Whether it’s via the scratch of a quill pen, the clack of a typewriter, or the click of a keyboard, authors through the ages have been busy crafting stories that move us — and in the process, they’ve also come up with some pretty unforgettable names. For ages, writers have recorded history, spun epic tales, and captured emotions that we sometimes struggle to put into words. But beyond working their literary magic, they’ve also given us names that have stuck with us over time.
Most of the names we know today have roots in history, nature, or tradition. Alexander means “defender of the people,” Benjamin means “son of the right hand,” and so on. But the names we’re diving into here are a bit different — they were born out of pure literary inspiration, created for characters that jumped right off the page and into our hearts.
In this post, we’re sharing a cool collection of boy names that owe their origins to some seriously imaginative authors. These names were crafted for fictional characters and have since taken on a life of their own, embodying qualities like strength, mystery, and resilience. As you check out our list, you might be surprised by the backstories of these names — and the creative minds that invented them. So kick back and join us in celebrating how literature has a way of shaping not just stories, but our culture, too — right down to the names we love to use.
Holden
So Holden wasn’t technically invented by an author — it was originally an Old English surname meaning “deep valley.” But the first time it appeared as a first name was in J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye (1951), where it was the name of the iconic protagonist Holden Caulfield.
Cedric
Walter Scott came up with this name for one of the characters in his 1819 novel Ivanhoe. Apparently, he drew some inspiration from the historical name Cerdic, a figure who’s credited as the legendary founder of the kingdom of Wessex in the 6th century.
Draven
This name was created for the 1994 film The Crow starring Brandon Lee. It is said to be derived from drǽfend, an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “hunter.”
Tristan
The origins of this name are probably the Celtic name Drustan — a pet form of Drust, meaning “noise” — which appears as Drystan in some Welsh records. But as Tristan, it first pops up in the 12th-century French legend of Tristan and Isolde, and it was likely tweaked by its similarity to the Old French word “triste,” meaning “sad.”
Fiyero
With all the hype surrounding Wicked lately, we’d be remiss not to include Fiyero — a character name created for the book by author Gregory Maguire. It’s said that the name was based on the word “furious.”
Percival
The name Percival (which comes with the adorable nickname of Percy!) was coined by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his work Perceval, the Story of the Grail. He might have come up with it from the Old French phrase perce val, which means “pierce the valley,” or he could have been loosely inspired by the Welsh name Peredur, meaning “hard spears.”
Finnick
Author Suzanne Collins came up with this name for a character in the second book of The Hunger Games series (published in 2009), and it later showed up in the 2013 film. It may have derived from the slang term “finicky,” which basically means “demanding or fussy.”
Gareth
This name first appeared — in this form, anyway — in Thomas Malory’s 15th-century Le Morte d’Arthur, with the character of Gareth. Malory got his inspiration from French sources, where a similar character went by Gaheriet or Guerrehet. The name might even have Welsh roots — possibly deriving from Gwrhyd, meaning “valour,” or Gwairydd, meaning “hay lord.”
Heathcliff
Blending “Heath” and “Cliff” to mean “heath near a cliff,” this compound name was invented by Emily Brontë for her 1847 novel Wuthering Heights. It’s the name of the novel’s central character — Heathcliff, short for Thrushcross Grange Heathcliff.
Dorian
The name made its debut in Oscar Wilde’s 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which follows a man who stays young while his portrait ages. Wilde might have drawn inspiration from the ancient Greek tribe known as the Dorians.
Kordian
Polish writer Juliusz Słowacki came up with the name Kordian for the main character in his 1833 drama Kordian. He probably took inspiration from the Latin word cor, which means “heart.” You could also spell it with a C — Cordian!
Figaro
Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais created this name for his iconic character, who’s featured in The Barber of Seville (1775), The Marriage of Figaro (1784), and The Guilty Mother (1792). He may have been inspired by the phrase fils Caron — meaning “son of Caron” — a nickname of his own that sounds quite similar (when said with a French accent, anyway). Interestingly, in modern French, figaro has come to mean “barber,” reflecting the character’s trade.
Orville
Coined by 18th-century writer Fanny Burney, this name might have been intended to evoke the image of a “golden city” — in Old French, or means “gold” and ville means “city.”
Gendry
Gendry is a character from G.R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series — and its TV adaptation, Game of Thrones. Though this name was created for a medieval character, we think it fits perfectly into the modern naming landscape and would make a really unique choice that doesn’t sound too “out there.”
Brilliant Boy Names Created by Authors: Pin It!
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