Category Archives: Literary Names

Lumen

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  • Origin: Latin; West Frisian
  • Meaning: “light; people.”
  • Gender: Unisex
  • Usage: English, Dutch
  • Pron: LOO-men

Lumen is a name of multiple origins and meanings. It can be from the Latin lūmen (luminis) meaning “light, radiance, illumination.” The term has inspired centuries of philosophical, scientific, and religious imagery. In modern usage, lumen is also a scientific unit measuring luminous flux — the amount of visible light emitted by a source — and in anatomy, it denotes the inner cavity or channel of a tubular organ.

Lumen can also be a West-Frisian unisex name, usually used as a diminutive form of any name beginning with the Liud – element, from the Old Germanic meaning, “people.” There is also the masculine form of Lumman.

In the United States, there are records for male Lumans and Lumens, nicknamed Lummie and Louie as early as the 18th-century. It is unknown if it is based on the Latin term lumen or a family surname, in which case it is most likely from a Dutch patronymic of the aforementioned etymology or other surnames of unknown etymology.

By the early 1900s, it is found as a female name or as a religious unisex name taken by Catholic nuns and monastics, and in the case of many Italian-American females, as an Anglicized diminutive form of Filumena (Philomena).

The name is also used on females in the Philippines as a form of Illuminada.

The name Lumen also appears in literature — notably as the title of Camille Flammarion’s 1887 cosmic novel Lumen, in which a disembodied soul travels through space and time as a being of light. The association deepens the name’s connection to illumination, eternity, and the cosmos.

Lumen Pierce, a character in the fifth season of the television series Dexter (2010), further popularized the name in contemporary culture.

A notable male bearer is American artist, Lumen Martin Winter (1908-1982).

Elegant and radiant, Lumen embodies both scientific precision and spiritual luminosity. Its cross-cultural history — from Latin philosophy to Frisian folk roots to celestial fiction — gives it a timeless, modern-ethereal appeal. Perhaps its the next generation’s Lauren of the 1980s.

Sister names: Airlie, Breeze, Carmen, Cassarah, Demi, Eden, Fallon, Gry, Haven, Iridian, Jovie, Kestrel, Lux, Maren, Navy, Oriol, Poe, Romy, Sky(e), Soleil, Teal, Umber, Wren

Brother Names: Ambrose, Bram, Cedar, Dorian, Ezra, For(r)est, Greyson, Hudson, Indigo, Jasper, Jett, Mace, North, Kai, Lucian, Orion, Penn, River, Rowan, Stellen, Thane, Varian, Wild

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Poe

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  • Origin: English/Welsh
  • Meaning: “peacock;” or “son of Hugh.”
  • Gender: Unisex
  • First Est. 1880s

From the transferred use of the English surname Poe. The surname is possibly derived from the Middle English po or pawe, meaning “peacock,” a nickname originally given to someone considered showy, proud, or flamboyant. Alternatively, Poe may represent an Anglicized form of the Welsh patronymic ap Hugh (“son of Hugh”). A less common variant, Poë (rhymes with Chloe or Zoe), appears in Irish baronetcies and may reflect a separate family line but seems to be related.

It may also be an Anglicized form of the German surname, Pfau (peacock).

The surname gained literary immortality through Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), the celebrated American poet and author. After his death, the name began appearing as a given name—predominantly masculine—throughout the late 19th century, often paired with Edgar or Allen in homage to the writer.

In recent decades, Poe has re-emerged in popular culture through Poe Dameron, the daring Resistance pilot in the Star Wars franchise—lending the name a sleek, modern edge while preserving its timeless, artistic mystique.

In recent decades, Poe has seen rare but notable use for girls as well, its brevity and darkly romantic associations giving it gender-neutral appeal.

Minimalist yet evocative, Poe carries a distinctly literary, Gothic, and Bohemian character. With its one-syllable punch and artistic aura, it’s the perfect choice for the modern romantic or literary enthusiast seeking a name of quiet intensity.

Sister Names: Arwen, Boux, Brontë, Cloudsley, Elowen, Faye, Greenley, Halo, Harper, Indie, Lark, Lumen, Lux, Meadow, Noa, Onyx, Paisley, Roux, Rue, Rumer, Sage, Scout, Sky(e), Truett, Wren

Brother Names: Adler, Beck, Bram, Brooks, Byron, Cove, Dorian, Everett, Finn, Grey, Holden, Jagger, Kylo, Lock, Maddox, Preston, Quinn, Rhett, Rhys, Stone, Thorne, Wilde

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Moonglow

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  • Origin: English
  • Gender: Female

Moonglow is an English word-name that combines moon with glow — literally evoking the silvery, luminous light cast by the moon. The phrase became popular in the 20th century, used in poetry, music, and art to capture a sense of romance, mystery, and nighttime beauty.

Moonglow was the title of a popular jazz tune (1934) covered by Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, and others.

The phrase is also used in fantasy and sci-fi literature to describe magical illumination or lunar radiance.

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Harper

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  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: “harp player; harp maker.
  • Gender: Unisex
  • First Est. 1698

From the transferred use of the occupational surname, ultimately from the Anglo-Saxon, harpeare (harper), it originally referred to someone who made harps, and occasionally, it could also refer to a person who played harps.

Its earliest use as a male given-name I could find was for a Harper (or Harperus) Hobbins (1699-1701) of Warwickshire, England.

For females, it starts to appear mainly as a middle name, starting in the early 1800s in England. There is a marriage record from 1863 I could find for a woman named Harper Richards in Cornwall, England. Other than that, it remained very rare as a female first name until the 2000s.

A well-known early female bearer of this name was American author, Harper Lee (1926-2016 (though this was her middle name). In her case, she was named in honour of the family pediatrician who saved her younger sister, Louise.

However, its sudden rise in popularity for females in the Anglophone world was influenced by a combination of different factors likely not related to the author. Mainly:

  • It was the name of Harper Finkle on the Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012).
  • Victoria and David Beckham chose this for their daughter, Harper Seven Beckham (b. 2011)
  • Its similarity to other trendy unisex surname-turned-first names, such as Taylor, Piper and Avery.

Harper entered the U.S. Top 1000 in 2004, then skyrocketed. Since 2011, it has consistently ranked in the Top 20 for girls, making it one of the most successful modern surname-names. As of 2024, it is the 12th most popular female name in the United States. For males, it has not appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 since 2018.

Harper as a feminine given-name is now in circulation in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K.

Its ranking in other countries are as follows:

  • #7 (Australia, 2024)
  • #8 (New Zealand, 2024)
  • #21 (Scotland, 2024)
  • #23 (England & Wales, 2024)
  • #31 (Canada, 2023)
  • #51 (Northern Ireland, 2023)
  • #63 (Ireland, 2024)
  • #479 (the Netherlands, 2024)

It’s a crisp name with musical appeal, not too frilly, but also oddly feminine. However, it is at risk at dating itself to the mid to late 2000s. If you want something that is decidedly more feminine, and absolutely rare, you can try the Icelandic female name, Harpa, and Latvians have lettonized this to Harpera.

For fun, this is Harper’s translations in other languages. These are not used as actual names but are interesting hypothetical variations and perhaps inspiration as more unusual alternatives:

Female

  • Azifa (Arabic)
  • Kinara (Assyrian) – Legitimate name
  • Telennorez (Breton)
  • Qín 琴 (Chinese, pron: CHEEN) – Legitimate name
  • Xianzi 弦子 (Chinese, SHEN-zih) – Legitimate name
  • Telynyores (Cornish)
  • Harppuri (Finnish)
  • Kineret (Hebrew) – Legitimate name
  • Cláirseoir (Irish-Gaelic, KLAHR-shur)
  • Arpista (Italian, Spanish)
  • Koto 琴 (Japanese)
  • Arfininkė (Lithuanian)
  • Hafiarka (Polish)
  • Telynores (Welsh)

Male

  • Azif (Arabic)
  • Telennor (Breton)
  • Qín 琴 (Chinese, see above) – Legitimate name
  • Telynnyer (Cornish)
  • Cláirseoir (Irish-Gaelic, see above for pronunciation)
  • Harpeur (French)
  • Hafiarz (Polish)
  • Telynor (Welsh)
  • Kinubi (Swahili) – Legitimate name

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Rudeus

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  • Origin: Literary Invention
  • Gender: Male
  • ROO-dee-us
  • Est: Mid 2000s

Rudeus is a contemporary literary invention, first gaining notice as the name of Rudeus Greyrat, protagonist of the acclaimed Japanese light-novel and anime series Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.

As of 2024, 3 babies in the U.K. were given this as a name.

If you are looking for a fuller name for Rudy but don’t like Rudolph, or perhaps want something in the same vein as Amadeus but more modern, this may be the name for you.

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Samavia

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  • Origin: literary invention
  • Gender: Female
  • First Use: Late 1990s

The best-known appearance of this name is in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1915 novel The Lost Prince, where Samavia is the name of a fictional European kingdom.

Burnett probably coined it for its romantic, vaguely Eastern-European sound, combining familiar Slavic-sounding syllables (Sam-, -avia).

In Pakistan and parts of India you will occasionally see Samavia given to girls as a modern Muslim name, likely inspired by the pleasant sound of Burnett’s word or by similar Arabic-Persian names.

Parents often interpret it as a variant of Arabic names such as Samaviya/Samawiya, which can be linked to samāʾ (سَماء) “sky, heaven.”

Because this is a modern adaptation, meanings offered on baby-name sites—“heavenly,” “from the sky,” “sublime”—are interpretive rather than historically established.

It may also be related to a Prakrit word that means “accomplished, finished.”

It is not a traditional Arabic Muslim name nor is it a traditional name in India, it has only come into use the last 20 years.

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