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.
A few days ago we recommended 31 girl names inspired by characters from fantastic stories and books, and today we do the same with children’s names. Surely all the names we have selected are very familiar to you, as they are the protagonists of tales and stories that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Arturo, for ‘Camelot’
King Arthur is one of the protagonists of the five novels that make up the ‘Camelot’ collection written by the British TH White between 1938 and 1940. The novels were freely adapted by Walt Disney in his film ‘Merlin, the charming’.
Arthur is a name of Celtic origin derived from artos (“bear”) and rixs (“king”), so its meaning would be “king of bears”.
Axel, for ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’
Axel is one of the three protagonists of this Jules Verne novel, along with his uncle, Professor Lidenbrock, and a guide named, Hans. The three of them embark on an intrepid adventure with a final big surprise. ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ was published in 1864, and is one of the most popular classic novels among children and adolescents.
Axel is a name of Hebrew origin that means “lord of peace”.
Bastian (Sebastián), for ‘The endless story’
Bastian is the protagonist of the fantasy novel ‘The endless story’, written by the German Michael Ende and published in 1979. Cataloged by experts as a ‘new classic of youth literature’, it is another of the great novels of literature translated into more than 36 languages and made into a movie on various occasions
Bastian is a variant of the name Sebastián, of Greek origin that means “the one who is revered”.
Charlie (Carlos), for ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and
Charlie is the child protagonist of the novel ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, written by the English author Roald Dahl in 1964 and made into a film in 2005.
It is a name of Germanic origin that means “strong and virile male” .
David, for ‘The Secret Book of the Gnomes’
‘The Secret Book of the Gnomes’ was a series of children’s books written by Wil Huygen and published in 1976. The books were adapted for television in one of the most successful animated series, ‘David the Gnome’.
David is a name of Hebrew origin that means “the one loved by God” .
Dick (Ricardo), for ‘The five’
Dick is one of the protagonists of the saga of books ‘The five’, along with Ana, Julián, Jorgina and the dog Tim. These books were written between 1940 and 1960 by the English writer Enid Blyton, and it is one of the must read for children that we always recommend.
Dick’s name is the colloquial form of Richard, which in Spanish translates as Ricardo. Ricardo is a name of Germanic origin that means “powerful by his wealth” .
Felipe, for ‘Mafalda’
Felipe is one of the best friends of Mafalda, the Argentine newspaper strip 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.
Felipe is a name that comes from the Latin Philippus, which in turn comes from the Greek Philippos, and it means “horse lover” or “horse love” .
Gerónimo, for ‘Gerónimo Stilton’
Gerónimo Stilton’s collection of books, specially designed for children between the ages of six and 12, was created by the Italian writer Elisabetta Dami, and narrates the adventures of a journalist mouse, who is involved in numerous cases in the purest Sherlock Holmes style .
Gerónimo or Jerónimo is a name of Greek origin whose meaning is “the one who has a sacred name”.
Harry (Enrique), for ‘Harry Potter’
Harry is the main wizard 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.
Harry is the medieval form of the name Henry (Enrique). It is of Germanic origin which means “powerful house”, “owner of the house” .
Hansel (Ansel), by ‘Hansel y Grettel’
Hansel is the leading child in the popular tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’, adapted by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812.
It is a name of Germanic origin that means “the one protected by God” .
Héctor, for ‘The Iliad’
Hector was the Trojan prince responsible for the Trojan War within Greek mythology, and one of the main characters in Homer’s poem the ‘Iliad’. Both ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’ are considered the origins of adventure novels, and one of the essential readings for children and adolescents thanks to their juvenile adaptations.
Hector is a very popular name today. It is of Greek origin and means ” well formed or educated person” .
James (Jaime), for ‘James and the Giant Peach’
James is the child protagonist of the novel ‘James and the Giant Peach’, written by the British Roald Dahl in 1961. The script was adapted for the cinema into a film directed by Tim Burton, who also directed another of Roald Dahl’s famous novels , ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.
James is a very popular name in the Anglo-Saxon world. Its origin is Hebrew, and it derives from Jacob which means “the one who substitutes” . In Spanish it translates as Jaime.
Juan, for ‘Juan without fear’
Juan is the protagonist of the story ‘Juan without fear’, one of the most popular tales of the Brothers Grimm, and which tells the story of a boy who, in order to know what it meant to tremble with fear, decides to spend three nights in an enchanted castle.
Juan is a name of Hebrew origin that means “God is merciful”.
Julián, for ‘The five’
Julián is one of the protagonists of the ‘The Five’ book saga, along with Ana, Dick, Jorgina and the dog Tim. These books were written between 1940 and 1960 by the English writer Enid Blyton.
Julian is a name of Latin origin that means “man with strong roots” .
Kai, for ‘The Snow Queen’
Kai is the male character in the story ‘The Snow Queen’, written by the Danish Hans Christian Andersen in 1844, and considered by many experts as his best work. In 2013 it was adapted by Walt Disney into the movie ‘Frozen’.
Kai is a nice short name for boys, of Hawaiian origin that means “sea” .
Laurence / Laurie (Lorenzo), for ‘Little Women’
Theodore Laurence, better known as Laurie in the classic novel ‘Little Women’, is the neighbor of the four March sisters, protagonists of the story, and who becomes an important character in their lives. The novel ‘Little Women’ was written by Louisa May Alcott in 1868.
Lorenzo is a name of Latin origin that means “laureate or awarded” .
Merlin, for ‘The Book of Merlin’
The magician Merlin was the main adviser to King Arthur in ‘The Book of Merlin’, one of the novels that makes up the ‘Camelot’ collection, written by British TH White between 1938 and 1940. The novels were freely adapted by Walt Disney in his movie ‘Merlin the Enchanter’.
Merlin is a name of Welsh origin whose meaning is “fortress of the sea” .
Nicolás, for ‘Little Nicolás’
Nicolás is the protagonist of the series of children’s books ‘Little Nicolás’, written by the French René Goscinny between 1956 and 1958. Goscinny is also known for creating the character of Asterix. The ‘Little Nicholas’ books were made into a movie in a family movie released in 2010.
Nicolás is a name of Greek origin that means “the victor among the people” .
Oliver, by ‘Oliver Twist’
Oliver is an orphan child, the protagonist of the novel ‘Oliver Twist’, written by the English author Charles Dickens and originally published in installments in a magazine between 1837 and 1839. The novel has been translated into numerous languages and adapted several times for the cinema , television and musical theater.
Oliver is a name of English origin that derives from the French Olivier and means “olive tree” .
Pedro, for ‘Pedro and the wolf’
Pedro is the protagonist of the symphonic composition ‘Peter and the Wolf’, written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936 and adapted to children’s literature under the name ‘The Lying Shepherd’, one of the fables best known to children.
Pedro is also Heidi’s best friend in the novel ‘Heidi’-written in 1880 by the Swiss Johanna Spyri- and in its English version, Peter is the protagonist of the story’ Peter Pan and Wendy ‘, published in 1904 by the novelist Scotsman James M. Barrie,
It is a name of Hebrew origin that means “rock” .
Robin, leek ‘Robin Hood’
Ronald / Ron (Ronaldo), por Harry Potter
Ron is the best friend of Harry, protagonist of the saga of books ‘Harry Potter’, written by JK Rowling. The Harry Potter universe captures both children and adults, and his novels have been translated into more than 35 languages.
Ronald is a name of Scottish origin that means “counselor, strong ruler”.
Tom (Thomas), ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’
Tom is the protagonist of the youth novel ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’, written by the American author Mark Twain and published between 1876 and 1878. The book has been taken to the cinema and to the small screen, in cartoon format.
Tom is a name of Aramaic origin that means “twin” . In Spanish it can be translated as Tomás.
Ulysses, for ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’
Ulysses or Odysseus is a hero of Greek mythology, protagonist of the novels the ‘Iliad’ and the ‘Odyssey’, both attributed to Homer and considered as the origins of adventure novels.
It is a name of Greek origin that means “courage”.
Photos | iStock
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