Literary Names for 2019

In an article about the top predictions for baby names in 2019, babycentre.co.uk announced a range of trends including babies named after exotic locations. They also suggested that animations such as the recent Peter Rabbit film (based on the children’s book by Beatrix Potter) will make for popular names in 2019. Among the names they expect to see are, of course, Peter, Beatrix (after the author herself), and Jemima (as in after Beatrix Potter’s Puddleduck).

Also expected to see a rise are names from popular box sets, such as the epic, dragon-filled, Game of Thrones (based on the books by George R.R. Martin). According the BabyCentre, the name Aria/Arya broke into the top ten baby names in 2018 so they expect this trend to continue next year. Other names from Game of Thrones that are popular contenders for high ranking baby names in 2019 include; Sansa, Tyrion, Jon, and Dany (short for Daenerys – the dragon queen).

While some of these names may be a bit out there for some parents, other literary names can be a subtle and lovely nod to your love of books. In fact, in 2018, BabyCentre reported names including Scarlett (as in Curtis – journalist and author of Feminist Don’t Wear Pink and Other Lies), and Emmeline (as in suffragette Pankhurst whose biography My Own Story is available for free in ebook format). BabyCentre note that these names are probably a result of the increasing momentum of the #MeToo movement which resulted in a rise in children named after ‘Rebel Women.’ Lastly, while not exactly literary, 2018 saw a rise in children named after Beauty and the Beast’s Belle who is to many a literary hero for her love of books and, of course, that amazing library from The Beast’s castle – we all want a library like that, right?

So, with the 2019 fast approaching and some literary-themed naming trends on the table, would you consider naming your child after a literary character?