Names Made Popular by Books and Literature (8 Ideas from the 1900s through the Present!)
We all are influenced by the books, tv, and movies around us. And that was even true back in the 1800s and early 1900s, before television and movies came about. Parents back then were also inspired by names they read about in books. Let’s look at a few that became wildly popular thanks to their authors!
Names Made Popular Due to Books and Literature
Wendy
The name Wendy was virtually unknown in the US until J.M. Barrie introduced it in his play in 1904. Then, it flew to even higher heights after the Disney movie was released in the 1950s.
Sadly, after the restaurant franchise Wendys opened in 1969, and later went public in 1976, this name fell out of popular use.
Zona
Pulitzer prize winning novelist Zona Gale’s name became popular in the 1900s due to her fame. Her most famous book was Miss Lulu Bett, published in 1920.
Fun fact: her full married name was Zona Gale Breese. Gale? Breeze? Get it?!
Jody
The novel The Yearling released in 1938 and its film adaptation in 1946 featured a heroine named Jody.
Both of these made Jody a household name.
Amber
After Kathleen Windsor released the historical romance novel Forever Amber in 1944, this name became very trendy! It was also made into a movie in 1947.
Lara
The Russian name Lara, which is a short form of Larisa, came to America thanks to Boris Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago which was published in 1957. The movie adaptation in 1965 further drove interest in the name.
Related post: Names That Mean Honorable
Gage
The book Pet Sematary (1983) and the movie (1989) made the name Gage popular for boys.
Bella
Bella is the Italian word for beautiful.
Author Stephanie Meyer used this as the name for the main character in the Twilight books and movie, released in 2005 and 2008, respectively.
You might also enjoy: Names Made Popular By Movies
Cullen
When Stephanie Meyer’s novel Twilight (2005) and the corresponding movie were released (2008), the name Cullen received a boost in popularity. This was due to the main character, a vampire named Edward Cullen
Related post: Unique Names from Children’s Books Authors
Wrap Up – Names Made Popular by Books and Literature
There are probably dozens or even hundreds of names out there that parents chose due to their favorite reading material!
Did you name your child after a book that you read? Or know someone who has? We’d love for you to share the name and the story in the comments.
Related post: Check out our post about names ruined by history and pop culture!
Resource: The website Behind the Name is a fantastic resource for finding more names based on uniqueness, similarity to other names, and meaning.