Literary Baby Names: The Sequel

After posting the list of best names for each letter of the alphabet the other day a few of my friends told me how much they loved it. For me that's sort of the equivalent of laughing at lame jokes - you encourage me to continue. And so here we are with another baby name post. What a world.

I wrote a list of literary baby names months ago. I enjoyed it and I love a lot of those names, but it was quickly done and I don't think it's thorough enough. And also I just want to come up with more. :)

1. Jane appeared on that list, but I want to use it again. Of course Jane Austen is a great literary namesake. But now that I've read Jane Eyre, I am positively smitten with using Jane as a nod to the book and the character. What a good source for inspiration, that book.

2. Forest. I guess I'm starting this post with names I've already suggested. :) I've mentioned that Forest is probably my favorite Harry Potter name. The Forest Again is my absolute favorite chapter in the entire HP series (and I've heard that it's J.K. Rowling's favorite chapter, as well). It's the chapter in which Harry is willing to sacrifice himself so that Voldemort will be mortal again. I don't know that we could ask anything more from a character than to bravely face death in order to save others. If naming your baby Harry seems too obvious a nod to the books, Forest seems like a good option to me.

3. Hugo is one of my favorite names. I recommended it last time, but I want to offer it up again, this time for Victor Hugo. Not only a terrific writer, but a man who stood for freedom. Win-win.

4. I've long loved the name Eleanor (a love that began after learning about the wonderful first lady), but the alternative spelling, Elanor, is a sweet nod to Lord of the Rings. The companions first saw elanor, a star shaped flower, when they stayed with the elves of Lorien. Sam then named his daughter Elanor. It's a pretty, feminine name that honors epic fantasy. Can't do much better than that.

5. Cora names seem to be picking up steam. A nice literary option is Coraline, after the book of the same name by Neil Gaiman. This was a suggestion from Liz. I love the name but haven't read the book, but she says the story and character are worthwhile.

6. Lewis. Louis is a great name for a boy, but the different spelling makes for a brilliant, doubly important literary name. First, it's a nod to C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia among a million other things. And then there's Lewis Carroll. It's his pen name, yes, but it's the name he's known by, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is favored my so many people (including Liz!). Lewis is such a great option to honor two amazing writers.

7. And while we're on Lewis Carroll, there's always Charles, another two-fer name! It was Carroll's given name and it's the appellation given to Dickens, author of the best books ever. Charlie is a cute nickname, too.

8. But maybe you want to name your daughter after either of those authors. There's Carol or Caroline or Charlotte. They're all related names, and any would work as an honor name for a Charles.

9. Bronty. Hear me out. I'd probably never use this as a first name, because I'm a wimp. But there are people who name their sons Rider and Axel and Dash - you get the point. I think this makes for a super cool name to honor any of the Bronte sisters, or any of the books they've written. (I would use Bronte as a middle name for a girl or a boy.) I've heard Bronte pronounced Bront-ay rhymes with hay and I've heard it Bront-ee rhymes with me. Either works, but I think if you're going for that cool, edgy vibe for a son, the ee sound is the way to go, which is why I'd use the y spelling - avoids some pronunciation issues.

10. On a similar note, I think it'd be fantastic to name a son Austen for Jane Austen. I've noticed that parents are willing to give their daughters traditionally masculine names, but they seem unwilling to give their sons names that are used largely by girls (even if the name started off as a boy name). It seems like the same thing happens with name inspiration. Girls are given names for male figures or for stories that feature a lot of men (like LOTR), but fewer boys are named after, say, Pride and Prejudice. I'm assuming this is another symptom of our culture's devaluation of femininity, thanks patriarchy. Go on with your bad self and name your boy Austen. Jane's books are beloved by too many to ignore.

11. Elwyn. This isn't my style so I'd probably never use it, but there are plenty of people who are bolder than I am, and they can use it. It is the first name of E.B. White, author of Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, and he edited The Elements of Style, which is pretty cool if you're into writing. It's a male name, but I think it'd be nicer on a girl. And bonus points: it has a definite LOTR feel to it. (White's middle name was Brooks, which seems like a gender-neutral [though much more boyish?] name that would work well today.)

12. Ah, I've mentioned this before, but I really love Conrad (/Konrad). The name means "brave counsel" and as such I think it makes an excellent moniker, one that could call to mind some of the greatest characters, like Dumbledore or Gandalf.

13. Okay, so I may be on the Jane Eyre Train right now (Must I ever get off?), but I'm going to go ahead and suggest Rochester. He is a problematic character at first, yes. But I think his story is one of redemption and his growth warrants applause. In my book that's enough. Surname-names seem popular which makes Rochester wearable, plus there's the adorable nickname: Rocky. (Edward works too, and it can sort of be a Narnia name, for Edmund.)

14. Louise or Louisa for Louisa May Alcott. Alcott could work if you're into surname names, too. Little Women is consistently cited as a favorite, so this seems like a no-brainer.

15. A Christmas Carol is beloved by pretty much everyone, right? Even those who don't celebrate Christmas love the story. I don't think Ebenezer is going to be wearable any time soon, but that's okay because I think the real winner of a name here is Timothy. Tiny Tim, aside from being adorable in the movie, embodies the spirit of the play and of the season, and his line, "God Bless us, everyone!" is known round the world. Timothy wouldn't just make a good literary name, it'd also make a good seasonally appropriate name for any boy born around Christmastime. (For that matter, this can be another case for Carol/Caroline!!)

16. Fitz or Fritz. I heard the name Fritzraldo once and I was blown away. I don't think I've ever heard a cooler name in my entire life. But if you're not too eager on Fritzraldo, Fritz is a nice alternative, and I think Fritz or Fitz both make good names to honor F. Scott Fitzgerald. I know The Great Gatsby remains a favorite for a ton of people, and either of these names are super wearable for a boy born in 2016.

17. Lux or Luxa. This is another name that I wouldn't be brave enough to use, but I think it's pretty cool. Luxa is a major character in The Underland Chronicles. It's a children series by Suzanne Collins. I wouldn't say it's as good as Harry Potter (nothing is!), but I actually think it's better than The Hunger Games. It questions war and preemptive tactics and discrimination, etc. and has lessons that are so good for kids to learn. If I met someone who named their daughter Lux or Luxa after this series, I'd be seriously impressed.

18. My last suggestion is absolutely my corniest suggestion: Penny. There are a lot of people who use word names for their babies now, but if you don't love the idea of naming your baby Writer or Poem (though Poet and Soliloquy are on my guilty pleasure middle name list), Penny is a good compromise. It's a "real" name... but it can also be a play on the word "pen," as in "putting pen to paper" or "penning a great story." I know, corny. BUT ALSO SWEET. If I met someone who was named Penny for this reason I'd immediately assume her parents were awesome.    

THIS WAS FUN. Any names to add? I'm sure I'll be back obnoxiously soon with Literary Baby Names: Part Three. Just to warn you all. This gets more and more fun with each book I read.

Harry Potter Baby Names - Part 2

Okay guys. This is the (shorter, God willing) second part of the Harry Potter Baby Names series. And probably last. For now. It's about two weeks late, naturally. I had to work at a farmer's market for a few days and I did absolutely nothing when I got home (exhaustion) and I was a bit sick - found out I need surgery in two weeks, so.. my mind has been a little preoccupied.

The first post lists about a trillion ways to come up with Harry Potter-inspired baby names, including rearranging letters from characters' names, using letters from the House names, using character names as middle names for babies, and... a lot more. (Hop on over if you haven't yet.) I also mentioned some other ways: Roxy, because it means "dawn," calling to mind the moment Harry triumphed over Voldemort; Alasdair, because it means "defender of mankind;" and probably my favorite of the entire post, Forest, inspired by possibly my favorite chapter in the series: The Forest Again.

There are more ways, though! Here are some ideas:

Use characters' middle names. James and Jean are "normal" names, and no one will assume you've named your baby after Harry or Hermione. Want a nod to Dumbledore in your baby's name? Use Brian. In this post I wrote last year, I talked about ways to subtly name a kid after Dobby or Dumbledore.

It's hard to pick favorite characters from the series, but Dumbledore is definitely one of my top five (he's actually probably my first or second favorite). Using him for inspiration in naming makes sense to me. Dumbledore means white and wise, so names with similar meanings work well: Albert means "noble and bright," Alfred means "wise counselor," and Aldo means "old and wise." All have similar meanings to "Dumbledore" and all describe his character perfectly. With Arlo getting so popular, I think Aldo has potential.

My favorite Dumbledore name is probably Conrad. It means "brave counsel," which sums up Dumbledore's role pretty nicely (it would make a good Gryffindor name, as well). Shanahan is another - it means "the wise one." Of course, there are girl versions like Alberta and Alfreda/Alfrida. But if you don't dig those, I'd go back to the Ravenclaw names that mean "wisdom." Sofie, Sophie/a, Minerva, Athena, even Aubrey. I think Alba works really well, too.

There are a hundred more ways to do this/things like this for every character - go ahead and name a girl Iris for Sirius or Eva for Minerva.

Other really random ideas:

Wesley if you really love the Weasley family (who doesn't?)

Susie/Susy means "Lily." A perfect name, since much of the series revolves around Lily's sacrifice for her son.

Edgy surnames are in right now. Go ahead and use Rowling.

Do the stretchiest of stretches and use Dora for Dumbledore. The she could go as this for Halloween every year.

I could go on forever and ever. But don't worry, I won't! That's it.

...........for now.
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Charlotte

Harry Potter Baby Names - Part 1

Yep, another baby name post. The other day I found out that the blogette was mentioned in a Mommy Blogger post and I just laughed. Getting a reputation as a mom blogger before I experience motherhood... I joked with my friends that I should probably start writing posts about Starbucks and leggings and flower crowns just to establish that I'm in my twenties and very much single. Not that there's anything wrong with being a mom - it's just not my reality yet. ;) I sometimes worry that all the baby name stuff will make my friends think I'm crazy, but none of them have ditched me just yet and I'm slowly learning to just roll with it. I like the things I like. Pouring over names happens to be one of those things.  

Harry Potter is another. 

It's now common knowledge for all my blog readers that I love Harry Potter. The book series. (Though also the character.) While I wouldn't be so brazen as to name my future kid Harry Potter Allen, I would give subtle nods to the book when picking out names.

Much as we all have (I think) a soft spot for Draco Malfoy, I'm not going to include Voldemort or any loyal Death Eaters. 

Sorry, Voldy.

I'm also breaking this up into two parts because it was getting WAY too long. Today will mainly be about names inspired by the houses, with a nice sprinkling of names based on specific moments, chapters, and themes throughout. (My favorites are at the bottom.) Tomorrow (or, because I procrastinate, more likely next Saturday) will be names based on characters.

Let's start with obvious choices, yes? You could just name your bebe Harry. If I did this, everyone would assume I was naming my baby after the character. So I'd avoid it. But it is a great name, so there's one option. Other ways: throw it in the middle spot. It'd still be incredibly obvious that you love HP if you gave your kind the middle name Nymphadora, Sirius, Albus, Rubeus, etc. Maybe you're cool with that, maybe you aren't. Hermione as a middle name would still be a pretty obvious nod to the brightest witch of her age, but it's also a really beautiful name. If not for the popularity of HP, I think Hermione would be exactly the kind of name parents today love. Old but quirky. But yes. You could also use Harry, Ronald, Arthur, Molly, Minerva, Fred, George, Ginny or Ginevra, the list goes on. Any of those would sound totally normal. Look at some HP names paired with the current top baby names:

Jacob Arthur
Liam George
Sophia Hermione
Zoe Ginevra
Emily Minerva

I also think it's safe to use characters that aren't Ron, Harry, or Hermione or characters who don't have super rare names. Think Luna, Ginny (or a name that shortens to Ginny - Regina, Virginia, Genevieve, etc), Neville, Alice or Franks (Neville's parents), Kingsley, Ted, Angelina, Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, Molly, Seamus, Dean, etc.

You COULD name your kid(s) after your favorite house in a few different ways LIKE:

Rearranging some of the letters:

Gryffindor 
Finn (add an n)
Dory 
Rory
Ford 

Ravenclaw 
Raven
Rae
Arwen (bonus points for LotR connection)
Carla 
Cal 
Clare 
Clara 
Wren
Lawrence (add an e)
Charles (add an h, s)
Carl
Wallace (add an l)
old names are coming back.

Slytherin
Ren?
Rhys (not my style, but it IS a real name)
Sylvie (cheat and add the v)
Elise (add an e)

Hufflepuff
Sorry, Hufflepuffs. I've got nothing. (My second favorite house, too!!)
....maybe Sue, if you add an S. Or Phil, if you add an i.

If you're not down for rearranging the house letters, how about using the founders' names for inspiration? I actually thing Helga, Helena, Rowena, and Godric would all wear well today. Older names are becoming more popular, as are names from myths, legends, and fables. Godric isn't out of place with all the Gideons. Rowena is at home with Fiona. Helena is pretty normal, and Helga fits in with the Margarets (and the Margarets going by "Greta). (There's also Gale [boy or girl] from Helga and Wren or Ren or Rowan from Rowena.)

I don't think Salazar flies. (Nor do I think he's worth using for inspiration for baby naming, what with the muggle-hating and the whole housing a deadly monster in the castle thing. Though "Zuzu" as a nick would be AMAZING.)

And then there's the option to choose names based on the animals and/or traits of each house.

Of course, Gryffindor is represented by a lion. Which means there's great boy options like Lionel, Leo, Leonardo, and Leonard, all of which mean "lion" (brave lion, young lion, etc). For girls, there's Leonie, which seems like it fits in with all the Sylvies today. There are some names that don't mean "lion" but that have "leo" in them just like all those lion names: Leopold (which means "brave people" so it still works well for Gryffindor), Leonore, Leonora.

There's also a whole host of "brave" names. Andrew means "manly," but it's also said to mean brave (which makes Andrea/Andi a nice choice for girls, too). Bernadette means "brave as a bear." Not a lion, but still it's got that brave meaning. Casey is a nice unisex name that means "brave in battle." Valentina means "strength." Anders is a variant of Andrew, so that works nicely. Archie, which seems to be gaining in popularity a lot (maybe thanks to Amy Poehler, who named her son Archie?), means "truly brave" - the perfect Gryffindor-inspired name. Bernard means "strong; brave as a bear." Perhaps my favorite because of the excellent meaning, there's Everett, which means "brave as a wild boar!" Brave! A nice Gryffindor connection! And BOAR! Like a pig! Like a hog! Like HOGWARTS. Swoony swoon. Prewitt means "brave little one" and according to Nameberry, it's French. *I* feel like French names are in right now. Also, our beloved Mrs. Weasley's maiden name was Prewett! Double connection!

You see where I'm going with this. Pick a name that means "brave" or one of the other traits of the house! Easy, subtle, and fantastic.

Ravenclaw ideas: Anne (okay, okay. Anne means "grace" according to Nameberry. But according to Behind the Name, it's "the short form of names beginning with the Germanic element arn "eagle" so I'm counting it!!!) Arnold means "strong as an eagle" - perfect. (And apparently, Arnette???) Arden means "valley of the eagle." I've heard that "Aubrey" means "wise," though Nameberry says it means "elf ruler" - in LotR elves are pretty wise though, so this could work, albeit a nice stretch. My total favorite: Minerva. Minerva was the goddess of wisdom, so the name is a nice nod to Ravenclaw. But there's also the wonderful Minerva McGonagall, so it's a nod to Gryffindor as well! I happen to love the name so I've discussed it with friends and we've decided it's wearable, especially with a good middle name and/or cute nicknames. There's the popular Sofia/Sophia. or the less popular but also lovely Sonia. Alfred and Aldo mean wise/wisdom/wise leader. Shanahan is an Irish surname (popular now) that means "wise one" and Sage means "wise and knowing." So many options for Ravenclaw!!!

Slytherin: I don't think there are many names that mean "snake," (and any names that I could think of as being connected to snakes also happen to be connected to Adam and Eve and our fallen world, so...) but Behind the Name does say that Phinehas might mean "serpent's mouth." It also mentions Drake. Names that mean "ambitious" are also kind of hard to find. There are specific Slytherins that can inspire names, though:

Severus Snape, Horace Slughorn, and Regulus Black.

Snape was a bully, so I don't see him as quite the hero that everyone else does. But I do still think he was brave and ultimately good. That said, I wouldn't name a kid Severus. I don't even like that Harry used the name Severus, though I understand it. I would play that same letter-arranging game as before. Eve appears in the name Severus, making it perfect. There's also Rue (double literary meaning for Hunger Games!) If we use his first and last name we've got even more options. Vera, Sean, Sera, and if we add a letter or two there's Pearl, Seamus, Everly. You get it.

Horace Slughorn: Okay, my very favorite ways, using some letters from both the first and last names, are Arlo and Hugo. Two of my favorite names in general, but if you're fond of Slytherins, this is a good route. (Double points for Hugo, Ron and Hermione's son!) There's Grace (especially great because it shares the consecutive "race" with Horace), Clare, Argo, Sera, Lora, Lorne, Hans, Olsen, Nora, Olga, Helga (double points), and more. And if we add a y there's Henry, which is popular now.

And everyone loves a good story of redemption, so Regulus Black: Clare, Gus, Cal, and of course, Reggie.

And Hufflepuff! Hufflepuff is proving harder than the others so far, but here are some ideas. Hufflepuffs are known for their hard work. So how about Amelia, which means "work." There's also Emmeline, Ida, and Idette. Hufflepuffs also love truth, loyalty, fair play, kindness and tolerance. For truth and loyalty there's Emmett and Dillon and Truman. Or there's Alethea or Verity (v names are huge right now). Tolerance is itself a name. For kindness there's Benen or Agatha (a nod to Agatha Christie, too!). And since Hufflepuffs make the best friends, there's Alden, Bellamy, Edwin, and Amity.

Wow this post is not ending.

Alright so a few more ideas.

Forest/Forrest. Possibly my favorite chapter in the entire series is The Forest Again.

Another favorite is King's Cross. So I'm going to steal Kate's (from Sancta Nomina) idea and propose Ryan. (And actually, with all the Christian symbols and themes... a lot of those and other Christian names can be used.)

There's also Roxy. Roxy means "dawn," calling to mind the moment when Harry finally beats Voldemort. (Of course, Dawn works, but I think Roxy is more current.)

Any of the "defender or lover of mankind" names (Alasdair, Alessandra, and more).

My favorites of all of these are Genevieve nn Ginny, Alice, Molly, Finn, Rowan, Leonie, Everett, Prewitt, Minerva, Shanahan, Everly, Hugo, Arlo, Reggie, Bellamy, Forest, and Roxy. (Those aren’t necessarily names I’d use, because they don’t all fit my tastes and style. But they’re names I think work really well to connect to Harry Potter.)

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we get to find names from favorite characters!!
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Charlotte

If you're kind of a nerd but don't want your kids to have crazy names

In the last month, three different friends and family members have had to think of baby names and because they know I'm insane very fond of it, they asked for my help.  Swoon.

Between those conversations and my newest favorite blog, I'm totally enjoying thinking of names for other people's kids right now.  (Totally my place to do so....ahem)  

Current obsession with name-related things: using the names of fictional characters.  Apparently, Khaleesi is on the rise.  Khaleesi.  Now, if you just love the way Khaleesi sounds, then you go, Glen Coco!  Really, it's no one's business what name anyone else chooses for their darling offspring (in almost every single situation).  

I'm not very into obvious fictional names.  I love Dumbledore, but I can't see myself using his name.  (Even Albus.)  I asked a semi-reasonable friend (we'll call him Joe Smith) this question as well.  He said the craziest he'd ever do is name a son Bruce Wayne Smith.  Not too bad.  

But, in case you don't want to name your son Frodo and risk him being constantly referred to as "Hobbit," (now that I think about it, that's awesome) here are some tamer choices for us lovers of LOTR, HP, GoT, etc.

1. Instead of Khaleesi...

Maybe Katherine, Danielle, Maeve, Regina, or Riegan.  

Liz watches Game of Thrones and I asked her about this one.  One of her suggestions was Katherine, I believe because it's another K name.  But she also told me that Khaleesi isn't the name of the character.  It's Daenerys.  This can easily be "Danny" or "Dani," so maybe using the name Danielle would work if you want to shy away from Khaleesi while still using the character as inspiration.  

Khaleesi, on the other hand, means "queen." (...In a made up language, but you know.) 

So, if you're not on the wild side and don't want to call your baby girl "Khaleesi," one possibility is to to give your bundle a more traditional name with the same meaning.  Regina is a fairly common name and means queen.  According to a quick google search, it's been big since medieval times.  Woot!  

But I get the feeling that parents who even consider the name "Khaleesi" don't want to go the common route.  Fear not!  Apparently Maeve means "she who intoxicates" and in Irish tradition it was the name of a warrior queen.  BAMF.  I don't want to name a child in honor of the GoT character, but if I did, I'd go with this one. 

If we want to get really cool - Riegan means "one who talks to dragons" and is pronounced Rye-gan.  This name is still too out there for my own taste, but I think it's closest to the character without using "Khaleesi."

Another option, which is actually an option for any of these, is to use it as a middle name.  Little Ella Khaleesi.  I'm surprised, but I honestly like how that sounds.

2. Instead of Dobby...

How about Robert?  

I haven't heard of a growing trend of baby boys being called Dobby lately.  I think I've heard it floated as an idea once or twice, and in coming up with this list, I looked at trends and which characters I love but would be hesitant to use as namesakes.  As one of my favorite characters in Harry Potter, I can totally see myself saying, "Let's name him DOBBY!" after giving birth to a boy.  Especially if I'm full of pain meds.  Which I will be when I have kids.  Because nope, don't want a ring of fire.  -I digress.-

So one, two, buckle my shoe, I typed "Dobby name meaning" into my greatest and sagest friend and mentor, Google.  And up popped this thread!  Dobby as a nickname for Robert!  This is brilliant.  I'm tempted to put this on my own list of very far future options.  There's Robby and Bobby... why not Dobby?!  This is awesome.  

I don't think Dobby is a bad name.  I just don't think it's a great first name.  I'm a fan of formal first names.  So throwing "Robert" on the birth certificate but referring to el boy as Dobby sounds reasonable.  

Another option?  Use Dobby as a nickname for any D or B name.  It totally works, and your kid's siblings and friends might be less likely to refer to sweet Dobby as their house elf, as his rrreeeaaalll name is Donald.  Or Robert.  Or Benjamin.  You name it. 

I love Lord of the Rings and all of the characters and my nerdier side would totally just name my kids after them.  But if you are hesitant to name your child so obviously after the books/movies, there are other possibilities! 

3. Instead of Frodo...

Use Sam?  Using the more common names from series is still totally honoring the stories, in my opinion.  I love Aragorn and I love Gandalf.  But I wouldn't name my kids after them, at least not directly.  So what other options? 

Instead of Frodo, use Frodo's closest friend.  Frodo couldn't have made it without Sam.  And Sam is one of the loveliest names ever.  I love the name Sam.  Especially for a boy.  Samuel is great and Sam is great and both can work as a tribute to LOTR.  

Another option is to use names that sound similar to Frodo.  Maybe Frederick?  (Also, if using Frederick, Frodo totally makes sense as a nickname to me!)  Or maybe you're both a LOTR fan and a tennis fan!  You can name your baby Roddick.  Or Roderick.  Frodo shares the consecutive r-o-d with those names so is a reasonable nickname.  

What if you like Aragorn?  I've thought of before this because I love Aragorn probably more than any other character.  

If you strictly want similar sounding names, then Aaron is probably closest.  But, if you are looking for something more symbolic representing the character, what about Arthur, Leopold, or Christopher?

Arthur and Leopold (Leopold is one of my favorite names) are both known as king names in legend and history.  Aragorn is the rightful king, so maybe to still use him as inspiration while naming a baby, using another kingly name would work.  Again, while everyone has their own preferences, my own instinct would be to stay away from something clearly honoring a character.  Arthur and Leopold can still do that while being a little more common.  

Why Christopher?  Well.  I think Aragorn is a Christ-like figure.  (As are Gandalf and Frodo.)  So I think it'd be fitting to use a Christ name (Christian also works) in this situation.  

Or again, if you're hesitant to use a name but really love the character, middle names work!  Plenty of traditional names can go in front of Aragorn and sound just fine.  Joseph Aragorn.  Henry Aragorn.  You get the idea. 

Okay, so no one is really going around naming their baby daughters "Black Widow."  (As far as I know.  There are kids named Pilot Inspektor and Jer Majesty though, so it's not like it's an impossibility...)  But maybe you want to name your kid after one of the Avengers.  

4. Instead of Black Widow... 

Use Natalia/Natasha.  You'll totally name your kid after Black Widow, but your kid won't be mocked.  Naming after the Avengers is pretty easy, though, since most have regular names.  Hawkeye is Clint, Cap is Steve, the Hulk is Bruce, Iron Man is Tony.  And then there's Thor.  Thor is a name that predates the Avengers, so you can get away with using it but... like I said, I wouldn't want to give a name so obvious to my own kid.  If your heart is set on the character but you don't want to name your human child Thor, maybe use another Th name like Thomas (I've even seen Thom before) or Theodore.  Theodore can totally be shortened to Thor as a nickname.  Theodore is on my own list (nutty since I'm single but hey) and I always assumed Teddy as a nickname but now I'm thinking Thor is awesome.  

Your genius plan to name your children after the Avengers might be exposed if you have multiple kids, though.  People will likely catch on if you've got Steve, Natasha, Tony, and Bruce running around.  But that'd be baller, so who cares. 

5. Instead of Albus... 

Use any name that means "wise."  

Albus Dumbledore is one of the most beloved characters of the entire series.  He's got loads of good traits that make him a good source of inspiration.  But if you're not keen on using his name on your bebe, there are other ways to keep him in mind while finding a name. You could go with the more traditional Albert (which has a host of cute nicknames) or find a name with similar sound/meaning.   "Albus" means white and wise.  For a combo sound/meaning, there's Alfred or Aldo.  

According to this, Alfred's got a really cool history!  

"Derived from the Old English Ælfred, a compounding of the elements ælf (elf) and ræd (counsel). Elves were considered to be supernatural beings having special powers of seeing into the future; thus the name took on the meaning "wise counsel."

You know what this means - LOTR lovers can use it too!  

But, on topic.  So yes!  "Wise counsel" is right up Dumbledore's alley.  And Alfred has similar sounds to Albus.  Between those two things, I think Alfred makes a solid, tamer choice for Albus. 

Aldo is another option.  It feels a little more hip to me than Alfred, despite being an old name.  It means "old and wise."   Again, completely fitting for a baby named with Dumbledore in mind.  

Other boy names with similar meaning are Shanahan and Conrad.  Shanahan is Irish and means "the wise one."  Conrad is German and means "brave counsel."  It think both of those sound like characteristics of Dumbledore.  (Could also be used if you're looking to Gandalf for inspiration as well!) 

There are so many more great characters and I think any name - no matter how crazy - can be reined in a bit to reach a less obvious name if that's what you're looking for.  Between similar sounds and shared meanings, any character can give insights to great names.  (Or we could all just name kids after the Weasleys.  Rowling did an excellent job naming them.) 

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Charlotte