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Bethanne Patrick

Inspired Pen Names
August 19, 2008

With celebrities sending obscure/unusual/come-again? baby names into wild popularity, it's a pop-culture palate cleanser to have a new naming tome to throw at them. 'A Is for Atticus: Baby Names from Great Books' by Lorilee Craker is a book lover's dream. Take a peek at the publisher's squib: "each of the carefully selected names (including Beckett after the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett and Esme from J.D. Salinger's 'For Esme with Love and Squalor') is fully profiled in a fun, savvy, info-packed listing that includes a name's meaning, uniqueness, modern appeal, and cultural significance."

This seems like a long overdue title, in fact. Friends of mine named their adorable son Harry, after a certain boy-wizard (this one's arguably smarter). Tipper Gore famously announced that oldest daughter Karena was named for poor doomed Anna Karenina. The name Bella is already experiencing a surge in popularity thanks to Stephenie Meyer.

Any future unborn readers I may produce should rejoice. While I spent part of my 20s longing to name a little girl-wormette Austen, I've long since given up on naming any creature -- other than a beloved pet? -- Atticus. At least as a first name. C'mon now, you know you want to confess: Have you already named a child after a beloved literary character? Or are you saving up that special name for a future reader?

[Posted by book wormette]

Posted by Bethanne Patrick on August 19, 2008 | Comments (9)

August 19, 2008
In response to: Inspired Pen Names
Sarah in Austin commented:

If you want to check out the frequency of use of these literary baby names, google "Name Voyager". It maps out the frequency of names throughout the years.

August 19, 2008
In response to: Inspired Pen Names
Christine commented:

I initially named my three kittens Dill, Jem and Scout. Jem turned out to be a girl, so I wanted to name her Granie ("Grahn-ya") after the Irish pirate queen, Grace O'Malley, but I knew the people at my vet would insist on calling her "Grainy". Scout just wasn't a Scout, so she got named after ditzy Phoebe of "Friends". "Dill" eventually got named Dylan. After Thomas or Bob? Still don't know.

August 19, 2008
In response to: Inspired Pen Names
Bethanne commented:

Book Wormette, I tried to name my first Mini Maven "Emma," but Mr. Bethanne was so stubborn about not liking the name. He should have been thankful I didn't try to name her Dorothea Casaubon Patrick!

August 19, 2008
In response to: Inspired Pen Names
Bethany Paige commented:

10 years ago, I initially wanted to name our newly adopted cat William, after Shakespeare, because he just somehow seemed English to me. I was voted down, but we settled on Christopher. In my mind, for Christopher Marlowe, so I got to keep the English aspect of the name. But to my husband, he was simply named to match the cat we already had at home - Christine, from Phantom of the Opera. A few years ago, a friend rescued a tiny little guy that she called Stuart for Stuart Little, and we kept the name. True to form, this little guy is full of adventure!

August 19, 2008
In response to: Inspired Pen Names
Bethany Paige commented:

To clarify the above, we adopted my friend's rescue, as she already had so many herself.

August 20, 2008
In response to: Inspired Pen Names
Carin Siegfried commented:

I will admit to being partly inspired to read Wilkie Collins, as he's who Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick named their son. I loved Moonstone!

August 20, 2008
In response to: Inspired Pen Names
Kat B commented:

I went with more of a historical than literary bent, as I was heavy into reading history books when we adopted our kitty-friends. We now have Charlie (Charlemagne) and Mary (Queen Mary Tudor, aka Bloody Mary, aka That Bloody Cat Got Into the Q-Tips Again).

August 24, 2008
In response to: Inspired Pen Names
writeroffthelake commented:

No kids, here, but when I was looking to buy a Golden Retriever, I had a few names in mind: Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Dickens. I had decided on Dickens as the call name, with the registered name of "Dicken's Copper Twist"...then I ended up buying a wonderful 6 year old Retriever already named Bailey - Bailey's Golden Dream XVI, to show you how unoriginal it was - and I wasn't about to change his name just to please me. Now that Bailey's in Golden Dream heaven, I have hopes that my next Golden will be Dickens Golden Twist.

September 16, 2008
In response to: Inspired Pen Names
THE ARMARIUM PRESS commented:

I, too, thought of "Austen" for our little boy but then decided against it in favor of his grandfather's name! Instead, we have a terrier named Chaucer and a lab named Bronte. I think a Hemingway will be next!