Unusual Baby Names from Literature - for Boys

From British, American, and Even Russian Classics

When list-topping male baby names like Jacob, Christopher, and Ethan begin to seem tired, prospective parents turn to music, sports, geography, religion, and other realms for inspiration. For bookish parents who loved their literature classes, fictional characters often provide ideas for an unusual or meaningful names. Books abound with remarkable male names, so the literary canon is worth a look. Here are some of my favorite potential baby names taken from memorable male fictional characters in literature.

Unusual Baby Names from Literature - For Boys: Heathcliff
Catherine's lifelong love in Charlotte Bronte's plot-twisted novel Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is a representation of love so intense and peculiar that it's essentially tragic. But out of tragedy comes memory. The name has retained a remote sophistication and odd power since the late 19th century.

Unusual Baby Names from Literature - For Boys: Holden
The hero of J.D. Salinger's much-celebrated though much-banned The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is a
difficult, troubled protagonist - but a character strangely beloved for his ultimately understandable, if cyncial, humanity. From the book that captured teen anomie before it became "the thing" to capture, this is a name that might prove powerful for parents whose own teen years were brought into perspective by the masterful story.

Unusual Baby Names from Literature - For Boys: Romeo
If you don't mind the "star-cross'd" history, Shakespeare's Romeo is a worthy namesake for his hopefulness and his wide-eyed pursuit of love. Instantly identifiable but still rare as male names go, Romeo is worth a second thought. Its double "o" sound is also uncommon in American names.

Unusual Baby Names from Literature - For Boys: Parson
While many would recognize Parson (or perhaps Parsons) as a surname, it was indeed the first name of Nathaniel Hawthorne's cloak-faced clergyman in "The Minister's Black Veil." In this didactic short story, Hawthorne's dark but honest world view emerges. For more cunning parents, Parson might make a potent choice.