Magical Monikers
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20 Fantasy Baby Names That Might Actually Work In Today’s Age
Naming your child Frodo simply won’t do.
by Katie McPherson
A Court Of Thorns and Roses, Fourth Wing, Divine Rivals — the fantasy genre is having a resurgence, and we millennials are eating it up. If you’re capital O obsessing over a certain series or constantly looking for the next cast of characters that’ll capture your heart, maybe, just maybe it has crossed your mind to consider fantasy baby names. In fact, you wouldn’t be the first to choose one.
The name Cassian appears in Sarah J. Maas’ ACOTAR series. He’s an incredibly tall and muscly warrior with bat wings — which doesn’t feel weird at all when you’re reading, even if it sounds odd here — and readers adore him for his golden retriever personality. In fact, the name Cassian is one of the fastest rising names in popularity, as Romper previously reported. It was given to 553 baby boys in 2023, and rose in ranks as the 533rd most popular name of the year (it was #936 back in 2022, which is quite the jump).
The other fastest rising names also sound ripped from the pages of a modern fantasy novel — take Emryn, Izael, and Adhara for example. It’s not surprising: in 2023, Romper saw an increase in visitors to its lists of literary, fairy, and Gaelic names, so we know parents are searching for magical monikers. So, if you’re interested in fantasy baby names but would rather not name your baby after a character whose smut scenes you might reread later, we’ve gathered some equally fantastical options.
1
Adara
Adara is a beautiful name that rolls off the tongue. It has Hebrew origins and means “noble” or “exalted” (love). It also just so happens to have been used for a character in the 1980s fantasy series The Belgariad, written by David Eddings.
2
Aerith
Aerith is a Japanese girls’ name that means “Earth,” “flower,” or “flower-like.” It’s similar to Maas’ character Aelin, but leans into the earthy girl names seen on so many other popular fantasy protagonists right now (Violet, Iris, Rowan...).
3
Bastian
This Greek name translates to “venerable” or “revered.” It’s recognizable thanks to Bastian Balthazar Bux, the protagonist from The Neverending Story, which means this name might be extra special to you nostalgic ‘80s and ‘90s babies.
4
Cele
Derived from Old Welsh (where ACOTAR author Maas borrows some of her characters’ names from), and is usually a nickname for Cecilia or Celeste. It has a few different meanings, “sixth” and “blind” among them, but also, “heavenly.”
5
Devlin
Devlin is an Irish boys’ name with a couple different meanings: “unlucky” (yikes) and “fierce courage” (very cool). It’s a less common spin on Devin or Declan, and perhaps that odd combo of meanings will remind him that it’s persevering through life’s challenges that really matters.
6
Dorian
OK, yes, this is a character from the Throne of Glass series. But long before that, Dorian was seen as a literary name thanks to The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
7
Edric
Cedric is a little bit mythical sounding as it is, but if you want to step away from the Cedric Diggory association, there’s Edric. It means “powerful” and “rich,” and just feels like a name you’d see in a play about medieval times.
8
Hadriel
This name might stand out to parents who cherish their faith. It’s a Hebrew name that means “splendor of Jehovah,” “flock of God,” and “majesty of God.” In Judaism, Hadraniel is believed to be the gatekeeper to Heaven, and is an imposing warrior.
9
Isolde
Isolde means “fair lady” and “ice ruler,” which is intimidating and very cool. She’s one half of the medieval romance of Tristan and Isolde, a Celtic legend about her tragic love affair with a knight. So, this pick is steeped in lots of fantastical elements.
10
Kaz
A name with Slavic origins, Kaz means “hollow.” It’s derived from Cassius, which is kind of like Cassian’s cousin, so you might feel drawn to it if he’s your favorite character right now. In Japanese, Kaz can be short for Kazuko, which means “child of peace.”
11
Marius
This is another literary baby name choice — you might recognize it from Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérables. Outside of that context, Marius is a Latin name that means “dedicated to Mars,” as in the god of war.
12
Nemea
Nemea is the name of a famous valley in Greece, so this is also a lovely place name for parents who love to travel. Historically speaking, it’s also the home of the Nemean Games, a series of athletic and musical contests held in honor of the god Zeus. The name Nemea is just steeped in plenty of real-life legend and mythology alike.
13
Nerys
Another gem of a Welsh name, Nerys means “lady,” which would give your little one a bit of a royal vibe. Nerys somehow manages to have an interesting spelling but still be easy enough to read and pronounce. Nerys sounds a bit like the rogue you meet at the beginning of the story who turns out to be the missing princess who unites the kingdom in the end.
14
Peregrine
Bird baby names: love. And while there are a ton of boys’ names you might pull from The Lord of the Rings, Peregrine is a moniker that could suit a baby boy or girl (Perry for short? So good!).
15
Rowan
Again, earthy names serve as inspiration for a lot of the fantasy characters written in the last few years. Rowan is an important figure in the Throne of Glass series, but outside of loving that specific character, you might be into the gender-neutral vibes Rowan offers.
16
Sarai
This gorgeous name means “princess,” and can be traced back to the Old Testament. In scripture, God changes Sarai’s name to Sara, but parents who want a name with an edge might flock to its original form.
17
Sylvina
Fit for a fairy queen, the name Sylvina actually means “forest.” It’s related to the more common Sylvia, but the slight change automatically conjures images of treading barefoot over moss to find some lost magical relic.
18
Tavish
A newborn baby or a cheeky bard: Tavish could be either one (or both). This Irish name means “hillside,” making it fitting for a babe you hope travels to see many new lands in his lifetime.
19
Thorne
This English name unsurprisingly means “thorn thicket,” so it has the botanical ties that many other popular fantasy character names boast. This one is a bit sharper though, and the -n ending and one-syllable length give it a special sort of strength.
20
Vesper
This is a gorgeous gender-neutral name that means “evening star” or “evening prayer.” So, parents who like names that lean a little dark will probably be very into this choice.
Your little warrior, wizard, or fairy princess will wear any name well, but these fantastical ones just add a little more magic.
