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Literary Boy Names

These literary boy names are derived from characters in books from all genres. Some of these literary heroes and anti-heroes, such as Romeo and Tristan, come from works of fiction written centuries ago, while others, like Kafka and Edmund, are contemporary.

Along with Tristan and Romeo, other literary boy names in the US Top 1000 include Atticus, Axel, Holden, Magnus, Orlando, Rhett, Samson, and Santiago. Some names for boys remain inextricably tied to their literary namesakes, such as Heathcliff, Gogol, Ishmael, and Zooey.

Here, a selection of the most distinctive literary boy names from books. It might also be worth checking out your own bookshelves for literature-inspired baby names that are relevant to you.

Riley

Meaning: courageous

Origin:Irish
582
Cody

Meaning: helpful, pillow

Origin:English
455
Jude

Meaning: praised

Origin:Latin diminutive of Judah
14
Sawyer

Meaning: woodcutter

Origin:English
100
Holden

Meaning: hollow valley

Origin:English
221
Atticus

Meaning: from Attica

Origin:Latin
5
Magnus

Meaning: greatest

Origin:Scandinavian from Latin
34
Rufus

Meaning: red-head

Origin:Latin
174
Samson

Meaning: sun

Origin:Hebrew
420
Milo

Meaning: soldier or merciful

Origin:Latin and Old German
17
Romeo

Meaning: pilgrim to Rome, Roman

Origin:Italian
285
Archer

Meaning: bowman

Origin:English
106
Silas

Meaning: of the forest; or prayed for

Origin:Aramaic, Latin, Greek
4
Jasper

Meaning: bringer of treasure

Origin:Persian
49
Septimus

Meaning: the seventh son

Origin:Latin
711
Mingus

Meaning: tenants of a manor

Origin:Scottish, variation of Menzies
1265
Gulliver

Meaning: glutton

Origin:Irish
1561
Barnaby

Meaning: son of consolation

Origin:English variation of Barnabas, Aramaic
349
Wolf

Meaning: traveling wolf

Origin:Animal name or diminutive of Wolfgang, German
382
Axel

Meaning: father of peace

Origin:Scandinavian variation of Absalom
391