(no subject)

[cathkitten.livejournal.com]

Someone posted about Annabel Lee for a girl earlier and it got me thinking: Do any of you like names because of strong literary associations?

I've always wanted to name my first daughter Anne after the heroine in Anne of Green Gables, my all time favorite book. I love Elaine from the Tennyson poem, Evangeline from the Longfellow poem, Margaret from the Hopkins poem. Elinor and Marianne from Sense and Sensibility, Elizabeth and Elizabeth-Jane from Pride and Prejudice and The Mayor of Casterbridge. I do the same with songs: there is an old song that my dad used to sing to me when I was little called "Amy" and so I've been toying with the name Amelia lately.

Are there any names you like because you read them in books/heard them in songs?

Comments

[nikkichan.livejournal.com]

i LOVE the name Amy, so pretty. i wanna name my first daughter that :)

[cathkitten.livejournal.com]

You should listen to the old song "Amie" by Pure Prairie League! It's sort of cheesy but it's a very pretty song.

http://www.lyricsondemand.com/a/amielyrics/pureprairieleaguelyrics.html

[dancing-crazy.livejournal.com]

When I read "The Shipping News" for the first time, I came upon a quote with imagery that stuck with me to this day: "In Wyoming they name girls Skye. In Newfoundland, it's Wavey." Something about it just struck me and I fell in love with the name Wavey and loved it ever since. I don't know if I'll ever get to use it, but in all truth and despite it being so different, I'd like to very much.

[straight-outta.livejournal.com]

i'm definitely partial to harper because of the author harper lee (for a girl), even though her real first name is nelle, harper's her middle. also francesca because of the author francesca lia block. i like the name lux for a girl, from the virgin suicides. and violet's from lemony snicket's series. it's not really where i started to like the name; the series/movie just reminded me of the name itself.

but also for a boy, not very 'literary' but cartoony, i love the name linus from the peanuts.

[maude.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it's quite literary in the sense you're asking, but because of old Greenlandic folklore I'm partial to the name Freydís (FREY'r-dis). She was the daughter of Eric the Red and was completely awesome. In The Saga of Eric the Red it says that on an exploration to North America, the vikings were attacked by natives and had to run to their ships to escape. Since Freydís was heavily pregnant and therefore slow she was left behind. When the natives came upon her, she picked up a sword, bared her breasts, and beat her chest while screaming a battle cry, ready to fight them...and the natives all promptly turned around. Her son Snorri was the first child born of European origin in North America.

Of course, Freydís also killed around 25 people and had a lot more killed for her...but she was still crazy awesome. :)

[julieannie.livejournal.com]

So this is going to sound dorky but here goes. You know how most people decided they just had to name their child Heaven Leigh after reading the VC Andrews books? I read the name Logan and knew I loved it instantly. The fact that it goes with my SO's last name is even more perfect. And it's better than Heaven Leigh.

[nikkichan.livejournal.com]

i've heard it...its awesome! but im gonna check out the lyrics anyway lol...thanks!

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

I've always loved Anne and Diana from Anne of Green Gables. I also love the name Noah from The Notebook and Lydia from Pride and Prejudice. Jo and Meg from Little Women. Landon from A Walk To Remember.

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

Duh, Elinor and Marianne from Sense and Sensibility.

[traecrochet.livejournal.com]

Elinor from Sense and Sensibility
Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables (also one of my favorite series ever)
Wilhelmina from Dracula
Flannery because of Flannery O'Connor
Isabella from Measure for Measure
Nathaniel because of Nathaniel Hawthorne
Beatrix because of Beatrix Potter

I believe that's it for now.

[thorabrighid.livejournal.com]

I've always loved Elinor because of Sense and Sensibility, when people ask me why i want to spell it that way, i tell them s&s of course! haha.

[knightanika.livejournal.com]

My parents used to sing that to me, basically cus my name is Amy (Blech).

[monalyssasmile.livejournal.com]

I love the name Ada after hearing it on the movie Cold Mountain, which is also a novel.

[secret-x-stars.livejournal.com]

i fell in love with Eli after listening to the Decemberists song 'Eli, the Barrow Boy.'

[solyma.livejournal.com]

laurence/laurie from little women.
do tv shows count? "law & order: svu" made me love the name elliot (although, i also like it because of jim & elisabeth elliot- 2 heroes of mine).
what about movies? when i was 6, i saw "all i want for christmas" and fell in love with the name ethan... and ethan embry the actor. ;)

[colin-chaotic.livejournal.com]

I remember when I first read the Obernewtyn Chronicles, I fell in love with the name Rushton. I got over it by naming a RPG character Rushton (he's since become my single most beloved character ever, and my most notorious).

And, of course, there's Score and Jack - from the Diadem series and the Mindwarp series, respectively (not that I ever considered naming a poor child 'Score', but I contemplated it as a nickname). And can't forget Tobias from Animorphs! Can NEVER forget him.

I've never really been big into literature, which explains why all of my choices are from kids' sci-fi books. I was actually more into history than anything else as a kid, so all of the names I adored where, like, Alexander, Robert, Jesse, Elizabeth... you get the idea. And since three of those four (Jesse fell out of favor) are still on my 'will-name-future-children' list... I guess they stuck?

[invisiblepet.livejournal.com]

LOVE Harper from Harper Lee.

[invisiblepet.livejournal.com]

Harper from To Kill a Mockingbird (I don't like Jem or Scout or Boo or Calpurnia but this is my favorite book)
Holden from Catcher in the Rye
Elizabeth from P n P
Avalon from the King Arthur stories
Aspeth from "Prep" (a rather new fiction novel)
Cross from "Prep"
Bible names I like: Rachel, Esli, Elizabeth, Seth
From Harry Potter: Lily, Lavendar, Griffin

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

Literary names ...
Atticus
Caspian (chronichles of narnia)
Finny (bright angel time)
Hawkeye (last of the mohicans)
Holden
Japhy (the dharma bums)
Siddhartha

Ada (cold mountain)
Briony (attonement)
California Morning 'California' aka Lucy*
Cora (last of the mohicans)
Daisy (great gatsby)
Emillia (othello)
Esme (to Esme with love and squalor)
Golden Promise 'Golden'*
Ocean*
Phoebe (catcher in the rye)
Prarie*
Siddalee 'Sidda'
Sierra*
Scout as a nn

*ballard of Lucy Whipple (wouldn't use those IRL, but do still like them)

Writers themselves ...
Anais [Nin]
Austen
Beckett
Bronte
Emerson
Harper
Jack [Kerouac]
Tenessee [Williams]

Songs ...
Jude
Julia
Layla
Lola
Luka
Ruby (as in Ruby Tuesday)

[thunderofsins.livejournal.com]

I love the name Emily from Michael W. Smith's song Emily. Its a beautiful song that I've loved since I first heard it (i believe in middle school). But, my friend who also loved that song since then, who's been my friend since then, had her baby last year and named her Emily.

[neroli.livejournal.com]

I know someone who was considering Waverley as a name for a girl. I wonder if that would be up your alley as well?

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

Love love love Josephine!

[laananas.livejournal.com]

I like Grayer (from The Nanny Diaries).

I've always had an obsession with the Oregon Trail, and books from that time. One of them had a boy named Wade, and I love that name.

Bailey, another favorite, is from The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants.

Morgan is from a One Last Wish book I read many, many years ago, but I still love the name.

Noah= The Notebook (one of my favorite names & favorite movies)

[laananas.livejournal.com]

Oh, I also like a few Biblical names:

Ruth, Noah, Eli (comes from Elijah), Malachi

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

I love MWS! Emily is a good song!

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

Biblical names:
Noah
Josiah
Levi (I especially love this one)
Luke
Joanna

Literature names:
Emma
Scarlett (GWTW)
Lucy (Chronicles of Narnia)
Rebecca and Susanna from The Crucible

I don't remember a lot of names from literature I just realized. Hmm. I wonder how authors choose names?

[shyloh.livejournal.com]

I work at a daycare and I have a student named Harper...she's 3!

[shyloh.livejournal.com]

I saw a movie (can't remember the title), but one of the characters names was Jett. I really like it spelled Jhett. But I doubt hubby would consider it.

[twoheadedboi.livejournal.com]

My mums name is Bryony...so I like that you picked it, sort of. :]

[twoheadedboi.livejournal.com]

I love the name Eric after reading The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks.
And when I was younger I fell in love with the names Matilda and Lavender because of the Roald Dahl book.

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

Nice :)
I had a friend in high school named Bryony, so actually liked the name before the book came out.

[darabelle.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh I would never name my kid Holden. Nooo!

I think I'm the only person who hated that book.

[babyhoyt.livejournal.com]

We are naming our first daughter Emma Jane. Emma from Jane Austen's novel, and Jane after Jane Eyre, my all time favorite ever.

I am considering Paige Elinor for a second girl... Elinor from sense and sensibility (Paige for vanity).

We also are toying with Colin Ayres... William Ayres Holliday was my ancestor to travel to America from Ireland in the 1750's. Um, and Ayres is a lot like Erye. not that I am obsessed or anything!

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

I did like the book but wouldn't actually call a kid that, would worry that he'd live up to it.

Can kinda relate though, I studied Pride & Prejudice in college [the book itself, haven't seen the recent movie] and everyone raves about it, but I didn't like it.
Ugh and don't get me started on Frankenstien.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

My daughter is Amelia, because of Amelia Jane the Enid Blyton series, i loved it!!

[anapology.livejournal.com]

Weird.. my best friend is an Emma Jane, and i was just considering earlier on today how many Emma Janes i seem to have met lately.. the names flow so well.

[ouronlylight.livejournal.com]

A lot of the names I like I stole from TV shows, actually. A sampler...

Anya, Connor, Cordelia, Lilah, Wesley (Angel/Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Carly, Dillon (Dylan), Luke, Lulu (General Hospital)
Addison (Grey's Anatomy)
Jack, Serena (Law & Order, also partially Sailor Moon from my formative years for the latter)
Shannon (Lost)
Ethan, Ivy, Jane, Julian, Noah (Passions)
Leo, Logan, Veronica (Veronica Mars)

The Catcher in the Rye also turned me on to Holden (as a middle name more than anything), Antigone made me like Ismene (though I'd never use it), and, thanks to Greek mythology, I love the name Persephone (though, again, I'd never use it).

[elemmennope.livejournal.com]

Dulcinea - Don Quixote
Nimue - Avalon mythology
Adele - Jane Eyre

Cedric - Ivanhoe
Arthur - King Arthur

[muliebrity.livejournal.com]

Was it Tank Girl that you saw?

[dancing-crazy.livejournal.com]

I actually like Waverley a lot! And it also happens to have a strong literary association--from "The Joy Luck Club", of course. And I actually love Waverley's character, despite her.... mmm... complexity. =) Thanks for reminding me! I guess I like that sound. It's almost somewhat onomatopoeic... and I love the waves... :)

[dancing-crazy.livejournal.com]

I love Adele for the same reason.

[feelslike-2day.livejournal.com]

yes! I'm loving the name Isabel now after the Il Divo song...

[neroli.livejournal.com]

It's also the name of a novel by Sir Walter Scott (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waverley_%28novel%29). (I don't know whether Amy Tan was referencing the earlier work in her name choice or if it's just a coincidence.)

[dancing-crazy.livejournal.com]

I'd never read the novel, though I've heard of it now that I think of it. That's interesting. There's something about that sound that just gets my attention.

[dancing-crazy.livejournal.com]

I've* never read. I'd be willing to, of course. That's a very unfortunate typo. =)

[babyhoyt.livejournal.com]

I think Jane is such a great middle name. It goes with so much!

[krazyhippie.livejournal.com]

My mom wanted to name me Jolene after a Dolly Parton song. *shudder* I'm SO glad my dad slapped down the veto on that one.

Aloha!

[soulsurvival.livejournal.com]

My name is Amy and I love it. It means Beloved in french, which you guys probably know already! It isn't very popular anymore... But I wish it would be. *pouts and feels unnoticed*
mmaybe it could make a comeback? *is hopeful*
^-^