an exotic free-spirited girl named Ivy. When I had my first
daughter,
Ivy was the only name I considered! Turns out, she's much like
her
namesake! :)
Snyder, Zilpha Keatley. The
Changeling.
James
My son James was named after James from
the Giant Peach.
Dahl, Roald. James and the
Giant Peach. New York,
Knopf,
1961.
Jennifer
I was interested to hear that Jennifer's
Rabbit is such a rare item. The copy my friend showed me is in
very good condition. I will tell her to make sure she takes very good
care
of it. My interest in the book is purely sentimental. Our elder
daughter,
31 next week, was partly named after Jennifer in the
song.
My husband and I were keen Tom Paxton fans in the sixties and heard him
sing "Jennifer's Rabbit" at a concert at The Royal Albert Hall. I
didn't
know the book existed until it came up in a casual conversation.
I thought it would be a lovely idea to find a copy for our daughter. I
do also have an interest in old books and love second hand book shops
and
cannot pass a second book shop or even charity shop without having a
look.
I named my first daughter after Jennie in
Portrait
of Jennie by Robert Nathan. It was my favorite book as an older
child,
both mysterious and romantic. Almost didnt do it when I realized
Jennifer was the most-used name in 1980, but after watching Jennifer
Jones
in the film I just couldnt resist. I save copies for her whenever
I find them.
Jenny
I named my black cat Jenny Linsky after the cat
in Jenny and the Cat Club. Another cat is named Tinker, after Captain
Tinker,
a character in the same book
Averill, Esther. Jenny and
the Cat Club. New York,
Harper
& Row, 1973.
Jim
Jim the black cat was named after Captain
James
Kirk on Star Trek by my friend's nephew. I'm not a
Trekkie,
but my favorite English professor happened to be Jonathan Frakes'
father
(who's an actor on Star Trek: The Next Generation), so I have a
certain fondness for Trekkies. I always thought Professor Frakes looked
like Ernest Hemingway, myself.
Used copies often available. Please
inquire.
John
Hi Harriett...I found Just Only John
at a site on the web and unbelievably it was on hold for another
customer!
So sad, too, because it was a special favorite of my daughter's, who
now
has a son John of her own.
See also comments about this book on the Solved
Mysteries page.
Kent, Jack. Just
Only John.
Parents Magazine Press, 1968. Out-of-print.
Used copies sometimes available. Please
inquire.
Jon
My son Jon is named for Jon Remillard
aka St. Jack the Bodiless of Julian May's Milieu
trilogy. I made the huge mistake of reading it when I was pregnant with
him. It's about a mother facing down an entire government to
carry
an illegal pregnancy to term. After he's born, the genetic
problems
cause him to discorporate, leaving behind only a naked brain.
Jonathan Carter
We named our
son Jonathan Carter, after John Carter,
Warlord of Mars from the Edgar Rice
Burroughs books, my ex-husband's favorite series.
Our son goes by his middle name, and is it any wonder that Carter is
now, at age 7, a budding sci-fi/fantasy fanatic? He's already read the
first four Harry Potter books, and we have the Philip Pullman
books waiting in the wings for when he finishes the Rowling
series. I'm only glad it turned out we were having a boy; I
would have fought naming a daughter Dejah Thoris. :)
Jordan
Daughter Jordan was named after Jordan Baker
in The Great Gatsby. I had to read it in 9th grade, and while
it's
not my favorite book and she was not a terribly likeable character, I
thought
it was a great name for a girl. I wish I would have known 11
years
ago that it would be so popular!
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The
Great
Gatsby. New York,
Scribner,
1967.
Jordana
my youngest daughter is named Jordana after a
character in Exodus.
Uris, Leon. Exodus.
Justin
My younger son, Justin, was named after a man
and a horse, same name: Justin Morgan (Had A Horse).
Henry, Marguerite. Justin
Morgan
Had a Horse. Chicago,
Wilcox
& Follett co., 1945.
Kandinsky
ok, it's art, not literature, but my little
grey
kitten (ok, he's a big tub of grey cat now) is named for the
master
and inventor of abstract art, the great Wassily Kandinsky.
Known fondly as Baby K.
Many monographs and biographies of Kandinsky usually available. Please
inquire.
Kanga
We have 3 cats named after
literary characters: Kanga
(from Winnie the
Pooh) and Sam and Pippin, who are named after Hobbits from Lord
of the Rings. Kanga has big back feet, like her namesake.
Sam is stocky and loyal, and Pippin is always getting into trouble,
just like their namesakes.
A. A. Milne. Winnie the Pooh.
Kiersten
Hi Harriett--My daughter Kiersten is named for
Kirsti, the title character of a book by Helen Markley Miller. I've always
loved the book & the way the name is pronounced ("Keer-stee"), so
the
name went to the top of my baby-names list. My husband's family has a
good
bit of English background, & there's no Finnish (or even
Scandinavian)
in either of our families, so we choose the English spelling of
Kirsten/Kirsti.
I'm an amateur genealogist & my daughter is quite happy that she is
the only Kiersten anywhere in the family tree! : )
Miller, Helen Markley.
Kirsti.
Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday, 1964.
Kinsey
my best friend named her now 8-year-old daughter
"Kinsey" after getting hooked (both of us are!) on the "Alphabet
Mysteries"
written by Sue Grafton (eg: A
is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, etc.).
The main character is a self-relliant female private investigator in
her
mid-30's named Kinsey Millhone....and we thought that was just a really
neat name. So when she "surprise" got pregnant on vacation with
her
family (her other children were 8 + 10...she thought her family was
done)
she named her little girl after
our favorite character.
Grafton, Sue. Alphabet Mysteries
series.
Kristin
I was named Kristin after the Kristin
Lavransdatter
by Sigrid Undset.
Undset, Sigrid.
Kristin
Lavransdatter. Kristiania,
H. Aschehoug & co. (W. Nygaard), 1920.
Lamb
My late sweet cat Lamb was named after the youngest
child in Five
Children and It, though I have yet to meet anybody who made the
connection.
Nesbit, E. Five
Children and It.
Lara
Lara - I was named for the Russian heroine of
Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago, though more people know the
movie
and theme song "Lara's Theme."
Pasternak, Boris. Doctor
Zhivago.
New
York Pantheon, 1958.
Laura
We named our daughter Laura after Laura
Ingalls
Wilder of the Little House books. I'm really
looking
forward to when our Laura is old enough to enjoy those wonderful
stories.
I was named Laura after Laura Ingalls
Wilder.
My mother loved those books when she was a kid and read "Farmer Boy" to
my brother and I when we were little.
Wilder, Laura Ingalls . Little
House
on the Prairie. New York
and
London, Harper & brothers, 1935.
Laurel
As a child, I had asthma and spent many hours
in bed, reading and listening to soap operas. One of my favorites
was Stella Dallas by Croson. The daughter's name was
Laurel.
I liked the way it rolled off the tongue, especially with our
name:
Laurel Ann.
Laurie Jo
I'm Laurie Jo. I would have been Amy Jo,
but for some reason (according to Mama) my dad said, "Amy Jo has gotta
go," and so it was Laurie. The next child would have been Beth,
but
he turned out to be a boy, Brad.
Alcott, Louisa May. Little
Women.
Boston, Roberts brothers,
1869.
Leto
Our huge German Shepherd dog is named Leto, after
Duke Leto in the Dune books by Frank Herbert. It's a nice, sharp
name and it conveys a sense of dignity, although our dog sometimes
seems
more like Scooby Doo.
Herbert, Frank. Dune.
Philadelphia, Chilton Books, 1965.
Levi
I named my son, Levi, after a character in the
book, Girls Turn Wives. It has been close to
thirty
years now so all I remember is he was the kind of man I wanted my
son to be.
Klein, Norma. Girls Turn
Wives.
New York, Simon & Schuster, 1976.
Lia
My middle daughter is named Lia after a character
in Foucault's Pendulum (anice, light book...)
Eco, Umberto. Foucault's
Pendulum.
London,
Secker & Warburg, 1989.
Limpopo
When I was 9 or 10 (1953-54), I kept checking
a book out of the library because I loved it so much. I have
thought
about it often over the years, but I don't remember the author or
title.
It was about a young girl who moved with her parents to Los
Angeles.
They would ride the trolley to the Farmers' Market. The girl had
a cat, possibly an orange tiger, who loved to sleep and hide in the
geraniums
that they had bought at the Farmers' Market. At some point toward
the end of the book, the father bought a car which he named "Limpopo",
after the "greasy green Limpopo" river because the car was both green
and
greasy. (I have named all the cars I have ever owned and I
attribute
that to this book!) I hope you can help me.
this sounds good - Ginny and Custard,
by Frances Clarke Sayers, illustrated by Eileen Evans,
published
New York, Viking 1951. "A charming story of a little New York
girl's
happy year in Los Angeles with an understanding father and mother
to enjoy exploring with her all sorts of new and exciting things - the
famous Farmer's Market; the wonderful fields of wild flowers; Olvera
Street
where they took Ginny's much-loved cat, Custard, for the Easter
Saturday
Festival; and many, many more. I enjoyed the story of Ginny; and the
book
left me with a feeling of really having had a happy time myself in Los
Angeles, so well does Mrs. Sayers picture the city." (Horn Book
Sept/51
p.331)
Liza
Dare
I'm 48 and still have all of my Edith and the
Bear books, and even Date with London. I was so affected by these books
that I called my younger daugher (now 16) Liza Dare.
Wright, Dare. The Lonely Doll.
Logan
Hi, I have a 9mo. old grandson named Logan.
I was playing around and entered www.logan.com into my
computer
and your site came up. I chuckled when I saw Loganberry because
that
is my name for my little grandson. My little "Loganberry." Secondly, we
live in Cuyahoga Falls and my son lives in Cleveland - west side. Last
but not least I am crazy about books. I have already bought so many for
Logan. It is soooo important to read to children and to teach them to
love
books. Right now he loves to eat them, but he'll soon learn about all
the
places books can take him. I'll check your site for directions to your
shop and the next time I come up to visit my son, I'll stop in and say
hi. Hope to see you soon.
Hi, I just stumbled across your website
because
I named my son, Logan. I thought I had heard of
Loganberry
books somewhere in the back of my mind, so I checked out that in
particular.
Then I noticed that you are near Cleveland and I just got a kick out of
that because I was born there! That's all I have to say,
really.
Just thought it was neat! Have a good day!!
Hello, my name is Kathy, and our first
grandson
was born this March 11th. His name is Logan Alexander,
which
is what prompted me to go into the web and see if there was a website
for
Logan---interesting tidbits on the name, origin, whatever is what I
thought
I'd find. Not sure why I thought that, but that was it.
Anyhow,
I was not disappointed to open it to a family name of Logan, and see
that
children's books are a part of the website.
HI. I HAVE A 17 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER NAMED LOGAN
(AVARIE). I LOVE THE NAME LOGAN. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS MORE FOR A
BOY,
BUT THEN I FIGURED IT COULD GO EITHER WAY. NOW, I KNOW AT LEAST 7
LITTLE
GIRLS NAMED LOGAN (AND 3 NAMED AVARIE WITH VARIOUS SPELLINGS). SHE FITS
THE NAME LOGAN, TOO.
Logan
is my 4 year old grandson who is all BOY!
I came across your website by looking for
books
with a girl character named Logan. I just want to shout out to
the
mom with the 17 month old GIRL LOGAN, can definitely go both ways and
I'm
glad to hear that I'm not the only one out there!
Add me to the list of people who found your
site
because their child is named Logan and I was curious about who had this
web address. My son's name is linked to the title character from
William F. Nolan's novel "Logan's Run" which more folks know from the
movie
than the book that spawned it. The book is not a particular
favorite
of mine - I had to read it for a class - but the name stuck with me and
I always knew it would be near the top of the list of boy baby names in
my future. Luckily, my hubby liked it, too, so I didn't have to
fight
for it. I was also happy to see the name Logan for a little boy
in
a delightful children's book called "The Sunflower Parable" by Liz
Curtis
Higgs which is now my 3 1/2 year-old's favorite book (of
course!).
Thanks for letting us post on your wonderful site - these are really
fun
to read!
Hi, I was looking for items for children named
Logan and I came across your website. My son is also named Logan
Alexander
and he was born in March. I was tickled to see Kathy also has a son
with
the same name and birthday month. His nickname is also
Loganberry.
This website made my day! Thanks.
We named our son (now 3 years old) after the
character
"Logan" or "Wolverine" in the X-Men comic books. I know a
lot of people don't consider comic books as literature but that's just
because they never have read them. My husband and I love that
character
and when we found out we were having a boy, we knew that had to be his
name. If it wasn't for comics, my husband wouldn't have become
the
reader he is today.
Lucy
Our second daughter, Lucy, was named after two literary
characters, Lucy Pevensie, or "Queen Lucy the Valiant," from the Chronicles of Narnia
books (my husband's favorite as a child), and Lucy Honeychurch from E. M. Forster's A Room With A View
(my favorite as a teenager).
Lewis, C. S. The
Chronicles of Narnia series.
Forster, E. M. A
Room with a View.
Lyddie
Another kitten? It's true.
Something
about going to a funeral and coming home with a cat (it made sense at
the
time). And what a wonderful fluff of fur she is! Lydia
looks
like the perfect mix between my other cats Hedda and Baby K (see
above),
and they're all getting along famously. Oh yes, and she is
officially
named after a great feminist children's book by Katherine Paterson
called Lyddie about a young woman who goes to work in
the
notorious weaving mills of Lowell, Massachuetts. I do hope my
Lydia
has an easier life!
Paterson, Katherine. Lyddie.
New
York, Lodestar Books, 1991.
Used and new copies sometimes available. Please
inquire.
Madeleine
Madeleine was named after Madeleine L'Engle
the author.
Madeline
My daughter, Olivia Madeline, is named for both
Madeline
Remillard of Julian May's Milieu trilogy and Madeline
the children's book character. "In an old house in Paris, covered
with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines" etc. (also
for Mary Magdalene, but that's another story)
Maggie
In response to your collection of people named
after book characters, here is my little story: I have a
10-year-old
daughter named Maggie. A couple years ago, I was talking with my
Grandma
Dot about how I just love the name Maggie, and she reminded me that a
few
months before I was even expecting (after 10 years of infertility), I
pointed
to a book on the shelf called Maggie Now by Betty
Smith
(of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn), and told her, "If the Lord ever
gives
me a daughter, that is what I am going to name her." So it was that I
remembered
that I named my daughter Margaret, with the nickname Maggie due to the
book Maggie Now.
Smith,
Betty.
Maggie-Now.
New York, Harper & Brothers, 1958.
Mandy
About my name..lol..I was named after the Berry
Manalow song "Mandy"..about his dog named Mandy that
he gave away and missed..lol. How crazy,
huh? =) My Mom read this book Mandy to me
when
I was a little kid and I totally loved it. I remember the whole
book
and it's been probably 17 or so years since. So I figured I need
to get a copy, and I want the book made the way I saw it when I was a
kid.
Edwards, Julie. Mandy. New
York, Harper & Row, 1971.
Marguerite
My name is Marguerite. I'm not a
"spinster aunt", over 70, or even french... It was my grandmother's
inspiration
really. To name me for the french courtisan who gives everything
she has for love, in Alexander Dumas' Camille.
Perhaps
that is why I've always been such a great romantic.
McGee
I am looking for the little book, sold in a
grocery
store, in 1959...purchased for my daughter, by Grandma, while I was
birthing
my oldest son.....This little book, called The Yellow Cat, was all
rhyming
and parts of it read...."Jonathan Wonathan Higgins McGee, jumped out of
bed in a one, two, three, put on his coat, and his tie, and his
spats.......said
there's no such thing as a yellow cat".....anyway.....baby boy John and
I come home from the hospital, to Daddy John, and Grampa John....so a
nickname
was in order, and being folks who utilized "baby talk", we began
calling
the baby..."Jonathan Wonathan Higgins McGee", and finally just
"McGee"....which
he is still called today....43 years later....It fits him, he loves it,
and the little book was so loved by all the kids...(we eventually had a
pair of twins, in addition to the daughter and son)
The Yellow Cat.
Meg
When I was born 60 years ago, I was named for
my Mother, Mary, and my Grandmother, Marguerite. They said, "Mary
Marguerite is too big a name for this tiny baby." My mother's friend
suggested
Meg as a nickname from "Little Women." I always
loved
having a different name, tho' it's become more popular. I never
hesitate
to correct people who think it is from "Megan.: I'm a true Meg and
always
have been (even tho' Jo was my favorite of the Little Women). My
sisters
and I collect Little Women dolls, too.
My mother was a high school English teacher
who
loved to read and passed that gift on to me. My brother and I
were
born in the 60s and given the then uncommon names of Todd and Meg which
are of course from "Little Men" and "Little Women".
I have always loved being just "Meg" and always let people know that it
is not short for anything. I worked at a wonderful place with a
just
"Jo" (named for the same), Amy and Beth.
Alcott, Louisa May. Little
Women.
Boston, Roberts brothers,
1869.
Meggie
We named our youngest daughter Meggie, when we fell in love with
the name after watching on TV (and then, reading) Colleen McCullough's Thornbirds. And her
given name truly is, simply, Meggie. It's a perfect fit.
McCullough, Colleen.
Thornbirds.
Meghan
I named one of my cats Meghan and call her Meggie
from the main character in The Thorn Birds - one of my
all
time favorite books.
McCullough, Colleen. The
Thorn
Birds.
Merlin
and Arthur
I was reading Stephen Lawhead's Arthur trilogy at the
time
my Husband and I decided to adopt a cat. We named him Merlin, which was
pretty fitting, considering he's mostly black, and at a vet-approved
normal
weight of 15 lbs, pretty imposing. And he's also extremely intelligent.
A year later, we decided to adopt a second cat. His name posed a bigger
problem. Nothing we thought of really seemed to fit his personality. So
we finally settled for Arthur, just to keep the theme going. But it
turned
out to fit him perfectly. Being slightly smaller and younger than
Merlin,
he's learned a lot from him. He sometimes tends to jump into something
without thinking it all the way through, and its always Merlin that
helps
him out of a scrape. If you don't mind, a small plug...both of
our
boys were adults when we adopted them from the local Humane Society.
Contrary
to the horror stories we had heard, neither of them had behavioural
problems.
They are not destructive, and they have always used the litter box from
day one--no exceptions. And even though they're both male, neither of
them
sprays. So if you're considering adoption, please consider older
animals
from a local shelter. They do come with fewer antics than kittens, but
they up the ante with lots of love and affection, and I even believe
appreciation.
Lawhead, Stephen. Arthur.
Milo
We named our son Milo after Norton Juster's
"The Phantom Tollbooth." I was never lucky enough to read this
book
as a child, but a college roommate introduced me to it and I loved
it.
Thanks Maura, wherever you are. I decided then and there, 12
years
ago, that I would name my son Milo. Over the years my resolve
waned
and it was just one of the names I suggested to his father.
Unbelievably,
it was the one name he truly loved. We agreed, with my only
exception
being that we could not name our son Milo if he was born with red
hair.
It would just be too much. But after 31 hours of labor and a
C-section
and all of the Demerol, morphine and whatever else I had in me, I was
too
tired to object when Jack proclaimed our red-headed son was to be named
Milo. I hope Milo learns to love his name as much as we do.
Juster, Norton. The
Phantom
Tollbooth.
Yearling,
1988.
Minnow
I encountered your site this morning while trying
to find one story I read as a child, and discovered a lead to a
different
story that has eluded me for years. I read stumper T90, and one of the
suggestions was for "Worry Week" by Anne Lindbergh. Based on the
description
given, this is a book my aunt loaned to me as a pre-teen. I've wanted
to
read it again, but my aunt is no longer with us. Over the years, I've
done
several searches and asked librarians for help finding this
story.
My aunt thought I would like it because the protagonist is, like me,
the
eldest of three sisters. I empathized with how the oldest sister wanted
to stay on the island though her parents had to return to the city. I,
too, have always loved being near the sea. The youngest sister is
nicknamed
"Minnow," and after reading this story, that became my pet name for my
youngest sister, previously called "Minna." Perhaps that makes this fit
in your collection of people named for literary figures.
Lindbergh, Anne. Worry
Week.
San
Diego, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1985.
Morgan
Morgan was named after Morgan LeFey from Sir
Thomas Malory's "La Morte D'Arthur"
Morgan is for Morgan LeFay
Malory, Sir Thomas. La
Morte
D'Arthur.
Mrs. Frisby
I also had a pet mouse named Mrs. Frisby from
Mrs.
Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.
O'Brien, Robert C., Mrs. Frisby
and
the Rats of Nimh. New
York, Atheneum, 1971.
Nathaniel
My son was named Nathaniel after a character
in The Witch of Blackbird Pond that I read when I was in
6th grade.
Speare,
Elizabeth
George. The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
1958.
Neeley
My beagle mix, Neeley, was named for a character
in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. She's 7 years old, and
before
I got her (knowing I was looking for a puppy) I had many names picked
out,
but Neeley in the book is a boy. I wanted a male puppy but I ended up
with
the runt of the litter, the only girl. Sooooo......I didn't tell
her she was named after a boy. I considered naming her Francie, after
the
main character, but I wasn't keen on the name
and since nobody else I knew had read the book
anyway, and since they wouldn't know the REAL Neeley was a boy, I
decided
to go ahead and name her Neeley after all. (I call her Neeley Nolan
when
I'm mad at her!) At the time I never thought of using Brooklyn as
a pet name, or Tree, either. Fortunately for the dog! 2 years ago
I got a cat and by that time had reserved the name Brooklyn for my next
female pet. Long after that I heard a Spice Girl named her poor SON,
Brooklyn.
And to think I was worried about a dog having a girl's name!
Smith, Betty,
A
Tree Grows in Brooklyn. 1944.
Nicholas
Through the years Earnest Hemmingway
has
become my favorite author. When my wife and I had our first son
we
both wanted his name to be more than a selection from The Baby Name
book she received as a shower gift. Believe it or not, I couldn't get
her
to buy-into Earnest so I focused on one of Hemmingway's main
characters,
Nick
Adams. From this we found our son's middle name,
Nicholas.
Being born two months early we wanted a name to signify strength.
Preferably something with a religious connotation (from
The Bible)
to acknowledge our thanks. We choose Joshua for his first
name. It was the aged man Joshua who went off into the desert
alone
as Moses had asked, and found "The Land of Milk and Honey."
By-the-way, exactly one year later to this day Son, Mother, Brookei
(our
Golden Retriever) and Father are all doing just perfectly!!
Hemingway,
Ernest.The
Nick Adams Stories.
Macmillan,
1981 reprint. New paperback, $12
Nikita
The name is officially Manx Nikita to keep her
within the pet alphabet. She already came with a name you see,
and
even though we changed it slightly from Nocoda to Nikita, the cat seems
to think it's the same name. But no literary source? This
cannot
be!! Help--we need a literary source for our newest feline,
Nikita.
Free books for best contribution! Thanks for your help.
It's a male rather than a female Nikita; but
there
is Nikita's Childhood by Alexei Tolstoy.
Olivia
My daughter is Olivia Madeline. Her
favorite
book is Olivia, by Ian Falconer. "This is
Olivia.
She's good at a lot of things. She's very good at wearing people
out." One morning when I got her up to dress and potty, the cat
was
sitting on the closed toilet. "Get up. Move cat" she
announced,
just like in "her" book.
Falconer, Ian. Olivia.
New
York, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000.
Omar
Sharing space with an Oriental Rug dealer, as
I do, I usually keep several editions of the classic Rubaiyat of
Omar Khayyam around. But the other day, I actually sold a copy
to someone who named her son Omar after the famous poem.
Otto
My favorite goldfish of all time who lived a
very
long life and died recently was named Otto from the children's book Fish
Out of Water by Helen Palmer. I loved that book,
especially
the magic fish seller who turned the fish small again in the end.
Anyhow, my fish bore a strong resemblance to his namesake, minus the
size
issue.
Palmer, Helen. Fish Out of
Water. Random House
Beginner
Book. New copy, $8
Owen
After my husband named our first son Nathan
Arizona for the baby in the movie "Raising Arizona," I
demanded
the right to name our second after a character in my favorite book, A
Prayer for Owen Meany. I decided that Meany was a tough
middle
name to stick a kid with, though, so we went with "Owen William"
instead.
And surprise, surprise, like his namesake, Owen has turned out to be a
tiny little boy with a huge personality!
Paddington
My dog is a very, very fluffy, buff-colored
chow-mix
dog with little drop ears. He greatly resembles a small
bear.
When I first got him, I wasn't sure what to call him and started
looking
around for ideas. However, as soon as I saw it, I knew instantly
that he was a Paddington (Bear) through and through. It was the
perfect
name for my bear dog, and everyone who has heard it agrees. All
he's
missing is the hat and duffle coat. He has the Paddington-esque
habit
of getting into trouble too, so I'll continue keeping an eye on my
Paddington
and hope that he doesn't take up carpentry, plumbing or cooking like
the
bear he was named for...my house couldn't take it.
Bond, Michael. Paddington
Bear.
London, Collins, 1972.
Paige
I was named for a character in a book.
I was born in 1963 and my mom named me Paige after a character in a
novel.
Unfortunately, she doesn't remember the title or author, just the main
character was named Paige and she liked the name. I, on the other
hand, wish she'd never read the book
(whatever it's called) because being named Paige
in a small town in the 1960's and 70's when everyone was named Lisa,
Nancy,
or Lori was pure torture.
Pescato
Pesky is the older of our two boys. His
nickname really stands for Pescato. If you haven't heard of this
heroic cat, I suggest you read The Town Cat and Other Tales,
by Lloyd Alexander. In fact, even if you have heard of
him,
this book is worth reading again. If you are looking for good
names
for your cats, Mr. Alexander certainly has the knack. I hope you
enjoyed
our stories. I know I've enjoyed sharing them. Thanks for
asking.
Alexander, Lloyd, The Town Cat
and
Other Tales.
Phronsie
II have an unusual name-my mother's favorite
book was The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney,
and she named me Phronsie after the youngest daughter in the book.
Sidney, Margaret. The Five Little
Peppers and How They Grew Up.
Pinky
My sister's nick-name is Pinky. While we
were awaiting her birth, our babysitter read me and my brother our
favorite
book about a family expecting a baby. When the baby was born it
was
so pink, the family called it Pinky. No one in my family
remembers
the name of the book, and I've sent this request in as a stumper.
Nevertheless,
from the day my sister was born to this very day, she is called Pinky,
regardless of the fact that she has a beautiful given name. She
is
about to turn 50, and I would love to find the book for her.
Pippin
My sister adopted another cat in 1985 and named
him Pippin. Pippin lived to be 17. He was a large,
rambunctious,
friendly cat (again, his personality was very similar to that of his
Lord
of the rings counterpart) who never met an enemy. He would hunt
mice
but only to try to make friends with them (normally they weren’t
interested).
He led a long, happy life with very little illness until he finally
died
in his sleep with his favorite toy beside him.
We have 3 cats named after
literary characters: Kanga (from Winnie the Pooh) and Sam and Pippin, who are named after Hobbits
from Lord of the
Rings. Kanga has big back feet, like her namesake.
Sam is stocky and loyal, and Pippin is always getting into trouble,
just like their namesakes.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord
of
the Rings trilogy.
London: George Allen and Unwin, 1954, 1954, 1955.
Polyxena
... and a subsequent cat was Polyxena after
Hector's
sister in The Tale of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green.
Rebecca
Mother said the last thing she saw before they
wheeled her into the delivery room was Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca
lying on her table. I think Rebecca's beauty, glamour, elegance,
and mystery must have meant more to Mother than Rebecca's probity,
because
she named me Rebecca at a time when it was uncommon. And she was
very strict about my moral character!
Maurier, Daphne du. Rebecca.
København, Jespersen og Pio, 1947.
Robin
Hi! My name is Robin, and my older
brother’s
name is Christopher. We were named by our librarian mother BEFORE
Disney got hold of Winnie-the-Pooh. She figured
nobody
would ever figure out that we were named after an obscure English
author’s
main character. We always wanted her to have more
children
and name them “Winnie,” “Pooh,” etc. but the best we got
was
a cat named Tigger.
A. A. Milne. Winnie the Pooh.
Rosemary
I was named Rosemary after the line in Shakespeare’s
Hamlet where Ophelia talks about flowers and says “
..rosemary,
that’s for remembrance…”.
Rowan
In 1994, I read "The Witching Hour"
by Anne Rice, and the name Rowan just always stuck with me.
Fast
forward to 10 years later, and the only name my husband and I could
agree
on for a girl was Rowan, so Rowan she is. I love it, and it suits her.
People either love it, or they ask me what I was thinking!
Rumor
The cats are another story entirely.
Rumor
is our youngest. He gets his name from a large Moor cat which appears
in
Terry
Brooks' Shannara series. While these books don't
pretend
to be for children, they are great reading nonetheless.
Brooks, Terry. The Sword of
Shannara. Random House,
1977.