Choosing the name of the baby is one of the most exciting moments that future parents live, although the choice is not always easy and fast. Some people prefer short names, while others opt for compound ones. The animal kingdom, colors or nature are also excellent sources of inspiration.
But if what you are passionate about is literature, we want to propose you a selection of girl names inspired by characters from fantastic stories and books . Surely all the names we have selected will be very familiar to you, as they are the protagonists of tales and stories that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Alice, for ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’
Alice is the name of the protagonist of the book ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’, written by British Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. This novel, published in 1865, has become a benchmark in fantasy literature, reaching great popularity with both children and adults.
Alice is a name of Greek origin that means “true” .
Amy, for ‘Little Women’
Amy is the youngest of the four main sisters in the novel ‘Little Women’, written by Louisa May Alcott in 1868. This classic of literature, which should not be missing in any home library, has captivated millions of readers around the world. world.
Amy is a name of Latin origin that means “kind” . In Spanish it is translated by Amanda.
Ana, for ‘Ana of the green tiles’
Ana is the protagonist of the book ‘Anne of Green Gables’, written by Canadian Lucy Maud Montgomery and first published in 1908. The book has been brought to the screen in several adaptations, including the popular television series of the same name. released in the 1980s.
Ana is a short and popular name, of Hebrew origin that means “compassionate”, “merciful” .
Arwen, for ‘The Lord of the Rings’
Arwen is the name of the half-elven maiden who appears in the first novel of the trilogy ‘The Lord of the Rings’, written by the British JRR Tolkien and made into a film in a series of films released from 2001.
Arwen is a name of Celtic origin whose meaning is “fair” .
Aurora, for ‘The Beauty of the Sleeping Forest’
Aurora is the name of the protagonist of the story ‘The Beauty of the Sleeping Forest’, written in 1697 by the Frenchman Charles Perrault, and adapted in 1959 by Walt Disney.
Aurora is a name of Latin origin that means “dawn” .
Bella, for ‘Beauty and the Beast’
Bella is the name of the youngest daughter of a widowed merchant, in the story ‘Beauty and the Beast’, a traditional French fairy tale adapted by Walt Disney.
Bella is considered a variant of the Latin names Isabella and Anabella, and means “beauty .”
Snow White, for ‘Snow White’
Snow White is the protagonist of the fairy tale ‘Snow White’, adapted by the Brothers Grimm and made into a film by Walt Disney in 1937.
It is a name whose origin is fictitious and is composed of Blanca (of German origin that means “pure, bright”) and Nieves (of Latin origin that means “white like snow”), so it could be translated as “white and pure as snow . “
Coraline (Coral), by ‘Coraline’
Coraline is the protagonist of the fantasy novel ‘Coraline’, written by Neil Gaiman and brought to the screen in 2009 under the name ‘The Worlds of Coraline’, reaching great critical and public success.
Coraline is a name of French origin that means “coral” .
Dorothy (Dorotea), for ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’
Dorothy is the young protagonist of the novel ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ written by Lyman Frank Baum in 1900 and made into a film under the title ‘The Wizard of Oz’. It is currently one of the most published books both in the United States and in Europe.
It is a name of Greek origin that means “gift of God” . In Spanish it translates as Dorotea, whose diminutive is Tea.
Elizabeth (Isabel), by Mujercitas
Elizabeth or Beth is the third of the four main sisters in the novel ‘Little Women’, written by Louisa May Alcott in 1868. Her character is characterized by fragility and delicacy.
It is a name of Hebrew origin that means “promise of God” and that in Spanish is translated as Isabel.
Emma, for ‘The Frog Princess’
Emma is the name of the protagonist of the popular tale ‘The Frog Princess’, written by ED Baker. This fairy tale was based on another one published by the Brothers Grimm called ‘The Frog Prince’. ‘The frog princess’ was later covered by Disney under the name ‘Tiana and the frog’.
It is a name of Germanic origin that means “great”, “strong”, “immense”, “powerful” .
Esmeralda, for ‘Notre-Dame de Paris’
Esmeralda is the name of the protagonist of the novel ‘Our Lady of Paris’, written by Victor Hugo in 1831 and made into a movie on numerous occasions, the Walt Disney version being the one that has become popular among children.
It is a name of Latin origin that refers to the beauty of the stone of the same name .
Galadriel, for ‘The Lord of the Rings’
Galadriel is the name of an elf from the ‘Lord of the Children’ trilogy, written by JRR Tolkien. It is a fictitious name whose meaning in Sindarin (an artificial language created by the writings themselves) is “a maiden garlanded with a brilliant radiance” .
Gerda, for ‘The Snow Queen’
Gerda is the female protagonist of the story “The Snow Queen”, written by the Danish Hans Christian Andersen in 1844 and considered by many experts as his best work. The story was adapted by Walt Disney into the movie ‘Frozen’, released in 2013.
Gerda is a name of Teutonic origin that means “the one that is under protection” .
Gretel, by ‘Hansel and Gretel’
Gretel is the female character in the folk tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’, a fairy tale of German origin adapted by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812.
The name is considered a variant of Greta , to which three possible origins are attributed: Persian, whose meaning would be “daughter of light”, Sanskrit, which would mean “pearl”, or ancient Greek, and its meaning would be “daisy”.
Heidi, por ‘Heidi’
Heidi is the main girl in the children’s book ‘Heidi’, written in 1880 by the Swiss writer Johanna Spyri. The cinema has covered the story on numerous occasions, although perhaps the best known is the Japanese series ‘Heidi’, released in the 70s. Such was her success that Heidi ended up becoming a very popular name among girls of that decade.
Heidi is the diminutive of the name Adelaida , of German origin, and means “of noble birth”.
Hermionne (Herminia), for ‘Harry Potter’
Hermionne is the protagonist of the ‘Harry Potter’ saga, written by JK Rowling. The first novel, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’, was released in 1997. All the books have been translated into more than 65 different languages, and have been listed as the best-selling book series in history. His film adaptation has also been a resounding success.
Hermionne is a name of German origin whose meaning is “soldier” . In Spanish it can be translated by Herminia.
Jadis, for ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’
Jadis, also known as the White Witch, is a fictional character from the universe of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’, a series of books written by CS Lewis between 1950 and 1956, and made into a movie by Walt Disney. We do not know the origin of the name or its meaning.
Jane (Juana), by ‘Jane Eyre’
Jane is the main girl in the novel ‘Jane Eyre’, written in 1847 by Charlotte Brontë. She is also the female character in the novel ‘Tarzan of the Apes’ written by Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1914 and adapted by Walt Disney in 1999.
It is a name of Hebrew origin that means “full of graces” .
Jorgina, for ‘The five’
Jorgina is one of the protagonists of the ‘The Five’ book series, along with Ana, Dick, Julián and the dog Tim. These books were written between 1940 and 1960 by the English writer Enid Blyton.
Jorgina is the feminine of Jorge’s name (in fact, the protagonist of this story asks to be called with the masculine variant), a name of Greek origin that means “the one who works the land” .
Josephine (Josefina), for ‘Little Women’
Josephine is the second of the four main sisters in the novel ‘Little Women’, written by Louisa May Alcott in 1868. Her character is characterized by great tenacity, intelligence and strength.
It is a name of Hebrew origin, feminine variant of José, which means “What God multiplies” .
Karen, for ‘The Red Shoes’
Karen is the protagonist of the story ‘The Red Shoes’, also known as ‘The Red Shoes’, a fairy tale written by the Danish poet Christian Andersen in 1845.
It is a name of Danish origin that means “pure” .
Klara (Clara), for ‘Heidi’
Klara is the best friend of Heidi in the book ‘Heidi’, written in 1880 by Johanna Spyri (* see above the reference).
It comes from the Latin name, Clraa, which means “brightness, clarity” .
Mafalda, for ‘Mafalda’
Mafalda is the wise girl protagonist of the Argentine press strip ‘Mafalda’, created by the humorist Quino, who sadly left us in September 2020. Mafalda’s adventures were published between 1964 and 1973, and were translated into more than 35 languages .
It is a name of Germanic origin that means “peacemaker” .
Margaret (Margarita), for ‘Little Women’
Margaret is the eldest of the four main sisters in the novel ‘Little Women’, written by Louisa May Alcott in 1868. Her character is characterized by being especially generous, protective and responsible.
It is a name of Greek origin that means “pearl” .
Matilda (Matilde), by ‘Matilda’
Matilda is the name of the girl protagonist of the novel of the same name, written by the Welsh writer Roald Dahl in 1988, and that we always recommend as one of the essentials of children’s and young adult’s literature. The Matilda story was made into a movie in a 1996 film that was very successful.
Matilda is a variant of Matilde, a name of Germanic origin that means “warrior, strong and courageous” .
Maya, for ‘The Adventures of Maya the Bee’
Maya is the main bee in the story ‘The Adventures of Maya the Bee’, published in 1912 by the German writer Waldemar Bonsels. Maya’s story became popular worldwide thanks to the Japanese television series, ‘Maya the Bee’.
Its origin is Greek and means “mother or nurse” . It also means “illusion” in Sanskrit. In the Buddhist tradition, this is the name of the Buddha’s mother.
Penelope, for ‘The Odyssey’
Penelope is the name of the wife of Ulysses, king of Ithaca, in Homer’s novel the ‘Odyssey’. ‘The Odyssey’ and ‘the Iliad’ are considered the origins of adventure novels, and one of the indispensable readings for children and adolescents thanks to their youthful adaptations.
It is a name of Greek origin whose literal meaning is “the weaver” .
Veruca and Violet (Violeta), for ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’
Veruca and Violet are two of the girls protagonists of the novel ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ written by the English author Roald Dahl in 1964 and later taken to the cinema in 2005.
Veruca is a name of Jamaican origin that means “wart” , while Violet is a name of Latin origin that refers to the color violet .
Wendy (Gwendolin), for ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’
Wendy is the leading girl in the play ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’, written in 1904 by the Scottish novelist James M. Barrie, and taken to the cinema on numerous occasions, the animated version of Walt Disney being the best known to children.
It is a name from Old English that means “the one with the white eyelashes” , although it can also be translated as “the true friend”.
Photos | iStock
In Babies and More | Star Wars: 19 names girl and boy names for your baby inspired by the saga, ‘Game of Thrones’: 19 girl and boy names for your baby
