Romantic baby names from literature

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Written by Monica Beyer

While literature may not hold the monopoly on romance, there is certainly a lot to choose from if you're seeking a thoughful, romantic name for your baby boy or girl. From tragic romantic characters from Shakespeare to modern-day lovers like Bella and Edward, come check out the most popular romantic baby names from literature!

Baby boy with rose If a true romance is what you seek when perusing your local library's shelves, why not give your little one a name that evokes the most powerful human emotion? Many of the names that follow sound romantic on their own (Beatrice) or may have a hidden meaning to you as a lover of romance (Tristan). Giving your child a name with a romantic flair will remind you of your favorite romantic plays and novels and can bring a smile to your face even when hollering out the back door for her to come in for dinner in 10 years.

Read on and tell us a romantic baby name from your favorite book or play!

Romantic literary names for girls

Arwen: This elvish name comes from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Beatrice: From Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

Bella: Isabella Swan is from Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.

Catherine: From Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights

Claire: From Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series

Daisy: From Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Elizabeth: From Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Emma: Appropriately so, Emma is from Jane Austen's Emma.

Francesca: From Dante's Divine Comedy

Ginny: From J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series

Iseult: From Celtic lore

Jane: From Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Juliet: From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Penelope: The ultimate devoted wife, Penelope is from The Odyssey by Homer

Scarlett: The ravishing Scarlett O'Hara from Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind.

Romantic literary names for boys

Antony: From Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra

Aragorn: From The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Benedick: From Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

Darcy: From Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Edward: From Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë or from Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Harry: The main protagonist from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series

Heathcliff: From Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights

Jamie: From Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series

Jay: From Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

John: From Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South.

Max: From Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca

Paolo: From Divine Comedy by Dante

Rhett: From Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind

Romeo: From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Tristan: From Celtic lore